If only Mickey had thought of a cycleway

Would have saved us $700m (update to 2 billion)

And while I'm on the subject of the gummit summit, what the heck is a workstream.
Apparently Joan is on the job and "Masterminding a new way to save jobs".
The problem is that this is tackling the problem from the left (wrong) end.
You get the feeling the jobs that Joan would save are ones that shouldn't have been created in the first place.

Here is a better headline
"Masterminding a new way to create real jobs"

And here is my mastermind ideastream.

Let our small businesses be a cashstream rather than a taxstream for thousands of gummit servicestreams and welfarestreams. Send them downstream, preferably without a paddle.

Treasury tells it as it is

Away from the touchy feelgood headlines of the Jobs Summit, Treasury has delivered the harsh reality and the numbers to back it.
I don't mean Alan Bollards calculations of the billions destroyed in the credit crunch, but rather a damning indictment of the Helengrad years, how Clark and Cullen frittered away the best economic circumstances in a generation.
Thus, you might want to read this report in full that John Whitehead, secretary to the Treasury, presented to the summitt after Bollard gave his speech.


Whitehead talks of the changes needed to get the economy moving.
The issue of productivity is raised and he reveals how New Zealand was way behind just about everyone else during 2001-2006.

If we want good jobs and higher incomes we have to keep a focus on productivity.

So how does government help?

The role of government is to provide the environment for that to occur. At present that requires a focus around three broad areas: investment, regulation and skills.

Whitehead noted a need for credit, but more significantly pointed out New Zealand becoming increasingly regulated, much to our cost.

The sure way to kill innovation, investment and change isto have rules or laws that discourage or prevent it. We've seen nearly 30,000 new pages of primary legislation over the last decade and a slip in our competitiveness as this slide shows.


Whitehead then looked at government debt and spending, noting a structural deficit heading way into the future.

These projections keep the same spending track as present. They illustrate not simply a shock but a structural deficit. This highlights the need to reduce spending and extract much better value out of the $60 billion of core government spending.

After showing a graph revealing a growing debt burden, he continues:

And this is what that means for debt. We are currently at historically low levels of debt.
No-one will want our debt to return to these projected levels - close to 80% of GDP in 14
years time.
Debt like that is a credit rating risk, will make the cost of investment and lending higher for
firms and households and represents a major financial burden. Over the next five years
the cost of debt servicing will nearly double to $4.6 billion.

Yet, the demographics of an ageing population will make the challenges worse.

Whitehead concluded:

All that means that while some fiscal stimulus has been warranted and is sensible, we're
deluding ourselves if we think we can simply spend our way out of our troubles.
This Summit is about working together to find new ideas and practical answers.
We want to ride out this recession in the best way we can: protect the vulnerable; maintain
and enhance our skill base; and come out better placed to seize the real opportunities that
lie ahead.

In my view the way to do that - the do's and don'ts are:

• Do prepare for the future - with better skills and innovation
• Do protect the vulnerable; not the status quo
• Don't pass on a huge debt burden to the next generation

Indeed, and as we ponder Treasury's wise words, look at the mess facing Britain arising from its Liarbour government's 'spend your way out of trouble' policies.

Whiners and Slackers

At least 30% of Kiwis are like this according to this poll.

Very, very close to Labour's 2008 election result.

Sounds about right. But I can't figure out why you'd disagree with this question?

Summit or nothing?

I've been reading the commentary and reports concerning yesterday's Jobs Summit.

And I have to say, some of the ideas presented seem stupid and bizarre.

As if a cycleway running from top to bottom of New Zealand will really work?

Did the Greens gatecrash with some of their wacky backy?

There again, giving some of the unemployed some picks and shovels might be a better use of their talents than having them at home watching SKY TV.

And a nine day fortnight too? Sounds bureaucratic and wasteful to me.

The idea of easier loans for business has merit, as does setting up an agency to help the young start their own business.

David Farrar cheerleads for the government and Fran O'Sullivan is also enthusiastic, though raising the issues, outside the summit that really matter; issues like tax and regulation.

There's issues like public spending, including the size of the bureaucracy, as raised by John Armstrong here.

Indeed, Treasury was present to raise some major issues. Alan Bollard spoke of the billions destroyed in the credit crunch, showing what influence the New Zealand government might have, will be minor compared to what happens internationally.

And I guess this is the message we all need to learn, including those who seem to think John Key can wave a magic wand and make everything lovely.

Realistically, it is too soon to tell how successful the summit has been.

The government will need to wade their way through all the submissions and ideas and see what might work. And as I say, there will be other issues outside the conference agenda that will have a better impact.

Alas, we have been here before.

As a journalist, I recall the Knowledge Wave Conference at the turn of the century. New Zealand was to be saved by a knowledge economy, all to be promoted by our then glorious leader Helen Clark, and her wonderful caring Liarbour government.

Well, we all remember what happened. The journos and participants had a good feed, it gave the government a few decent headlines, and after that, well absolutely bugger all!

US Economy utterly stuffed

The U.S. economic contraction in the fourth quarter was deeper than the government first estimated, with other reports today signaling little prospect of relief until at least the middle of 2009.

Gross domestic product shrank at a 6.2 percent annual pace from October through December, the most since 1982, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Separate figures showed consumer sentiment and business activity dropped this month.

More pleasant headlines here, just for a rainy Saturday.

The comment that no relief possible "until at least the middle of 2009" is hilarious.

I'd say add 10 years: 2019.

But New Zealand won't be affected

Royal Bank of Scotland is leaving New Zealand after being nationalised.

The Scottish bank's loss of 24.1b was reported as comprising 7.8b of trading losses and 16.8b of writedowns caused by paying too much for acquisitions, notably ABN Amro.

NZX chief executive Mark Weldon, chairing the jobs summit in Auckland, said the bank's withdrawal from New Zealand was a stark reminder that New Zealand could no longer rely on stimulus and funding from overseas.

"They are now largely owned by the Queen and are less willing to provide credit to Tauranga instead of Bristol it's that simple."

The fact that New Zealand investment markets had one less firm operating showed how vulnerable the country was to the global downturn, he said.

But, but, but, but, but we won't be affected by the banking crisis. A certain Michael Cullen told us so didn't he?

The Prophet of Doom

But rather than spread hope, the ObamaMessiah has a gospel of doom, so he can recreate America in his own image.

An America not of the free, home to capitalism, the most successful economic theory around, but rather a new socialist land, with big government, big debt and welfare dependency.

Former Clinton adviser Dick Morris explains how in this most illuminating article.

And Baracks' scaremongering will impact on us all.

"Ultimately, all recessions and depressions resolve themselves into crises of confidence.

The instant, global, 24/7 communications of today make them ever more so.

President Obama, in his pursuit of liberal big-government spending, has totally neglected the role of the president of the United States in reversing global panic.

