Kiwiken

Am glad to see the back of him. The Leader of the Pack of dogs chewing on the Peoples back. In a time of extreme Housing crisi this Guy sell Government owned houses. Instead of building 30,000 Houses after the Chch earthquake he stepped back and let the market decide. Hence people pay $500-700 week for cold old houses or still cram in Garages. And he is called Our best prime Minister. God we need saving then. The best may yet be to come. But we have had some good PM's MJ Savage, Norman Kirk, Jack marshall and keith Holyoak sadly after the fall of the R Muldoon regime the far right Friedmanites have run Our Country into the ground. making it a speculators paradise. 

I have fought all my life for the Welfare state a system designed to get you back on your feet if you fall over through no fault of your own. But it has been modified and abused. Time to return to the state of 1935. Lessons learned and protection for the future. Long Live the people.

Thai Buildings are woefully under strength. In the event of a major shake of reasonable length 35 seconds to 1.5 minutes I would expect significant damage and loss of life. Japan adopted many earthquake resistant ideas pioneered in NZ. Sadly NZ did not. I have seen precious little reinforcing going into Thai Buildings I would doubt their viability in anything 6 and above

2 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

I find it alarming that you can read anything resembling "fright" in my post. Not surprising, mind, got accustomed to the constant hyperbole misrepresentations by now.

 

There's nothing wrong with challenging the PRC, and there are good reasons to do so. It is merely asserted that this ought to be done in more structured ways. It was also suggested that Trump may wait until he assumes office before engaging in actions which may results in consequences currently not under his jurisdiction.

You are right the PRC does need to be challenged. SE Asia is in a state of flux. And soon enough China will have to contend with a surging India. However for many of us in the Asian sphere of Influence. China economically here will rule the roost. And with the prospect of the USA killing the TPTA then the chinese Trading bloc with less checks and balances will be the norm. China is challenging the USA and others in the South China sea but it is not just about territory it is about who controls the next main currency vis - a - vis the US Dollar versus the Chinese Yuan. And the Chinese are positioning themselves for this. China has already bought into most Asian and Pacific Nations so in this they are on the front foot. If the USA becomes more Isolationist then they will lose by abdication. I hope this is not the case. Militarily i do not fear China. It is its economic muscle that must be watched and monitored

Missed the Presidency but the Austrian Freedom Party still one of the largest blocs in Austrian Politics.

Taiwan is not part of China. it was only after the Portugese set up Trading posts there in the 1600's that the han Chinese moved in. Formosa as it was known is an occupied Country where the native population have been pushed into the highlands by the han Chinese. Chiang Kai Shek made it Chinese in 1949 when he fled there with the remnats of the  Kuomintang . The natives have been marginalised. They are the ancestors of the pacific peoples and not chinese

All Hail Hofer. 

I just wonder if you know the true cost of bringing back your out sourced Industry. I just got 4 pairs of Wrangler jeans from the USA US$36 a pair. But they were made in Mexico. Sure you can make them in the USA as we all can. But are you willing to pay 3-4 times the price. Same for your TV's, electronics etc. We can all make things but if you pay your workers reasonable wages expect everything to rise in price. And expect you CPI to inflate dramatically

Wait until your new President calls them up to be shredded in some war of meddling. Easier to waste the poor than the elites. Workers in the USA seek a $15 hour minimum wage. Watch it get driven down to $5

Made of aluminium wasnt that the problem with the Sheffield and Coventry? Burned like anything. Hope they never get hit with magnesium ammo

Why would Cuba change. Now Trump is in He made the assertion he supported water boarding, torture etc. The USA will seem a lot worse than Cuba by the end of the Trump era.

Any Leader that endorses extreme measures cannot claim the moral high ground.

3 hours ago, Lampang2 said:

 

many latinos claims chavez was actually killed because he was becoming to dominant over Fidel.

Nicholas Maduro was a better runner-up more easy to manipulate.

 

however nobody anticipated the drop in oil-price so it didn't work out anyway.

 

cuba always lived on someones else money

russia,  colombian drug dealers, FARC guerrilla etc etc

 

also Fidel liked to sell his people to wars and medicare to random countries to the highest bidder.

all the gains into his own pocket of course.

 

Damn Cubans so glad the USA never meddles in foreign wars 

RIP those lost. Sad fact going to sea is always a calculated risk. Looks this time like they lost

15 hours ago, Chicog said:

The West hated Castro because he was a thorn in their flesh, being a big friend to those countries seeking to break the shackles of colonialism.

Having said that, it sees a lot of Zimbabweans are hoping for a similar event in their own country.

 

 

 

The difference that Zimbabwe is not under blockade or constant external threat as Cuba was. Yet it is being run into the ground by a Despot. Cuba on the other had given the same freedoms as Zimbabwe could have been a model Socialist Society. Communism and Socialism are not bad systems in themselves but as you find in Western style Democracies powerful interest groups Control them and the masses must just follow along. The difference between them and us is we get to elect our Dictators albeit benevolent and they have their imposed . But IMO there is only a thin veneer between the two systems.

