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February 14, 2012 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 14 February 2012

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General Debate

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tom hunter

Ah – I missed the earlier headline:

Frieden [Luxembourg Finance Minister], who yesterday also met with U.S. Treasury Department officials, called on the IMF’s largest shareholder to help strengthen the institution and make it part of a firewall to quell the European debt crisis.

I rather liked ZeroHedge’s take on this:

Translation: Hey America, we’ve done all we can, now it’s your turn to sustain the Ponzi. Because if we go, you go.
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February 14, 2012 5:17pm
bereal

Why do the morons on either side of the global warming/climate change argument want
to beat themselves to death trying to argue the hind leg off a donkey,
or, how many faries can sit on the head of a pin ?

These drongs must know that they will never convince the other side.

Perhaps Scott Chris could give us some insight into what he gets out of it for instance ?
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February 14, 2012 5:24pm
tom hunter

AGW?

I must admit that I’ve participated in more than a few of those arguments over the years – but really people, the (AGFC) Anthropogenic Global Financial Crisis, is where the discussion is now.

In fact, in one respect, I’m quite thankful to all the left-wing social-welfare systems and Euro-capitalism that has led to this point. Were we still fat and happy money-wise, the insanity of “addressing” AGW would still be raging away.

Go Greece!
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February 14, 2012 5:37pm
bereal

Now your talking tom hunter.

Does any one here have an idea as to what percentage of the potential working force of New Zealand
is employed by government, local bodies, and on social welfare ?
Then we could compare it to Greece.

That is a figure that may give some true insight into where we do actually stand.
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February 14, 2012 5:45pm
plebe

I love the way john boy key is killing the public service , it means we will now have a highly educated dole bludger to abuse on kiwi blog
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February 14, 2012 6:01pm
Griff

little boy and his playmates did not look to happy on tv1
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February 14, 2012 6:04pm
bereal

plebe
now i know i’m thick but,
isn’t it the size of, and the entitlements owed, to the, ‘public service’ that is the main thing fucking the European
countries that are going down the shithole before your very eyes.

Didn’t you pick that up plebe ?

Now if that is incorrect, you will be able to tell me where i got that wrong. Right plebe.
Go for it.
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February 14, 2012 6:19pm
Luc Hansen

2008 OECD figures and comments, bereal.

With expenditures of just over 40% of GDP in 2008, New Zealand is one of the smaller governments in the OECD area.

cf

Consistent budget deficits over the past decade culminated in an unprecedented budget deficit of 15.4% of GDP in 2009 when expenditures rose to over 53% …of GDP.

It does make one wonder what all the fuss is about when we already have tightly controlled government spending. I’ve no objection to continued vigilance but out’s a bit silly getting sucked into the Key/English propaganda when their much vaunted welfare reforms, for example, will affect only a few hundreds of beneficiaries – the ones least able to fight back of course, and mainly women, but, hey, victimisation is fun!
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February 14, 2012 6:32pm
Luc Hansen

bereal, I’ll think you will find it is the social spending that has racked up deficits rather than the size of the public service, per se.

And NZ is well below the OECD average on that score, too.
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February 14, 2012 6:38pm
reid

More on the Baltic Dry and why you should be looking at it.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/why-is-global-shipping-slowing-down-so-dramatically
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February 14, 2012 6:43pm
Viking2

Maori doubtful of Key’s leadership
KATE CHAPMAN
Last updated 16:24 14/02/2012

Most Maori don’t think Prime Minister John Key provides good leadership on Maori issues and they’re not sure about Labour leader David Shearer, a new poll shows.

The Te Karere DigiPoll out today questioned 1000 Maori voters in January.

Of those, 70 per cent said Key did not provide good leadership on Maori issues, 17 per cent said he did, and 13 per cent did not know.

Of course they didn’t ask us white Mfo’s what we think of his leadership oun our issues.
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February 14, 2012 6:44pm
Luc Hansen

In 2006 (Why is the data so old?) government employed 9.8% of the labour force (down slightly from 2000, despite the national propaganda going into the 2009 election) when the OECD average was 15%.

Greece was only 7.9% at that time, and was on a program me to reduce even that.

