The Best and Worst of 2024
One thing for certain is that President Trump is a great friend of Israel and has declared that he not only wants American-Israeli hostages back, he wants them all given back.
Politics
Everything about politics
Thinking Smart and Dumb About Flat Earth
By introducing a false binary, you can easily steer people to the next logical conclusion, like redirecting a river.
NZ Politics Daily: 19 December 2024
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards FAST TRACK, MINING Fox Meyer (Newsroom): ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law Eva Corlett (Guardian): ‘Dark day for New Zealand’: outcry as bill to fast-track controversial mining projects is approved
This Judge Needs to Be Sacked
A drunk dud judge attacks Winston Peters at a private function, and she’s in charge of the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court!
NZ Politics Daily: 18 December 2024
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING Thomas Coughlan (Herald): More tax, fewer services - Treasury’s forecasts a grim warning to MPs and New Zealanders (paywalled) Luke Malpass (Post): A bigger recession for each Kiwi than the GFC (paywalled) Jo Moir (RNZ): HYEFU revealed: Nicola Willis
The Need to Make Bigger Cuts
The government has been fiddling around the edges; the opposition are living in cloud cuckoo land as they moan about cuts.
NZ Politics Daily: 17 December 2024
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING Giles Dexter (RNZ): HYEFU preview: Pre-emptive blame game ahead of opening of the books Brian Easton (Pundit): Foreshadowing HYEFU 2024 Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government reveals whether Nicola Willis will ‘shift goalposts’ on surplus target or ditch multi-year capital allowance, details
Denmark Passes the World’s First ‘Fart Tax’
Cow farts are a distraction and the joke’s on us. The Danish tax is a significant step toward the state ownership of the means of production. The issue is essentially about control.
NZ Politics Daily: 16 December 2024
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PARLIAMENT, GOVERNMENT, THE YEAR IN POLITICS Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Democracy Briefing: First Among Equals? New Zealand First’s year in government Janet Wilson (The Post): In the Age of Meh, voters are sending a message loud and clear (paywalled) Claire Trevett (Herald): Politician
The Pigs at the Trough Are Squealing
If we axed all of the researchers who have received funding in the past six years then I suspect that not a tear would be shed by voters, and the universities wouldn’t miss them either.