Rest in Peace Fidel Castro Líder de la Revolución cubana

Anyone who can wave the middle finger for 50+ years and still give his people free education and health.

The good with the bad.

His Trade mark Cuban Cigars he remarked when quitting them in 1985 "The best thing for Cuban Cigars is to give them to your enemies"

54 minutes ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

I so hope he does...it may be the final push that knocks over the pathetic Merkel and ushers in the Alternative For Germany to power.

Perhaps if the right won in Germany they would repatriate the 3 million plus Turks living in Germany. How would Erdogan cope then?

7 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

I am guessing because Americans like buying cheap goods at Walmart. It wasn't a problem until it is your job that got moved overseas. I agree with you it should be reciprocal and I think Trump in theory supports that position.

That is a worldwide problem. I used to work in the New Zealand Manufacturing Industry and have watched all our Heavy Engineering, clothing,and many other Industries close and being moved to SE Asia to be replaced with lower paying Service Industries. Yes Footwear and clothing are cheaper. Electricity has gone from the cheapest in the OECD to the most expensive. It is cheaper to buy NZ meat in Europe than it is for NZ citizens in New Zealand.So called Market reforms took away workers rights and opened up Our Economy. We were driven to work harder and longer for less to save the jobs. And still the Industries left. I posed a Question to a Noted International Economist once. How do we buy these cheap goods from Overseas if non of us have disposable Incomes. His answer was "We all hope that will not happen" The truth is the West is in decline we know this. It peaked in 1900. Asia is in Ascendence but that will only be a 50 year cycle. Rather than protectionsm we need to have fairer trade. 

The Thai Authorities will get 5 or six more Declarations of intent as long as the Railway can be built for 1000 baht a metre you will get the job. Plastic rails and styrofoam sleepers

Ban guns so he can't shoot people. oh Yes the UK has the strictest laws on Firearms in the World. Maybe they should double ban firearms. 

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely

12 hours ago, Acharn said:

 

That was my understanding, as well. And the TPP was signed but has not been implemented because it  has not yet been ratified by any country's government. Well, I guess with some of the countries it would just be a formality. But, still, what's to change? By the way, I recall when President Obama was here pushing TPP was one of the things he was on about, and the governor of the Bank of Thailand took the extremely unusual step of writing an editorial in the Bangkok Post saying that there were secret provisions in the agreement that might not be in the Kingdom's best interest. 

Colombia,Phillipines, Thailand,Taiwan and South korea have expressed interest in joining. Indonesia has announced its intent to join. While China was not part of the negotiations and yes no one has yet ratified. Given Trumps intention to scrap US involvement I can see the other signatories plus those wishing interest signing up to some kind of composite agreement using parts of TPP and the Chinese scheme to make a broader free trade area which would include India making it the biggest single Trade bloc in the world. Trump can make what he likes in the USA hard to make money when you have no trade.

Yes the other signatories to the TPP will now most likely sign to the Chinese initiative. NZ has no trade Barriers but the US has plenty against us. So free trade . ha ha ha

And an isolationist self interested USA will wonder why they cannot trade with the World. Trade is just that two way! Trump may scuttle TPP but this only gives more power to the Chinese driven alternative

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I had assumed the cost was for rebuilding the town. Never would I have considered the infrastructure to cost that much for a few miles. At that rate, NZ could never have been developed.

Fishing boats can depart from any port, as can the whale watching boats.

I googled tourist attractions in Kaikoura, and most are outdoor activities that could be pursued from any nearby settlement. Unless, as you say, the buildings in Kaikoura are undamaged or can be repaired at minimal cost, I see no need for a massive payout to re build it.

It is the cost of repairing roads, and rail and associated bridges and tunnels. To not fix is to cut the South Island in half. It would be like Australia closing the Pacific Highway from Sydney to Brisbane or the UK closing all but the smallest road London to Birmingham.

Just a point. The two Queen Elizabeth class Aircraft carriers are being built in the UK by UK Companies.there is some French input. The problem will be the lack of Escorts

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There's hardly anyone there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikoura

The town has an estimated permanent resident population of 2,080.

They could buy them all new houses in other cities for a lot less than 8 billion $.

Kaikoura itself is still quite livable albeit no sewage or water atm. Yes they are Isolated. The Town however sit on the main route from North to South. Not fixing the roads is not an option. And the Rail network also will need repair and a rethink. Most of the 8 billion is infrastructure. The cost for the town miniscule. Kaikoura is also an important fishing town plus has many Tourist attractions which earn a considerable amount of money for the Country. Some other smaller settlements possibly will be abandoned but as to Kaikoura itself it is kind of pivotal