To the contrary, his every remark and the constant preoccupation of his Cabinet is to heighten the sense of crisis and to escalate the predictions of doom if we do not do as they tell us and raise spending now and taxes later.

Instead of being a firewall, reassuring Main Street even as Wall Street crashed, he has become a conduit of panic, spreading the mood of desperation from the stock exchange floor to kitchen tables across the world."

Hat tip: Theo Spark

Humbug and hypocrisy in lefty land!!

Can't say I have ever been too fond of the Warehouse, with it's aisles packed with cheap, but expensive, Chinese-made tat.

When it comes to getting a bargain, I believe you do far better at Briscoes and Farmers. And the main supermarkets are better on food as well, when it comes to Warehouse Extra.

Anyway, I had to smile watching TV1 News tonight when it mentioned the Warehouse being fined over $200,000 for various dodgy practices.

So much for Stephen Tindall and his ethics, and pro-Liarbour talk of Sustainability, when his company has been shown to be the most rapacious, greedy capitalists around, misleading his customers like this.

But that's the thing about the left, they are the most guilty of hypocrites!

An idiot's guide to house prices

I am the idiot by the way. I made this median price graph up for my own use but thought I would share it.
The commentators saying that now is the time to buy, IMHO are jumping the gun.
For the simple reason that graphs do not make sudden changes in direction without good cause. I will be basing my decisions on the middle line as it shows that in 10 years (about the timing to sort the current mess out) this is where house prices should be. Personally I can't see the worst case happening as low interest rates will shore up the market and people will still need places to live. No matter what happens, property will be a long term investment once again. The days of the big jumps like we saw from 2002 to 2007 are gone.

How the US media elected Obama and gave us a president incapable of handling the global economic crisis

Remember the US elections, and the media being so 'in the can' for Barack Obama, with their knives out for Sarah Palin.
It must rank as the most disgusting spectacle that this journalist have ever seen; and I have experienced the BBC, as well as eleven or so years of journalism in New Zealand.
Now, US filmmaker John Ziegler has begun ruffling a few feathers, with his movie that opens in the US tonight.
Media Malpractice: How Obama got Elected and Palin was Targeted, highlights what might be seen as the 'death of journalism' after reporters proved unable to handle the campaign fairly.
Of course, there has been much to say about how the New Zealand media handled our own election. I recall TV3 was notably bad, and the Sunday Star-Times, along with National Radio remained firmly in Uncle Helen's camp.
However, it wasn't as biased as it had been in election 2005, and some on the left claimed Granny was in the can for National.
However, I was horrified by the far worse scene in the US, with much abuse heaped on Palin and overwhelming adulation given to the ObamaMessiah.
Now, what is the result of this?
We have a US President inexperienced and incapable of dealing with the economic crisis upon us. We have a US president making huge blunders with his appointments. We now have a public finally waking up to the pup sold to them by the media, as noted by Obama's falling ratings.
As as seems likely, the US voters will pay for the media's folly, but so will the world.
America in its time of greatest need, now has a leader who is clearly not up to the job of tackling such a crisis.
Obama's failures, becoming clearer all the time, will mean the loss of millions of jobs, a recovery delayed, and who knows what untold damage in the sphere of foreign affairs.
Wiser, more experienced heads, like John McCain's were available.
The US could have taken a diffferent route, a balanced route, reflecting more bi-partisanship since both houses are controlled by the Democrats.
But as we see a country failing miserably under Obama, and its Democrats hegemony, thanks to the Liberal media. Once the US voters realise how much this has cost them personally and their country, what revenge will they seek on the MSM?
I leave you with that other clip, taken on election day of Obama voters.




And here's Sarah Palin, interviewed by John Ziegler.



Revised version cross-posted at Barnsley Bill.

Labour's new economic "genius" strikes again

And he put our house up as security

I know it's a socialist way of doing things but even Phil should realise that the taxpayer borrowing money to invest in something that is very likely to loose money isn't such a great idea. And our children still have to pay the money back plus interest.

If Labour ever want to regain some political credibility then this sort of insane ideology has to be thrown out along with the departing Cullen.

On second thoughts, keep up the good work Phil.

Really-Existing Socialism

It's two weeks too late, but I've been prompted to commemorate the destruction of Dresden.

The other day I was surprised to discover that the library I work in has an original edition of Walter Weidauer's "Inferno Dresden : Ueber Luegen und Legenden um die Aktion "Donnerschlag" (Inferno Dresden: lies and legends about Operation Thunderclap). It was published in East Berlin in 1965, and is noteworthy for providing a historical perspective of the firebombing of Dresden grounded in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik's "really-existing socialism" (a term that residents of the DDR considered as blackly humorous as did non-residents).

So far I've only read the author's preface and looked through the illustrations. Naturally the illustrations include dead German soldiers outside Moscow in 1941 along with a caption about the fascists freezing to death, and some reproductions of death sentences pronounced by the fascists on sensible deserters from the Wehrmacht. There are even a few illustrations relating to the bombing of Dresden, including the spectacular rebuilding of the city into ugly concrete shitheaps by the happy and industrious socialist citizens of the DDR, with the generous support of their Soviet comrades.

The author is keen to stress that we need to keep the example of Dresden in front of us, as there are forces in the West keen to see a similar bombing campaign against the cities of the DDR, this time using atomic weapons. All I can say is, I wish he'd be more specific about these forces because they sound bloody dangerous. Some time is also spent demolishing Western historians of the raid for the egregious distortions and lies with which they attempt to make the socialist saviours of civilisation from the fascist menace look bad.

So far, my main thought has been that it must have been such an unspeakable prick of a thing to visit the bookshop or library knowing that this kind of old cobblers was going to be characteristic of every single title available. It'd be like a new circle of Hell - those who enjoy reading and didn't do enough to prevent bolsheviks taking over get to be surrounded by huge numbers of books, all of them spouting laughable bolshevik propaganda.

I'm torn between the fact that this book is going to be very high in amusement value, and the fact that its subject matter is the mass murder of tens of thousands of people. To counteract the humour value of the above story, here's Kurt Vonnegut on his experience of the raid. An exerpt:

For “salvage” work, we were divided into small crews, each under a guard. Our ghoulish mission was to search for bodies. It was rich hunting that day and the many thereafter. We started on a small scale – here a leg, there an arm, and an occasional baby – but struck a mother lode before noon.

We cut our way through a basement wall to discover a reeking hash of over 100 human beings. Flame must have swept through before the building’s collapse sealed the exits, because the flesh of those within resembled the texture of prunes. Our job, it was explained, was to wade into the shambles and bring forth the remains. Encouraged by cuffing and guttural abuse, wade in we did. We did exactly that, for the floor was covered with an unsavoury broth from burst water mains and viscera.

