Posts by BenWilson
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That's the concept I disagree with, that economics and social policy are independent axes. Like I say above, they're intertwined. If you favour economic liberalism, you'll wind up taking a social authoritarian stance because of the need to clean up after your economic policies.
I disagree. I'm basically a social liberal, and the economic dimension is just something I don't give a crap about most years. I don't think they need to be tied together.
But practically, you are right. Most of the time they do seem to be tied together - inversely. Social liberals tend to be economically left.
I don't think it's a particularly profound graph. It's extremely popular as something for ACToids to trot out to show how different they are from National, and to explain the curious position of NZ First. But at the end of the day it's no more accurate than just one dimension at placing your political views. Which is to say both are damned inaccurate. Unfortunately it's not easy to graph hundreds of dimensions.
Also missing from every compass I've ever seen is measuring the care factor. I mean you could ask me where I stand on a hell of a lot of issues and I might have a very extreme position. But it's also a position I don't give a stuff about. Gay marriage would be a good example. If asked what I think should be allowed, it would seem extremely liberal. If asked how much I care, it would be 'almost not at all'. Asked where I stand economically, it would be somewhat left, with again, no commitment at all. Asked where I stand on drug liberalization, it would be some way towards liberal, but I care quite a lot. Similarly with issues of national security, I'm generally in favour of peace and international solutions, and I care hugely about my quite centrist position.
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Also it would be nice if the Maori language was known internationally not just for one rather odd poem being yelled angrily, much though I love it.
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I'm not sure how the interlude would play out. I just figure it's got some lovely long notes that would sound O for Orrrsome when belted out by 20,000 voices. It's one of those songs that rises and falls, much like Swing Low. Maori's a good language for song, I think every syllable ending on a vowel is a big plus, as in Italian. I think.
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She talks eloquently. But I tried to write down some things that could be taken away as bullet points to expect from her, and I got:
*Smartcards
Everything else was 'talking around a lot of issues', a phrase that used to annoy the crap out of me when I last worked in a big company. It's like it's being honest that we can't talk about any issues, we have to be careful to talk around them, so they can't get in the way.
Well, I'll hold her to Smartcards, at least.
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One song that would sound really good with a crowd singing it would be 'E Ipo'. It's nice and slow, and very few would know what it meant. But it's all good, just a love song.
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I might be misinterpreting this but, if you mean the US, their domestic economy is huge... therefore a much more effective buffer against a downturn in offshore demand. They also have a much more diverse trade profile, less dependent on commodities etc.
;-) yup. I was joking. I don't think it's been beneficial to the US in the stakes of international competitiveness to have such an imbalance. But they did manage to pull it off for an awfully long time. Like all the people I know who have their credit maxed out all the time. Of course they'd be better off to pay off their debts, cut up their cards and live within their means. But they'd also live a poorer life for quite a while, while they were doing it.
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it was rather the point.
Heh, ic...cause of the last guy. But it unfairly slurs the next guy too.
The curious thing about the terrible balance of trade is that the very worst offender for this kind of the thing is also the richest nation on the planet. Which kind of suggests that maybe it's not the end of the world.
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Classic mate. Wasn't something like this the plot of "Fierce Creatures", the sequel to "A Fish Called Wanda"? The billionaire buying the zoos was even a NZer! Although I'm sure they were actually piss-taking Rupert Murdoch or Kerry Packer. Perhaps any animals that have to actually be shot could be dispatched by the Minister himself as a photo-op warning for the other Ministries?
Zoos and Corrections could easily be merged, since both require caging dangerous animals. It would also allow people to easily come and poke fun at prisoners, to read about their crimes on a little plaque, and to watch them at feeding time quarreling with one another. Easy money!
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Was POTUS the final conclusion for an acronym for the recession? I didn't get a vote, if I did it would be against that acronym, since it already stands for "President Of The US".
Bart I agree with all of that. The only way I can see NZ breaking out of a 'spending more than it earns' cycle is to begin massive scale savings. And now is hardly the time for that. Well, for the economy anyway. Personally, it's exactly what I'm doing. Bugger the economy.
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Why waste breath when those that can possibly affect things have already made up their minds, and those that care but can't affect things become paralysed with cynicism and ennui.
You have a point. Why talk about the apocalypse, just run! Or eat, drink and be merry.
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