blogging it real

Darth's latest offering returns to one of his favourite topics: DOOM! Or is that: GLOOM! Or is that: THE END IS NIGH!

If it's not the bloody Labour Party and political correctness bringing this country to its knees, it's ... [insert dramatic drum roll here to indicate suspense] ... DRUGS!

Well, the illegal ones, anyway.

Opines Darth:

Sure, the police and Customs do their damnedest to stem the flow of illegal substances into this country, but they're obviously fighting a losing battle, and the pot and the P and the coke and the horse still flow like a river.

Darth, "the coke" and "the horse" do not flow freely in New Zealand, by any stretch of the imagination. In that they are both relatively scarce and bloody expensive. Also, no one has called heroin "horse" since you were a pup reporter on the crime beat.

Darth excludes his favoured substance (tobacco) from the list of "murderous" substances because, umm, well, it's umm legal and umm therefore not immoral or umm something.

Nevermind that rational analysis of drug harm by people who actually know their shit (Nutt et al. in the Lancet (2007)) leads alcohol and tobacco to be ranked (considerably) more highly than many illegal recreational drugs, including cannabis (well d'uh), LSD, GHB and Ecstasy. And FYI, George, amphetamine ranks below alcohol but above tobacco in terms of harm.

Nevermind, George is earning his keep this week via a blunderbuss approach to, err, listing social problems.

If the problem is drugs one paragraph, it's violence against children the next, investor rip-offs after that, and race relations (courtesy of a well-known half-brown motherfucker) bringing up the rear.

At which point Garth actually makes an interesting and likely valid point: " his [Harawira's] latest outburst reveals is that there is among many Maori an abiding and malevolent antipathy towards Pakeha, which is far more widespread than we're prepared to acknowledge" - the counterpoint of which is "a corresponding bitter antagonism to Maori on the part of many Pakeha."

But just when you think Ole Smokey might be on to something, he finds he has nothing more to say, and pads out his remaining space with 127 - yes, count 'em, 127 - consecutive words taken verbatim from the King James Bible he always has to hand.

I hope Isaiah is being handsomely reimbursed for such extensive - and entirely irrelevant - borrowing. There's nothing like a trite Bible phrase or two to complete one's weekly literary offering to the nation, followed by a pithy summary from the moustachioed one himself: "Fat chance, but the offer is still open."

True to form!

On a brighter note, doesn't Santa look awesome!?! Nothing like the 75-year-old alcoholic he previously resembled - he's now bright of eye, clear of skin, and confident of beard.

Labels: alcohol, darth george, drugs, Santa, smoking

I don't think anyone realized that the new government's 100 days of action would actually begin with about 20 days of action, followed by 60 days of slumber. Don't worry though, because Bill English sure ain't. He's remarkably chipper:

"People are pretty resilient around this recession," he told reporters.
"Where 20 years ago they might have been paralysed by the prospect of a economic downturn we are talking to businesses, to people on the shop floor, to civil servants – who are rolling up their sleeves ready to do what needs to be done."

Well I know your job is secure for the length of the electoral cycle, Bill, but how would you feel if you were stuck for another two years paying 8.5% on a mortgage worth more than the current market value of your house, with the very real danger of your household income being halved in the immediate future due to one partner being made redundant?

I'm betting you'd be getting pretty close to "paralysis" due to that sensation known as fear.

Hell, even Darth George is getting fed up with your government's do nothing attitude.

Not even a bag of hammers?

It's not that people hold National responsible for the local consequences of world-wide recession (although the baying mob will tell you it's Labour's fault for, um ... I dunno, not capitalizing on good times, or something), or that anyone believes it has a silver bullet unavailable to any other government, but it should at least look lively.

The "nothing to see here, move along" approach just won't cut it.

Labels: darth george, national, paralyzed by fear

Today, Darth is a stout defender of liberty! Unfortunately for him, the freedom he longs for is unlikely to be delivered by any likely National Government. He in fact espouses the 'nanny state / pc gone mad' rhetoric common to ACT and Libertarianz supporters (and a large proportion of the Your Views community), but not the current National Party.

After asserting strangely that no one gives a damn about the economy, tax cuts, the environment, privatization, or working for families (contrary to all that, y'know, polling stuff), Ole Smokey declares the election is actually about "the freedom of the individual to live his or her life with as little interference as possible from the state, its politicians and minions."

I didn't know that Darth was a supporter of drug liberalization, the decriminalization of prostitution, and (by a small stretch of the imagination) civil unions - in that the latter allow consenting adults to receive official recognition of their own choices about domestic partnership, rather than the choices of the state.

