Tracy Watkins writes a very good article asking if the weeks recent mistakes by the Government suggests the political ground is moving beneath John Key…
It may not have been tectonic, but the political ground appeared to shift under John Key this week.
There was suddenly a gap between Key and public opinion on more than one front – unfamiliar territory for the prime minister.
On the refugee crisis, Key was slow to wake up to the swelling consensus that it required a bigger humanitarian effort from New Zealand.
As graphic and tragic images from Europe put a human face to the crisis, the Government looked isolated in its view that New Zealand’s quota of 750 refugees a year is enough.
Key’s partial backdown on Thursday belatedly coat-tailed public opinion that we can and should do more.
On the Maurice Williamson debacle, Key’s usually reliable sniff test also failed him.
…Watkins raises excellent points. The crap vanity project of the flag redesign, the horror at the callous inaction on refugees and the gutless response to Maurice Williamson’s sexist and homophobic jokes would be enough to hurt most politicians.
But not John Key.
The middle classes of NZ will still vote for Key AS LONG AS their property valuations continue rising. They are making more out of the climbing value in their property than they are from their actual jobs, the illusion of wealth National’s property bubble has created makes it very hard for the middle classes to walk away from.
Muddle Nu Zilind voted for Key despite his mass surveillance lies, they voted for Key despite the abuses of political power highlighted in Dirty Politics, they voted for Key despite knowing his office colluded with the SIS to impact the 2011 election, they voted for Key despite the assets sale privatisation, despite the hundreds of thousands of kids in poverty, despite the inequality, despite the killing off of public broadcasting, despite the abuses of process.
Unfortunately it will take more than crap flags, Maurice being a sexist homophobic arsehole and limp dead children on foreign beaches to move the middle classes away from Key. It will take the property bubble popping.
We should not fool ourselves into believing that the ultra liberal echo chamber of Twitter means a grass roots move away from National – we could make that conclusion if it was happening on Facebook because Facebook has more mass appeal, but Twitter is the equivalent of the People’s Front of Wellington issuing each other with language police violations. Labour in the UK made the mistake believing Twitter was a sign of a change in their last election. It wasn’t.
National are still in most Polls near their election night high, self interest and the greedy illusion of wealth has the sleepy hobbits of the middle mesmerised, they won’t leave Key until that self interest pops.
You are almost certainly correct, and that property bubble WILL burst, and all the speculators and “investors” will get what they deserve. Sooner the better, in my opinion, as having it inflated the way it is, is doing more harm than the carnage that will result from the bursting.
How can you/we expedite the bubble burst Peter?
“Unfortunately it will take more than crap flags, Maurice being a sexist homophobic arsehole and limp dead children on foreign beaches to move the middle classes away from Key. It will take the property bubble popping.”
The Global bubble is about to burst believe it.
Martyn, “HEADLINES HERE”
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-futures-fall-weekly-drop-in-sight-as-jobs-report-looms-2015-09-04
Dow posts triple-digit drop, caps second worst week in 2015
Published: Sept 4, 2015 5:31 p.m. ET
“U.S. stocks ended Friday’s session sharply lower, as a highly anticipated monthly jobs report intensified the debate about the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates in September.
Widely seen as the last notable economic report before the Federal Reserve decides whether to raise interest rates at its two-day meeting on Sept. 16-17, the jobs data showed that the U.S. economy added a weaker-than-estimated 173,000 nonfarm jobs last month, while the unemployment rate dropped to 5.1%—marking its lowest level since April 2008.”
As we speak the global stock markets this week just finished their second worst losses this year so it wont be long that all the “Easy Money” driving this lottery of property speculation cycle to the dustbin.
When on CNBC this morning with the major banks all suffering 4-5% financial loss this day alone and Fox news calling the bloodletting happening this week has now made the generation X bankrupt we know the long predicted 2015 global financial crash is now upon us all.
No amount of Keyism appearing on CNBC this week selling his country and the new flag even help save the NZ stock market from crashing along with all global markets.
I just don’t understand how people can be selfish.
I have contempt for those who vote National.
Hi Paul. I voted National at the last election for the reason I believe they are best suited to run the country of the available options. I have a deep and abiding antipathy towards politicians of all stripes, so please don’t have contempt for me. When another party puts up people and policies that I believe will run our country better I will vote for them.
Hey Born in a Barn, those of us on the left have a deep and abiding antipathy and contempt towards selfish shits who put personal greed ahead of the fate of the global climate and care for their fellow human beings. The policies of the party YOU voted for are making the situation worse for both of those.
No argument with that “Born in a Barn” – I assume you did your research and came to that conclusion. That is democracy. I am concerned for those that did not do their research – so many National voters have been surprised when I informed them of the debt increase under this Govt, explained that the ‘rock star’ economy was based on a housing bubble, a single low value thus vulnerable export commodity and an earthquake. Interesting was the on line questionnaire which came from the other direction – it asked a series off questions of what you wanted – and then advised which party suited you best. This concept is a useful tool as the result did surprise a number who completed it.
Born In A Barn, can you please explain why you thought National are best suited to run the country of the available options?
Was it National’s policies, or was it something else? Can you please explain the policies from National that you liked?
And can you please explain the polices from other parties that you did not like? For example, ACT, NZ First, Labour, Greens or Mana?
Genuine questions… I’m always interested in why people vote for National over the other options
My advice on ‘Born in a barn’ (whose name reeks of having a Jesus complex) is “Don’t engage the right-wing prick”. It’s just another troll, trying a different tack this time to stir the pot and split the left. The implication in the barb at the left ‘you haven’t got any credible policies!’ Hey “Born in barn’ GF,
Don’t feed the trolls, they’re already getting paid handsomely from $5,000 a head fund-raising donations at Antoines. Don’t give them the time of day, or waste keystrokes on them.
