Snob's Guide

I have one guest contributor to my guide to New Zealand. If anyone else out there is up for it, send me an email from the contact form. I'm looking for Kiwi snob's prepared to vent on everything.

The contributor is Lucinda of Remuera.

Snob's Guide is now available in paperback or on Kindle:

Paperback: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Kindle: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9XRCWK

Horse Racing Industry

The New Zealand horse racing industry is in crisis. That's the view of a new report just out. The problem is though, if a lot of these race courses are to close down, that'll gut small towns who rely on the work these places create, whether that be on the track, buildings or horses themselves. For a lot of towns, the local track is the reason the town exists at all. I don't have all the answers, but maybe they could look at other uses for these tracks, not just use them for horses. Once they're gone, that's it, gone forever and many towns will also fade.

Labour Announce Transport Spend

Labour are a funny bunch, they've today announced a major spend on transport safety improvements, most of it going into roads. That's good, that means employment. But this follows much anti business stuff from Labour, the worst example being their no new oil and gas exploration permits. Labour really has to stop this schizophrenia and get back the middle ground it is currently giving up to National. Labour just can't resist being Nanny state. Create jobs, by backing mining, manufacturing, and development. Don't get hijacked by the left of the party trying to shut down progress.

Labour Should Attack the Greens

Doing research for my latest Snob's Guide book, I have learned something about Labour that I'd forgotten. They're the biggest victim of MMP. First they were gutted by the Alliance. They got over that but then came the Greens on their own and they've also impacted. Since NZ introduced MMP, the highest percentage of the vote Labour received is 41.26% in 2002. The highest National received is 47.31% in 2011.

Labour has been slowly eroding. This explains their current position, being the only party at the polls in 2017 to receive a large swing to it, yet still having to kowtow to the Greens. Labour should attack the Greens, to reclaim the ground to their political left, and to put them on an even footing with National. If they don't do this, they will be condemned to forever putting together threesomes, and that doesn't work as easily as twosomes. Just saying.

Snob's Guide to New Zealand is now a book, available from Amazon in paperback or kindle

Paperback: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Kindle: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9XRCWK

Chelsea Manning

Finally, New Zealand's National Party has got its teeth into an issue that could gather it some votes. They're opposing allowing Chelsea Manning to visit NZ. She's a convicted criminal and is booked to speak, and presumably she's getting paid. Labour should ban her from visiting as they should other criminals profiting from their crimes. Will they? We'll wait and see.

How much more electricity do we need to go to 100% electric vehicles?

Ever wondered? Here's the answer. Please be seated when reading this as the news may knock you over. Electric vehicles are a nonsense.

http://euanmearns.com/how-much-more-electricity-do-we-need-to-go-to-100-electric-vehicles/

MMP to Deliver Tyranny in New Zealand

That's right, following on from why Mixed-member Proportional (MMP) representation is not working and the problem of the tail wagging the dog, I should mention the obvious flaw with MMP as it relates to New Zealand. The problem is it will eventually lead to an effective dictatorship.

Okay, sobering thought I know, but here's how it will happen. Over time a plethora of divided interests will develop. That's because any party that manages to get 5% of the party vote gets influence far beyond its level of support without even winning an electorate seat. The incentive is to split and go after a smaller share with more power attached. The system is designed to deliver this outcome. It wasn't done intentionally but them's the breaks. Stupidity has no bounds.

First Past the Post (FPP) differs in that it works the opposite way to MMP. FPP starts out with many and varied parties, but over time that boils down to straight head-to-head contests. In NZ that became National against Labour from 1936 after creation of the National party.

The trend with MMP has seen clustering of interest groups since inception in the mid 1990's. Examples are the Alliance with Labour, and ACT party with National. In time the Alliance dwindled after starting to fall apart, while ACT lost steam. The Maori party rose and fell, the same with United Future, leaving only NZ First and the Greens as minor players.

Superficially it appears we are back where things started. Minority governments still occur frequently, and the two parties that dominated FPP from 1936, still dominate under MMP. For now that would be correct, it seems little has changed but it is a mistake to think like that as the landscape has changed. If you're walking around on Mars it may look like the Moon but it isn't. Get the idea?

This is where it gets difficult. FPP started out as a collection of disparate interests in NZ and became a political duopoly over time. The opposite will happen with MMP, it has started out as a near political duopoly, then will split apart into numerous smaller elements. The final coup de gras will be accidental. By chance one party will manage to get over the 5% threshold and win all the list seats while the rest of the parties will fail to meet the threshold and gain no seats, their votes wasted, or they will have electorate seats only. Note - when this happens. I'm not even suggested an if, as it is a virtual certainty to happen, just when exactly I don't know.

