The life changing nature of $50 million captured many kiwi’s imaginations last week. Should the fact someone has 240x that amount not spark a conversation about why do people have that much money. Is it right? Is it fair? If $50m made you think, gosh I wouldn’t need any more money ever again, maybe we should consider some changes for those with a few billion more, for the sake of those with not much at all.
Agree with every word! I was one who bought a ticket in the $50 mil Lotto because of the opportunity to even have a share IF I was lucky, that is on the subject of "you have to be in it to win it". My pre-planning on what to spend it on if I won the full amount, did NOT include my keeping the whole amount for myself, but after taking care of the mortgage & needed household repairs that have been put off due to lack of $$$ etc., plus a hand-up to struggling family members, the discussion with myself was about how could the rest do the most GOOD... i.e. Already existing charities/organisations that do effective work & could expand with more funding; conservation projects like continuing funding some of the Jobs for Nature projects. It probably helps having no young family to worry about & having relatively modest needs & wants for myself these days, that thoughts could go outwards, but it is totally without understanding that I look at the obscenely wealthy & contemplate the enormous good they could do for people & the planet. At least people like the Gates family charities have shown that it is possible to live a good life AND help millions of people have better lives (or in one case, don't die of Malaria!) with several $USBillions spent partnering with other groups on projects to scale up medical & scientific research & development ( like developing microchips to be small enough to inject with COVID vaccines (/s)
I think that as well as addressing obscene wealth being held in the hands of individuals far beyond their needs, HOW they developed that wealth is also not admirable. There is a lot of negative information about the 2x latest "wealthiest NZers" and the product upon which it is based - if we can't have a wealth tax, how about a pollution tax for mass-producing products that are harmful to the environment as in made of plastic which has a very short term & relatively frivolous purpose, but a long term harm? From the many complaints about the QUALITY of some the toys, the fact that these mega-rich guys threatened to sue former employees for anonymous posts on a site developed so prospective employees could check out a company before going to work there (they won a case to have the identities of "anonymous" people revealed to them!), their "rags to riches" story isn't one that makes me admire them "for hard work" (for "rags" read financed by their parents to get started according to what I read?) Having $$$ is NOT something I admire - what you DO with it is everything! People with very little who share what they have are more worthy of OTT media adulation than MOST of the rich people in the world IMHO
'Luxon (then opposition leader) told me farmers were “the backbone of the New Zealand economy”'
Why have we been led to believe this when government stats show that primary industries (including farming) are responsible for less than 10% of the economy. If that's a backbone, New Zealand doesn't have one.
It’s mildly amusing, amongst the furore around Te Pati Māori, that Lex Luthor regards the PSC as an “independent” agency. Relatedly, Re: Tova O’Brien’s piece, for the sake of consistency across the House, I think the MP in question probably should be temporarily stood down.
It fascinates me that The SpinOff, while claiming a niche removed from MSM can’t help looking for perils in the coalition’s relationship when the whole idea of MMP was that we should have such diversity. I find it sad - not to mention troubling - that every stripe of media lives in a weird, removed from the majority of the citizenry, bubble. As far as I can see, most of us are happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve. You people need to get out and about a bit more.
"as far as I can see, most of us are happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve. You people need to get out and about a bit more" - with all due respect to your right to your own OPINION, "most of us" that I have read, heard, spoken to, or seen expressing THEIR opinions, are NOT "happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve". In fact, those that aren't worried about things for themselves on a personal level, are concerned for the impacts on their children & grandchildren of the long term effects of the more damaging policies - perhaps it is not The Spinoff journalists who "need to get out and about a bit more"??? Just sayin'
The life changing nature of $50 million captured many kiwi’s imaginations last week. Should the fact someone has 240x that amount not spark a conversation about why do people have that much money. Is it right? Is it fair? If $50m made you think, gosh I wouldn’t need any more money ever again, maybe we should consider some changes for those with a few billion more, for the sake of those with not much at all.
Agree with every word! I was one who bought a ticket in the $50 mil Lotto because of the opportunity to even have a share IF I was lucky, that is on the subject of "you have to be in it to win it". My pre-planning on what to spend it on if I won the full amount, did NOT include my keeping the whole amount for myself, but after taking care of the mortgage & needed household repairs that have been put off due to lack of $$$ etc., plus a hand-up to struggling family members, the discussion with myself was about how could the rest do the most GOOD... i.e. Already existing charities/organisations that do effective work & could expand with more funding; conservation projects like continuing funding some of the Jobs for Nature projects. It probably helps having no young family to worry about & having relatively modest needs & wants for myself these days, that thoughts could go outwards, but it is totally without understanding that I look at the obscenely wealthy & contemplate the enormous good they could do for people & the planet. At least people like the Gates family charities have shown that it is possible to live a good life AND help millions of people have better lives (or in one case, don't die of Malaria!) with several $USBillions spent partnering with other groups on projects to scale up medical & scientific research & development ( like developing microchips to be small enough to inject with COVID vaccines (/s)
I think that as well as addressing obscene wealth being held in the hands of individuals far beyond their needs, HOW they developed that wealth is also not admirable. There is a lot of negative information about the 2x latest "wealthiest NZers" and the product upon which it is based - if we can't have a wealth tax, how about a pollution tax for mass-producing products that are harmful to the environment as in made of plastic which has a very short term & relatively frivolous purpose, but a long term harm? From the many complaints about the QUALITY of some the toys, the fact that these mega-rich guys threatened to sue former employees for anonymous posts on a site developed so prospective employees could check out a company before going to work there (they won a case to have the identities of "anonymous" people revealed to them!), their "rags to riches" story isn't one that makes me admire them "for hard work" (for "rags" read financed by their parents to get started according to what I read?) Having $$$ is NOT something I admire - what you DO with it is everything! People with very little who share what they have are more worthy of OTT media adulation than MOST of the rich people in the world IMHO
'Luxon (then opposition leader) told me farmers were “the backbone of the New Zealand economy”'
Why have we been led to believe this when government stats show that primary industries (including farming) are responsible for less than 10% of the economy. If that's a backbone, New Zealand doesn't have one.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/which-industries-contributed-to-new-zealands-gdp
It’s mildly amusing, amongst the furore around Te Pati Māori, that Lex Luthor regards the PSC as an “independent” agency. Relatedly, Re: Tova O’Brien’s piece, for the sake of consistency across the House, I think the MP in question probably should be temporarily stood down.
Dear oh dear, whenever I see a splattering of words in capital letters I sense a level of unhealthy irritation.
It fascinates me that The SpinOff, while claiming a niche removed from MSM can’t help looking for perils in the coalition’s relationship when the whole idea of MMP was that we should have such diversity. I find it sad - not to mention troubling - that every stripe of media lives in a weird, removed from the majority of the citizenry, bubble. As far as I can see, most of us are happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve. You people need to get out and about a bit more.
"as far as I can see, most of us are happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve. You people need to get out and about a bit more" - with all due respect to your right to your own OPINION, "most of us" that I have read, heard, spoken to, or seen expressing THEIR opinions, are NOT "happy with what the coalition is striving to achieve". In fact, those that aren't worried about things for themselves on a personal level, are concerned for the impacts on their children & grandchildren of the long term effects of the more damaging policies - perhaps it is not The Spinoff journalists who "need to get out and about a bit more"??? Just sayin'