Government should be stripped to bones and forced to focus it's limited energy on the foundational problems facing society
The core services.
It should triage, work to address root causes and stay away from micromanaging and smothering every detail of society with red tape and taboos.
Today double speak is so rife we almost forget it shouldn't be.
Watch this recent interview with Chris Luxon on genetic modification technology
It is clear he has no idea, doesn't want to know and is only trying to sell a potential disaster to the public using all sorts of rhetoric and false ideas.
The answer lies in the characterisation of National as Center-right. It is the Center part that tells the story. An active Government is part of what Centrist politics is all about. I agree - Government needs to be cut to the core but it won't happen under a Center-anything Government.
But the general apathy of the majority is quite the obstacle when the details are so complex and they're busy watching bootylicious dancing, fast cars and sports.
Central sounds safe.
Somewhere in the middle they ought to think.
Except the whole spectrum, left versus right misses all the other dimensions to politics.
Like size of government and its reach. Localisation versus globalisation.
Centralisation versus decentralization.
There are likely thousands of ways we could organise society.
You began with a reference to President Reagan. It may be nostalgia, but in retrospect his presidency presents as benign. I was taken on a personal tour through the White House during his presidency by a senior public servant. I got to see much of the White House that the public does not see. I also was able to attend a Xmas function of the then President’s Committee on Foreign Intelligence (an oxymoron?). My leasing impression was of a courteous, invective free and all welcoming pinnacle of government. How things have changed!
Strongly agree.
Government should be stripped to bones and forced to focus it's limited energy on the foundational problems facing society
The core services.
It should triage, work to address root causes and stay away from micromanaging and smothering every detail of society with red tape and taboos.
Today double speak is so rife we almost forget it shouldn't be.
Watch this recent interview with Chris Luxon on genetic modification technology
It is clear he has no idea, doesn't want to know and is only trying to sell a potential disaster to the public using all sorts of rhetoric and false ideas.
We are being left behind he says.
Implying there is an obvious direction forward.
So, is his idea of forward the same as you?
https://youtu.be/BWmzO1VBnvg?feature=shared
The answer lies in the characterisation of National as Center-right. It is the Center part that tells the story. An active Government is part of what Centrist politics is all about. I agree - Government needs to be cut to the core but it won't happen under a Center-anything Government.
I agree.
But the general apathy of the majority is quite the obstacle when the details are so complex and they're busy watching bootylicious dancing, fast cars and sports.
Central sounds safe.
Somewhere in the middle they ought to think.
Except the whole spectrum, left versus right misses all the other dimensions to politics.
Like size of government and its reach. Localisation versus globalisation.
Centralisation versus decentralization.
There are likely thousands of ways we could organise society.
Yet we seem to fixate on one or the other.
More market autonomy
Or more social safety nets.
And this, is how we ended up with a Servile State
Maybe we should do as John Galt did in "Atlas Shrugged"
You began with a reference to President Reagan. It may be nostalgia, but in retrospect his presidency presents as benign. I was taken on a personal tour through the White House during his presidency by a senior public servant. I got to see much of the White House that the public does not see. I also was able to attend a Xmas function of the then President’s Committee on Foreign Intelligence (an oxymoron?). My leasing impression was of a courteous, invective free and all welcoming pinnacle of government. How things have changed!
Thanks for your comment. Certainly there has been an amped up level of polarisation in politics - indeed in public discourse generally.