A number of victims, not killed outright, had attempted to escape through a narrow emergency exit. At any rate, there were several bodies packed tightly into the passageway. Their leader had made it halfway up the steps before he was buried up to his neck in falling brick and plaster. He was about 15, I think.

It is with some regret that I here besmirch the nobility of our airmen, but, boys, you killed an appalling lot of women and children. The shelter I have described and innumerable others like it were filled with them. We had to exhume their bodies and carry them to mass funeral pyres in the parks, so I know.

The funeral pyre technique was abandoned when it became apparent how great was the toll. There was not enough labour to do it nicely, so a man with a flamethrower was sent down instead, and he cremated them where they lay. Burnt alive, suffocated, crushed – men, women, and children indiscriminately killed.

For all the sublimity of the cause for which we fought, we surely created a Belsen of our own. The method was impersonal, but the result was equally cruel and heartless. That, I am afraid, is a sickening truth.

Keep calm and carry on!

The economic and political descent of Gordinistan gathers apace.

Something is rotten in the state of Britain.

In recent weeks, Barnsley Bill and I have noted the plummeting economy.

There are growing restrictions to free speech too.

Now, we have worrying tales of civil unrest and (read later) a possible cancellation of its impending General Election.

Am I sniffing dubious plant life up North?

Not so much me, but the MSM in Britain, the respectable MSM, like the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph and their readers, the backbone of 'Middle England.'

Shattering their genteel life are the rigours and increasing hardships of life in Gordonistan; the impacts of an extreme recession; and a corrupt and controlling Liarbour government, a government with sinister agendas, including a mass invasion of immigrants upsettling the balance of UK society.

This led to last week's council by-election victory by the left wing BNP, creating a crisis in the country's politics.

Melanie Philips raised a few hackles, but as I noted the other day, it was more noteworthy to see an undercurrent of anger from her readers commenting underneath- anger at the ZanuLiarbore government, revealing much support for the BNP.

Arch Tory Simon Heffer continues the theme in this bizarre post in the Telegraph.

There is talk of summer riots, that the opposition Tories may not have the answer either, that the public mood is turning ugly and then what? Again, look at the comments below and look at the praise heaped at the BNP!

Now, in recent days the UK government has been preparing and warning of summer riots, for which it is prepared, be it riot police or a flash new helicopter.

Now, Old Holborn believes the UK government may even want these riots, so it can use emergency legislation, cancel the general election and remain in power.

It all seems very far fetched, but his case sounds convincing with his arguments adding up.

So, pass me the tin foil hat someone! And as they said in WW2, 'Keep Calm and Carry On.'

The O-brainless One!

Just when I feel like listening to some of my critics and let Obambi have a day off from my lash, the leftist lightweight goes and says something stupid.

Obambi believes Americans invented the automobile, when it was in fact a German chappy called Karl Benz.

It seems much of his state of the union type speech contained other inaccuracies.

Nonetheless, the US media love-in continues.

Just as adulatory when the One said he'd visited 57 US states.

If only the MSM had cut Dubya as much slack!

UPDATE: Liberty Scott pulls apart Obama's speech too.

UPDATE 2: Cracking column from Andrew Bolt.

Planes, Trains & Washing Machines

Air New Zealand produced a shocking result today. Yet some say it is a remarkable result considering how much money airlines are losing. I guess that's like saying "we lost, just not by as much as you lost".

Maybe the gummint could bail out Air NZ? Oh wait it already has. How much has that lost us?

And the previous finance minister bought a train set that is already losing us money we don't have.

Planes, trains and automobiles? Wasn't that a movie?

We don't manufacture cars any longer, thankfully.

But we do manufacture washing machines and dishwashers.

Maybe Fisher & Paykel will be our very own Planes, Trains and Washing Machines.

Ah, the pursuit of happiness

Well, here is the standard socialist method straight out of the handbook,
spend someone else's money.

Actually, talking about finding happiness, this is what happened to me.

When I became a Christian several years ago, I thought to myself

"Ah, I'll just look up "happiness" in my new bible and all will be revealed"

So imagine my shock when I discovered that, in my bible anyway, that the word "happy" barely rated a mention.

I eventually worked out that happiness is an imaginary target and really is only a state of mind achieved by living a fulfilling life.

Thankfully, the Bible has plenty of advise on that subject.

I recommend giving a wide berth to anyone who peddles "happiness" and even worse, its
PC new age buddy "wellness"

Marking the governments's 100 days

Audrey Young of the New Zealand Herald looks at the performance of various ministers after the government's 100 days of office.

In her report card, she's given some high marks too, including nine for the Prime Minister.

Bill English scores seven, and while I've never been a fan of Bill, I am impressed by his realisation of the seriousness of the economic situation.

Stories like him saying government sees unemployment as the country's top priority highlight a government in touch with the issues and not shying away.

There's Judith Collins too, beavering away at Corrections (I am sure Crusher will finish off Mathews).

Steven Joyce also has issues with broadband and transport to grapple, and he seems to be.

Not mentioned, is Rodney Hide tackling local government over high rates and excessive spending and waste. Well done Rodney! A nine or ten from me.

We have a government that can look back with price at its achievements over its 100 days. Things like scrapping the Electoral Finance Act, initiatives on crime, health, education, its proposed Jobs Summitt, issues Garth George also raised below.

Even so, in times as tough as this, and even with an invisible opposition leader, there will be no time for National to rest on its laurels.

Is there anything else we can say about John Key and his government's first 100 days.

UPDATE: Government says it achieved all it set out to in its 100 days.

Rejoice, rejoice! Freedom breaks out in New Zealand

Garth George today talks about freedom breaking out in New Zealand.

Schoolkids can buy pies, people can buy incandescent lightbulbs.

People are allowed to take more responsibility for themselves.

Of course, I am sure our Libertarian friends will remind us there is much more to do to fully restore the beacon of freedom on these shores.

Now, here's a reminder from Whale Oil of the cause of the return of some of our freedoms.

Something to be thankful of everyday, so as John Boy celebrates 100 Days in office, let us raise a glass to him too!

Halo starts fading

Barely a month into his presidency and the Messiah can no longer walk on water.

His approval ratings have tumbled 10% in just a month and now his ratings are just average for new presidents.

Well, it is hardly surprising.

There are the gaffes that nasty bloggers like me keep finding and related troubles and failing policies.

But some are being noted by the MSM too, and obviously even ordinary Americans.

I fear it will only get worse for the leftist lightweight as people see an inconsistency between his initiatives.

We have an US$800 billion stumulus package one week, with more recent talk about further banking bail-outs.

Now, we have a fiscal responsibility summitt, with him talking of halving the deficit within four years.

Even the thickest Democrat might see this does not add up.

Unless, of course, the ObamaMessiah can truly perform miracles!

Hat tip: Tim Blair & Andrew Bolt.