When this happens the successful party will have 75% of the seats in parliament so long as they have about a third of the electorate seats as well. That means they can replace entrenched legislation, and entrench new laws. They can do things like remove the head of state. They could change the electoral cycle to 99 years, and entrench it. Do you see?

The reason this can happen is because NZ has a unicameral legislature. There is no senate. Therefore no safeguards. NZ has a deeply flawed electoral system and lacks the guts to be honest about it. Every election the country throws the dice. Eventually it's going to deliver a monstrously unjust scenario and all anyone can do is pray the dictator is benevolent.

[ Just a note: think about Coke. Does Coca-Cola just sell Coke? How does Coca-Cola get to number 1? They do so by selling all kinds of drinks, to different preferences. That's how MMP will play out in NZ over time. But it could end up with just one player holding the keys to the castle; except it'll be for all the marbles, not just shelf space in a supermarket. NZ has blundered badly and may lose its country as a result. It's that serious.]

Why MMP is not Working

I've been reminded of a classic example of why MMP does not work for New Zealand. The best example right now is the Labour/NZ First coalition government stopping future offshore oil and gas exploration just to keep the Greens happy. Why is this an issue? The Greens are not even in government, they refused that responsibility but still received ministerial portfolios in return for their support.

I have never before seen Labour decide to throw away workers jobs. High paid unionised workers at that as well. It's a slap in the face for all Etu union members, who will now have to pick up the tab through higher union dues now the high paid oil workers will be forced to leave the country. It's insane.

The numbers tell the story. The Greens received about 6% support at the 2017 general election. 88.5% votes that counted went the other way and you can bet your bottom dollar they didn't vote to dump oil and gas. It's a classic tail wagging the dog situation. Look, okay, Greens get jobs for themselves and that's great, but the way I see 6% is they get to decide how many trash bins are sited along the Milford track. They should not be allowed to dictate the economic fortunes of the second largest industry in Taranaki.  

ARM Cement

Something I learnt from Twitter; ARM Cement has gone into administration. They're Kenya's second largest cement producer, and have operations in Tanzania and Rwanda as well, on top of minority holdings in South Africa.

http://www.globalcement.com/news/item/7960-nairobi-securities-exchange-suspends-trading-of-arm-cement

Dana Point - Sci-Fi from Ken Horlor

Just a reminder my latest novel is available for purchase in both Kindle and Paperback form. It's a Sci-Fi with humor, real science, and adventure. I've had positive feedback from readers, which is always nice. Check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Point-Ken-Horlor-ebook/dp/B07FP5DLJ1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1532159193&sr=1-3

Ben Stokes

I've been following the saga surrounding England cricketer Ben Stokes. Now he's been found not guilty of affray, by a jury no less, then why is the matter still being pursued? I heard the England coach talking about Stokes giving a public apology. Why? All that happened was a bit of biff outside a nightclub. Then the coach added something about he'll have to pull his weight (Stokes that is). What? Just let the guy get on with things. It's easy to see why England lose all the time.

Houston Rockets Sign Carmelo

The basketball gods must be torturing me. My team the Rockets have signed the most overrated player in the NBA; Carmelo Anthony. They were looking a good chance to win the Western Conference, but now? I can barely watch, it's going to be torture. I just hope Carmelo has turned over a new leaf.

Teachers Strike

Today, New Zealand primary school teachers are on strike. I've noticed they want more money, and they deserve that, but I see repeated often is they're snowed under with paperwork. How can extra pay make that go away? It can't right? So how about just doing away with a lot of the bureaucracy and let the teachers get on with their jobs. It'd mean better teaching and hence better educated children. Yay.

Azealia Banks Busts Elon Musk

Hah, so there you have it. According to Azealia Banks, Elon Musk doesn't have the funding to go private. She knows this as she's been in his house waiting to do work with Grimes, and couldn't help but overhear Musk scrambling to recover from his tweet on the subject.

Check this out: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/azealia-banks-claims-to-be-at-elon-musks-house-as-he-sought-investors-2018-8?r=US&IR=T

This should trigger an investigation into Musk's business affairs and the reason behind his tweet.

Labour Hit the Slippery Slope

It didn't take long, NZ Labour couldn't resist, they're becoming Nanny State already. I'm talking about their plan to ban single use plastic bags in less than a year from now. I remember when they were last in government and their move to ban light bulbs. That lead to them losing in 2018; so they've decided to try and lose in as little as three years this time. The National Party will be all over this like white on rice.

