Posts by martinb

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  • Speaker: Identification strategy: Now…,

    Wish Danyl, Russel, Keith and Tze Ming Mok would get together and start the equivalent of a newspaper or a TV station with enormous amount of access.

    I've been enormously conflicted about this.

    Asian poverty rise

    Issues:

    1) China's ability to be a big fish and increase its influence over New Zealand, the speed at which this happens and our concept of ourselves as a nation thinking ahead 30-50 years, and not being tied to WWII and the 1970s nostalgia. Is it racist to worry about the social effects of increasing political and financial influence with Chinese banks opening and us being (or perhaps having been) so dependent on the Chinese dairy market?

    2) Labour's ability to govern for the poor. See the article above. Those guys don't need any extra problems. Same as beneficiaries under the current government.

    3) Racism doesn't matter unless it aligns with National Party interests. Who is making a stink about the low rate of Polynesian home purchases or as above the health, overcrowding and other issues? That is seriously racist and I'd like to think that anyone who is principled about being anti-racism would make that an issue.

    4) Culture change. What are the essential principles we aren't going to trade away?

    See here TPPA, Saudi farms and Casino deals which are government lead and things like attitudes to women, smoking and other forms of social change over the last 30 years which are influenced by immigrants from countries with different values.

    I had a conversation with about women in tech and the low uptake of coding jobs by qualified women (IE a big gender disproportion in the tech sector in the US) and I had a chap from overseas who couldn't understand why it was important. Which some people in NZ may think, but attitudes are such now it couldn't be said publicly or assumed to be the 'commonsense' held by all.

    5) Racism=power imbalances among groups?

    I feel that there is a lot more than racism in this and there are many reasons to be angry in different directions. For a lot of people growing up in New Zealand who are not able to buy their own home to see the Mitt Romney's of China

    ("Why do you spend $100 on beer while you can save it and spend it on your house one day?" Mr Li asked.
    "There are so many other Kiwis who can afford to buy their houses. Why don't those people work harder to earn more, save more and then they can buy? To me, it's very fair. Excuse my language but only losers think it's not fair. My money didn't fall on me from the sky. I am not ashamed of being richer than those people who don't work hard and blame others for their own failures. This is what I value."
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11480253)

    along with other investors being shown the welcome mat is very irritating. This is not being angry with China or Chinese, but with the policy of the government which has policy settings directly to the detriment of its citizens which advantages some of the 1% foreigners.

    Anyway I don't know how I think about this, but I know that the people who do are setting the agenda. See how quickly Don McKinnon, the New Zealand China Council, Chester Borrows told us that having this debate was damaging.

    Labour was praised by the PRC president for the actions of Norm Kirk's government. It also signed the free trade agreement. I hope it knows what it is doing.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Mediaworks: The only horizon…, in reply to Russell Brown,

    On a technical level it could be produced fairly cheaply. But you wouldn’t be able to employ 22 people on proper salaries to make it, so you’d need to get a bit creative about how you went about things.

    80 odd K subscriptions at $10 a year would be a start perhaps? Unless those petition numbers were BS. With some on a higher kick in, with a show sponsor and regular advertising, Netflix or someone also kicking in. A potential audience of 300K plus on the rescreens surely would be a tasty looking carrot for any streaming service looking for credibility. John C? Some instant cred.
    Though I suppose they would then piss off all the numerous Nat supporters, which isn’t such great business…though Campbell’s audience is wider than just left/right.

    If you got a streaming company with enough views breaking investigative stories the other media would have to pick it up.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Mediaworks: The only horizon…,

    In a thread related topic- how expensive would a solely web based show funded by someone like NetFlix or some such be for Mr Campbell?

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Mediaworks: The only horizon…,

    Imagine if David Cunliffe was still leading the Labour Party. Wouldn't he have an enormous amount of credibility on the affordable housing issue and the capital gains tax? It's a pity- I liked seeing him and his wife in the background of the Key ogles Kate's hair meme. What might have been.

    Plague on both their houses. We are entering a cashed-up, political-favours, poor-excluded electoral system and a spot the difference Republicans/Democrats political life. I guess we should shut up and vote for Hilliary right?

    How effective have those been who knifed him? The career-ites and the Blair-ites. Can't wait for the Change the Coat of Arms too Labour old white right-wing charge.

    Still, must cut benefits for those who don't vote= winner, I'm sure.
    The twitter boycott to the rescue! Meh. :-(

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: About Campbell Live,

    Okay which dystopian future have I woken up in where Julie Christie and Mike Hosking control the future of the airwaves?

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Some reprehensible bullshit,

    Sorry, I told a lie. There is not one BS Len Brown story on the front of the Herald web page. There are two.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Some reprehensible bullshit,

    Wait- on the front page of the Herald there are calls for recall elections. On the basis of 'secret rooms'.

    The Herald. Gutter journalism since I don't know about a year ago. Before Granny was a Tory from on high, now she's down and dirty.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: An Open Letter To David Cunliffe,

    Well something divides the PAS.

    This is not like the Clark years though, very obviously. The leader has been selected by the party and the caucus, so previous precendents are a little shakey.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: A call from Curia,

    Could be looking ahead to coalition negotiations and potential leadership changes? Sounding out about Peters and English.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: We can do better than this,

    Except

    …Iannucci shows us everything that is going on- all the pants-sh*tting, the swearing, the horrible moments of truth, the contemplating of living with mind-curdlingly daft compromises, the panic, the inspired moments, the haranguing, the small wins, the palaver and also he gets quite a few laughs for it.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

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