Great News

At long last the pricks from Progressive have got their comeuppance from the High Court.




Adolf looks forward to becoming a regular customer of Pak n Save in Wairau Rd. I hope they have a decent range of fish, shellfish and prawns, along with regular discounts on my favourite brands of shiraz and chards.

I hear Mickeys leaving town

Here is a cover sheet for his CV

and good bloody riddance

"rich prick”
“we won, you lost, eat that"
“I ripped off the high country farmers whose generosity made it possible for me to go to Christ’s and now in Parliamant I propose to do the same thing again”.

Rejoice, the age of 'peak shopping' is over!

Lou gave us a brilliant post yesterday, saying the age of 'peak shopping' was behind us.

In a similar vein, No Pasaran notes we are now better off than two years ago.

This is what it says:

You may recall, not that long ago society was afflicted by a truly horrible condition, affluenza:

"Proponents of the term consider the costs of prizing material wealth vastly outweigh the benefits.

They claim those who become wealthy will find the economic success leaving them unfulfilled and hungry for more wealth.

The condition is considered particularly acute amongst those with inherited wealth, who are often said to experience guilt, lack of purpose and dissolute behavior, as well as obsession with holding on to the wealth."

Now that economies are crashing, jobs are being axed and taxes are set to sky-rocket (all of which leaves the individual poorer) we should all be much much much more happier now, right?

Not only happier, healthier too:
"Selfish capitalism causes mental illness by spawning materialism, or, as I put it, the affluenza virus - placing a high value on money, possessions, appearances (social and physical) and fame.

English-speaking nations are more infected with the virus than mainland western European ones. Studies in many nations prove that people who strongly subscribe to virus values are at significantly greater risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and personality disorder.

Follow the logic? Selfish capitalism infects populations with affluenza; it fosters mental illness; English-speaking nations are more selfish capitalist - ergo, more prone to illness."

So, what is all the fuss about crashing economies? We are all being cured, don't you feel better now?

Hat tip: No Pasaran!

Whoever wins the Green co-leadership, loses!

Pity the poor Green Party co-leader who takes over from Jeanette Fitzsimons.
As they survey the scene, much is turning to custard for the watermelons.
You think they might have it all, but they do not.
Global Warming may have been accepted by the media and governments, but increasingly the public are sceptical, especially as the weather has been getting colder this past ten years.
And as families suffer from recession and unemployment, the environment will not be quite as high on the agenda as before, either for householders or the governments elected by them.
Indeed, the Green agenda has often been shown to be wrong, be it bio-fuels, the deadly lightbulbs, or the environmentalist opposition to bush clearances causing many deaths in the recent Victoria bushfires. Indeed, the crowing over climate change causing the bushfires will backfire bigtime over the Tasman.
Now, with our own Greens, we will see heaps of praise given to Genetix. She will be canonised by much of the media and political community in the weeks ahead, just like Rod Donald was when he died.
True, there will be bloggers like Liberty Scott, Peter Cresswell, and Cactus Kate who will point out the many faults of Jeanette Fitzsimons, but relative to her successors, she will be a giant. It will be tough to fill her shoes.
And this point will be magnified by the praise heaped on Jeanette as she departs the scene, something John Key, David Farrar and myself realise, in our relative kind words. The bigger Jeanette is built up, the smaller will appear her successor.
And what a delightful array of potential successors we have!
The mad Marxist Sue Bradford, whose best contribution to New Zealand is section 59 and wanting to ban so many other things.
Then we have the anarchic Maori lawyer Metiria Turei.
And we might even have the totally nutty Catherine Delahunty if she makes a late bid for the leadership.
In a changing economic and political climate, and with the Greens now lacking the saintly and trustworthy Genetix, there is only one way for the Greens in New Zealand and that is down.
And a new and inexperienced leader could well seal their extinction as a parliamentary force in 2011.
Let us hope so!

Liarbour's moral wilderness

I'm not a religious chappie, but I do enjoy Britain's Archbishop Cranmer.

Now, Cranmer has just written a brilliant post entitled 'Labour's Moral Wilderness.'

Cranmer looks at ZanuLiarbore's philosophical and moral wilderness, and a UK government that is "festering on its own incompetence, sleaze and greed."

Now, as if this sounds like Helengrad, there's more:

"It has become a multifarious hydra which undermines marriage whilst dishing out tax credits to support families; it demeans the faithful majority while deifying the equality of all minorities; and it has trivialised the purpose of Parliament to the point of political prostration."

Oh yes! That's Helengrad all right.

Cranmer notes UK Liarbour's former Methodist Christian heritage, which gave it authenticity, conviction, principals and morals; values now lost.

"But in the naked pursuit of power, Labour has abandoned all that was true, noble and good and supplanted it with duplicity, avarice and the stench of sleaze.

Its principles have been shredded, and its sense of Christian morality pulped and recycled as an idol to every god in the firmament but the One who is known.

It has become the party of war, the party of torture, the party of exploitation and the party of deceit. It rewards the thieves and fraudsters with ‘rights’ while penalising the law-abiding and responsible

Well, take out the Iraqi reference to torture, how familiar does this feel to us Kiwis?

And there's more:

Labour has ceased to be civilised, for it has no clear vision of the meaning of this civility. It is no longer good, for it has lost sight of the common good.

This recession may be global, but it is Labour’s fault that the United Kingdom is the worst place nation in the western world to cope with its effects.

Labour has become the embodiment of that for which it always despised the Conservatives: it is now the undoubted party of unemployment, recession, inflation and increased poverty. Labour is seduced by celebrity and beguiled by vanity.

Think how Cullenomics brought us a home made recession, so we suffered before other countries. Think of Uncle Helen's cultivation of the cultural sector.

This is an undoubted moral issue, for firms are condemned to closure, people are reduced to hardship and depression, more workers to unemployment and more families to homelessness through unprecedented levels of repossession. The total number of suicides, heart attacks, divorces and mental breakdowns is never known.

Labour has become the party of widening inequality and social disintegration.

Cranmer exhorts all who are moral, all who are compassionate, all who are discerning and visionary, all who care about the Christian foundations of this nation – it’s civil liberties, religious tolerance, respect for life and the rule of law – to abandon Labour, for its heart is corrupt, its flesh is rotten.

Labour has ceased to understand the moral values of the Labour movement: Labour has ceased to be Christian.

Of course, there will be those that don't associate Christianity with morality.

But either way, didn't the Helengrad regime lose its moral compass?

Think of all those government scandals, how it was never in the public interest to prosecute Liarbour MPs, how Helen Clark was so bitter towards her opponents like Don Brash and John Key, think how she used trust as her election theme, but she was shown to be most untrustworthy, dishonest and her campaign, the most muckraking.

Think of Liarbour's dirty deeds, the Electoral Finance Act, its nannying, banning and political correctness, its underming of traditional family values.

