In the NZ Herald this morning ex Labour leader sort of congratulates Grant Robertson on his budget spending. Or rather, damns with faint praise really. He writes,
Housing ... not just the supply but also the quality of existing stock — continues to be the elephant in the room to addressing the growing inequity in our society.
Housing is an issue. It is some people's major issue. But...
Set me to thinking. What is mine?
It's twofold. It's stubborn and ignorant repetition of past policies that have never worked.
And simultaneously charting dangerous territory with the assertions that democracy can't work for minorities (with flavour of the day, Maori). To that end frantically throwing out bedrock democratic principles.
Democracy doesn't work for minorities. I know. I am in one. The 5-10 percent that genuinely crave small government, free markets and personal responsibility. It doesn't follow I advocate for an overthrow of 'one person, one vote'. It means my minority has to persuade the majority their way.
But back to the point of my post.
What is your elephant in the room?
Prove my point. There are so many elephants in the room that they are now unremarkable.
10 comments:
Education, or the lack of it, in favour of the silent introduction of CRT.
The erosion of liberty, democracy and equality under the law.
The debt our children and grand children will have to pay.
Simpatico. Elephants in rooms and Sacred Cows.
Long term Welfare paid to single mums with 4 kids under 6 years of age and food banks which create employment for people who beg food so they can give it to people who cant be bothered to go and beg for themselves.
Mobility scooters which entice semi-able people to stop making an effort, just sit back and enjoy the ride. The less you do, the more the scooter will proves its worth.
Throwing money at systems that clearly aren't working.
Working groups.
Welfare for full time workers, but not providing proper support to those with serious health issues (stealth eugenics), all while claiming publically to be kind.
Pointless communication with words that say nothing at all.
The proliferation of govt department websites, often with duplicated information or dumbed down information already available in more accessible locations.
The closing of Marsden Point, right on the verge of a global petrol shortage!!
Pushing for electric cars when hydrogen would be a more long term option, minus the bad karma of blood Cobalt.
The Elephant in the Western World room(Like NZ) is Governments who think they can fix things!!
Usually by caving in to pressure groups and throwing lots of money around.
Why dont they just stick to Governing. Ie providing a framework of laws and regulations so the market can get on with solving problems.
A Prime example is Local Government providing libraries with DVDs,CDs and Internet services. Direct competition to the marketplace.
or
Trying to source and supply PEP, RAT tests. The market place proving the can source and supply cheaper and faster.
Hey Lindsay
Over at No Minister I've put up one of my rare posts about New Zealand in looking at two articles by reasonably prominent Lefty commentators lamenting the failure on poverty of the Labour government.
One of them is John Campbell and I linked to his TV1 article where he talks about the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) and their 42 recommendations. Now I was looking more at their reaction to the general failure of the approach taken by Labour rather than looking at whether those specific recommendations are any good: it goes without saying the Campbell thinks they're brilliant because Experts.
So, to save me a search, have you looked at them specifically?
Carbon Zero.
Specifically the cost vs the cost of adaptation.
We know that NZ's efforts in isolation are going to make little to nothing of a global impact.
We know China and India are going to continue to burn coal and oil.
We know that humans are very successful at adaptation.
Carbon Zero advocates would have us bankrupt ourselves and the be too poor to adapt (which we will have to do anyway)
Celebrating failure because of diversity.
I live in a 100 year old character home which is poorly insulated. While its cool in summer, Its reasonably warm in winter thanks to a log fire and my trusty axe which warms the inner me. It is not an unhealthy environment.
This year as an experiment thanks to the governments winter energy grant, I'm adding a little bit of electric heat to the mix. So far this month my power bill has increased $100 with 10 days to the end of the monthly billing cycle.
Regardless of the governments temporary subsidy, if I were to use only power, I would not be able to afford the cost long term. The downside to that is I would be poorer, colder and not very healthy because a valuable source of exercise both mental and physical would be denied me. they tell me the health of the environment is more important than mine. .
To misquote Charlton Heston. "They will take my axe from my cold dead hands."
Things like this where protocols, laws or rules are changed to work against anyone opposing the view of our red overlords https://twitter.com/saltyreigns/status/1533276184078712832
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