did anyone see that pro gramme on TV this morning about the goings on inside China. those poor people really have it tough, what a corrupt society it is and throw in the issues with Tibet and Taiwan.
they should not have the Olympics at all, after watching this programme i believe China will implode, makes you wonder why we a signing a trade deal with China at all, even if it was on the human rights issues alone, old Helen got on her high horse over Fiji, but very silent on China.
No I didn't see the programme but it wouldn't take too much imagination to work out what it was all about - and as far as I'm concerned it can stay there. Helen Clark is an idiot and it's beyond me why she is all out to sign free-trade agreements with the likes of China - perhaps somebody can enlighten me? If it goes ahead, within 30 years NZ will find itself owned by China. Or at least the bits that arn't already owned by Asia. How many people are aware that the CBD of Auckland is nearly 100% owned by Asians. These countries are over-populated and are fast running out of resources such as land, water and the wherewithall to produce food so they are looking further afield - and as dumb as we are, we hand it to them on a plate. Time we stopped being PC and concerned ourselves more with our own back yard.
As a matter of interest Rob, some 20 odd (probably plus) years ago there was a documentary series on TV called "The Red Dragon". It ran for 13 weeks and was amazing. It explored life in China from the rich to the poor, the impact of the single child family long-term, they were the last country in the world to still make steam locomotives and how a peasant family could turn the crap from their pig (kept in conditions that we would balk at) into sufficient methane to run a single gas ring to cook one meal a day.
hi Ronney
this agreement Helen is going to sign, i don't think anyone knows what we are giving away, because China will not sign it for anyones benefit but there own. i cannot see it really helping us in the long run, hope there is nothing about immigration in it. just look at the way they treat their own, its disgusting.
its unreal on how AKL CBD looks now, i don't even go into it anymore, it does look like a mini Asia, it has not got a kiwi feel to it at all.
i sometimes feel if we do not start to clamp down on who comes here, good old N.Z. will be lost for ever.
i don't care where or what you are, if you do not have a job to come to or skills that we need, then keep the doors shut, just look at the mess in Europe is in.
I may be wrong but I think the deal also involves the right for chinese to come over to NZ when they feel like it unrestricted.. but i could be wrong...
If good willing hard workers arrive I dont mind as long as they restrict the numbers but as what Rod says if they are unskilled or not the jobs or skills we need they shouldn't come in, just like everyone else.
Dont want to get into politics to much but I also heard that a certain person used to belong to the communist party when she was younger... makes you wonder..
Having said that there must be some good things in this? maybe? Maybe i should read more info about it..
Just go to certain parts of Australia, and you will know what we are in for.
I restore and make some furniture, and I always tell people to try and buy NZ made furniture. People can bring in chairs and the workmanship on them when made outside NZ is shocking. Not in everycase but you certainly get what you pay for.
I also wonder if NZ can be self sufficient? Because we certainly can't compete with the likes of China. If we can come self sufficient, what price will that have on the average kiwi? Could I afford to buy three pairs of shoes for my children if they where made in NZ??
I know a company that is importing furniture from Vietnam, there furniture is made from sawdust and glue, I could make it in solid oak at the same cost, but I don't think the guy in Vietnam is making the money out of it.
It's a double edge sword, and there must be something major in it for the countries that support China no matter what there social policies are.
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If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?
i wonder if other parties would chase the same deal if in power, the parties that help keep labour in power, do they back this deal and if its such a great deal, how come we have not heard much about it, i did hear that it would open the door for the Chinese to come here more freely. i don't care where they come from, but it would certainly put pressure on the standard of living we have now.
i don't believe in all this secrecy over this deal, probably cost us a fortune, just like Kyoto.
question: do you think that the politicians that are in power now have actually lost touch with the average kiwi?
I think politicians will say anything to stay in power or get in power.
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If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?
But Sunflower, I wouldn't have thought that this type of thing would keep any government in power. Unfortunately NZ'ers are complacent but they are not entirely stupid. This particular government has already committed NZ to the Kyoto Protocol which will end up costing us millions and for no good purpose. And before it has even got underway, they had cocked up their mathematics. The People in Power seem to have lost sight of the fact that NZ only has one main source of income - agriculture, along with a bit of forestry and a bit of tourism, neither of which produce sufficient to keep our country going. The compliance costs of farming will eventually become so great that the only farms in operation will all be owned by overseas investors who have nothing to lose and we'll find ourselves being goffers.
As for China, people are already sick of buying everything with "Made in China" on the label and it doesn't have to be a pair of cheap shoes from the Wharehouse. On Christmas Day we sat amongst the litter of wrappings and looked at our presents. Every last one including the Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker, had been made in China - and the free-trade agreement hasn't even been signed yet. I would buy NZ made - if I could find it.
As Rob has mentioned, the lack of information on this agreement is particularly worrying and if it goes through, I doubt that it will be to the benefit of this country. By the time it all turns to sh!t I will be too old to care but some of you younger ones want to sit up and take note of the sort of country you want for yourselves and your children. I have a daughter who left her teaching job in Auckland because a third of her class couldn't speak English and she found she was teaching English to them and nothing at all to those who could speak English. The thin edge of the wedge.
Ronney, that's why I wonder, if we didn't trade with a country like China would we be able to survive?
When asked what people would change Government for, people where concerned about tax cuts, I don't care about the Government giving me $10 a week, as I know they are giving it with one hand and taking with the other. Secondly hosptial waiting lists and crime. I believe that's what will win the election, who has the bigger pot of honey at the expense of things that we should really be worried about.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?
Just as an aside and nothing to do with China. I was watching TV yesterday and the shorts of one of these CSI type programmes come on. They said something along lines of, (they were looking for terriost cells) "We have to look in Muslim countries, Croatia, (they mentioned some other countries, cant rememeber which ones) AND New Zealand"[:0][:0][:0][:0] I wish I could remember what programme they were advertising because I want to watch that one. I wonder what the rest of the world really think about us.
hope George Bush did not see it, he will say we are keeping terrorists and must have WMD, [:0]will probably say auntie Helen is a commie, then will invade us, seconds thoughts cannot see it happening we have not got enough oil here.
i saw the trailer too and it made me look twice. I'm pretty sure the show is Criminal Intent. the cop is talking to other people about predominently Muslim countries and NZ is mentioned after Indonesia etc.(??) the cop questions the inclusion of NZ but the trailer does not show the response, so i guess we'll have to watch it and find out! and I agree that there is a definite/deliberate lack of information about the Free Trade agreement, and i'm boycotting the Olympics on numerous grounds. my political rant for the day is now finished (hopefully!).
I hesitate to jump in but feel that people to need to get out and about to recognise that there are differences in the way things are done.
We have been to China along with other countries - Eastern and Western and see that reasons to boycott for anything can be found any and everywhere.
] PM me...
then will invade us, seconds thoughts cannot see it happening we have not got enough oil here.