Posts by Marc C
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Hard News: Garbage in, garbage out, in reply to Gareth Swain,
Looking at the way people shop in supermarkets, they mostly decide on price, not so much on quality. That has been proved so often, and we can witness it also in the high prevalence of the $2 discounter shops in Aoteaoroa.
Always “bargain hunters” the vast majority make compromises on quality and contents. That leaves a too small market here, I fear, for quality journalism also. The higher income people would only in some numbers value the kind of “investigative journalism” that persons like Nicky Hager do. The "do better lot" have in too large numbers rather other interests, so a fair few of them actually know the people get lied to, and they feel, that is just so in their own interest, to keep the masses damned QUIET.
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Hard News: Garbage in, garbage out, in reply to Gareth Swain,
You would think so, but it seems to require resources to do investigative journalism, and takes time and COSTS. So as the media market here is now largely dominated by privately owned media, who are more than ever dependent on that highly contested advertising revenue, there seems to be too little desire to engage in "costly" journalism, as they get away with just feeding dressed up media releases and infotainment "news". You will see how television and radio here is heavily influenced by commercial advertising, there seems to be more of it here than anywhere else I have been. Quality suffers in such an environment. In the UK, the US and Continental Europe they do at least still have some core media, private and public, who have the resources to deliver more choice and quality.
We here are getting milked as consumers, and are not supposed to think or even question too much, as that "distracts" us from spending and "enjoying" consumerism.
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Hard News: Garbage in, garbage out, in reply to Sacha,
Some of the profession are too busy tweeting each other frivolities and suggestions about the newest fad in town, I suspect. While I am not a fan of Paul Henry, he does at times bluntly display the idiocy we have, as last night he showed how a few hours of indulgence turned some “ladies” and “gentlemen” at the Christchurch racing event into silly fools behaving “strangely”.
Sadly that is what gets “coverage”, and is watched, and wannabe “smart”, blunt and even vulgar comments are also what is quoted, rather than “dry” figures, that would tell us what really goes on, and what really should matter.
Oh those “good old days”, when we had black and white television and shared the news and shows, and where some standards were applied. Are we better off these days, or worse, I wonder?
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Hard News: The Boom Crash, in reply to Sacha,
While you are right that some intensification is needed, and overdue, I fear that the submissions made on the Auckland Unitary Plan, and I mean those by individuals or residents groups, are in their vast majority against intensification. Most Aucklanders still resist intensification, at least in their own backyard.
But a city can still function with not so high density, as cities overseas that are much smaller in population than Auckland, and are partly also fairly spread out, can still afford a good public transport system.
The problem here is, to achieve such a cultural change, to get people out of their damned cars. Many will say they support better public transport, but they do not really want to give up their own cars and pay extra for funding it. It is this widespread mentality of thinking, one can have it both ways, which is the major stumbling block to what Auckland and other large cities in New Zealand face.
Wait for the screams when parking charges go up further, when tolls on motorways will be introduced (if that happens), it will be massive. But only making driving less attractive and at the same time expanding and improving public transport infrastructure will anything be achieved. I fear Len Brown will not achieve this, and will see the end of his term, to then be voted out.
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Hard News: The Boom Crash, in reply to Hugh Wilson,
Yes, where do those “dollares” come from? Most is borrowed, and as New Zealanders as a whole have got so used to simply use their credit cards, to get extra loans and mortgages offered by banks, they simply “bank” on a future, which they cannot see, due to financial, economic and social short vision, which is the other “ill” in this nation:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11356874
Hence high interest rates will return with a vengeance at some stage, and it will be causing a very serious contraction. Until then it is all postponed. I came back from an overseas stint in 2005, and there was near full employment, talk was of endless growth, of shortage of skilled labour, and another housing “boom” was in full swing then. We know what happened shortly after that.
So one year of a milk solids based "boom" and a government talking up an otherwise stalling economy, now largely only “growing” due to rebuild in Christchurch and slowly starting construction in Auckland, has again seduced the majority into more and more borrowing, speculating, and selling homes and buying homes.
But it is not so clear cut, as it is the investors who are being a growing force behind it all, more wealth ending up in fewer hands and so, and housing affordability being below 50 percent now. Those that have homes borrow to spend more on yachts, cars and so, and trust that ever more migration will create growth, forgetting that such growth has a price too.
As for the Auckland Unitary Plan, a friend of mine is presently engaged in it, and it is a bit of a disaster, what is happening in some hearings and meetings now. The idea of growing the population to “afford” infrastructure will be nothing but a race in the hamster wheel, as eventually the pressures will only increase and demand yet more investment. But the banks are happy, and the ones that hold wealth, they know they will never lose.
After all discussions in Parliament, the media and on blogs over all these years, few seem to have learned anything at all, I fear, headless chickens racing against each other, trying to keep up with the Jones’ or to simply survive in one of the most expensive places to live in these days.
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Misinformation is the norm, I fear, and our present government, that one since 2008, has transformed media releases and media policy to near perfect, very sophisticated propaganda. The fact that few journalists have the resources, time and experience to dig deeper, is being exploited ruthlessly. David Fisher has the experience, skill and dedication to dig deeper, and he deserves much credit and praise for this.
As for those welfare or social security recipient figures Sarah Wilson rightly stated, this post explains in part, how WINZ operate now. Sandra Kirikiri, Director for Welfare Reform was on Nine to Noon on RNZ a couple of times, but as of recent seems to be more media shy:
They are conducting virtual experiments with sick, injured and mentally ill, and while that may bear risks, sole parents seem the "safest way" to apply more pressures, and get people forced into whatever "suitable" part time work.
