Posts by Angus Robertson

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    Silly them. Speed would have been the obvious choice.

    The race only lasts 80 min and most intense at the start. Perfect for coke. Speed lasts a bit too long, don't want to on whilst doing press after the race.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    The only reason to take illegal drugs is for the express purpose of changing one's brain state which always has the effect of decreasing one's ability to drive.

    The ex-team doctor for Ferrari made claims in early 2005 that 30% of the field were using cocaine to improve driving performance. And the FIA includes tests for speed and cocaine in its procedures.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    Agree with what Thomas said.

    And the EFB does not stop there. At the same time as censoring non-connected groups it allows "powerful and self interested forces" to donate behind closed doors vast sums of money to political parties.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Like the mule with a spinning wheel,

    7. If it's a debate about tax cuts vs expenditure, then it will always be about how much people get back. Low income earners will never get a lot back from tax cuts, because they don't pay a lot of tax.

    How about a cut in GST? It is a regressive tax and a product of the 80/90s neo-liberalism.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Like the mule with a spinning wheel,

    Great stuff! It *does* give me an idea, though. Revive the Third Reich, level half of Europe and kill, oh, 10-20 million people. That will bring New Zealand back to the top half of the OECD in no time at all.

    Anyone want to make that a campaign promise for 2008? Anyone?

    You mean a political movement should coalesce around an idea of appeasing tyrannical regimes that promise the subjucation of Jews and engage in fervored supremacist dialogue? Saying that the promise of peace in our time is to be gained by making concessions?

    Nah, it'd never happen.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Like the mule with a spinning wheel,

    The problem for National is that the value of a tax cut for the country as a whole is necessarily theoretical.

    No, you can measure a tax policy impact on the country. If the growth of the economy could be improved by the imput of more capital to consumers, then cuts in personal tax are worthwhile when the gains derived from the growth are greater than the savings in retiring debt. In the best case scenario a cut in tax frees up economic growth such that the revenue generated by the tax cut quickly exceeds the revenue lost by cutting taxes - a tax cut provides more tax revenue to retire more debt. Measures of the revenue take, before and after, provide the evidence.

    ...explain why it's better for us to be spending the surplus on tax cuts or whatever rather than on paying off debt.

    On a personal level, tax takes money from New Zealanders who have a high level of personal debt. The government says it wishes people to save and not borrow, but at the same time continually raises the amount of tax money it takes from people. The words conflict with the actions.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Yellow Peril: My black heart bleeds,

    Reliance on another for a vicarious sense of worth is bad news for both ends of the relationship.

    Yeah, but can find the same sort of thing in political parties and their followers. All the political junkies feeling smugly superior will be wailling and nashing their teeth if their heros lose at the next election. Conspiracies will surface, accusations of cheating and foul play will abound - and the rugby fans will shrug.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Yellow Peril: My black heart bleeds,

    The French may have a shot at the World Cup, but they also have Sarkozy. They needed a break to feel better about themselves.

    We may have lost the cup but we have Helen Clark & Winston Peters? You - not helping.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Hard News: Not so much evil as stupid ...,

    Under a City Vision council we've had higher user charges levied to pay for an upgrade of the central business district. There is a difference between City Vision and C&R?

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Hard News: This just in: Sky over Tasman…,

    you've kicked off the shackles of logic to howl at the moon.

    In politics "our" people are more important than "other" people and logic is not an important criteria. If our troops are kicked to touch by a foreign government we consider it a hostile action by that foreign government. But apparently if we kick troops of our property it is an internal matter not concerning anybody else.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

Last ←Newer Page 1 94 95 96 97 98 99 Older→ First