Posts by ScottY

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  • OnPoint: Taskforce 2025: A Space Odyssey,

    Well, except for Peter Jackson

    Indeed. The report isn't saying we don't have any successful people. We just don't have enough businesses making an impact globally.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Taskforce 2025: A Space Odyssey,

    I have to take a contrary opinion to many of the points made regarding the NZTE research.

    I know Tony Smale, the person whose research the NZTE report relies on, and I’ve heard him speak twice on these issues.

    He is not advocating an abandonment of our lifestyle aspirations. He is, however, interested in looking at why we perform so poorly economically. Despite our lifestyle aspirations, we work longer hours than people in most other countries and are poorly paid by comparison.

    Part of this is because of our national psyche and tall-poppy syndrome: we don’t do enough to encourage or celebrate business success, and are openly hostile to people with wealth. Our heroes are mostly sportspeople.

    As a result, our businesspeople don’t generally create large companies, take risks, or invest hugely in infrastructure and capital. So productivity suffers.

    People may decide “enoughism” is fine, but it does impact on our economic performance.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Taskforce 2025: A Space Odyssey,

    Read the whole report though, it's intriguing.

    I read the executive summary, then the main body of the document, in that order. If anything, reading the main body of the report made me more convinced the report's authors were batshit crazy. There was almost no serious analysis at all in the document.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Taskforce 2025: A Space Odyssey,

    a report yesterday by the Don Brash-led 2025 Taskforce said we have smaller houses, die sooner, have fewer cars and televisions and drink less fruit juice than our Aussie counterparts.

    OMG we need to close the fruit juice gap too!

    I'm getting really angry about those Australians having more stuff than us. Lets build a nuclear bomb...

    But they have all the uranium. Bastards!

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Hard News: Let's lynch the liberals!,

    Speaking of which, WTF is up with Jim Hopkins?

    James at Editing the Herald has a good piece on Hopkins' latest effort.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Hard News: Let's lynch the liberals!,

    Mike Moore has an opinion piece in the Herald today attacking the environmental movement. It is the usual incomprehensible garbage we have come to expect from Moore.

    My favourite line is:

    I'm not a climate denier

    Good to know, Mike.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Taskforce 2025: A Space Odyssey,

    I forced myself to read the damn thing. What an appalling pile of tosh. There's barely one recommendation in it that isn't entirely objectionable.

    There is no serious analysis in the report about how this hard-right prescription will cure our economy. Brash and his cohorts spout this rubbish as if its truth is self-evident and doesn't need to be justified.

    I have an idea: if we want to catch up with Australia, why don't we start by looking at what they are actually doing? They don't have low taxes, low government spending, or minimal regulation. Nor have they slashed spending on health and education.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Strange Surprise,

    dubmugga, it's never okay to beat a woman up.

    If you think it's better to give someone a bash, rather than walk away, then I pity those around you.

    You should get help.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Hard News: The March for Democracy,

    Why is it this blog seems habituated by left wing radicals out of sync with the rest of society in general ?

    You appear astonded that anyone would dare to have a contrary opinion to your own. I thought you were for democracy...

    If you don't like it here you can always go away.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Strange Surprise,

    OK so if my lady comes at me with some scissors, i should disarm her and restrain her but not try to slap some sense into her...not even once as a shock tactic to snap her out of it ?

    Disarm her, then walk away. How hard is that? Does the term "It's not OK" mean anything?

    BTW, why do you believe Sophie Elliot came at Weatherston with a pair of scissors? Because he told that to the court? The jury didn't believe him. Yet you appear to.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

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