And the New Zealand government then contracted out 50% of its functions, compared to the OECD average of 43%.

it’s amazing how stats can interfere with the most well-intentioned, albeit misinformed, perceptions, isn’t it?
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February 14, 2012 6:47pm
Luc Hansen

V2

I wasn’t aware that JK shows good leadership on any issue!
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February 14, 2012 6:48pm
Other_Andy

@Tom

Been following this ‘trainwreck in slow-motion’ for several months now. I think the ‘PIGS’ will go down, the only question is when.
Greece defaulting will trigger another crisis, it will be like dominos falling down. The ‘Northern Euros’ trying to salvage the ‘PIGS’ will trigger a lot of resentment and I don’t think it will make a difference anyway.

“AGW? I must admit that I’ve participated in more than a few of those arguments over the years – but really people, the (AGFC) Anthropogenic Global Financial Crisis, is where the discussion is now.”

AGW is part of the AGFC debate. ‘Green’ policies (Crony capitalism) has done a lot of damage. Spain has almost bankrupted itself with their focus on renewables and Britain is on its way (Crazy windmill scheme), showing (yet) no sign of stopping. Obama’s ongoing anti coal\oil and gas policies and his billions of dollars of loans for failing ‘Green Energy’ companies (His campaign contributors) are damaging the US economy.
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February 14, 2012 6:49pm
bereal

usually i’ts against my better judgement to knock my head into a brick wall Luc.
but as your mate plebe is not up to fuck all, try this.
i think you missed the point.

Government spending is not the issue. What it spends on is.

One factor that is an issue is the level of non productive persons who work in the ever expanding beauracracy
( see Helen Clarks administration )
who produce nothing of tangible value and who the real workers have to support now and more importantly in the future.

And,,, those workers can never hope to aspire to the benefits that will be paid to those drones.( take Bill Englishs’ brother
for example)

It will just get worser and worser if nothing is done till your sprogs will need to pay so much tax to
support those drones that the whole pack of cards comes down.

Kinda like is happening in Greece.
Help you Luc ?
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February 14, 2012 6:56pm
Viking2

Scott Chris (3,664) Says:
February 14th, 2012 at 3:29 pm

Instigators of AGW debates in the last 7 days. All skeptics:

Peter (659) Says:
February 14th, 2012 at 8:08 am

fatnuts (147) Says:
February 13th, 2012 at 6:19 pm

Viking2 (6,126) Says: ……………………..(who whinged today about AGW arguments…Slater’s pet troll maybe?)
February 12th, 2012 at 10:39 am

Fuck you are incompetent dumb arse Scott. Don’t know Cameron and not always in agreement with him but at least he is consistently on the right side and not mired in left wing maniacal dogma like you.
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February 14, 2012 6:58pm
Manolo

Scott, you’re a believer in AGW as people from antiquity thought the Earth was flat.
The problem is you want us to pay for your myth. I’ll refuse.
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February 14, 2012 7:01pm
kowtow

tom hunter@537

I hoped the AGFC would focus world leaders on real issues.

But look at how disappointing they are.Britain insists on ring fencing foreign aid while destroying it’s military At a time they are at war and the rewened threat of it from the Argie Dagos. India has even said it doesn’t want British aid and the UK response is please please we want to bankrupt our selves by giving you money we don’t have.
The German “conservatives” are shutting down their nuclear stations and making themselves depend even more on imported energy.

There is nothing rational about EU “leaders”.
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February 14, 2012 7:02pm
bereal

One way to look at it is just to laugh.

Viking2 scored a big point in his mind @ 6.58
(almost a king hit, at least as close as V2 can go to a king hit) then……

Scott Chris will take the hit, gather himself up and come back for more.

And on and on it will go.
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February 14, 2012 7:13pm
Scott Chris

Other_Andy says:- “loans for failing ‘Green Energy’ companies (His campaign contributors)”

Any evidence for that assertion Andy? No doubt some did, but this is a list of his major contributors:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cid=N00009638

Of more relevence to me is the fact that Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Citigroup are all in the top 6 of Obama’s biggest contributors. You might be interested to see what each one spends lobbying congress (amongst other interesting stats):

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000085
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000103
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000071
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February 14, 2012 7:16pm
bereal

kowtow
given, Brittania doesn’t rule the waves these days, but,
HMS Dauntless rules the south atlantic.

There is no threat from Argie Dagos.

That one ships presence trumps anything the Dagos may have.
And the Dagos know it.
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February 14, 2012 7:24pm
Luc Hansen

Ah, bereal..

The old moving target trick.

