Libertarianz leader Dr Richard McGrath takes his regularly irreverent look at some of the past week’s headlines . . .
- Herceptin cost not ‘in public interest’ – Tony Ryall has decided to censor from taxpayers the cost of a controversial breast cancer treatment programme he is forcing them to fund. How on earth can knowing the dollar amount that has already been spent on treating patients with this drug (the money having already been pinched from our paypackets) not be in our interest? The involuntary looting of our private wealth continues apace; National have no intention of halting the IRD’s ceaseless raids on our bank deposits. But knowing the fate of this stolen money is simply our due. Ryall claims the cost of Herceptin is commercially sensitive. Sorry, Tony, but your brief does not include protecting the interests of pharmaceutical companies that collaborate with politicians in a bit of price-fixing, and in monopoly arrangements that would attract the attention of the Commerce Commission were they done in the private sector.
- ‘Nanny’ plan aims to help families – Once again the state determines that the poor incompetent brainless masses are unable to fund and organize help for themselves. Groups of three kuia – which we have to bankroll - will now visit pregnant Maori women in various parts of the country to discuss ‘welfare issues’. I hope the Nannies in Lower Hutt take welfare campaigner Lindsay Mitchell with them, so that mothers-to-be might learn what a trap the DPB has become, how its perverse incentives encourage the breeding of fatherless families, resulting in generations of dysfunctional households, its members lacking the work ethic and all with their paws out for more entitlements. Alas, I fear these are not the kind of welfare issues that the Nannies will explore. When Pita Sharples visited the Kahui house, where babies Chris and Cru were murdered, he concluded the problem there was one of “need” and that the family had “no help.” I despair that he and his party actually want to free people from welfare dependency and encourage accountability and personal responsibility.
- NZ urged to take rescued Sri Lankan refugees – Keith Locke has it partly right – let’s take these refugees into our country, but with a few provisos. Firstly, if they are discovered to be criminals or terrorists they are returned to Sri Lanka. Secondly, if admitted they give an undertaking to abide by the laws of our land. Thirdly, they have no claim on the New Zealand public welfare system, ever. They may access private welfare systems such as charities, trade unions and friendly societies. (That door should also be closed to any New Zealander convicted of a criminal offence). Fourthly, they should demonstrate an understanding of the English language and be able to communicate using English to an acceptable degree within six months of entry. On that understanding, I would be happy to have any number of refugees come to these shores. Who knows - if we get enough Sri Lankans, Indians and Pakistanis coming here, we might end up with a cricket team to truly stretch the Australians!
- Court told of violent prison attack – Graeme Burton is one of the most dangerous psychopaths in this country. Why is he not in shackles and handcuffs 24 hours a day, locked in a cell and isolated from humanity for the rest of his life? He is currently on trial, at our expense, for chasing another prisoner around (despite the prosthetic leg) and stabbing the said prisoner through the heart with a metal rod stolen from a medical trolley and sharpened into a killing tool. Burton has already foregone any claim to leniency, compassion and the limited privileges available in prison. For goodness’ sake: keep this criminal in lockdown, by himself, with no time outside his cell, indefinitely. It’s not rocket science. The bastard is a menace to civil society. Isolate him without respite, and neutralize the threat once and for all. What is wrong with our justice and prison systems?
See y’all next week!
Doc McGrath
10 comments:
"What is wrong with our justice and prison systems?"
Lawyers.
Instead of just the welfare state importing a bunch of refugees, what is wrong with the idea of individuals, families or businesses SPONSORING a refugee?
Taking responsibility for that person or family untill they get on their feet, OR forever if thats what they chose!
They could have individual contracts with their refugees - ie We will house and feed you for 1 year (or whatever) and after that you are on your own, otherwise you are on your bike (back to wherever)
No claims on the health or education system to exceed their contributions
Something like that
Why import refugees at all? Assuming genuine refugees, there are countless millions of them and importing them is reasonable numbers into NZ would be no more than a token gesture.
Better to look at the sources and work on fixing those.
Or, how about buying an impoverished African country, fix the infrastructure and offer free passage there to refugees, to see what they make of it? If they're such a 'valuable contribution' to Western countries, as some people claim, we should see another (secular) Israel bloom in Africa.
KG is right - the inexorable, and unsustainable flow of migration from East-and-Third-World to west cannot continue; all that will happen is that the West will be brought undone. The emphasis must shift to changing the cultures that (a) require emigration and (b) create refugees.
A start would be to offer all Muslims in the West free passage to a Muslim country of their choice - after all, they are NOT HAPPY in the West, so they'd leap at the chance to improve backward Muslim nations. Yeah, right :0
Regarding the refugees - I used to have a similar libertarian worldview regarding people from wherever and expressed sentiments like "race doesn't matter" and "we are all individuals" and "anyone can be part of Western Civilization if they want to be" etc.
But I've been having second thoughts about this the last few years. The sentiment sounds good and liberal/libertarian minded, but in the long term I worry that things may not work out the way we think.
KG has put up the best suggestion for refugees that I have seen!
"What is wrong with our justice and prison systems?"
Simply that we have too much of the first and far too little of the latter.
A start would be to offer all Muslims in the West free passage to a Muslim country of their choice - after all, they are NOT HAPPY in the West, so they'd leap at the chance to improve backward Muslim nations. Yeah, right :0
This is of course the key Maori Party policy, replacing "Muslim" with "Motherfucker".
KG has put up the best suggestion for refugees that I have seen!
There are quicker and surer strategic solutions to the refugee problems: B83s, W87s, W88s...
Sinner - yes, I thought KG put forward an interesting solution also.
My suggestion about adopting a refugee means that all those out there who are so interested in their welfare are able to put their money where their mouth is instead of dumping the problem on those who have enough problems of their own.
Of course all those who dont have the money to put up could offer their services to help instead.
Keith Locke should be the first person in line to be guarantor to a family - after all, he is quick enough to volunteer me and all the other tax payers.
"Keith Locke should be the first person in line to be guarantor to a family -"
Said exactly the same thing last Tues, TK.
www.libertarianz.org.nz/soundbites
On the issue of (3). Judging by the media interviews given they have exemplary English skills. The only problem was their spokesman has admitted he was deported from Canada which hasn't exactly helped the cause.
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