Merry Christmas & a happy new year

It has been a pretty difficult year for a number of reasons.  The last 6 months or so have passed in a blur with so many things happening and so little time to do anything.

I note I still have one or two readers despite the fact it has been a while since I wrote anything of consequence.  I have still been out commenting around the blogs but little else.

Next year promises to be busy but more controlled.  I think I have been somewhat humanised over the last six months and very definitely have a different perspective on national health systems and private insurance.  Monopoly providers kill people.  But that may be the subject of a longer series of posts.

John Key is now the leader of the National party and seems to have deliberately toned down the debate.  Taking on climate change in his first parliamentary questions is an interesting approach and I think strategically sensible given the complete lack of strategy from Labour.  Rod Oram on stuff has a good piece that I cannot be bothered linking to at this point.

I think the very subtle differences you will see between National and Labouor will boil down to National being more focused on growing the cake while Labour continue to focus on redistribution.  A very important difference.  The Clark spin machine has been very effective but has achieved little for New Zealand in the long term by its own policies with the exception of getting superannuation on the right path.  New Zealand private equity savings outside their homes remain appalling for a number of reasons.  not least the almost compllete lack of corporate governance that allows the sort of abuse highlighted by Gareth Morgan in his excellent series (linked below) on how pension funds generally take most profits for themselves rather than take an honest fee and provide the remainder to policyholders.

I hope to keep blogging next year.  Once an NZ politics junkie always a junkie.  It offers a stress relief when needed.  I have been condemned as just another damn socialist by not PC for supporting John Key.  Well Peter if you are not prepared to support what is shown to work and must rely on blind faith you are just another religionist like the greens or the exclusive brethren rather than a rationalist using logic.

I was a strong supporter of Dr Brash and hope that he heads onto the international stage where his skills will be more appreciated.  He has given more than would be expected of any person to the economic benefit of New Zealand.  in the end he was too honest and lacking guile to succeed in the bearpit that is politics.

I think John Key should be taken at face value - but then I owuld say that.  He seems to be a man who recognises that he owes something back to society and rather than getting even richer he wants to positively influence New zealand using the experience he has gained.  Quite why he should be assailed for success I have no idea, but from Cullen to not pc he has a number of detractors.

If bringing National back to the political centre so they are acceptable to voters is the path to getting rid of this corrupt bunch of fraudsters, thieves and incompetents then lets do that.  The nuance of policy direction is important and as a democracy policy must reflect what people are comformatble with.

So to you few who subscribe on bloglines or are so bored that you are hunting down old bloggers - Have a very Merry Christmas and a positively prosperous New Year.  I look forward to more arguments, although doubt many of them will take place here.  I make no promises to post but check out the blog now and then., I will be around.

Egesegetekre!!!

Comments

[ZenTiger]

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year back. Glad to hear you are going to keep blogging. I'll make a New Years resolution to visit more often!