Posts by Danyl Mclauchlan
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My problem with Lomberg is not so much him as his readers: in his interview on Salon - and other interviews I've read with him in scientific journals and other serious periodicals - he places great emphasis on his belief that climate change is real, humans are causing it, it will cause serious problems in the future ect. His argument is that we are facing other serious problems - such as endemic diseases - that are even more urgent and need to be addressed before the issues of climate change can be tackled.
Okay, that's an interesting perspective, worth discussing ect ect. But virtually every climate change denier I've ever argued with has enthusiastically recommended Lombergs book to me.
'Read this. It proves that global warming is just a big communist hoax!' -
You mean like 1980s Labour?
Sure, but I think its fair to say that it is no longer Labour Party policy to effectively abolish the state and let markets somehow solve all our problems.
I think a more genuine core National value is social conservatism.
Arguable. I doubt Don Brash would have agreed with you. We don't really know what John Key thinks but I'd guess he's also more liberal than conservative. Katherine Rich, Chris Finlayson, Simon Power et al are certainly not conservatives.
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Yeah but its a bit like the WMD thing. You can bang on about something all you like but once the curtain is pulled and the stage is revealed to be bare then its you who look stupid.
Last time I looked a frighteningly large number of Americans still think Iraq had WMD's.
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Exactly what are the core principles that might differentiate National and won't be abandoned?
I don't think its controversial to say that Nationals core principle (that differentiates them from Labour) is that they prefer market based solutions instead of state or government based solutions.
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I'll only believe it's a cunning plan if they turn out to have something really bad on Key in the back pocket.
I doubt they do (note how 'Wishart-like' their current rumours of something 'nuclear' are?). I think they're just trying to get the words 'John Key' and 'Serious Fraud Office' lodged in peoples brains early on.
But I've always been a big conspiracy buff, and history teaches us that stupidity is a more powerful explanation for events than evil - you're probably right.
Danyl: "de-Rogered", then. Because it is something that needs to happen.
I think we've had this conversation before, IS and I'm not convinced National needs to abandon most of its core-principles before they become electorally acceptable. I'm just glad we have two (major) moderately central but definitely distinct political parties: who would you have voted for in 1987?
And I'd also like the Nats to tell us what they want to do when they get into power, but since they're slaughtering the government in the polls but dip a little in popularity every time they open their mouths I'm not holding my breath.
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Which brings us back to the point that National is full of potential cabinet ministers who (for want of a better term) haven't yet been "de-Nazified" . . .
When the Nats start shipping people off in boxcars you'll have my full attention, but until then please just shut the fuck up.
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I would have thought that the "STFU Its yours to lose" rule still held true for National MPs. Apparently not?
I believe Collins is quietly but deeply unimpressed with the current direction of the National Party.
Labour's catcalling in the house lately has been dreadful.
I think they're trying to SwiftBoat Key - Labour are airing all these pathetic non-scandals now so that in the election year they can make references to the 'allegations surrounding John Keys past' and his 'problems with the serious fraud office'. I think they'll keep targeting his business career which is obviously one of his strong points - classic Rovian tactics.
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Interestly enough, he also said that National will not remove Kiwisaver but may tweak it a bit.
John Key has also announced that he wants to 'improve' Kiwisaver. I'm betting these improvements will involve either freezing or scrapping the employer contributions.
[Obama] has to win his own party's primary before he can think about reaching out across the barricades.
If Obama wins the nomination I'm not sure I like his chances of surviving the presidential campaign.
If Labour is the Germany of the 1980's new right Axis, National would be the Japan. One de-nazified and the other still likes to try and re-write the history books
Godwin'd on the second post! Impressive!
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I haven't seen the Dawkins programme but I have seen the photo of one of the faith healers, Elisis Livingstone, in the Telegraph
Made my day.
Her quote defending her track record is rather amusing: "I have a 100 per cent success record with people at some level"
Doesn't that just fill you with confidence?
I must say, I think this is a better way for Dawkins to spend his time than bickering with clerics: new age mysticism is just so much funnier than any of the orthodox failths.
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Ian Wishart |is discussing the reviews over at his blog (which is unmissable, btw).