Posts by Roger Lacey
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Hard News: Will the grown-ups ever…, in reply to fredster jones,
Dal Boy…….unlike alfie, linger, rob and steve whose efforts are mildly commendable, your efforts are always, without exception, self-indulgent tripe
Have you read all 5466* of them?
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Hard News: Will the grown-ups ever…, in reply to ,
The privet prosecution attempt by the pathological guy...
Getting rid of noxious weeds?
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Hard News: Will the grown-ups ever…, in reply to The Ruminator,
I emailed Shayne Currie with some questions for a piece I was doing on it and got nada. Not even an acknowledgement.
What's his address? The Herald "Letter to the Editor" link is down at the moment.
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Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to ,
I’m finding that the more I think about this, the more I understand how much I don’t know about economics.
It's the same for economists. The ones who stand up and claim to know what's happening are generally just pushing their own theories. They take the credit if their predictions come true and blame outside factors if they don't.
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Here's George Monbiot's rant about the corporate elite: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/31/wealth-creators-klepto-rewards-bosses
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Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to Grant Taylor,
Nicely written, Dave. My heart is with you and a fair slice of my mind as well.
+1 from me too.
Unfortunately as Grant says, in the'80s the world had changed and was no longer going to buy our butter and wool at the same prices that made us prosperous in the '50s.
With a bit of tinkering we could have sorted out many of the inefficiencies in our economy while keeping our social contract. Unfortunately we followed the American neo-liberal path which has impoverished many for the benefit of a few. No one in government or opposition (apart from Michael Cullen) has looked towards the future and made any plans for our ageing population, global warming or our increasing levels of poverty.
Amongst neo-liberals (including our current government) there seems to be an unshakable belief that the free market fairy will fix everything once the price is right.
They quote that the horse dung problem in London was fixed by the discovery of steam power and that the subsequent smog from coal fires was solved by clean burning petrol as if it was by the grand design of the market and patience will see a clean alternative to fossil fuels emerge. "Science will fix it." they say as they slash funding for science.
In the meantime the population is told that the economy will collapse if we spend a cent of our taxes on feeding hungry children, that Auckland must sprawl further to appease the speculators and that every drop of oil, gas and coal must be extracted to maintain our current lifestyle.
I believe there is a better way than that. -
Hard News: About Campbell Live, in reply to ,
What seems to be forgotten in much of the debate is that TV3 is a commercial enterprise and is entitled to do whatever its management think will make it the most money.
Are you arguing for the retention of state owned assets, and for a more egalitarian society? Or are you saying that who ever has the most toys wins?
I was saying that TV3 has shareholders who would probably like to see a return on their investment and are not necessarily interested in what is good for the nation. On the other hand, TVNZ is owned by us and should be our flagship channel, making programmes that challenge us to become a better nation. That they fought the charter and only tolerated TVNZ6 & 7 until the money ran out showed how they value their bloated salaries above all else.
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What seems to be forgotten in much of the debate is that TV3 is a commercial enterprise and is entitled to do whatever its management think will make it the most money. It just happens that TV3 has let John Campbell to create a show that has become part of our cultural heritage.
Unfortunately Campbell Live has been so successful that it allowed TVNZ to embark on its disconnection with public service broadcasting with almost no protest. It's only now that Campbell Live is under threat that we have woken up to the fact that there will soon be no one left on TV who is prepared to ask the hard questions and stand up for the underdog.
As for TVNZ's part, its management has done nothing but squander its resources and talent to pay for the bloated salaries of its executives and self-anointed "stars". It should be be stripped of the NZ bit and sold on Trade Me for $1 reserve. Profits (if any) from the sale should be used to set up a TVNZ7 type channel showcasing local talent, providing informed debate and a new home for John Campbell and his team. -
Wow!
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Sorry to see Kiwi FM go. They were my go-to station when BFM played stuff I couldn't get my ears around. Their DJs were good and their specialist shows interesting. Their tag line "Playing 100% Kiwi music 60% of the time." always sounded a bit desperate and untrue. After all, is Crowded House 100% Kiwi?
Kiwi music as a genre was always going to be difficult but it did give airplay to many artists who would not usually get a look in at a station sponsored by Magness Benrow.
With the loss of TVNZ6 & 7, the TVNZ charter and now Kiwi FM, the cultural landscape narrows again.