And look how some politicial commentators note that this year Liarbour has shown no contrition over its electoral defeat.

So read the feature in full and consider what else could apply to NZ Liarbour.

Certainly I am sure Liarbour lost its way under Uncle Helen; it is in a moral wilderness, and it will take them far longer than 40 days and nights to find that out and work it out!

Indeed, let us all banish NZ Liarbour into the wilderness for many, many years longer!

For Uncle Helen also leaves a legacy of a party whose "heart is corrupt, its flesh is rotten."

Hat tip: Archbishop Cranmer.

Fancy a bite of Jamie's sausage??!!!

After Coronation Street, TV1 will be showing 'Jamie Saves Our Bacon.'

In it Jamie Oliver will be looking at the tough life porkers face, as well has what goes into a budget banger.

And its not pretty as the Daily Mail reveals here.

Indeed, here'a video link here, showing the 'shite' all being mixed together as he and a mate make some budget bangers.

Now this programme was shown on British TV a few weeks back, and I also saw a similar programme warning you what goes into those budget brands in the supermarket, which have suddenly become fashionable once more as families increasingly need to save the pennies.

The True Cost of Cheap Food was part of the Channel 4 Series the Great British Food Fight.

So as we look to live more simply, thanks to the hardened times we face, as noted by Lou, Barnsley and myself, perhaps we need to shop around and go for local suppliers and spend less in the supermarket, especially as the budget labels contain so much crap.

I do recall in the True Cost of Cheap Food, the greengrocer and the butcher was cheaper than the supermarket and the products far more nutritious than supermarket own label or budget brands.

Something we should all bear in mind when we go out shopping.

Michelle Obama- Caption contest

That's the size of Barry's stimulus package!

The Middles Classes are revolting!

Crusader Rabbit today links to Melanie Philips who gets short shrift from the Daily Mail readers by the hundred.
As KG says, the interesting bit is not so much what Mel says, but the comments from the readers below.
Mel makes the usual cry of ‘racist’ against the BNP, following its council by-election victory in Kent last week. It only is one council victory, but the UK media is apoplectic over the result. It’s almost seen as the end of civilisation.
But why are the British middle classes revolting, such as these readers of the Daily Mail, who should be natural Conservatives; why have they turned to a party regularly painted as a bunch of fascist thugs and bullyboys? And since the council seat the BNP won was in one of the less desirable parts of Kent, it shows Liarbour voters are also turning to the BNP.
Naturally much has been said about both parties not representing the voters anymore over issues like immigration, the European Union, multiculturalism. No-one represents what might be called mainstream, small-c conservative values anymore. Dave Cameron and his Liarbour-lite Tories are seen as little better than Gordon Brown and his ZanuLiarbore.
Then we have economic pressures too, fuelling a feeling of decline in Britain, of a country and a culture at war with itself, destroying itself on the altar of political correctness. There are tales aplenty of the easy ride immigrants get, as the video posted above shows. Its bad enough supporting enough indigenous scroungers without having to fund immigrants who hate their new host country, its people and way of life.
Now we face a recession. “British Jobs for British Workers” cried Gordon Brown, a promise he knew he could not keep as it was against EUSSR law. But the people want it and it’s now a rallying cry for the BNP.
And middle England, the middle class, the coping classes, as the Daily Telegraph calls them, are struggling too, so no wonder these Daily Mail readers seek sanctuary away from the two Tweedledum and Tweedledumber parties in favour of something different like the BNP, even if as a protest vote.
Now, the polls show Dave Cameron and his 'Red Tories' at 12-20% in front of ZanuLiarbore.
But surely, with Gordon Brown presiding over the destruction of a country and its economy, a country seemingly overrun with immigrants and crime, a country taxed to death and deeply in debt, a country where civil liberties and freedoms disappear fast unless you are a muslim terrorist, and a government where almost all its ministers are embroiled in sleaze and corruption, well the Tories should be invincible.
But as they are a mirror image of the party they seek to replace, I guess that is why, despite its alleged racism, its left-wing economics, that Britons are seeking out the BNP, the novelty of once again having a party that puts them first.

UPDATE: Why BNP success was no surprise, posted over at Barnsley Bill a few days ago.

Peak Shopping

We have all heard about the fear mongering Peak Oil theory. Well I have one that is even more frightening.

Peak Shopping.

By my calculations, PS was reached in Christmas 2007.
Then the western world's ability to buy consumer goods peaked and has been in decline ever since.
The credit crunch, recession and redundancies are compounding the paradigm shift that is going on in people's minds - do I really need it/ can I afford it/did I ever really need it?

What are the implications.
Well firstly there will be many relieved men out there.

Seriously, this is why governments should be no where near bailing out companies that make consumer goods, such as our own F&P, right up to the largest electronic and car manufacturers.
The growth reports that these companies modelled ther business plans on are now fish and chip wrapping. Like rivers they must now be allowed to run their natural course. Some will make it, others will dry up.

So where is the good news.
Well firstly, people will think of smarter ways to provide goods and services. This may not involve large shopping malls were the landlord sucks up 20+%.

Secondly,our society may become smarter as we look for new ways of doing things. Actually the new ways will really just be a reinvention of the old ways which served humanity well for 1000's of years, making do, going without, simpler entertainment, basic healthy food etc.

The really good news is that NZ will become a highly desirable place to hang out.
Our stability under a business orientated low tax government ( if the Nats are up to it), the ability to produce clean commodities, the least worst state of our banking system and the ability to make an honest return on investments will see good people and money queuing up at our borders. NZ passports will be gold and our beaches and mountains full of people enjoying low cost fun.

As Dohbama and Drown destroy the value of the usd and pound, plenty of people will be looking wishfully at NZ.
Bank on 1nzd=1usd one day, maybe sooner than you think.

The World is Mine! All Mine!

Helen Clark arrives in New York for THAT job interview!

Will she get the job?

Should she?

Cross-posted over at Barnsley Bill, where there's a lot more regular 'content' than there used to be.

History lesson

History has a way of repeating.
Jeanette has done a wonderful job of getting Marxism into our country.

Her well meaning pumpkin patch naivety was exactly what was needed.

The problem is that now the hatch has been opened, unlike the poor citizens of Troy, we are ready. (94% of us to be exact)

Telling it as it is!

When 9-11 happened, an advisor to the UK Blair government said that was a good day to bury bad news.

Such a statement could have been made yesterday, with the bloggers taking the morning off.

And there was some bad news too, not that I am suggesting Billy Boy deliberately made his statement knowing the bloggers were protesting.

Yes, Finance Minister Bill English noted the cupboards were bare, and following reports the government's tax take was down a billion on what was expected, New Zealand was set for a tight budget. Such tight times were here to stay he said.

Indeed, Audrey Young continued the gloomy theme, saying a war chest might be needed to save various large Kiwi businesses.