We've gone full circle. I grew up never seeing a plastic bag, everything was in paper. Personally I'll make do, the ban will barely affect me. But why give the Opposition ammunition so early into Labour/NZ First's term? Labour, you really are dumb at times you know.

New Zealand Guide Book

I've started writing my guide book for people considering moving to live in New Zealand. It is not intended to be a detailed resource with all the forms to fill in and wotnot, but a guide to how the locals think and how to negotiate your way through NZ society.

I am the main author, and I have one other contributor to side bars with the book. If anyone else wants to submit material then I'm happy to discuss your inclusion and the type of material being sought. You'll get credit for the work but no payment.

You must have intimate knowledge of NZ to qualify, hold strong opinions and be able to write about them. I'd prefer it if the material is funny. I'm looking for humorous and thoughtful rants. There is probably only room for another two contributors at most so be in early. The work will published before the end of the year.

Contact me from the contact form on this site.

Spartacus and other Roman Stuff

As a form of light relief I'm going to start talking about ancient Rome from time to time. I read a lot of rubbish about Rome and at times wonder why no-one questions the conventional wisdom. Hence my current rant about Spartacus.

No doubt you've all seen the movie. If you haven't there is a good chance you've seen the TV series. Spartacus is generally depicted as a noble freedom fighter, a man of principle fighting injustice, inequality and all things terrible imposed by the dastardly Romans. Right, lose that idea as no such thing is true.

Spartacus was possibly a Thracian gladiator who likely had some military training as a Roman auxiliary or some such. How he came to be a gladiator is unknown, he may have volunteered as this was not uncommon, or he'd fallen foul of the law. By the time of the Third Servile War he was a Murmillo, a heavyweight gladiator with face covering helmet, shield and gladius.

That's about all that can be said of him with any certainty. He does not appear to have been political. So who was Spartacus and what was he about? I maintain that it is pretty obvious he was a criminal. He did not like his surroundings and left, overthrowing the guards at the gladiator school and along with his fellow conspirators, seizing useful weapons along the way.

Instead of leaving and turning left to return to Thrace, and travelling by night and using the moon and stars to navigate with, he turned right and headed farther down the peninsula. Somehow we are expected to believe that Spartacus is some tactical genius, then why this fundamental mistake? He was bound to get trapped. Right?

He was bound to get trapped and he knew it. This, after all, was about loot and getting away, not about freedom. After a suitable period plundering the landscape and going up against a half-hearted Roman response, things came to a head. Rome had tired of these antics and decided to put a stop to Spartacus once and for all.

This is where it gets interesting and forms the key part of my argument. He duped his stupid followers and slipped away, leaving them in the lurch. That's the truth behind the story of the fleet of pirate vessels that were supposed to save them. Spartacus is meant to have paid them but they betrayed him by failing to turn up. Okay, think about that, how the hell are a ragtag band of 70,000 going to fit into a few pirate vessels?

I've got a better idea. How about there was only ever one pirate vessel, that Spartacus spun his followers a line then promptly did a runner on that one waiting vessel. The force that he had once commanded promptly collapsed and 6,000 of their number were crucified. The body of Spartacus was never found. Work it out people, why is this so obvious but never pointed out?

That leads me to examine the historical context. At the time the Romans needed a bogeyman, a nice scary story to tell people. This reminded everyone of the importance of Rome. Then in the modern era the Soviet Union used Spartacus as a propaganda tool with ballets like Spartacus and the fine music by Khachaturian (The Onedin Line TV series theme). Hollywood jumped onto the bandwagon and it all just gained a life of its own, devoid of any truth.

Spartacus was a criminal who gained a bit of loot and got away scot free. Maybe he died later when Pompey cleaned the seas of pirates.

Dana Point - Promotion

Ken Horlor's latest novel is out now on Kindle and in paperback through CreateSpace. Available FREE on Kindle for three days from 1st August 2018, the first five genuine reviews will receive one free paperback of any title by Ken Horlor. That's potentially two free books, one on Kindle, the other in paperback.

Click Here >>Dana Point<<

It's a science fiction read and suitable for ages 14 and older.

On the run from the authorities, Augustus flees his place of refuge as it is about to be destroyed. Now in need of fuel, he heads to Earth with his only son. Augustus expects to find the Roman Empire when he gets there, only to discover it's now 2016 and the Romans aren't around anymore.