Posts by George Darroch
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Re Ireland - if the winds blow favourably, we could position ourselves as an equivalent into China, India and Asia.
Well, we better invest in educating our kids in Asian languages then, as we're still terribly isolated by our linguistic shortcomings. We could probably turn that around in about 10 years if we worked hard.
No footy thread today, Mr Brown?
Yeah, I came here for that and started talking politics. Whoops!
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And the best argument I have ever heard for state sponorship of political parties
Nah, just ban donations of over $20. S/he with the most supporters wins.
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Stephen, fair point.
I would argue that some investments in education do the opposite however, and attract graduate students and researchers and other bright minds from around the world, who not only do useful work but often become useful citizens.
I don't know enough about the education sector to know whether we could move the New Zealand institutions into such a category, but it seems feasible. I do know of foreign postgrads who came over for a PhD in which they paid domestic fees and who are now naturalising and considering a New Zealand future.
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Jeremy and Gareth make a good point. Which brings up a question to the PA crowd - what would you like money spent on? Where do you think a spare billion could be well spent?
For me, an obvious priority would be direct intervention to roll out insulation. By 2015 I'd love it if every house in the country was warm, and no child was going to bed cold. We don't often think of it as infrastructure, but the costs manifest in sickness, life expectancy, energy bills and plain old quality of life. -
Why oh why oh why are we borrowing money to spend on roads? The current Government is spending more on these white elephants than any previous, and the National Party wants to top this?
What a bunch of cargo cultists. Like tribes who built airstrips, the current set of MPs believe you build roads, and the economy will grow.
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To adapt Brad Delong.
You all remember the plan of the Underpants Gnomes from South Park:
1. Collect underpants.
2. ?
3. Profit!That's the perfect analogy for John [Key]'s budget policy:
1. Cut taxes and spend more on [infrastructure].
2. ?
3. Balanced budget!!Stranger things have happened.
I still maintain that if National come into power, it's quite likely they'll claim within the first week that having seen the books (which are hardly secret), things are much much worse than Labour claimed, and regretful cuts will have to be made.
It's the only way that (for me) it all makes sense. I'm open to other explanations of how and why. Perhaps they're just going to saddle yet another generation with large Government debts.
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Upthread a while back there was the mention of the taste of free-range pork. I particularly liked Nicholas Kristof's thoughts on the matter. Not preachy (he is after all a meat eater,) but lightweight and inspired.
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Jolisa, if you like the Copenhagen blog, you might be interested in their more practical (although definitely retaining the same ethos) sister site Copenhagenize for ideas and inspiration.
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All of this reminds me of the work that the Hollows Foundation do. Theirs seems a particularly noble and practical cause.
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A history PhD is very difficult.
I can imagine. A history MPhil is hard enough!