tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post123382572436283672..comments2024-03-29T10:51:27.752+13:00Comments on Not PC: Russel Norman still wants you to be poorerPeter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-69725761472099341062013-08-27T12:34:40.587+12:002013-08-27T12:34:40.587+12:00One of the great oddities about New Zealand is tha...One of the great oddities about New Zealand is that you can take all manner of things which are facts - which are absolutes - and bet your bottom dollar that Kiwis genuinely believe the 180 degree opposite to be the case.<br /><br />99% of New Zealanders could take lie detector tests which confirm they truly believe a falsehood to be the god's honest truth - and get quite bolshie when you point out they are wrong.<br /><br />An example of this is the value of the currency.<br /><br />In Britain, America and elsewhere they have a long history of handwringing and national disgrace when their currency falls.<br /><br />In New Zealand people get all handwringing when the currency rises!<br /><br />This gives those of us in the 1% (as I said earlier only 99% of Kiwis are morons) enormous amounts of hilarity - and further confirmation of our superiority over "ordinary folk" - and the ignorance about the damage a devaluation does to a country and its people is simply breathtaking.<br /><br />Be under no illusions about the intelligence involved here - a dollar worth 10 cents (or whatever) is seen as a sign of wealth by NZers. <br /><br />Truly. Seriously. <br /><br />It is taught in schools and Universities (yes, really!) and is conventional wisdom at Government and Reserve Bank level - which is rather concerning.<br /><br />Were anyone (me, for instance) to suggest that we should be trying to get the dollar up to around $1-20 US/$1-30 AUD it would be greeted with ignorant horror by ordinary folk - and genuine fears of an impoverished nation being the result - instead of the considerably richer nation which would 'actually' result.<br /><br />One of the great myths ever invented is the concept of an "overvalued currency" - like a trade deficit it does not exist.<br /><br />If the NZD is 85 Australian cents it is neither under or over valued; at $1-30 AUD it is also neither under or over valued - it is what it is.<br /><br />As someone who spends 1 week per month in Sydney on business I would like nothing better than to be spending my $1-30 Australian dollars! hahaha! (much better than my 85 cent dollars as at the moment)Mr Lineberrynoreply@blogger.com