However, John Key was not quite as gloomy on breakfast tv yesterday

Now, a week ago, I quizzed about how open John Key is about the state of the economy.

Indeed, the UK Tories are grappling about how honest they need to be with the public before Britain goes to the polls.

The News of the World has noted the perilous state of Bankrupt Britain's finances, which leaves its likely future Tory government one helluva mess to clear up, especially if it means making unpopular measures.

The Conservative Home blog in Britain fears such unpopular policies, however necessary, could see the quick demise of a Cameron-led government and the return of ZanuLiarbore. So how best can the UK Tories hang on? And for us, what can John Key, Bill English and National learn from the UK situation? It might help their survival too.

Conservative Home says the UK Tories must level with the people about the mess Britain faces, the blame must also be given to Liarbour UK, and the Conservatives must be parepared for government with no on the job training.

Certainly National has appeared more cheerful and confident than the UK government and yes, the Kiwi economy is not in the same abysmal state that Britain's is in. It has experienced ministers on board too.

Thus, Bill English is right to raise the prospect of tough times ahead. Indeed, it may well be that New Zealand has been protected from the harsh economic relaities for far too long. But when it comes to preparing his budget, one that may well include cuts and be unpopular, National and English know full well who to blame, Liarbour.

And this is the message National must drive home in the months and years ahead. It has to hammer the folly and waste of the Helengrad years and the incompetent Liarbour Party.

For they made our 'home grown recession' arrive earlier and be deeper than it need otherwise have been thanks to their own economic mismanagement, giving Bill English even less money to spend.

So go for it Billy Boy. Come clean and don't forget to stick the boot in!

UPDATE: In his final post at Show Me the Money, Bernard Hickey, the Patron Saint of Taxpayers, begs John Key to come clean about the state of the economy.

Why are John Boy and National so popular!

You've seen the polls, both TV1 and Tv3 and New Zealand is in love with John Boy!

Have we ever had a prime minister with such high rating, one who is truly popular AND competent?

Today, we have seen with Section 92, as I blogged earlier, a prime minister who is prepared to listen, take advice and act upon it.

Hence the announcement of the delay into Liarbour's copyright legacy and its likely scrapping too.

I had similar feelings this afternoon as I perused the National Party website trying to check some minutae of government policy when I came across some words of tribute to Jeanette Fitzsimons, who announced her retirement as Green Party leader.

There was a media release which featured the PM paying tribute to Genetix. He admitted they did not agree on much, but they were kind, heartfelt wishes, all the same.

Now, there are those who don't always appreciate kind words, especially to enemies, and David Farrar was admonished by Cactus Kate for saying them.

Now, many years ago, when editing a paper in Thames, I got to know Jeanette Fitzsimons pretty well. She was an absolute sweetie, always helpful to the media, she had good support staff and one once occassion I was invited to dinner at Jeanette's house where I got to meet Nicky Hagar!

Of course, it did not go down too well after the others raised the Waiohpi spy base and I said 'But the Americans are our friends."

Anyway, I do accept that despite the sweetly smiles of Jeanette Fitzsimons, that she isn't as barking as the others, this might make her somewhat dangerous, by making Greenery acceptable to the public.

But I do think we can be chivalrous and be kind to our enemeies when we can.

And this is where John Boy scores. This is why he is a hit with the voters.

There is none of the bitter negativity we used to get from Uncle Helen.

John Boy might admit to differences but he will never call South Aucklanders, or anyone, 'feral inbreds', or attack Phil In as 'cancerous and corrosive'. His way of putting the boot in is to do it nicely, while smiling, the smiling assasin.

Indeed, reading his comments on Fitzsimons again, recalling the debt the party will have to her, was a backhanded way of warning about the complete tossers in line to succeed, like Sue Bradford, and Muteira whatever her name is, as well as the total barmpot Delahunty.

You see, National has it sussed.

Here's Bill Ralston praising the National Party's media team for how they fly kites in working out which policies to push.

And in the recent weeks I have had dealings with quite a few National Party media handlers, including John Key's, I have found them professional, helpful and competent. Where they did not know the minutae of government policy, they were upfront and frank about it.

Indeed, you only have to look at the picture of John Key, with the young Maori boy and the kitten, which I keep using.

What else could warm the new PM to the nation, whether it be stage managed or not?

The Herald Fucks It Up Again

Here's what happens when your headlines are written by some cretin on the other side of the world.

First, the headline:-

Three strikes sentencing policy doesn't stack up, says Key

Then the actual story:-

"Prime Minister John Key says estimates that the Act Party's "three strikes and you're out" sentencing policy will cost more than $30 billion over 25 years do not stack up."

and

"Mr Workman estimated costs were $500,000 a bed when a new prison was built which was how he came to the $7.5b figure.

On top of that would be $1b a year annual operating costs. He said it cost $75,000 a year per inmate. As well, prison populations were already growing.

Mr Key said he did not accept the argument.

"I don't think that quite stacks up."

He said there would be no impact on prison muster numbers for a decade, as the law change would not be retrospective.

Also by the time someone was going to jail for a serious offense for a third time they would already be getting a long sentence."

So the headline has John Key saying the policy 'doesn't stack up' while the story has John Key saying the criticism of the policy 'doesn't stack up.'

This is such an appalling error that The Herald should print a retraction and apology.

Government calls delay on S92-- NBR Newsflash!!

NBR staff Monday February 23 2009 - 04:17pm
The government is to delay implementation of the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment (New Technologies Act) due to come into force February 28.
Prime Minister John Key announced at a post-cabinet press conference this afternoon that implementation of the controversial clause of the copyright legislation to be delayed until March 27.
“We are hoping that by that time we will have come up with a voluntary code of practice,” Mr Key said.
If no agreement is reached, Section 92A will be suspended.

I guess you might say, what took them so long?

Was it the blackened screens as MPs and Ministers were denied their usual entertainment from Kiwiblog, Whale Oil, Home Paddock, keeping Stock, yours truly, as well as the lefty ones?

But it is heartening to see we have a government that listens and a government that is happy to change legislation to reflect the wishes of the country.

Contrast that with the Electoral Finance Act, where Liarbour and Green MPs fought to the death to defend that attack on free speech.

Now, we saw Liarbour's IT spokesperson Claire Curran propose alternatives and move with the times and public opinion.

One other thing that springs to mind is that on yet another issue, the online community has impacted on government legislation. First, the EFA and now this. What next?

The power of the internet is growing, and the bloggers are rightfully taking their place alongside the big papers and television when it comes to shaping public opinion and government policy.

But once again, well done to the prime minister and the National-led government.

And how great to be spared the dogma of the Helengrad years and the incompetence of Judith Tizard, who re-inserted section 92A back into the legislation MPs had earlier rejected!

