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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

The blogosphere is aflame with a digital Battle Royale. The battleground – child poverty and meals in schools.   The prize – the soul of New Zealand.

Quite simply, this where the country decides which path to take…

To the Right; non-intervention and leaving this problem to piece-meal “targetting”.

To the Left; full intervention and a ensuring that no child is left hungry.

Which path will New Zealanders take?

Jan Logie writes on Frogblog about  Poverty, quoting Bill English’s remarks  toward child poverty ,

“We don’t believe that there is a solution to poverty in general so I wouldn’t expect any large scale intervention.”

That, folks, is why we need a change of government. The arrogance of this government does not lend itself to recognising poverty exists, let alone addressing it.

Meanwhile, Russell Norman reports on Power Struggles – by John Small, an op-ed piece in the Dominion Post. Some excellent analysis here, rather than the hysterics from the business community, on the electricity single-buyer desk.

Just as well, because unless there’s a major disaster, or 50% of New Zealand voters are afflicted by a neo-liberal zombie-virus, we’re in line for a change of government next year.

Brian Edwards on his Media blog offers A dissenting view of Aaron Gilmore – and he raises several valid points about the behaviour of the media on this issue. Have a read. This is what real blogging is about; offering an alternative view.

On Ideologically Impure, QoT writes  An open letter to shock jocks: Please stop apologising. QoT is referring to the habit of idiot “shock jocks” on commercial mindless radio who are paid to offend – then apologise.  She explains,

“ Don’t apologise “if” people were offended, or claim you didn’t mean to offend anyone.  Your entire existence is dedicated to offending people.  Why publicly question your own success? ”

Because, as we all know, rape is a joke, fit for radio entertainment. (Note HEAVY sarcasm)

KJT-KT, the blogger write about The Reserve Bank, Debt and the Property Market,  “which basically requires the reserve bank to kill the rest of the economy, whenever Auckland house prices, or wages, rise“.

KJT writes about the “daftness” about how “every time the New Zealand productive economy struggles off its knees, the reserve bank delivers another knockout “. Indeed. 

This writer recalls then-Alliance leader, Jim Anderton, making similar remarks about the Reserve Bank in the 1990s. Nothing happened. Things never change.

Marty on mars2earth points out the nightmare that is suicide when he writes about  saving people. Marty writes about an initiative,  Kia Piki te Ora Maori Suicide Prevention Hui, to attempt to highlight and address  this tragedy.

“ A 6-year old committing suicide beggars belief. ”

If that doesn’t focus our attention, we are truly in zombieland.

In Maui Street, Morgan  gives us a A budget primer – and warns that what the government giveth with one hand… (you know how the rest goes)

Stop wasting our time demands Andrew Geddis on The Pundit. And then rips into National for their craven capitulation to naked self-interest, by refusing to implement the Electoral Commission’s recommendations to reform MMP. Andrew says he is “pissed off” – and so is a goodly part of the country.

This was a colossal waste of time and must rank up there with the Commission of Enquiry into Social Policy report in the late 1980s.

Read Tim’s excellent review of the history leading up to the Electoral Commission’s review, and John Key’s flip-flopping all over the place like a terakihi waiting to be gutted.

The Dim Post’s Danyl makes one of the shortest blogposts ever – but calling this current government  The Collins-Joyce National Government must make Key wince. In effect, we have a real – if discrete – co-leadership between Joyce and Collins. (ouch!)

Stargazer on The Hand Mirror, sez that  Disney: being brave is not enough anymore, as the giant corporation “sexes” up yet another female character. Combining commercialism and sexualisation in Disney movies – which are designed primarily for kids and young adults is being met with considerable resistance by folks who demand more from their entertainers. There’s a link to an online petition. You know what to do.

The Jackal shares  Bill Oddie protests against HSBC illegal logging.

On Pratfall, Tim makes a point that it’s National that has come out the worst in the Aaron Gilmore saga, and this writer concurs.  Key ducked for cover at every opportunity; Simon Lusk (the Nat’s own knee-capper) was taken off his leash and set upon the hapless backbencher; and leak upon leak from the Tories sealed Gilmore’s doom.

The media played their puppetry-part perfectly. Patrick Gower excelled at doing Gloating exceedingly well. (No skeletons in your closet, I hope Paddy? Let’s wait and see, huh?)

The Civilian… let’s see who is in Ben’s sights this evening?

• Dreams are real, say scientists! – Dunno what to make of this one. I know it’s supposed to be satirical, but there are New Agey types out there who’d swear to this.

• Russel Norman accidentally sits with Labour caucus – (whoopsie!!!)

• Labour proposes repeal of National Government – This ain’t satire – this is the  Number One Wet Dream of the entire Leftwing of NZ! (Including me!) To be honest, I read the whole thing; found myself nodding in agreement, and muttered, “Yeah, I can live that.”  Satire? None that I could see. ROFL!

And very briefly,  onto The Standard,

• Anthony R0bins critiques and surmises The budget’s flawed premise. Unsurprising, really; winners; Skycity. Losing out; hungry children. Since when did New Zealanders expect the Nats to be a socially aware party? Ha!

   

• NZ is fast becoming a police state when the GCSB is watching you? Won’t ‘confirm or deny’, writes Karol. Somewhere, our history took a dark turn……

• Stopping Key’s dirty deal with SkyCity – James Henderson writes to support the Green’s petition against the dirty Skycity deal (see below)

• Budget: corporate “charity” not the solution to Feeding the Kids –  karol writes,

  ” “Leaks” of the content of Thursday’s budget, indicate that the government has responded to pressure for tackling child poverty and affordable housing.  As in Eddie’s post this morning, ‘Stealth privatistion of housing in the budget‘, it looks like the government is also planning to out-source feeding children in schools to private business.” – Unfortunatelly, Bill English has firmly squashed any such suggestions tonight on TV news.

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Rightwing Blogs’n’shit

From Pete George’s de facto Peter Dunne support blogsite (which by the way is jokingly described on the Google search page as  “People representing people. Your NZ is a non-ideological political party for ordinary people to get more of a voice in politics in New Zealand” ( *gag*), comes the following  little screen-cap.

Pete George is trying to undermine the Mana Party’s “Feed the kids” Bill. George is burbling on about statistics. Because, as we all know, statistics are more a damned sight more important than giving food to a hungry person. Got that? Good.

One of the messages posted in support of Pete George’s comments was this one:

http://yournz.org/2013/05/13/feed-the-kids-unanswered-questions/#comments

How does it feel for George to be supported by Lindsay Mitchell; ex ACT MP; Libertarian; general RWNJ; and a serially misogynistic bene-basher?

Them’s strange bedfellows you’re in bed with, George.

I wonder how comfortable he must be when a far-right ACT member is supporting his position?

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Action of the Day

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Online Petition

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Thought for the Day

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~oo~