Social philosopher Anne Manne - On Narcissism

Posted 11th September 2016 to Sunday Morning at Radio NZ

 Hi Sunday Team
Thanks for the Talk with Anne Manne about the scourge of Narcissism sweeping our planet.
As we can see in US Politics the late Queen of “The Self” Ann Rand has caused a modern epidemic of self induced insanity that threatens civilization as we know it.

Darwin would agree that the desire to contribute to a greater good has been one of Humanities greatest assets in building civilizations.
Unfortunately empathy is soluble when mixed with too much prosperity ! ...And withered with too much poverty.

Local Election Blues New Zealand

Posted 10th September 2016 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

 It has been pointed out by some learned people that our local elections are medieval for this day and age and more than a little dull..
I suggest the following to bring the into the 21st Century:

Instead of the “Rubber Stamp” binary voting system we have now why not allow negative votes sort of like the “RANKERS”  rating system.

1. Could be “Superlative”  2. Could be “Useful” 3. Could be “Mediocre”  4. Could be “Hopeless” and 5. could be “You're Sacked !”
   

This would solve the problem of lack of voter feedback in often un-contested elections like we have in Southland and it would make the
these elections more interesting to the Public and the Media.

But what would be real fun is a reality show where local Politicians have to stand before celebrity judges and the losers get humiliated in some way
while winners get adoration for good management skills.

 

Rural New Zealand's lost Bankers

Posted 10th September 2016 to the Advocate South Newspaper Southland NZ

 I find it hard to understand the mentality of the West-Pac Bank executive up on high telling Te Anau they are somehow unworthy

Ray Willet it correct that they are not facing down any hardship from Rural New Zealand or tourist centers like ours.
If you recall Westpac took over Trust Bank which included the Southland Savings Bank which had combined with many of the regional savings banks to
Form a nation wide Network, clearly something the Australian Banking Barons felt need to be stopped at the time.. And the gobbled Trustbank up ..
along with the Post-office Savings Bank & the BNZ leaving no NZ owned or regional banks in the South Island.

I still really like our Westpac Bank and it’s Friendly Staff but I think their executives are more interested in venture capitalism than actual services.

Maybe Kiwibank might be able to step up and take our money that is too bothersome for our Australian overlords to waste their valuable time with with.
If they don’t want our business they should give us back our SSB and ascend to their non-corporeal financial Valhalla without us dragging them down.  

 

Loosing our Journalists - Advertising blight

Posted September 9th 2016 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

Dear ODT :
We keep hearing that traditional journalism is being crushed by the free Internet news, under cutting the traditional advertising revenue
that keeps our forth estate going but I think there may be more to it than that...

 Where is the shrinking Advertising Money going?
might it be that our Asian Business Tigers have twigged that low prices and bulk sales need much less advertising to get a return?

In advertising quality and quantity are total different beasts they recon.

Perhaps the Golden Days of Advertising are gone because of new business strategies and the Old School print media’s counter-productive reaction.

Also certain Australian Media Barons have caused damage by being way to eager for profit and power breaking the bonds of professionalism
In the Industry not only for money but control of political outcomes playing on base fears causing them to loose their “composure” so to speak.

Sadly this blight is spreading as at least one of our NZ Australian Banking Barons has twigged that Customer Service is not as profitable as venture capital manipulation.

Corporate Globalism I think is a big player in this game and the shrinking middle class is another  Good to see the ODT has held fast against the winds of change so far.