Posts by Scott Chris
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Speaker: The Voyage: On Interpreting and…, in reply to martinb,
if we used your notion as the basis of our trading relationships we would give Pharmac to the Americans.
I disagree. Rather than enter into any multilateral trade agreements I’d rather see New Zealand do what the Swiss do, which is to negotiate a series of bilateral trade agreements tailored to suit the nature each unique relationship. Pharmac is an example of an effective government institution that delivers tangible benefit to Kiwi consumers so it would seem foolish to agree to its disestablishment.
-
Speaker: The Voyage: On Interpreting and…, in reply to Richard Aston,
Can you expand on what that really means Scott.
It means we had to show the Chinese we are willing to do business with them in spite of our domestic political environment. In doing so New Zealand has lived up to its commitment to free trade.
Fact is, we need them more than they need us. If things don’t work out we’ll know better next time round. Would be nice if there wasn’t an element of risk involved, but then that wouldn’t be business would it?
-
For example, the Overseas Investment Office has conceded that Shanghai Pengxin’s investment in the Crafar Farms will not increase exports or jobs here or NZ in-market skills overseas.
Maybe so, but the Crafar Farms sale to a large international company is more to do with developing a trading relationship based on mutual trust. Sorry if that doesn’t fit with your narrative.
-
Hard News: Friday Music: This stuff works, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
The Audience has a confusing logo - what idea is driving it?
Is that a bandwagon wheel, a tape reel, a pizza, a pie chart, a ruddy miscoloured lemon or a curious orange?It's an allegorical grapefruit. Each of the nine segments represents a different phase of the listening experience from first hearing to overexposure.
Duh.
-
Up Front: Sex with Parrots, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
Any form of legalised polygamy is definitely one moral issue I'm willing to set aside on the basis of Too Bloody Difficult
Hmm, can't see anything morally wrong with fully consensual polygamy. Nor do I see any great difficulty in drafting a multi-party matrimonial agreement.
Funny how contravening established cultural practice can seem so taboo for no good reason.
-
Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to Danielle,
What “advantage” is “preserved” by staying on the DPB, though?
Perceived advantage as in relative to your social context. For instance the younger brother of a gang member may well seek to emulate his sibling by joining a gang because he believes this will be to his advantage. In doing so he will adopt his brother’s value system.
-
Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to B Jones,
Like well-off people supporting governments that cut taxes and reduce social assistance programmes.
A good example, yes.
-
Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Lack of knowledge is by far the biggest factor in teen pregnancy and its associated issues, not moral decay as the faith-based dogmatists would have us believe.
Yes I agree, therefore dog-whistle or no, any move to make contraception more readily available and socially acceptable is a positive one as far as I’m concerned. (and thinking politically for a sec, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to see the intolerant sector of the electorate split their vote between Winston First, ACT, National and the CCCP)
________________________________________________________________Apparently my use of the term social reproduction is a little dated – Cultural Reproduction would appear to be the favoured sociological description these days.
-
Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to Danielle,
Deborah’s links roundup of local writings about this might help us to work out why this particular policy has very little to do with ‘pragmatism’.
I don’t disagree that this policy does pander to the intolerant Laws-listener type demographic but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad idea, unlike, say, the inane 3 strikes legislation.
Framing ideas in terms of their political implications will never lead to practical solutions, just to the usual partisan bickering – so I tend to try to think apolitically.
Ultimately, when it comes to addressing the problem of long term welfare dependency and breaking the social reproduction cycle the most effective approach inevitably involves both coercion and incentive, both of which are anathema to the opposing ends of the political spectrum.
-
Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Would a trip to Auschwitz give them any food for thought?
Reductio ad absurdum. Cartoon hyperbole is one thing, but offering the sector of society whose greater statistical propensity to bear children outside of a stable relationship or become infected with STDs freer access to contraception is simply pragmatic social policy.
Raising the specter of eugenics smacks of paranoia imo.