When John Key says he is ‘getting advice’ he means he is waiting for David Farrar to to deliver the results of polling. Our PM is not a leader – he is a follower.
Martyn have you read “Generation Rent” by the Eaqubs? The rise of a political movement led by the renters to smash the rentier economy is a real possibility. Renters now make up the majority of people over the age of 15. The book was written by economists in economic language but the ideas are revolutionary -actually counter-revolutionary. A reassertion of kiwi fair go, egalitarian values.
I can only imagine what might be going through peoples ( specifically Auckland people ) minds as the try to countenance the up and coming what’s-it.
Gargantuan debt will crash through the front door like a home invasion by Sumo Wrestlers on P. It’ll sweep all before it out into the streets. There’ll be mass unemployment and those who will be unemployed will discover that an economics degree doesn’t tell them how to grow a spud.
Even though I loath jonky at an almost arrest-able level I can understand why people cling to the little rat if for no other reason than out of sheer terror and desperation. After all, he was the architect who designed this nightmare . The thinking will be that perhaps jonky can then get them out of it.
What people need to understand about The Jonky is that the moment the shit hits the fan he’ll be off like a bridegrooms underpants to Hawaii . With millions of your money. I can only begin to imagine what glee a currency trader’s experiencing as the maelstrom of currency flying around in Auckland right now is closing in on its orgastic zenith.
The real problem is this .
There’s thus far no alternative . No escape plan . No one in real power to turn to. Andrew Little is a pink jonky clone, as are his ministers.
We have no dynamic person running in opposition to The Mighty Jonky. They’ve either been bored to flee government for better jobs in the public sector or have been beguiled into sitting down , shutting up and taking the six figures plus entitlements. Or else.
The Great New Zealand Institutionalised Lie’s unravelling at an alarming rate.
We’re seeing, for the first time, the terrible truths that is a swindled country, a lied to populace and seething prisons full of the collateral damage that is our now criminally dysfunctional and mentally and physically sick society.
Remember ! Country the size of the UK . 4.5 million souls. Vast productive history with an even brighter future and yet we’re so fucked on so many levels that it boggles the mind.
Why? Why is that Martyn Bradbury ? Why is that Chris Trotter ? Why is that Dr Wayne Hope ? Why is that Professor Jane Kelsey ?
Exceptional minds, all of you and yet… there’s a vital piece of information missing from your picture.
What is it ?
Why is that ?
I can tell you. I’ve told you in the past. I’ve repeated it here often.
What went on ?
Who started the swindle?
Where’s our money?
Start down the path to answering the above questions and you will eventually unscramble the shambles that is our rich little country.
“Got it, Country Boy”!. You are wanting the nation to adopt the Positive Money/Social Credit solution
Wishful thinking Martyn.
Nobody thought Labour was going to rock the housing boat. It was mostly down to Cunliffe vs Key. Similar dynamic to Rowling vs Muldoon.
I really doubt that Little can turn it round, he’s far too uninspiring. Perhaps Jacinda can, but we don’t know enough about her.
Hmm. Maybe that was the problem with Cunliffe too.
I hate it when you’re right , Bomber.
But I guess when wages and salaries are 2/3 that of Aussie , job opportunities and training elusive.Permanent employment a mirage, Living costs higher than Aussie and the USA on basics( not health care)then what else have you got? there is only the real estate bubble . No where else to g. So boring.
Farmers are starting to lose out, but I suspect they’d vote NAct as they were shipped off to refugee camps. The property bubble is one big pyramid scheme which will burst, it’s only a matter of when. It will do a lot of damage and in the meantime we have to fight to ensure we are left with something. Stopping the sale of state houses would be a great start.
Until the populace sees a credible alternative they’ll take his crap. It’s about leadership not policies or houses. And, right now, Key is accepted as the most leader-like. We’ve gone presidential and for popularity based judgment. Sad, but IMO true.
Global vote fraud using source code electronic tabulation counting
see last link where NASA computer expert Clint Curtis warns that manual voting and manual recount is the only real way to avoid election fraud even with a paper voting system.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/electronic-voting-fraud-a-real-threat-to-any-democrat-running-for-president/5459534
In this site below we see that even with a paper vote using electronic scanning counting instead of manual counting of the paper votes makes the result prone to fraud by having the vote count going down by half from 18% of voters to 37% respectively, so even with having a paper vote the counting must be carried out manually without any electronic scanning at all.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/16/1100628/-It-s-the-Voting-Machines-Not-the-Voters
http://www.votescam.org/the_evidence
Excellent stuff @ Cleangreen . You watched a series called ‘Mr Robot’ yet ? Fiction sure, but oh my God .
It makes me wonder who pays $5000 for a dinner seat with Key as guest speaker and why, you know the shadowy no identification guaranteed – dinners, where “donations” are laundered!
I ask this because in the Herald on Sundays glowing almost propaganda analysis of the Key government this quote stood out like a beacon;
“Key is a dealer, as the public has known since the SkyCity business and the polls suggest most trust him”.
Trust him, how can anyone trust Key or a personality like him? The throughly dodgy SkyCIty deal was an excellent reason never to trust him. He is the polar opposite of a straight talker and there has been so many occasions, ad nauseam, where he has been caught out simply making it up!
But it’s in print, the subliminal suggestion lost in a thousand words. The logic is straight out of 1984, “War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength, John Key is trustworthy”
I refuse to believe that the Herald employs the mentally defective who are so deluded and naive that they believe this shit. Rather I think that articles like this are part of the agreed script that keeps this government in office, it’s expected if not paid for. The question for those who genertate this publicity is why?
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