As to benzodiazepates: What the fuck?

Errr...that list looks very similar to the one for alcohol. (possibly smaller) Of course alcohol is not a restricted substance so they have not made a list...hypocrites.
For example: Would you suggest someone suffering depression or having suicidal tenancies get plastered??

Except of course that the symptoms listed are in a small minority of people.

Remember that if ANYONE has a symptom during trials they are legally required to list it. The list is long because it has been in use for so long I would guess.
Valium (a crude form nowadays) was and is (incl. newer flavors) handed out like candy in the US. Safe as houses pretty much.

So this is a bit of a straw man.

Chinese people can't buy Chinese land. All land is either state-owned or collectively-owned. Foreigner investors in China can buy the same land use rights that Chinese people can buy, albeit with certain restrictions around national security or the national interest.

Not a red herring Chris you have missed my point so badly you have actually ended up adding weight to it.
You just stated what I was implying: NZers cannot buy land in China and so why are some so confident that we should just let China buy ours and not land use rights only?
The argument that this should be so (for any reason not just "better" trade relations) is therefore farcical.

Sheesh...

Sorry if that doesn’t fit with your narrative.

Wow. Not sure what the basis of that passive aggression is.
We already signed a free trade agreement so our relationship is just fine.

I do find it amusing that you think "trust" is even relevant issue when discussing trade negotiations. Also that allowing sales that are detrimental to the country would increase it?

Perhaps mutual respect and making it clear where we stand instead of being a pushover who changes their minds every 5 minutes might be more effective?

And tell me how you fair buying great swathes of Chinese farmland next time, eh? I am sure their government will politely step out of the way...they are well known for it!

You are wrong that the economy will be 4 times as large.

The earth simply cannot support that level of production. There are MANY limited factors apart from energy (e.g. rare-earth metals) that will prevent that.

Good luck with that Ross. NZ are a nation of apathetic and intellectually disinterested voters. We have a lot of good points to but anything to do with economics or politics is just not on that list.

Sure they will vote National out eventually but only because they would have done that no matter who was in....

In a few years National will promise tax cuts and/or a whole bunch of other rubbish and back they will come. Of course NZ, as every time in the past, will be a little weaker and a little less better off with more of the pie in the stained pockets of the wealthy.
The problem is that this sort of damage the right do every time they get in cannot be properly undone easily.

Wow. Big Surprise. National urgently making decisions and passing policy with little to no long term plan. Not like them at all?

And a budget blowout to boot. What happened to all those carefully crafted spreadsheets people were all yuk yuk yuking over? All the trust the people put into his history as a money man?
Oh that's right. More cuts than an A&E on Friday night with the majority of the profits going to the wealthy tax dodgers equaled a much lower tax take.

Right...

Please tell me at some point the people will stop grazing and look up long enough to get it???

While I am sure John Mauldin is a smart guy his front page photos did make me throw up a little in my mouth...

I could not find the open letter on his page or on interest.co.nz. Probably did not know what I was looking for...

Isn’t that what is happening in NZ at this time? Hugely different in scale but the same in principle?

Why yes Ian, yes it is. And NZ (aka idiots inc.) just voted in the guy who promised to not only keep it up but cut deeper and make us even poorer as a country.

That is exactly what is going on...