Goddamn, you nearly had me fooled that you were interested in facts instead of the old bog-standard penis envy Kiwibloggers have of everyday public servants.
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February 14, 2012 7:29pm
bereal

Fuck off Luc

you just proved that you are not up to it.

Now readers can see what i meant by knocking my head on a brick wall.

Does your whole act as a nudist revolve around penis envy ?
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February 14, 2012 7:33pm
Other_Andy

@SC

The support for Obama from Wallstreet is old news, everybody knows that.
Executives and others connected with Wall Street firms, such as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, UBS AG, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, poured nearly $15.8 million into his coffers.
Goldman Sachs contributed slightly over $1 million to Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, compared with a little over $394,600 to the 2004 Bush campaign. Citigroup gave $736,771 to Obama in 2008, compared with $320,820 to Bush in 2004. Executives and others connected with the Swiss bank UBS AG donated $539,424 to Obama’s 2008 campaign and JP Morgan Chase gave Obama’s campaign $808,799 in 2008.
Fannie and Freddie became big contributors to the Democratic Party. The sub-prime business paid off-at least while the bubble was growing. And the Kerry, Hillary and Obama campaigns have numbered among the leading recipients of the largess of the two mortgage lenders

The stimulus money (Trillions of dollars) also went to companies that supported and funded Obama’s campaign.
Tesla received a loan rate of 1.6% from DOE to manufacture an all-electric car. It is owned and financed by big donors to the Democratic Party and to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Tesla’s principal owner is Elon Musk, the founder of PayPal.
Elon Musk has been a generous donor to the Democratic National Committee, contributing more than $120,000 over three different election cycles and $292,250 to political campaigns, overwhelmingly to Democrats.
Another Obama $500,000 bundler was Solyndra investor George Kaiser and his foundation.
A company called Amyris Biotechnologies received a $24 million DOE grant to build a pilot plant to use altered yeast to turn sugar into hydrocarbons. The investors included several Obama bundlers and fundraisers. With federal money in hand, Amyris went public with an IPO the following year, raising $85 million. Kleiner Perkins, a firm that boasts Obama financier John Doerr and former vice president Al Gore as partners, found its $16 million investment was now worth $69 million.
There are lots of others.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/obama-fundraisers-ties-green-firms-federal-cash/story?id=14592626

Read ‘Throw Them All Out’ by Peter Schweizer.
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February 14, 2012 7:37pm
Luc Hansen

Just present some facts, bereal, instead of rabid-righter talking points.

PS

Leave those bricks alone.
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February 14, 2012 7:39pm
Steve

My head hurts, Luc is off to RIP.
No more shit sunshine
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February 14, 2012 7:42pm
nasska

We’ve all read those cutie-pie rhymes inside Valentine’s Day cards.
Here’s a few that “Hallmark” missed:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Valentines is a load of consumerist bullshit
now haven’t you got some ironing to do?

Roses are orange
Violets are green
This is the best acid
I’ve ever seen

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Your sister said no
How about you?

Roses are Red
Violets are fine
I’ll be the six,
If you be the nine

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
The sinks in the kitchen,
So why aren’t you?

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I’m using my hand,
But I’m thinking of you.

Roses are awful,
Violets are the pits,
Lift up your shirt,
And show us your tits.

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl’s empty and so
is your head.

What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime.
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February 14, 2012 7:46pm
Nostalgia-NZ

Pardon me if anyone feels the following is in
anyway romantic, but I don’t mind if they do.

Rosies are red
violets are blue
bereal should be in the shithouse
and so should you.
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February 14, 2012 8:07pm
Viking2

So China has rooted the ipads in China. Ha get the FBI onto it. They will get it sorted. What a laugh.

Authorities seize Apple’s iPads in China after trademark dispute

Authorities seize Apple’s iPads in China after trademark dispute
Joe McDonald
February 14, 2012 – 7:59AM

ipad

Apple’s iPad. Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi

BEIJING – Authorities have seized Apple iPads from retailers in a city in northern China due to a dispute with a domestic company that says it owns the iPad name, an official said Monday.

The Chinese company said it is asking for similar action in more than 20 other cities.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/tablets/authorities-seize-apples-ipads-in-china-after-trademark-dispute-20120214-1t2pk.html#ixzz1mKziIEEG

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/tablets/authorities-seize-apples-ipads-in-china-after-trademark-dispute-20120214-1t2pk.html#ixzz1mKymYDNK
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February 14, 2012 8:07pm
Viking2

Nostalgia-NZ (291) Says:
February 14th, 2012 at 8:07 pm

Pardon me if anyone feels the following is in
anyway romantic, but I don’t mind if they do.

