sagenz

National Political workers Union

National should ditch the trust and form a union.  Of course it was  David Farrar that got me going.

But here's the hypocrisy. Many unions are formally affiliated to Labour, and donate to Labour.

Under the stupid proposals only unions would be exempt.

Why would you exempt Unions?" The reply from Mr Jones: "They're valuable and long term supporters of ours etc"

But why would a union need to support Labour necessarily.  Why can't a number of freely associating voters pay their dues and become part of a political workers union.  They might not work very many hours, perhaps only 1 or 2 minutes a year.  But they would be entitled to the full protection of the law.  The union would not have to disclose where the income came from and maybe they too could apply for the contestable education funding.

Or maybe we could just decide the proposals are really dumb and ditch them.

Fan bloody tastic

[Roy Morgan Research] Morgan Poll suggests Labour would lose the next election

In early April, support for the New Zealand Labour Government fell 2% to 35.5% (5.6% below its 2005 General Election result). During the same period support for the National Party increased 1% to 46% - 6.9% above its 2005 General Election result, the latest Morgan Poll finds.

By my reckoning we can assume NZF fail to get to parliament, ACT, maori, United Progressive return as before we get the magic 62 votes for National even before these stupid election funding proposals got leaked.

Anti-Americanism examined

Anti-Americanism examined. BBC washington correspondent with an interesting perspective

Anti-Americanism was born in France. And here's a fascinating fact: it was born well before the United States existed. It was not caused by Coca-Cola, or McDonald's, or Hollywood or George W Bush. The prevailing view among French academics throughout the 18th Century was that the New World was ghastly. It stank, it was too humid for life to prosper. And, as one European biologist put it: "Everything found there is degenerate or monstrous." In their heart of hearts, many French people still believe that to be true.

Washington is grand but Washington was designed by a Frenchman and his vision didn't fit the rest of the nation. America is ordinary. Go on say it out loud on the streets of Paris: "America is ordinary". It celebrates the pursuit of small-scale happiness - in families and communities - and that is what the anti-Americans can't stand.

Even in 1944 before the GI's landed it was there

The Americans may have preserved a cult of Liberty but they do not feel the need to liberate themselves from the servitude which their capitalism has created. "