Posts by Rich Lock
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to Russell Brown,
Mostly just “Chinese”, from memory.
Yes, that was my memory. But I was kinda hoping I was wrong.
-
Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Bart Janssen,
Yes and their response is to buy politicians that will change that law and where that isn't possible challenge every detail legally or simply ignore the law and dare the govt to do anything.
Yes I think a demonstrably untrustworthy group should not be trusted. But I think the way to change that is to replace them with trustworthy people who have been taught what (long term) ethics really are and get tested before they are allowed to be in positions of responsibility.The problem is also one of sheer numbers. A fried who worked in IT on the fringes of Wall Street both pre- and post- the dotcom bubble and burst once noted that he knew a lot of small/medium size fish who got away with what had been some fairly blatently illegal behaviour in the run-up to the burst simply because post-burst, the SEC didn't have enough lawyers and other warm bodies to prosecute them all - they had to focus their limited rescources on the big fish.
-
Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Russell Brown,
And, as Alan Bollard explained in his book, the mainstream view was that that was a fine arrangement. The increasingly prosperous East needed somewhere to invest, we needed access to finance.
The counter to that is that many people in the mid-late '90's were part of or involved in the 'anti-globalisation' movements. While they may have been broad churches, and as a consequence somewhat unfocussed and incoherent, there was certainly a strong thread in there of trying to rein in the crazy-out-of-control-meth-head-gambler who seems to have been at the wheel of the good ship Global Finance for the last few decades.
One of the lesser tragedies of 9/11 was that all those movements were basically killed stone dead just as they were gaining some mainstream traction. I reckon you could put together and argument that these current protests have their roots in, and are rising from, the ashes of the anti-globalisation movement.
Nek minnit
All your memes are belong to us....
-
Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to James Millar,
I found it an interesting anomaly that in the UK (well, amongst Londoners I met at least) 'Asian' tends to mean South Asian (Indian, Pakistani etc)
Yes, true....
while 'Oriental' means the same as what 'Asian' means to many kiwis - namely, East Asian of Chinese descent.
...but I don't think I've ever heard 'oriental' used - too awkward a mouthful. I can't actually think what would be used.
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to Lilith __,
I've always had mixed feelings about Bradbury's approach. I often agree, up to a point, with his views, but he seems to go out of his way to be hyperbolic and antagonistic. If he'd be more moderate and less hectoring he could be a force to be reckoned with
Although there's definitetely a niche for that sort of OTT...bombast. If you generally agree with the points he's making, it's amusing and gets the troops fired up and happy. A bit like watching a rottweiler savage it's neo-nazi owner. You know you shouldn't laugh, but....
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to Sue,
And yes the panel is often filled with all kinds of meh, but occasionaly when they have enlightened and people like David slack and Bernard hickey who do some research and make reasons arguments it's good radio.
Our very own Scott Y turns up on there occasionally, too.
He was once on there with Bomber, and apparently felt woefully underprepared in contrast to the pages and pages of carefully prepared response that Bomber had brought with him (a copy of the talking points of the day is e-mailed to all guests shortly before the show to allow them to prepare their off-the-cuff bon mots and comments).
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to Stephen Judd,
Thanks Stephen. Yes, that is what I'm talking about. Mark of Cain indeed.
But you appear to be almost wilfully ignoring this:
The violence is a fact.
I suspect we could find much common ground in relation to society's approach to the roots of offending, support for it's citizens, and crime/punishment/rehabilitation.
But if you genuinely can't see that releasing a bunch of people with a proved propensity for violence as a first resport out into the population as a whole might be problematic, then we really have nothing further to talk about.
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to DCBCauchi,
If you don't feel like reading books, just listen to some punk rock.
I do both. Would you like to borrow some? How about some Fugazi? Some Black Flag? Some Dead Kennedys? How about some Rancid? Misfits? Propaghandi?
Maybe we can listen to it while we discuss the role of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo in the Spanish Civil War, and whether that role has been adequately explored in any one of the various histories I have on my bookshelf which cover the subject?
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to DCBCauchi,
I respectfully disagree. I think that problem can be much better dealt with for all concerned. Much, much better than simply locking them up.
It’s about empowering that person to manage those tendencies within a supportive environment. We know how to do this. Ultimately, that environment would be an open and tolerant society, one that looks after all its members equally.
Once again, what’s so outrageous about that?
And are you insinuating that I'm merely trolling? Insincere?Well, I think we'll respectfully need to agree to disagree. I don't necessarily think you're trolling, but your initial thoughts were so far off-topic, and, personally speaking, I find them so bizarre that it's only a hop skip and a jump from trolling.
Letting everyone out and hoping that society will sort it all out in the end is, to me, about as credible as leaving the global economy to it;s own devices and going 'well, the market will provide. Things will eventually correct themselves and stabilise'.
In both cases, yeah they might. Might. But at a cost of untold misery finding out in the meantime.
-
Hard News: Dropping the Bomber, in reply to Martin Lindberg,
I've never had the faintest appreciation for the Pixies.
+1
Let's form a club. Or at least a self-defence league. I'll watch your back if you watch mine.