h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome to the Guide, Trefusis! Always good to see another Kiwi join the fold!

hiya, and thanks for the welcome. Isn't it a strange time in our fair country...what with the whole population aghast at our constant sporting failures ('cept the cricketers, of course) and the election fast approaching (and all somewhat inelegant and obvious electioneering going on because of it). I swear I've never seen so many billboards of young children who, along with the party who put the billboard up, "are our future"...

.. in spite of the fact that it's the old farts beside them that are really "our future".

Don't forget Michael Campbell's recent success, unless you're like me and think that golf isn't so much a sport, as God's way of telling you that you have too much time on your hands.

yeah, and some motorsport guy, but I can't remember his name. I pretty much agree that golf spoils a nice walk...
would it be dangerous to ask where your political affiliations lie?

Me? I'm a wishy, washy liberal - leftwing instincts with a sneaking admiration for the right. I'd like everybody to have a job, but if there's one carpark left at the supermarket, I'd kinda like it to be mine.

Whereas I tend much more to the left - I want everyone to get that park! Not that I actually think that either Helen or Jim can do the job properly, but I'd much rather they were in charge (when you examine the alternatives).

Quite so, and the western world is definitely swinging to the left. But even the leftwingers are having a hard time ignoring the right, if only to stave them off at the next elections. Just this week, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announced a whole raft of US Republican-influenced fiscal measures ie tax cuts (the current rightwing mantra).

Yes, altough it is fair to say the western world is swinging towards the left the unfortunate truth is that the left in the west have swung to the right... I don't think you could call Labour in England left wing anymore, do you? esp in terms of social and educational policy...they may not be forcing Educational Facilities to charge YET, but they have taken away grants for students and have introduced a loans scheme which whilst not entirely comparable to NZ's now probably will be in time. In the same vein, I don't think it's possible to term Labour left wing in NZ either. Look at APEC for example - if Labour had been in government, I can't see that they would have done anything differently. They want to work within a capitalist system - their pledge to "sort out" the employment contracts act is a prime example of this. Changing one clause is not, in my opinion, dealing with the issues and won't do anything for the rights of the people who need them most...but now I should stop because I'm raving...

It's all very postmodern, really. Borrow a policy here, a policy there. Retain enough of the leftwing stuff to maintain the party's identity and keep the faithful happy, while adopting enough new rightwing stuff to sway the uncertain voter. There is no left, there is no right, there is only CENTRE. And, of course, the main parties decide what the centre is.

It also shows the effect of modern advertising and marketing on politics, modern parties are businesses selling the product of good government, competing with each other for the consumer's (ie the voter's) attention.

oh please not the P word. O.k. so apart from being founded on incoherent notions about what constitutes reality I don't have that much of a problem with Postmodernism...(!)
totally agree. the problem is the climate in NZ (and the world) for this type of crap...'cept that, although the main parties define what is centre, there are still those who are kind of left wing (alliance, greens etc...) the problem is that in NZ it takes a lot to make people change from the status quo...because a)alliance etc are way too small to do anything, and b)they are presented as mad people to the public by the marketing of the larger parties and the media in NZ when really, in the general scheme of things, they're not that far left at all.
and then there's act - the market research party...neither contempt nor hatred are strong enough words for my sentiments toward them.

hey trefusis - if you're interested in some ah.. counteract stuff give me an email or a ring (i think you probably know who i am, although i have no idea who you are) - my email's on my userpage, the last bullet point under stuff and nonsense from memory - or you could just ask mr the red

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ta,

god I hate the Herald.
Tho' if anyone's been reading, that contemporary classical group '175 East' sound quite interesting. They're playing at the Hopetoun Alpha on Sund'y.

did you see garth george's column about big business not wanting the ECA repealed, i think it was on tuesday - it rocked - unfortunately i think what we need to do is hire big billboards and paste it around town, because the Employers Fed campaign is pretty huge (and very expensive, they must have even more lined up for next week - i wouldn't be surprised if they go for a full page ad in the herald, which is around $12,000 i think)

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i didn't see that, but totally agree - the Employers Fed ads are ubiquitous and misleading - but hell, i guess they've got the money to do it (which should prove some points to some people...) It disturbs me tho' that those ads are reaching a lot of people - i've spoken to a few people lately who consider the repealing of the employment contracts act to be one of the biggest election issues (even tho labour's alternative is not radically divergent from the eca as it stands). It is important for people not to be complacent after the BIG E... (that makes it sound more interesting somehow!)