I dread what the future will bring, with that 25 percent target to get people off benefits, same as with selling up to 20 percent of state housing.
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Hard News: The Boom Crash, in reply to Chrys Berryman,
As a matter of fact, we already have de-facto ghettos, they are simply not fenced off or otherwise called what they are, as that is not politically correct. Now we have the NZ National Party apply their version of social engineering, the trickle up method, defying all natural laws. But as Key has a dim view of science (remember that BBC Hard Talk interview), National are about to establish totally new facts, based on “new science”.
Indeed, I know of people still living in Housing NZ homes in the “wrong” streets, in Epsom and so, and these few properties will be some of the first that will go under the hammer soon. The ones at the bottom will be offered multi-level, cheap, “affordable” new dwellings, where they can be stacked on top of each other and forced to be “appreciative” of the “hard working” New Zealanders “caring” for them.
And as it was mentioned before the last election, the next “tax cut” carrot is already being prepared, come 2017. Work will set you free, on a minimum wage even, that is “increased” each year (marginally inflation adjusted, not more).
How long can people put up with this, I ask?
At some point and time there will be some kind of social explosion, as endless pressure cannot continue to build up, without finding a release (physics Key won’t understand or won’t want to understand).
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Hard News: The Boom Crash, in reply to BenWilson,
40 percent of home buyers in Auckland are now investors, who already have some "nest eggs":
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/10608219/Investors-move-in-as-first-home-buyers-fold
Home afford-ability is at its lowest for decades, Housing NZ stock is going to be put onto the block, and liquor firms, cash rich iwi authorities and some well financed new migrants and also off-shore buyers line up to buy what is left on the kitchen shelves.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/simon-collins/news/article.cfm?a_id=135&objectid=11356294
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/simon-collins/news/article.cfm?a_id=135&objectid=11354515
Meanwhile more live in garages, in cars and caravans, or even in parks and open places.
Welcome to YOUR "Brighter Future", the government is "working for NZ" (the top percentages that is).
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Let’s not forget: This “boom” is THE GROWTH of the New Zealand economy that is supposed to be the “brighter future”. Fueled by still rather “easy money” from well resourced Australian owned banks happy to lend, many get carried away, and as news out today reported, the banks already got many inquiries for new loans and added mortgages, so people can get extra credit to spend on cars, boats, a “deserved” overseas holiday and newest consumer gadgets.
Here we go again, and I am sure Mr Hickey will agree with me, too many never seem to learn, that this is exactly the same trap this country with a fragile economic makeup has been caught in for decades.
The milk solid auction prices have already dipped, or “crashed”, so when will this “boom” turn to bust, one wonders? Some corrections are part of the economic cycle, usually. But hey, we can have more migration, increase numbers, add consumers, workers to do whatever precarious and also durable jobs, to pay more tax and rates. One day those migrants will also be older and more prone to sickness and injury, will retire, so they will add costs, which will inevitably, according to the “Kiwi growth recipe” mean further population growth, migration or else, to increase numbers of workers and consumers yet again.
The sky is the limit, it seems, build up and outwards, whatever, keep growing, and do not bother planning and worrying, no matter what the finite future holds.
Winners are property owners, in the right spots, like Auckland, and they will keep voting in for governments keeping this whole system “working” (for themselves, never mind those that will not get onto the ladder). There are always some assets for sale, to foot the bill one day, whether SOEs, state houses, land or ordinary real estate for investment by others. Buy, invest, speculate, sell and be happy.
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Hard News: LATE: The Age of Slacktivism, in reply to Sacha,
The internet and modern day social media only offer additional channels of communication, but the communications and forums they offer are not necessarily unifying, or shared by large enough groups or individuals of similarly minded users and consumers, as some may presume. I know heaps of people spending endless times tweeting, texting and reading blogs online, also commenting there. Many use Facebook, Twitter and so forth, but as the last election showed once again, the very active discussions by some on many forums does not necessarily represent what the wider public talk and think about.
We have many maintain networks of friends and followers, from a few individuals to a few dozens, some up to hundreds and also thousands. I get many email messages from Greenpeace, some parties and various activist or lobby groups, but I increasingly get tired of reading them all, let alone sign every petition there now is. Some are worthy, yes essential to sign, I feel, but we have an inflation of messaging, leading to people tiring of these, and thus switching off in larger numbers, only focusing on stuff that may concern them personally and immediately.
On the other hand the mainstream media are still catering with news and so for most, and being better resourced (despite of competition and revenue pressures), the blogs there are cannot quite compete with the MSM. So we may get a fair amount of misinformation, bias and so forth from them, but the MSM (TV, radio and print, also online) is still somehow the dominant media, and also uses social media now.
We have many groups active online, but some seem to be living a political life focused on "specialised" topics and special issue areas. Some share goals, others less so, and we have some alienated people operating on the fringes of society, or beyond legality even, all facilitated by modern technology.
So my impression is, having both, online and social media activism - AND a firm, good presence in the streets, that is what works best. Too many though are contend with just doing their bit of pushing keys and buttons, and this is not very visible, may only reach certain numbers of people, and does not get taken note of enough by the MSM.
As we are made of flesh and blood, need to eat, drink and breathe, we are physical bodies, and face to face contact, out in the open, in meetings, on the street, or in halls, will always be somewhat more natural and impressive, than lots of series of endless images and words on screens, that will tire many, already sitting in front of screens in offices all day.