The Daily Blog Open Mic – Friday – 10th April 2020

1. This seems to be a place for ideas and thoughts to be expressed without hen-pecking from right wing naysayers in general as happens on TS. Just a few negative deadheads get through, who are willing to pick ideas to bits before they can be considered, properly critiqued and understood, amended, and developed.

   Perhaps here some ideas can be developed about how we can advance at the end of the No.4 lockdown and citizens make changes in our society ourselves. We had faith in the ability of government and the civil administration to run the county in the 20th century, and largely left command to them. We thought that collectively on election days we would come together and the broad mass of us would choose adequate politicians, and that the administration would bring to them their advice and experience and information. We would pay them all well, and they would do a good job for us. We were wrong.

   Now is the time for any citizens that have practical thoughts about advancing NZ for all in a way that limits bulldozer capitalism and desire for profit and capital accretion but aids the growth of busy societies self- supporting and trading with input for all and good material living conditions for all. The thinking citizens need to study our economy, our society, and our zeitgeist to guide their opinions and objectives, and think and discuss and forcefully state policies that people can understand will lead better conditions.

   It is a TINA situation, and we have to take on the legacy of the Gang of Four in NZ who forcefully carried forward a system that has destroyed much of NZ enterprise and forced us to place export business above domestic business, which has led to us having to sign treaties that give the world’s capitalists the right to take control of our assets for their own benefit. Can we get that through our heads, and be wily to get back to a decent society
   that has an understanding of how we can export intelligently and earn foreign capital enough to run a modern society? Or do we just go on putting up with stuff, people finding themselves in a maze and unable to stretch and live an individual life not totally bounded by repressive government, consumerism, and soulless conformism? Our lives are being conditioned by television and devices with games etc. and sport replaces not only religion but also the time spent on examining our political lives, with people watching coaches and teams outcomes, rather than their politicians and the government’s outcomes. A couple of quotes –

   ‘Allen Saunders: Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.
   —Publishers Syndicate’ (Used by John Lennon in his song Beautiful Boy) https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/05/06/other-plans
   And Rutherford comes to mind: ‘Ern’, as he was known by his family, later claimed his inventiveness was honed on the challenges of helping out on his parents’ farm: ‘We haven’t the money, so we’ve got to think’.
   https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/ernest-rutherford

   Now is definitely a time to think, and we are going to be short of money. Let’s do a Roger Douglas in reverse, but not the same, because we would keep what is good and not trash the country. Right now start to get groups of men and women to form elite working groups, and take an interest in their activities as if they were running a marathon. Government can start a renaissance in the lives of young NZs with a new Agency called perhaps Go-Job and getting young people working and earning good money, above the living wage. They would be part of an elite hard-work, capable team, with team transport provided, decent accommodation, and they can take on the jobs that need to be done in their own region, and be available to work elsewhere, either the whole team or part. Do this by inviting applications from keen work-ready people regionally then going into training and fitness camps where they will go into self isolation for 14 days and then do workouts, get fit, Look at their skills and background and work out how they would form an effective work team with various skills. Make it largely a co-operative with a manager provided who looks after the team like a coach and watches for good compliance with legal matters, satisfied customers, and concern that the group has good self-control so the team maintains itself to a high standard of work, good management of their earnings, and individual health and happiness.

   In a few months we should think about changing our ways to meet the needs of the 21st century and take steps to ensure we all take voting rights seriously. We have handed them out early in the 1900s like a lolly scramble believing that once we were educated, and had ability to get jobs and houses and families, we would all be motivated to support our society and make good decisions. But to make good decisions thought is required, and knowledge of the important points, reading and thinking. Instead it is feelings that are at the back of our political and other important choices.

   I think that from primary level the children should be thinking about civic matters, and the rights that citizens should have and the responsibilities of taking part in decision-making as informed people require. In the year before voting age is reached, the young ones need to sit an exam that asks about the issues, about what the Parties have done in the past, and how they have amended their mistakes, whether they have practical ideas and what they are suggesting for the next term of government if they get in. There needs to be a 70% pass rate but they can sit it multiple times. All children will get to see Parliament early on, which will be like showing them a chicken farm so they know where their eggs come from. A few years later, just before Intermediate level, when they are old enough to cope they will see a real Session, watch that and immediately have a short discussion why it is, and for what reason. Then back at school have a practice in class of putting an idea forward with two sides being for or against, This is more important than raising money to send children overseas, which is a middle-class idea, and shows the sort of complacency and naivety that has grown in this country during the 20th century.

2. https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/120950431/green-party-initial-election-list-puts-newcomer-teanau-tuiono-ahead-of-several-sitting-mps

   So its goodbye Golriz and Chloe? Unbelievable stupidity to rank especially Chloe that low.

   • Why not give more detail from the link?
     The ranking of the list is voted on by members in two different stages – first by delegates at a conference for an initial list and then by all 7000 or so Green Party members closer to the election.
     So members might change the placings. And Golriz has MS – only found recently.

3. I think i will have to pay into The Telegraph, though I haven’t found a package that suits me, I can’t bear to get everything.
   King Boris is discussed in this article. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/09/system-boris-johnson-built-unravelling-absence/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-onward-journey
   Apr.9/20 Camilla Tominey Why the system Boris Johnson built is ‘unravelling’ in his absence

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