There is good news. Election year. Though National (tories) are polling near 50% (the only other right-wing party is self-destructing, down at 1-2%). Sigh. The Greens look set to make a huge gain though. Most polls have them above 10% now, up from 7% in the last election. I even saw one where they were 17%. If only I was German
You're upset about being told about Willie and Katie's wedding? I'll have to ****ing watch it! It's an academic holiday and you can bet it'll be all that public TV is showing. It's all Diana's fault. John Key looks like David Cameron, which is quite appropiate in the grand-scheme of things. To be fair, New Zealand has a smaller population than Scotland, so it's doing incredibly well with the recession and the earthquake. But there's obviously work of a spin-doctor involved.
Ugh that link reminds me why I'm a Republican... ...in the anti-monarchist (non-American) sense, of course. Royals. Bunch of pompous dicks. Why should I have to sit through news of the royal wedding on the 6pm news, juxtaposed with the latest African famine? Because you're my depositry of things-politic that get on my nerves. Look at the way that is framed: "good progress". It's UK-lite over here. It's sad that I actually have to be thankful that 'it could be worse'. EDIT: **** isn't censored by Big Brother anymore? Ok it is... but dicks isn't?
Apparently 'Toryism' is a political philosophy. One tory. Many tories. I thought it was only used in the UK as well, but according to Wikipedia, it is used in Canada and Australia to mean basically the same thing only in Australia it refers to a coalition rather than a party.
Is that how it's spelt, 'Tories'? I ask because I'm too lasy to Google search on my iPod, and because as far as I'm aware the term is only used in the UK. Is it pejorative? I don't think we even have an equivalent term (aside from selfish and moronic), and instead just use full party names.
Ah-ha, I didn't want to say it but the first thing I thought of was the UK Labour Party since their logo was a rose. Incidentally searching 'Tories' using Google Images brought back fairly amusing results without mentioning their deep desire to complete the work of Hitler.
Google Image Search "social democracy". For Tories, search "swastika". Edit: it's a rose with a fist inside it
I want to know what your avatar means so I stop looking ignorant and lazy. Normally I'd try and find out myself, but in actual fact I am both ignorant and lazy.
I think I... won? Several other posts without retaliation. Actually this is too good to be true. Weird feeling though.
Oh, that's good. I was a little afraid that you were cyber-stalking me.
Obviously few others appreciate the subtle awesomeness of your posts and/or agree with most everything you suggest. *Shrug*
You have given me eight out of my last fifteen 'thanks'. ...Thank you. I giggiled away this for some reason. I'm so witty!
It's not as cold as you would think since the Gulf of Mexico keeps us relatively warm. It's just hit around -1 about now, but the snow has slowed the country down to a halt.
Goddamn. How cold is it where you live? I just heard the All Blacks were playing in -17 degrees in Wales yesterday.
Well, we don't really have moral conservatives in the mainstream. Alcohol and similar debates (such as tobacco) are generally framed in a personal choice/freedom of the industry vs. societal cost/known drawbacks manner, which correlates to conservatives vs. progressives. So those on the left view the alcohol industry as somewhat exploitative, and the price as too low, while the conservatives maintain its freedom to operate with a reduced level of regulation. No one argues about in a moral sense, and they would be ridiculed for doing so. I'm not sure if that differs elsewhere. Eh. This government I'm under has just really opened my eyes to the importance of mistrusting government. I don't mean that in a 'big government' sense, but in terms of its sheer legislative power, and how easily it can be exploited. What they are doing isn't neccessaerily ideological, so it's not that I disagree in that capacity... it's just dangerous. It's scary that your Hitler comment is only a mild exaggeration. The only thing protecting important liberties is the hope that the government will choose not to take them away. Really, this is why we have the Governor-General, and he hasn't done anything. But the PM's popularity is still high. The leader of the opposition has next to no public standing. People don't even know who he is, and think that the previous leader, now the head of the UNDP, still heads the Labour Party. The PM made his millions (conservative politicians, amiright) on the currency markets. There, he was called the 'Smiling Assassin'. That name still fits, and it really concerns me. Regarding The Hobbit. I'm not even going to go and watch it, for two reasons. First, because what happened was an outrage. Second, because they got double the public funding they would have if Warners had not exploited the situation. They are not getting any more of my money. EDIT: Oh, and the excluded five are: the Bill of Rights 1688 [i.e. The English Bill of Rights], the Constitution Act 1986, the Electoral Act 1993, the Judicature Amendment Act 1972, and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. LAWS 179: Elephants and the law: Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Bill: Constitutionally Outrageous