UPDATE:

Internet copyright law delayed, says Stuff.

Controversial internet law on hold, Herald.

John Key delays copyright law, says Computerworld.

Government calls delay on S92, NBR.

Another Bob Charles?

Adolf watched the final hour of the Johnny Walker Classic as he cooked a leg of lamb on the new $200 BBQ not from The BBQ Factory. Young Danny Lee was superb.

photo pinched from The Herald

No further comment is needed, other than to point out that this extraordinary achievement will gat him into every event he could wish to enter for the next two years.

Not a bad start to a professional career.

Religious Vomit

Some people may imagine that religion, politics or sex are the subjects which involve the most ludicrous bullshit spouted by otherwise intelligent people, but personally I reckon it's food.

The SST today contains the singularly unsurprising news that the foods people buy the most of are the ones that are mainly sugar (and before you write in to complain, as far as your digestive system's concerned white bread and tinned spaghetti just about are sugar). The news is unsurprising because that behaviour's built into us by evolution. For almost the entire period of homo sapiens' existence, our bodies have been laboriously turning meat, eggs, vegetation, nuts etc into glucose. 100,000 years ago, a big direct hit of sugar courtesy of honey or fruit was a rare treat and the fat your body laid down as a result could mean the difference between life and death later on. These days of course, you can have a big direct hit of sugar and the resulting fat deposit every single day, while at the same time never facing the food shortages that would make that fat something useful to have - but as far as your inner critter is concerned, a choice between glucose you have to process for yourself or a direct hit of sugar is still a no-brainer.

Of course, the fact that it's unsurprising people buy big cheap hits of sugar rather than food your digestive system has to process into glucose itself doesn't make it any less annoying. It's not exactly news that hitting your digestive system with a diet consisting mainly of sugar for years on end knackers your ability to produce and use insulin (mainly by constantly spiking your blood sugar levels and working your islets of langerhans to an early grave), and you end up as a type 2 diabetic. Or am I over-rating public awareness of this stuff? Either this isn't the common knowledge I'd imagined it to be, or a large proportion of the population is ruled by their inner critter. Most likely it's a bit of both.

So, yeah - we do want to encourage people to mostly stick to eating stuff their bodies have to laboriously process into glucose, not just constantly eating direct shots of sugar (whether of the Coke or white bread variety). That's a hard sell though, cos your lizard brain has half a billion years of evolutionary training to take the opposite view.

Enter the nutritionists and the politicians. Naturally, Sue Kedgeley's in there, with a proposal to ban something (nothing new there). As Danyl says, she never met a ban she didn't like. Annette King's in there as well, with a statement largely expressing ignorance (nothing new there either):

King said sophisticated marketing techniques fuel human beings' innate addiction to fatty, sugary and salty foods.

Er, this is like talking about human beings' innate addiction to breathing. The requirement we have for basics essential to the continuation of our existence is not "addiction." If Annette's managed to discover a way for humans to live without sugar, salt or fat, she should patent it immediately.

We don't expect any better from politicians, of course. But you could be entitled to expect better fron professional nutritionists. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

For me, the most annoying thing about all this food blather is the constant bollocks about "healthy" vs "unhealthy" food from nutritionists. For the record, "unhealthy" food is food that contains bacteria that will make you ill, is contaminated with something poisonous, etc. However, very little of the food labelled "unhealthy" by nutritionists comes into that category. When nutritionists talk about "healthy" and "unhealthy" food, they're applying moral rather than scientific labels.

Fact: Coke is good, "healthy" food. It's excellent food - so excellent in fact, that according to the nutritionist quoted in the SST, a litre of it provides enough energy for 2 hours walking. The only problem with it is that you basically have no requirement whatsoever for such excellent, top-grade food when you spend most of your time sitting on your arse. It's like putting avgas in your Daihatsu Scirion - excellent, high-grade fuel, but there's not much point when ordinary old 91 unleaded meets your requirements.

In short: the food on that list is "healthy" food. The "unhealthy" bit is you sticking so much of it in your gob that you end up as a mobile lard mountain with a pancreas that just can't keep up any more.

It would help with this stuff no end if we stopped pretending nutritionists and epidemiologists were scientists, and instead put them in the social sciences where they belong. Most of what nutritionists have to tell you about "healthy" vs "unhealthy" food comes from doing studies, identifying correlations, and coming up with theories to account for those correlations - if there is some basis on which this is different from sociology, I've yet to see it.

How about this: instead of a whole lot of moralising bullshit about "unhealthy" food, we just do some education on the connection between type 2 diabetes and a diet based mainly on the excellent, high-grade, "healthy" food on that list? Along with some serious anti-smoking-style horror-show shit about the amputated limbs, impotence, blindness and life on a dialysis machine following your kidney failure that are the eventual outcomes of uncontrolled or undiagnosed type 2?

Nats on 56%: Mr Fill-in, the Invisible Man

Master Guyon can be so cruel.

TVNZ has a new poll and National's 56% was double Liarbour's 28%.

In the preferred PM race, John Boy was streets ahead on 51%, Uncle was on 10% and Phil in on 6%.

TVNZ called him the 'invisble man' and young Guyon looked so sombre.

True, he explained all about honeymoons and how John Boy can put no foot wrong, with Phil-in invisble and struggling for attention.

Well, with this poll coming so soon after the TV3 Poll, which even I thought was a bit of a rogue, I guess we can all take comfort at National's dominance and Liabour's impotence.

But how long will the honeymoon last?

Much depends on how National performs in the months ahead. There is much work to do and pointing out the error of Liarbour's ways.

There's the economy, which Brian Fallow noted yesterday had Liarbour putting us into recession first, noting our early entry was 'a made in New Zealand affair' (due to Cullen).

There's Corrections and the failings of a government department stemming from a government putting its party members and placemen in charge. I could go on.

Among the many Liarbour messes to clear up, like for starters Judith Tizard's unexpected bomb, Section 92A, so as Homepaddock notes, let's get this distraction out of the way.

Well, I'll just end with a nice Cullensque phrase in the 'we won, you lot, eat that' mould.

"Have you seen the new One News Poll lefties? We'll, 56% to 28% lefties! Suck it up!

And watch the video of the poll too."

Good Enough For John The Baptist

MacDonalds should have charged the "film production runner"(what the hell ever that is) extra for his unique meal.

Mr Turei should do two things.

First, go and read his Bible and second, realize that the cicada was far more nutritious than his fat laden fried potato chips or his Big Mac. It was full of fibre, protein, minerals, vitamins and other goodies.

Matthew Chapter 3, verse 4:-

⁴John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

It's the Sale of the Century!!!

The Sunday Star-Times today looks at the bargains to be had in the property world.

Indeed, this is my experience of the property market up here in the Bay of Islands.

Barnsley Bill tells me the 'bottom has fallen out of the market.'

