by frog
It was such a delicious editorial to stumble upon that I had to share it. John Kay’s Financial Times article from February 13th.
Now that you’ve read it, I have to ask: Could you vote for investment banker John Key and his gang in the next election? It’s not that the Greens would be exempt from the gang description used in Kay’s article. It’s just the National Party’s (and Labour’s), obsession with growth-at-all-costs against the reality of a finite world that has me wondering if either party is truly fit to lead.
Just in case you are locked out of the FT website because you’ve been there too many times before, here is a reasonable summary of the article.
Published in Parliament | Society & Culture by frog on Tue, February 19th, 2008
Tags: banker, financial times, gang, growth, john kay, labour party, national party
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
“The process by which hysterical groups damage themselves and others in assertion of preposterous beliefs is a recurrent theme in human history”.
Could equally apply to the Green movement.
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BluePeter – you may not realise that the term “hysterical” is extremely offensive to many women – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria.
And it’s not just you I’m challenging here re use of language, but frog as well, who used it in the header for this recent post.
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a) It’s a quote from the article frog linked to
b) Hysteria is a diagnostic label applied to a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses.
c) You cannot be serious.
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Toad, is that not perhaps a little, well, over-sensitive? People who spend their time being offended by words (particularly the archaic use of them) are somewhat lacking in perspective, methinks. Alternatively, HTFU.
Back on topic, though. The attached article is pretty good – intelligent and well written. However, it may be a reach to take what is a general observation about group stupidity and claim it applies to any individual. (Yes, even John Key. And no, I don’t believe I can vote for him, but not for those reasons).
And, indeed, neither party is “truly fit to lead”, and growth at all costs is profoundly misguided. But do you really think that, after the next election, we won’t have *at best* a coalition with one of the major parties in the driving seat? So what is the point of the post?
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I’ve just asked a group of my wife’s friends – who are currently in the process of drinking through our wine collection – if any of them are offended by the word “hysterical”.
Not one.
I then told them why I asked.
They became hysterical. With laughter….
Perhaps it depends on the crowd and context, eh.
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Knew I’d get some bites. Cheers!
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“Bites” is an offensive word in some quarters….
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“Cheers” upsets the teetotalers….
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As it does, BluePeter. Blog was a bit slow tonight – just trying to liven it up, and it worked!
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“Up” is a very naughty word….
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By the way – your man Castro has stood down.
“Ailing revolutionary icon Fidel Castro permanently gave up the Cuban presidency on Tuesday, ending five decades of ironclad rule of the island”
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toad, “feminist? is extremely offensive to many women too, according to Heather.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon_02_24_05hm.html
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“A feminist gadfly in the audience, MIT biology professor Nancy Hopkins, infamously reported that she avoided fainting or vomiting at Summers’s remarks only by running from the room”
It would appear that “being barking mad” is evenly distributed across the sexes….
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Back to the original topic, Kay concludes that management was essentially a prisoner of the short term motivations of its staff. It is equally true that essentially the voting public are at the mercy of the short term motivations of it’s politicians, and vice versa. Key has moved from one group of “the bubble won’t burst” believers to another. No wonder he has risen to the top of the political ranks so quickly. Perhaps that’s why Helen is showing real fear – Key is the mirror to her soul.
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Kevyn – well said. That’s sort of what I had in mind when I read Kay’s original article.
Rainman – The point of the post was simply to make us all question our deeply held beliefs. The fact that either Labour or National is likely to lead the next coalition does not lessen the value of my point, it strengthens it.
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New Zealand has considerable headroom for growth. Plenty of resources, few people, and big export markets.
The constant “the reality of a finite world” line from the greens is disingenuous.
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John Key did not move from one group of “the bubble won’t burst? believers to another. They knew in advance that the bubble would burst. They also knew that although they would some of the junk bonds they were selling it was the poor saps “mom and pop” investors would hold the most and would be ruined.
Has no one ever wondered why a “respectable” banker like John Key was not appalled about the 2 billion dollar loss that a lot of his voters lost under the Labour party lack of regulation? But no not a peep out of the bankers club. John Key made his money selling crappy junk bond and knowing full well it couldn’t last. Don’t believe, me go to his website. http://johnkey.co.nz/index.php?/pages/profile.html
He was the head of the European department for Bonds and Derivatives, exactly the kind of crap that the finance companies are now sitting on and that is bankrupting the middle class investors. How did they know? the Bankers trust was embroiled in scandals in the early 90s because the telephone conversations were recorded and it showed that the bankers were fully aware of the crap they were selling. Check it out
http://www.businessweek.com/1995/42/b34461.htm.
It is time for the Greens to start asking questions about John Keys wheeling and dealing and expose him for the fake that he is.
I have a list of questions on my blog they can start with that.
http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com
I get comments about them and people want these answers folks so pull finger and attack the bankers party, it might do you some good in the elections too.
John Key, smiling assassin of the middle class
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travellerev, only some bonds are junk bonds. Not all bonds are junk bonds. Forex and derivatives are not for the faint of heart, and it requires intellect, skill and courage to succeed in these areas.
I realise that making money is viewed as “dirty” in this dullard country (ironic, given the socialists need to a source from which to spend) but it isn’t overseas.
Which is why New Zealand remains relatively poor. And sliding.
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Eh? Cos we don’t want to make money?
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Welfare, health, infrastructure, and education does not grow on trees.
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blue peter
Keeping NZ poor is the ultimate aim of the left and the hidden agenda behind the climate change con.
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‘blah communists everywhere blah’. I’m sure upon reading this the government will realise the error of their ways and withdraw the $25 million they gave to the University of Auckland Business School, and withdraw all traces of business studies from the national curriculum.
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StephenR,
Following that logic, greens have nothing to complain about, because I once planted a tree.
The attitude towards business in New Zealand is shocking. Flows through to government policy.
We don’t need the socialists, but the socialists need us.
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Government policy…like reducing the company tax? Admittedly more of a UF initiative. I’m not sure if you mean the attitude of the average ‘Joe’ on the street e.g. ‘if they’re rich they must’ve cut some dirty deals’ or if you mean the government attitude towards business i.e. red tape etc…Though if ours is shocking, I would hate to know what you thought of all the countries below NZ in the World Bank and Heritage Foundation rankings for ‘ease of doing business’.
Incidentally The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report in 2001 – a comprehensive study of entrepreneurship in 29 countries – listed New Zealand second only to Mexico in the entrepreneurship table, but attacked the education system for failing to provide the knowledge and skills for business success. Primary and secondary schools were rated below the global average for their teaching of market-economy principles and their focus on entrepreneurship. The quality of management education in New Zealand was also rated as poor.
I would say this has been acted on, to an extent.
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Though I see what you mean about ‘planting a tree’.
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