All about New Zealand

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: All about New Zealand

I was also hounded repeatedly by Kiwis about George Bush

Both jandkmeyer and lakedaemonian said that Kiwi's asked about Bush.

Why do you think they did that? What did they think of Bush?

[The Outback Oracle]

Re: All about New Zealand

TRUE the Maori where near first on military history recorded to use trenches against canon fire !
TRUE they did sign a treaty with the UK
TRUE we can be progressive more so than others.

Whats not known, is that this country balance sheet is heavy with social spending for people who do nothing. Many woman with babies and no fathers on social security for years, many on unemployment/sickness benefits, last public govt books showed $21bn of spending on people who do not produce (huge % of Govt income). All in all I thinks nearly two taxpayers supporting a non paying tax person. Thats why taxes are so high ( income, GST, stealth taxes, Acc, FBT) and NZ production by OECD scale is so low. (22nd out 25 countries). Its gotten to a state where the political right side cant make social cuts as it will hurt the voters support, we a classic example of social taxing until there is no more money to take off those who have it and give to those that do not have it.

NOTE: Also the amount of money paid to the maori would have been enough to repair the health system for all NZders. We cant afford this bill, saying sorry has put this country on an open tab to keep on paying money to the maori forever. Yes they want a separate govt for themselves and power sharing at all levels of state and local government. So its not all beer and skittles down here...

Live hear for fun, make money out of this country...thats the best way...
I am a Kiwi, and its lovely place, but we are screwing it up, We need a Ronald Reagan in charge to fix us !

You blokes can have Ronnie!!! I'm off to Singapore to get Lee Kuan Yew for Australia!
I think per head of population Iceland has the highest external debt in the world, and it is totally screwed; NZ has the second highest and it is close to screwed; Australia has the third highest!

[a warren]

Re: All about New Zealand

Both jandkmeyer and lakedaemonian said that Kiwi's asked about Bush.

Why do you think they did that? What did they think of Bush?

Many New Zealanders hate GW Bush because he started an illegal war that killed many innocent people. They dislike his lies of justification and his obvious ignorance and his pathetic understanding of the language.


Many New Zealanders recognise the fact that enough US voters voted for G W Bush to get him elected. Many New Zealanders are suspicious that the American they are talking to may have voted for GW Bush. Thats all. Its like pollution. We don't want it here.

[a warren]

Re: All about New Zealand

You blokes can have Ronnie!!! I'm off to Singapore to get Lee Kuan Yew for Australia!
I think per head of population Iceland has the highest external debt in the world, and it is totally screwed; NZ has the second highest and it is close to screwed; Australia has the third highest!

I thought Hungary was second, NZ third.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: All about New Zealand

Many New Zealanders hate GW Bush because he started an illegal war ..

Ok - thanks for the answer.

Now I have two reasons that New Zealand won't let me move there.

Someone else mentioned you needed to be less than 55 years old. I'm too old.

And I still have a bunch of pro-Bush bumper stickers on my car. Do a google search on "ThePythonicCow" and you'll find his most prolific contributions are not on iTulip, but rather on the "Daily Dose" thread at FreeRepublic.com, where we routinely slobbered much love on Bush. I still run the web site that hosts many of the images posted on the Daily Dose thread.

... a tip of the hat and a six-pack of Speights to the Kiwi's for having the good sense to tell me to stuff it .

[icm63]

Re: All about New Zealand

A warren,

It will be interesting to see if we have debt induced explosion, if we do we will be secrewed, as we dont have a China that will let NZ print money !

TRADE : NZD is at USDNZD .65 as ai write this...SHORT THIS !!!

[a warren]

Re: All about New Zealand

A warren,

It will be interesting to see if we have debt induced explosion, if we do we will be secrewed, as we dont have a China that will let NZ print money !

TRADE : NZD is at USDNZD .65 as ai write this...SHORT THIS !!!