Years of Jafas coming up here and building their dream homes, and now they must sell.

If only I can get a full-time job rather than work for myself. As long as Barclays Bank doesn't collapse, I should be fine in the recession.

After years of bleating about high house prices blocking people out of the housing market, prices returning back to near-normal multiples will not only be good for them, but in time for us all.

If you haven't read it yet, scroll down to yesterday's piece on the recession we need to have.

A quick note to John and Mark

As someone with close relatives who are suffering, both physically and financially, from the collapse of Blue Chip, I was appalled to read that Mark Bryers is still receiving money from one his "companies". How the hell can that still be happening?
I know this request, (see below), will set some people off on a tirade about things that seem too good to be true usually ending being just that, but from my observations of those embroiled in Blue Chip, it seems that they are mostly ordinary people with not a lot of investment experience or financial know how, and who were willing to TRUST those who put these proposals to them. The kind of folk that wanted a slightly better than modest return on their investment so that they could help fund a new car, a holiday, or a better bequest to their families. The kind of folk that, sadly, fall easy prey to the sharks that convinced them there was no risk in mortgaging their homes to fund deposits that were often stolen, but were supposed to have been put towards the purchase of apartments that had been seriously overvalued before they had even been built.

So here's my note of advice to John Key, who's probably well over getting helpful hints from me. But tough, my vote doesnt come cheap.
"JK, you could do a lot worse than going out of your way to create an environment in NZ where people can invest their savings in New Zealand enterprises confident that it won't be stolen to fund the lifestyle of some fat f..kwit. An environment that would also contains provision to ensure that those charged with such thefts can't thumb their noses at their victims from foreign locations, and where government agencies move heaven and earth to ensure that these matters are dealt with in a timely and just fashion.
The last shower that passed themselves off as government in this country failed dismally to do this, but perhaps that's because they felt that only rich pricks had money to invest, which I believe cost them more than a few votes last November.
So show us what you can do John.

Oh, and Mark.......

Slow fire. Testicles. Fuse wire. Suspended over.
That would wipe the grin off your face.
Get my drift??
G

Photo pinched from the Herald. Thanks guys.

Fraggle Rock or the greens leadership?

Fitzidiot to announce retirement as co-leader of the Greens, as their rules determine that they must have a wimmin and a half man as co-leaders that leaves them with the choices pictured above.
Bwahahahaha.. Goodbye watermelons, you will not be missed by us.
Marxist Bradford or Nutbar Turei? Or dark horse Delanumpty? Please let it be the singing idiot.

Rod Donald must be ripping his rainbow tanktop right now.
Cross posted at Barnsley Bill

Media Prima Donnas

The only thing worse than a media prima donna is a Maori media prima donna.



I'll bet if Veitch had been a Maori, Jackson would have been all over the airwaves with excuses. There is nobody as racist as a Maori racist. I hope Veitch sues his arse off and sends the sanctimonious and despicable prick bankrupt.

What ever happened to the notion in this country that you are innocent until proven guilty?

What ever happened to perversion of the course of justice? Sure this matter is sub judice and Jackson has just made sure that few New Zealanders will be able to give a fair hearing to all the evidence. I hope he is charged and convicted for contempt of court as well as sent bankrupt.

In lieu of Fairfacts Friday Frolics

The lies about the recession we need to have

Did you enjoy your New Zealand Herald today?

It was almost a recession special with story after story looking at the recession and how John Key is reacting or should be reacting.

Underlying it all is a theme that governments can or should do something, even if the reality is more like Key or anyone acting as King Canute trying to turn back an incoming tide.

I have often praised the Key government's caution as to how best to remedy the financial crisis upon us.

I have certainly seen no improvement from big spend-ups like what we see from Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd and Gordon Brown.

Today, Iain Dale reveals that this, to paraphase Australia's Paul Keating, is indeed the recession we all need to have; that the financial crisis is just a natural reaction to what governments have done over the years, spent excessively and fuelled a consumer boom. And now the pollies are lying about the crisis.

Best of all, such lasissez faire view comes not from the right, but the left, the Liberal Conspiracy Blog of England.

Here's some of what contributor 'Aaron' says.

What bothers me though, is that people - politicians and the media mainly - view this recession as something that needs treating. When in fact, rather than being the disease, the financial crisis is the cure.
The recession is a market correction of a hugely over-inflated housing market (it will correct, and home values will/may return to a more realistic level of appreciation). The recession is a reaction to borrowing on a massive and wholly unsustainable scale. The recession is the global economy snapping back, as rampant growth surpassed the finite resources we have available.
We should stop thinking of the recession as something we can spend our way out of, and just swallow our medicine. Governments, rather than trying to perpetuate a bankrupt economic status quo (see the reduction in V.A.T.), should be using funds to provide basic safety nets for those who fall through the cracks.
We should stop lying to ourselves. We need to be honest. We can’t afford to continue spending money we don’t have. Continuous growth is an illusion. Markets will fluctuate. That’s the way it is.
We spent more than we had. We borrowed beyond our means. And now we have to suck it up.

It certainly seems worth reading in full. Perhaps we should email the link to John Key and the media prior to the Jobs Summit.

An Inconvenient Truth about Margaret Thatcher

Well it's such a blow, I almost want to cry!

Iain Dale has revealed a provocative post that slates Margaret Thatcher as one of the original global warmongers.

Indeed, he and a co-blogger even point to legislation she enacted that all fitted with global warming theory.

The claim is that as an experienced scientist, Mrs Thatcher also understood the problem far better than other politicians.

Now, I have heard other reasons too.

Mrs Thatcher saw the theory as a way to promote nuclear power and thus weaken the miners union, which had always proved troublesome to Tory governments.

Indeed, such a view was noted in the sceptic movie, the Great Global Warming Swindle. Another report notes Maggie being in front of Al Gore. And here's another saying as much.

Now, whether Mrs Thatcher remains of such views, we do not know, as due to age and ill-health, she does not say much nowadays. Perhaps we should ask daughter Carol.

I can only wonder whether Maggie would today support the devastation, the extra state control and tax being imposed in the name of this new religion.

The socialist warming-mongers are engaged in their best attack on capitalism since the days of the Cold War, with widespread attacks on civil liberties, even down to telling people to recycle rubbish.

Indeed, it would be most ironic if such an affront to capitalism and civil liberty was all down to Maggie. I guess her most vocal critics would recognise a legacy here, even if the science looks increasingly shaky. Surely this is a science they would doubt if it was Maggie's creation?

Furthermore, I also wonder whether the evidence of a recent cooling might affect Mrs Thatcher's views as well.

One thing we might add, and something I agree with Iain Dale on, is that Maggie's apparant views on global warming contradict those of the left who felt Britiain's best prime minister was all bad!

For once, regrettably and sadly, she seems on their side.