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Today’s Daily Blog Watch Round-Up of matters that have attracted the attention, assessments, and articulations of this country’s leading bloggers…
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NZ Left Blogosphere
Chris Trotter asks on Bowalley Rd, Why Isn’t The Left As Angry As The Right? , and observes that the rhetoric from the right always seems to be more emotionally hysterical than left-wing responses.
Why is the Right able to get away with extreme language like “Economic sabotage!”, “North Korean Economics!”, “Half-Baked Soviet Union-Style Nationalisation!”, etc, whilst the Left is more temperate? Chris offers his insights and reasons.
Bat Bean Beam offers a slice of history in The death party, contrasting the deaths of Ialian fascists Mussolini and some of his cronies, with that and Margaret Thatcher. Insightful. And slightly chilling.
How does a person from a peaceful society – untainted by vicious warfare – relate to someone who has been brutalised by years of repressive or violent conflict?
Some recommended reading from QoT on Ideologically Impure.
Catherine Delahunty on Frogblog confirms that Sports is missing from the Race Relations Commissioner criteria and points out the real criteria, according to legislation,
a) Has an understanding of current race relations in New Zealand, and of the origins and development of those relations:
b) Has an appreciation of issues or trends in race relations arising in other countries or internationally, and of the relevance of those issues or trends for New Zealand.
Read it. Re-read it. Nope, nothing about requirements to be a celebrity sportsperson.
And Denise Roche writes about the Fight for the living and mourn for the dead: Workers Memorial Day – and reminds us that,
“Unionised workforces have safer working conditions and better pay rates because workers are free to participate in dialogue with their employers about health and safety and negotiations around their wages and conditions. The National Government changes are simply a mechanism to further reduce union rights and it puts workers at risk.”
The Pike River Mine disaster and Cave Creek platform collapse are evidence of deadly consequences when de-regulation is implemented: people lose their lives. Ditto in the forestry sector.
No Right Turn informs us that atmospheric CO2 concentrations are expected to hit 400 parts per million in the next few days. Idiot/Savant warns us that we haven’t got much time left to avert a catastrophic environment disaster.
I/S presents a story that is Sickening – and straight out of the Twilight Zone. This is so bizarre that it reminds me of something that The Civilian or Imperator Fish might write as satire.
But it’s not satire. It real.
This is the Three Strikes concept, taken to a twisted, sickening end-conclusion.
I/S also puts another Size 9 boot into National’s celebrity-cronyism. When one reads of the ludicrous facts surrounding Devoy’s appointment, it all gets more and more cringeworthy.
Imperator Fish – our other beloved satirical blogger – points out just why it is that Business elites denounce threat to their profits – and it is heart-wrending (note sarcasm). Imperator Fish takes the piss with this delightful piece of writing,
“By way of example, the NZ Power announcement spooked the capital markets and led to a massive destruction of shareholder value, which in turn resulted in a loss in the value of many Kiwisaver funds. This potential disaster was only averted when the sharemarket continued to go up and up, resulting in an increase in the value of those same Kiwisaver funds.”
Perfect.
And find out who Imperator Fish has made An apology to.
On The Pundit, Andrew Geddis writes that If we’re really, really going to be honest, we might as well be brief. Dunedin Mayor, David Cull, has kowtowed to his Chinese hosts (after a recent visit to China) – and snubbed the visiting Dalai Lama. Money talks big in New Zealand, and Cull is no exception,
“[I]t was important to recognise China’s ”sensitivities”, [Cull] said.
I’m quite conscious of the Chinese sensitivity around anyone meeting the Dalai Lama, or engaging with him.
‘China has a clear view that … it’s a unified country, and Tibet’s part of it.”
And in case you’re wondering why Cull’s eyes appear so dead – it’s because they are soulless. (Having sold his soul on the open market some time ago.)
By the way, is this the same David Cull who berated National for outsourcing work to build locomotives to South Korea and China? Why, yes, I believe it is; Hundreds turn out for Hillside.
