Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Politics sans policy

People I talk with or listen to are heartily sick of politics without policy. There is no sense of enjoyment or participation about the coming election. Most just want to see the back of it. The common complaint is, what about the important stuff? What about the things that matter? I've commented before about the media's role in that dearth.

So last night's debate about ICT policies was a refreshing experience and congratulations to TV7. It almost reinvigorated me. But why aren't we seeing more of this kind of debate? The contest of ideas instead of the interminable he said, she said, he did, she did stuff. A friend said to me yesterday about 90 percent of the New Zealand electorate is dysfunctional when it comes to governance and politics and thought they no longer deserved the time he had been putting in for years trying to spread better ideas.I hope he saw last night's debate. What a great result for ACT, especially after the supercilious, smarmier-than-smarmy-from-Palmie, David Cunliffe said nobody cares about what the leader of a 1 percent party thinks. Clearly they did.

Quote of the night from Nanny National;

Question; "Why should the taxpayer who can't even afford a PC pay for broadband to every home"

Maurice Williamson; "Because that's the way we deliver the new citizen of the future."

9 comments:

deleted said...

Hehe that was a paraphrased version of my question to Maurice ;-)

Anonymous said...

Maybe a bit off the line, but, maybe it's not too far from the line:

why is it that citizens in a country that has the image of being "green", hardly vote for that particular party?

Or to put it from another direction:
why do people choose to live in such a beautifull country (which WAS even far more beautifull...) and have no respect for it and it's future at all?

Again: Why do people choose to be so ugly?

Or, to put it from another direction: People sans policy?

JohNZ

Anonymous said...

So yet another poll spammed by Labour & the greenies...

KG said...

why is it that citizens in a country that has the image of being "green", hardly vote for that particular party? "
Because that particular party hides a communist wealth distribution agenda under the mantle of conservation.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Johnz: why do people choose to be so ugly?

Why do the likes of Sue Bradford & Keith Locke want to interfere in every aspect of our lives?

Why does the 'Green' party preach a peaceful, easy feeling, etc, when in reality it endorses violence?

Violence meaning its insistence to ride roughshod over individual & property rights, banning & compelling up hill & down dale, not to mention its well-published links with extremely violent foreign organisations.

Wolf in sheep's clothing and all that. Do a bit of research .. it's most illuminating.

Anonymous said...

Thank you kg, sus.

I'm relatively new to this country. Also I'm actually quite smart, but I seem to understand less and less of it.

I'll have a look at your pointers though.

JohNZ

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Johnz, As I understand it the NZ Greens are not necessarily like other Green parties, some of which base their environmental policies on property rights. Our Greens want to use the power of the state to advance their agenda.

Anonymous said...

Lindsay, that's surprising. Or, in a way it is not:

In Europe I saw the exact same thing in a few countries. Because some small parties weren't able to have enough votes to get into parlement, they teamed up with other parties. So that gives different Green parties in Europe a very different background.

Green isn't always green...

On the same level there seems no exception to the rule that the names political parties choose hardly ever cover their content. From the little I know at this moment from NZ politics National hardly is interested in the Nation itself, and Labour... I can't figure it out yet. It looks like a snake curling in every direction while at the same time keeping it's agenda (whatever that may be) firmly intact.

In fact, in an ideal world (.....) it makes no difference what kind of politics you'd choose. I think I'd have no trouble living under a communist government when it truly was based on freedom, respect and trust. The same is for the capitalistic system. If it was based on freedom, respect and trust it would be heaven on Earth.

You see, I hate politics, because I've never seen a politician who understands what life is about. Politics has become a profession, with, in most countries, very good salaries and very good escape routes if something goes wrong. Since politics has condensed to financial tactics, the society reflects on that and becomes as cold as the burocrats that keep themselves in office.

It's a cycle that goes on and on.

Politicians create the rules that fit them best to keep the system as it is. No politician is interested in REAL CHANGE, it would cost them their careers.

I've had a look at ATC and was quite surprised I couldn't find their 20 points (maybe they were accidently reconstructing the webpage when I looked?). I like smart people, but there's very little of them. So, let's see where Smart Green goes. I really hope to see a difference.

Cheers for now, JohNZ.

Anonymous said...

there is one party who is for the people by name - Kiwi party. They should have been at this debate. I understand they are pushing for a referendum on MMP - that would count them out! Doesn't sound like your typical politics to me, maybe there is hope!