Rosies are red
violets are blue
bereal should be in the shithouse
and so should you.

Nostalgia that’s not nice. I’m sure what you really meant was
Rosies are red
violets are blue
bereal should be in the shithouse
and so should Lou.
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February 14, 2012 8:09pm
Griff

Reid

You like the Mikey mouse?

catch this one just before the pope on the video

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/who-was-worst-dressed-at-the-grammys-and-baftas/story-fn9076o9-1226270655034
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February 14, 2012 8:13pm
tom hunter

But look at how disappointing they are …

Indeed. But that’s the result of what the leftists set up decades ago; wonderful social welfare systems that are “third rails”. No touching – until they crash.

Actually I see that at least one source has decided to go for my crash-the-system approach:

“House Republican leaders said Monday they would introduce a bill extending the payroll-tax break for the rest of the year without finding spending cuts to offset the program’s cost. The proposal marks a major shift for Republicans, who previously had insisted that the costs of extending a trio of provisions expiring at the end of the month be offset with spending cuts.”

As the article suggests, why stop there:

Will Republicans grasp that the paradox of defeating Obama is precisely in giving him a carte blanche on all the stimulus programs he wants?

Because if Congress approves another $200, 300 or even $400 billion in stimulus pork (the only thing better than one Solyndra? One thousand Solyndras!) the Treasury will drown in the need to raise hundreds of billions more, and will in fact hit the ceiling well in advance of the elections.

As for the stimulus projects themselves, they will crash and burn just like all centrally planned endeavors, and actually result in a far worse outcome than if they had never been attempted. [Because] the best way to finally get back to a fiscally prudent regime? Why go to town, of course.”

Give them what they want – and huge tax increases on the 1% too. So the left will be walking around wondering how the huge gusher of money turned into a thin trickle as everyone from Warren Buffet to Matt Damon run screaming for their Cayman Island accountants – but it will be worth it to watch the anguished screams of pain. Why get blamed for the failures when you can get the left-wing to burn down their very own institutions, using the methods they wanted. Of course one of the commentators makes a sober point:

this is a great plan by the WSJ!!!

It’s like letting your kids burn the house down to show them how foolish it is to play with matches. It’s all about being able to say “I told you so” when you are shivering under the overpass.

Okay – but lessons have to be learned.
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February 14, 2012 8:15pm
nasska

Rupert Murdoch is said to be deeply touched by the messages from family and friends left on Whitney Houston’s phone.
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February 14, 2012 8:17pm
Nostalgia-NZ

Viking2 8.09

To this point, I didn’t consider bereal being in the outhouse with Lou
but I have no objections to the idea.
I do hope however, that they avoid the obvious
cliche and don’t sing ‘Lou, Lou, skip to the Lou my darling’ upon entry.
Where ever entry might be.
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February 14, 2012 8:22pm
nasska

How to say “I Love You” in ten different languages:
English: I Love You
Spanish: Te Amo
French: Je T’aime
German: Ich Liebe Dich
Japanese: Ai Shite Imasu
Italian: Ti Amo
Chinese: Wo Ai Ni
Swedish: Jag Alskar Dig
Lithuanian: As Tave Meliu
New Zealand: Nice Tits! Get in the ute!
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February 14, 2012 8:32pm
Viking2

what, you mean ? entry in out house?
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February 14, 2012 8:33pm
Nostalgia-NZ

We’ll need bereal to explain that,
once he leaves the nudist colony.
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February 14, 2012 8:38pm
RightNow

scotty, I didn’t expect you to get it.
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February 14, 2012 9:08pm
bereal

some of this shit could be really hurtfull,
but i know that deep down youse mean it in a loving, caring, embracefull and celibratory kind of way.

Aroha to all.

Happy Valentines.
G’nite.

(doesn’t include any muslims.)
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February 14, 2012 10:58pm
Manolo

It’s not the friendship, but the price: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/muslim-brotherhood-warns-us-aid-cut-may-affect-egypt-s-peace-treaty-israel
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February 15, 2012 6:29am
Manolo

More from the “religion of peace”: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/14/bangkok-neighbourhood-twin-blasts
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February 15, 2012 6:30am
Manolo

Who could trust these numbers? http://michellemalkin.com/2012/02/14/deficit-projections/
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February 15, 2012 6:39am

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