When I bought my first house interest rates were 21%. I fully expect that to happen again, and not too far away. AAARRRRRGH

[Mn_Mark]

Re: All about New Zealand

Without trying to be disrespectful to the fine people of New Zealand, having read all of these posts I can't see how the country is significantly different than any of the other non-US anglosphere countries like the UK, Canada, or Australia. Big welfare, animosity towards the US and particularly US conservatives, stifling taxes, huge government debt, concern for all the boutique feminizing causes of Western white liberals. Once they have major immigration of non-whites they'll be in the same pickle as the rest of the anglosphere in that respect. Then you can say goodbye to your safe streets and unlocked doors. You probably think that's racist. *Shrug*. Go ahead, be non-"xenophobic" and open your doors to the muslim/African/etc world and see where it gets you. Some people won't learn any other way.

So these posts were very useful. My vague impression of NZ was different than what was portrayed. I thought they were more libertarian/conservative. But clearly the New Zealanders would never want a white conservative American like me who believes in the free market, self-reliance, the right to self-defense, a strong military, and a small government. And they apparently have nothing to offer me.

It's actually kind of good news for white American conservatives like me. We have no place to go. This is it for us, this is where we make our stand. Meanwhile our liberal countrymen can leave and go live in NZ, Aus, Canada, etc, leaving this country just a little more conservative with their departure. I guess everyone wins in that case. (I'm not being sarcastic either.) I wish we could take your NZ/Aus/Canadian/UK conservatives and you could take our liberals and then we would no longer be in each others' hair, driving each other nuts.

[a warren]

Re: All about New Zealand

Without trying to be disrespectful to the fine people of New Zealand, having read all of these posts I can't see how the country is significantly different than any of the other non-US anglosphere countries like the UK, Canada, or Australia. Big welfare, animosity towards the US and particularly US conservatives, stifling taxes, huge government debt, concern for all the boutique feminizing causes of Western white liberals. Once they have major immigration of non-whites they'll be in the same pickle as the rest of the anglosphere in that respect. Then you can say goodbye to your safe streets and unlocked doors. You probably think that's racist. *Shrug*. Go ahead, be non-"xenophobic" and open your doors to the muslim/African/etc world and see where it gets you. Some people won't learn any other way.

So these posts were very useful. My vague impression of NZ was different than what was portrayed. I thought they were more libertarian/conservative. But clearly the New Zealanders would never want a white conservative American like me who believes in the free market, self-reliance, the right to self-defense, a strong military, and a small government. And they apparently have nothing to offer me.

It's actually kind of good news for white American conservatives like me. We have no place to go. This is it for us, this is where we make our stand. Meanwhile our liberal countrymen can leave and go live in NZ, Aus, Canada, etc, leaving this country just a little more conservative with their departure. I guess everyone wins in that case. (I'm not being sarcastic either.) I wish we could take your NZ/Aus/Canadian/UK conservatives and you could take our liberals and then we would no longer be in each others' hair, driving each other nuts.

Two things. How can you have a strong military and a small government? Private military?
And NZ is getting immigration, a lot of it from northeast asia. These people are hard working and run excellent restaurants! And of course we are getting the rats leaving the sinking ships.

[The Outback Oracle]

Re: All about New Zealand

I thought Hungary was second, NZ third.

You may be right. I know Aus is one of the highest. I am just quoting Bill Evans from Westpac at a Budget Lunch. One way or another it is a very serious problem that noone here is paying any attention to. Everyone scoots over the External debt problem. The Govt Fiscal deficits almost don't matter compared to the External debt problem.
I think out Governments are banking on unlimited printing by the US so that we can keep on borrowing at low interest rates. I keep wondering if it is already a done deal. Otherwise we are going to be borrowing a Trillon dollars at the same time everyone else is trying to borrow tens of trillions.

[The Outback Oracle]

Re: All about New Zealand

Ah! Also i finally figured out how politicians think about money. A 0 = Zero, so when they spend money they are thinking that the more zeros in the number the less the amount must be. It's the only explanation for current attitudes to spending and debt.
You think I'm wrong doya? Then tell me how these morons DO think!

