nz can afford socialism as long as it’s scaled. Nz will never be a super rich country due to resources, size, location etc. 

Titahi wrote: Muppet wrote: Ha I agree with Fishy 11. NZ simply cannot afford socialism as we don't have the numbers or productivity. The handout to earning ratio is getting seriously bad. Denmark Finland and Norway have similar " numbers"

But those countries have a "Class" culture where people are citizens of the country, behave appropriately and care for it as a whole unlike here where too often principle allegiances lie offshore or are clouded by personal cultural appropriation.

Joker wrote: Titahi wrote: Muppet wrote: Ha I agree with Fishy 11. NZ simply cannot afford socialism as we don't have the numbers or productivity. The handout to earning ratio is getting seriously bad. Denmark Finland and Norway have similar " numbers"  But those countries have a "Class" culture where people are citizens of the country, behave appropriately and care for it as a whole unlike here where too often principle allegiances lie offshore or are clouded by personal cultural appropriation.

Bang on Joker.
Our crime rate dwarfs those countries for a start.
I saw one program on Norways prison system and how they are pretty much unguarded and next to zero violence.
Seriously think it will work here?

Bounty Hunter wrote: Joker wrote: Titahi wrote: Muppet wrote: Ha I agree with Fishy 11. NZ simply cannot afford socialism as we don't have the numbers or productivity. The handout to earning ratio is getting seriously bad. Denmark Finland and Norway have similar " numbers"  But those countries have a "Class" culture where people are citizens of the country, behave appropriately and care for it as a whole unlike here where too often principle allegiances lie offshore or are clouded by personal cultural appropriation. this is a very good comment and i believe a major reason for the stagnation of nz in a social, economic and strategic sense go to Japan - witness the contrast of a co-hesive and homogeneous culture - return to NZ and feel the dispare wash over you as you realise the inefficiencies here because of the above...

Agree with you guys on the 'kiwi ' attitude as compared to many other countries.
They have political divisions/ parties ,  at the end of the day it is about the bigger long term picture of their country.
 NZ we have a treaty that is about joint, not single 'ownership' of NZ. We have and attitude of , what can I get out of this rather than what can WE to make this better.
 The JFK quote comes to mine here
"Its not what your country can do for you, its what you can do for your country"

 Crusher... she has history, she has experience, doesn't take any nonsense.
We gets stuff done.
Got Seymour with Act..
I think there is a chance they could get to the treasury benches.

Cindy.. well kiwi build ... her throw money at child poverty.. numbers gone up, money soaked into beuocracy and treaty rorts.
Climate change, emissions up, environment .. well planting pines , over good land doesnt work.
The gun feasco.
 Dinner ready, list goes on and on.

I reckon National are embarking up a strategy to lose the election. The next 3 years will be a tough one for whoever is in power and who wants to win a poisoned chalice?

Yepp, here's another one. Don't aim low - let's criticise our politicians because they are fat, look like a horse, are maori or gay.

Or what has been the case in the past, and now.. the best photogenic gets the tick the moment the pen presses on the square of the voting paper..
Been a few pollies over the yrs never made it because of this sort of thing.

Before social media, upto very early days of internet, the vote went to the best achiever, who had the gift of the gab, and presented best on the podium.. in that order.

So who/what is the elite?

So who/what is the elite in New Zealand?