Posts by Idiot Savant
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The real reason for having a racing minister is so the biggest Good Old Boy in the Cabinet can spend his time at the races.
And because once upon a time it was important, rather than being a bunch of sad old farts remembering that they used to be.
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'Cause it is a hugely significant economic activity
Really? According to the 2005 Briefing to the Incoming Minister it was responsible for $424 million of GDP, or about 0.37%. $130 million of that is export sales, but that's nothing large. Racing clubs have only 27,000 members, and its chief social impact is as a focus for gambling addiction. This isn't "hugey significant" to anyone other than the industry itself and its elderly, dying fans who remember the days when it was mass entertainment. So why a minister?
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it seems reasonable to ask whether the racing industry has anything else it would like to tell us. Because the big money that swings around there seems like a malign influence on the body politic.
Not least millions of dollars in direct payback for their genorisity, negotiated by the minister they'd secretly donated to. It looked bad enough already; now that we've learned they were exercising hidden financial interest, it looks positively corrupt.
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One thing that baffles / annoys me is the way that right-of-centre commentators (including Paul Holmes) keep going on about how hot Palin is.
Salon got it right (but icky) when they said "The GOP is playing the Oedipal card"...
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This is classic Crosby-Textor - just compare them to the 2005 UK Conservative party billboards (defaced version here). Exploit and whip up fear, provide no answers.
Crime/parole will be next, then racism.
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Hamish McDouall spoke at Drinking Liberally palmerston North a couple of weeks back; well worth listening to, and I'm wishing I had the chance to vote for him (sorry Iain). But I'm not moving to Whanganui and dealing with Michael laws to do so.
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I’ve got to thank you for this wonderful innovation in blogging — usually the trolling goes on in the comments. You do it up front.
I'm beginning to think that as well. Does he have ads to sell or something?
(Sorry, Adblock means I never see them...)
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So, we still have a government, and we'll still get an ETS.
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I don't see your point I/S. You don't think the democratic process counts for anything?
Legitimacy <> credibility. The mere fact that someone is elected does not make them more likely to tell the truth. To think it does is a logical fallacy - not to mention an invitation to abuse.
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Leaving aside personalities for a minute. Don't you think a thirty year career as an MP and Cabinet Minister in three separate governments gives you some degree of credibility?
Nope, any more than a funny hat or snobby relations does.