Libertarianz leader Dr Richard McGrath gives his weekly take on the news items that grabbed his attention. (WARNING: Contains commentary talking positively about soccer.) - US Navy Guns Down Somali Pirates, Rescues Kidnapped Captain This is the story of the week. What more can I say that hasn’t been said already. Full marks to the Navy snipers who iced three of the toerags. I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it would be to hit a target aboard a life raft bobbing up and down in the sea, while avoiding injury to hostages. Kudos to President Obama for authorizing the hit, a good example of the government acting as it should in using retaliatory force to protect its citizens.
- NZ Posts Carbon Surplus Tree-hugger Nick Smith is delighted that bureau-rats in the Environment Ministry have fiddled with the figures to somehow turn a $546m carbon deficit into a $241m surplus. Despite the apparent good news, useful idiots Charles Chauvel and Jeanette Fitzsimons are still looking to punish the productive for being productive. What a pity for all three Gaia-worshippers that the whole AGW hypothesis is a crock of shit, and that numbers can be manipulated by politicians to prove whatever crackpot theory they want to prove.
- Ex-Unionist Ousted From Pay Agency The truly gruesome and revolting Angela 'Jabba' Foulkes is booted off the Remuneration Authority. Good riddance. I wonder if this authority is descended from the Higher Salaries Commission, which used to set pay scales for all manner of publicly-run organizations. Many of these, such as power companies, have been privatized -- and rightly so. There are many other government departments and Ministries that would find themselves abolished if a Libertarianz government were elected, and the Remuneration Authority would then have very little to do, and could probably convene once a year to set salaries for the police, judiciary and politicians. My own view is that latter should be unpaid, in order to encourage them to engage in some sort of productive activity outside of their political careers.
- Kiwis’ Rugby Birthright Denied: Labour Brendon Burns, broadcasting spokesman for the recently spurned Labour Party, alleges that New Zealanders have a natural right to watch rugby games free of charge. It's our "birthright." Free, at whose expense, Brendon? What a pillock. Does he forget that in the days before televised rugby, paying to get into the stadium was the only way one could watch a rugby match live? Most people have a Sky TV connection anyway, Brendon. Just take a drive around some of the less affluent suburbs in our towns and cities and you will see home after home sporting the tell-tale grey dish.
- Chelsea, Liverpool play outThriller Last night I watched a replay of yesterday’s game at Stamford Bridge, and what a thriller it was! Two of the game’s giants battling it out, both without their captains on the pitch. Whoever would have picked a 4-4 draw? As a Liverpool fan myself it was sad to see them exit the Champions League after a 1-3 loss in the first quarter-final game at Anfield last week, but bravo to both teams for playing their hearts out to the final whistle.
Doc McGrath
1 comment:
The carbon surplus thing is particularly ridiculous. Ignoring the fallacies that the entire idea is based on, the intent of Kyoto and the carbon trading regime to to drive behaviour (presumably reducing carbon emmissions) by rewarding those who achieve certain targets. However, due to the ridiculous bureaucratic implementation, nobody knows from one year to the next whether they need to take any action or not, so it fails its intended purpose spectacularly. So, it all becomes obvious as the absurd waste of time that it is, except to those dullards immersed in the industry it has created.
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