[a warren]

Re: All about New Zealand

Ah! Also i finally figured out how politicians think about money. A 0 = Zero, so when they spend money they are thinking that the more zeros in the number the less the amount must be. It's the only explanation for current attitudes to spending and debt.
You think I'm wrong doya? Then tell me how these morons DO think!

Well the top politician in NZ, prime minister John Key has the following history:
In 1995, he joined Merrill Lynch as head of Asian foreign exchange in Singapore. That same year he was promoted to Merrill's global head of foreign exchange, based in London, where he may have earned around US$2.25 million a year including bonuses, which is about NZ$5 million at 2001 exchange rates.^[3][9] Some co-workers called him "the smiling assassin" for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.^[4][9] He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001.^[10]

You itulipers still want to come here?

[jiimbergin]

Re: All about New Zealand

Ok - thanks for the answer.

Now I have two reasons that New Zealand won't let me move there.

Someone else mentioned you needed to be less than 55 years old. I'm too old.

And I still have a bunch of pro-Bush bumper stickers on my car. Do a google search on "ThePythonicCow" and you'll find his most prolific contributions are not on iTulip, but rather on the "Daily Dose" thread at FreeRepublic.com, where we routinely slobbered much love on Bush. I still run the web site that hosts many of the images posted on the Daily Dose thread.

... a tip of the hat and a six-pack of Speights to the Kiwi's for having the good sense to tell me to stuff it .

Since freerepublic was my main website until itulip, and I am too old, they won't let me in either. When I joined itulip, I typed two iis so on freerepublic there is only 1.
jim

[BadJuju]

Re: All about New Zealand

You itulipers still want to come here?

Yes, I do.

[Sharky]

Re: All about New Zealand

Someone else mentioned you needed to be less than 55 years old. I'm too old.

You can still get in to NZ if you're over 55 -- just not through the Skilled Migrant program. The alternative programs (investment and entrepreneur) can be more challenging, but they are still possible. Check out the immigration website for details.

And I still have a bunch of pro-Bush bumper stickers on my car.

That wouldn't affect your immigration application of course, but if you're still pro-Bush you might find it challenging to make friends here. Kiwis tend to be very anti-war (though not afraid to fight when needed). As a small example, Air New Zealand loaned an aircraft to carry some non-combatant Australians to Iraq a couple of years ago, and it turned into a major political incident -- there was a huge uproar of disapproval.

Without trying to be disrespectful to the fine people of New Zealand, having read all of these posts I can't see how the country is significantly different than any of the other non-US anglosphere countries like the UK, Canada, or Australia.

Yes, you're right. Sounds like the wrong place for you. It's actually terrible, horrible, polluted, ugly. You would be better off where you are now. Or maybe Australia.

But clearly the New Zealanders would never want a white conservative American like me who believes in the free market, self-reliance, the right to self-defense, a strong military, and a small government.

How can a country of 4M have a strong military without getting buried in taxes?

I'm curious which aspect of government in NZ you consider big. It's certainly a fraction of the size of the US, particularly when it comes to intrusiveness into you life. BTW, there's a large subculture here who totally ignores government -- and the great thing is that they successfully get away with it.

Yes, NZ has some socialist tendencies, particularly in health care -- but far less than the US or most of the rest of the western world. And there are plenty of conservatives here; they just aren't the same religious right that we have in the US.

Everyone scoots over the External debt problem.

Yes, external debt is a problem -- it's a legacy from the financial crisis in the early 90s, which resulted from problems that started in the 70s. NZ has huge debts to Japan, which are being paid off through a complex set of trade and financial agreements. However, the current accounts are in balance: the amount NZ receives for exports is about the same as what they pay for imports. That's what makes NZ different than most other countries with high debt to GDP. We've been through our crisis, and are now recovering. Most others haven't been through one yet.


FWIW, I've noticed that some Kiwis are very negative about NZ (particularly North Islanders). What they're missing, IMHO, is perspective. I'm not saying NZ doesn't have problems, but believe me, they are minor compared to many other places.

As an example, overall tax rates, when you include everything, are actually lower here for most people in than in the US or Europe.