And the same David Cull who said this, about his Chinese hosts,
“This is frankly a form of economic vandalism. What are we mounting here? An economic development strategy for China?”- KiwiRail under fire over job cuts
Welcome to New Zealand in the 21st Century. We are owned.
Also on The Pundit, Tim Watkin writes whilst Standing on the wobbly constitutional deck, that we have a very narrow window of opportunity to address our current constitutional review – and that it’s best achieved now, rather than during a crisis. Worth a read – Tim raises good points on this issue.
Frankly Speaking sees Frank focusing on,
- Peter Mazany: We don’t Need No Edukashun! – and points out some bizarre contradictions to Mazany’s quest to operate a Charter School. Frank hat-tips his blogpost to ‘Burnt out Teacher’, who also blogged on this issue here in The Daily Blog. See Man expanding business seeks wealthy partner(-ship school), for another insight into the crazy world of neo-liberal Charter Schools.
- Frank’s ongoing crusade against asset sales leads him to making a formal complaint with the Commerce Commission, alleging share-price manipulation by the Nats. See Blogger lays complaint with Commerce Commission – *UP-DATE*.
- And a low-key acknowledgment of Parekura Horomia’s passing.
Also a tribute to Parekura Horomia’s passing on Maui Street, Moe mai rā e te rangatira.
Also, Parekura’s comrades in the Labour Party pay their tributes on Red Alert; Parekura Horomia- our friend, our chief.
On his blog, Media, Brian Edwards shares an Anecdote about A Lovely Man about Parekura,
“A dominant theme will run through all the obituaries and tributes to Parekura Horomia – that he was a lovely man. It will be unnecessary to remind anyone who knew him of the injunction not to speak ill of the dead. The thought will simply not occur. He was a lovely man and little more needs to be said.”
Transparency NZ reports that John Banks prosecution has been referred to the Solicitor General by decision of Judge Mill. This is a private prosecution by Wellington businessman, Graham McCready, and takes up where Police failed to act. Justice may yet be done.
Phillip writes on Whoar, “..The Green Party says critics of its proposals to regulate the electricity sector should declare any financial relationships they have with industry – claiming many are ‘in the pockets’ of power companies..”
Which is a valid point. After all, it took a while before First NZ (a share broking firm highly critical of NZ Power) was revealed to be deeply involved in the floating of Mighty River Power. It behoves the media to publish disclosures for any critics of the Labour-Green electricity single buyer desk, NZ Power.
Also on Whoar, Phillip also writes briefly about Comic Books’ Rapid Takeover of Hollywood..”
- Eddie reveals Why Allan Miller wants you to keep paying too much for power – and surprise, surprise!!! Dr Miller is well connected to the electricity industry! Whoda thunk it, huh?
So far we’ve had merchant bankers and share-brokers (connected to the Mighty Rive Power share float; Doug Heffernan (CEO of Mighty River Power) and “experts” connected to the energy sector – all condemning the single buyer desk, NZ Power. Let’s repeat it three times,
Vested interests!
Vested interests!
Vested interests!
- Mike smith writes about Asset values, power prices and regulation, and I re-publish part of his post here,
Geoff Bertram states in today’s DomPost (repeated on interest.co.nz) that he advised the Select Committee on the Mighty River Power sale legislation that the excessive profits gained by the power companies were potentially subject to regulatory interest by any government that placed consumer interest ahead of the companies’ interests. The Government and the companies cannot say they were not warned.
Bertram says:
So how big is the regulatory risk facing the electricity generators? Suppose a New Zealand government regulates the big generator-retailers.
The first decision would be how much of the companies’ declared book values would be allowed to stand. A US regulator would aim for a write-down to historic cost; a British one would settle for indexed historic cost (that is, they would allow regulated asset values to have risen with the consumer price index since the assets were “vested” in the new companies).
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Blog Post of the Day
Imperator Fish, with Transforming our labour market: a guest post by Phil O’Reilly. A brilliant satirisation of Phil O’Reilly and other business people trying to persuade us that higher and higher electricity prices are really, really, really good for us.
But still no pie for us.
Fabulously funny. Read and chuckle – it’s at the expense of neo-liberals.
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Thought for the Day
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~oo~