Of course, Darth doesn't actually care about any of these liberties: instead he claims he doesn't want the state telling families how best to spend their money (too bad government spending as a proportion of GDP is essentially the same under Labour as it was under National), how to use their property (Darth, I look forward to building a tannery next to your suburban Rotorua home), and how we run our families (apparently Darth's concern for liberty doesn't extend to the rights of children not to be assaulted by their parents).

What else does Darth want?

" to fill up our cars" - Surely Labour, the biggest road builders NZ has seen in a long time, would agree with this?

"turn on our heaters" - Labour supports warm homes. And will even help low-income families ensure that heat doesn't disappear straight through an uninsulated ceiling.

"light our homes" - I have no idea where he's going with this. I, for one, wish Darth couldn't see his keyboard sometimes, but even so, is there a political party opposed to home lighting?

"run our taps (and showers)" - building standards are not a threat to this, Darth.

"eat our food, smoke a cigarette, have a few drinks" - here's the crux of the matter, Darth doesn't like health promotion. But that isn't a Labour government initiative, Darth - you fuckwit - and is certain to continue under National. Lest that overburdened health care system you so frequently bemoan be crippled under the weight of the obese, emphysematic and chronically inebriated.

"sell land or buy or develop property" - where the fuck have you been for the last 9 years, Darth? Do you not recall a property boom of heretofore unseen proportions?

And it's all about freedom from presidential-style politics. We want - nay, need - to be rid of a dictatorial leader so that consensus politics again has a chance to flourish.

Yes, I distinctly recall the consensual style of the last National government, as they went about raping and pillaging.

Labour makes much of its Working for Families scheme, but its inventors don't seem to realise that recipients would much rather have that money in direct income tax rebates.

They don't want to have to go cap in hand to Inland Revenue, fill in interminable forms that want to know everything about them and theirs except what they had for breakfast or when they last went to the toilet.

And they don't want to be left feeling beholden to the Government for the largesse when they could have received the same amount directly in tax breaks without it costing them, as taxpayers, as much again as they receive in administration costs.

None of us who don't qualify begrudges families a financial boost, but there are better ways to do it.

I'll explain this in terms you can understand, Darth: NATIONAL HAS PROMISED NOT TO CHANGE WORKING FOR FAMILIES.

I guess the poor, unfortunate families offered tax relief under this immensely popular scheme will continue the hardship of filling out "interminable forms". Dick.

The Greens have made it clear, fortunately, that they won't have a bar of National. They will, therefore, be powerless in the new Parliament so a vote for them is essentially wasted.

So voting for a party likely to be in opposition is a wasted vote is it, Darth? You truly are a disgrace.

He ends with the height of humour, likening Helen Clark to a shrew.

I hope you choke on your Rothmans, old man.

Labels: darth george, dickheads, herald, ird, national, NZ election 2008

Darth's latest offering serves up a big helping of the usual:

- A generic complaint about "Labour's socialist nanny state," without a single policy or alleged instance of socialist nannying being discussed.

- Complaint about proportional representation preventing National from its god-given right to rule alone: "We gag at the obnoxious wheeling and dealing that goes into forming minority government coalitions; and we cringe when we see the compromises which such coalitions entail, and the paucity of decisive governance." It's called democracy, Darth. And I well recall the last time there was a majority government in New Zealand: it brought us Ruthanasia rather than the promised "Decent Society."

- Lengthy quotation to make up column length: check, but this time it's John Roughan rather than the usual contributor, God himself.

- Self-aggrandizement: check, Darth includes himself among "300 Rotorua movers and shakers on Monday". Note to Darth: movers and shakers do not live in Rotorua.

- Blathering about climate change: check, "our next Prime Minister [told] us that it's all very well to be the world leader in climate change legislation but what Labour proposes comes at a hellish expense and without any guarantee of benefit". So, apparently climate change might exist, if John Key tells Darth it does. Otherwise it's a crock, 'cos Owen McShane says so.

- Railing against democracy II: the Resource Management needs "cleaning up" - code for reduced public participation in land use decision-making.

- Trouble with numbers: "Then there was his renewed promise to rein in the bloated Wellington bureaucracy, which under Labour has expanded from 26,000 to 36,000 in five years and which, Mr Key said, would blow out by another 3500 if Labour won a fourth term. This would be dealt with by a natural attrition of between 14 and 20 per cent a year." Great, Darth - the public service should be all-but-gone in 10 years, then. I wonder if anyone will be left to process your Superannuation payments.

Labels: darth george, herald

At least Darth's writing on something vaguely topical and non-Biblical this week: the Kahui case. He makes a few strange observations about the Police (who used to be "honourable" but also fond of "kick[ing] arse"), throws in some vague sexism (these same police now "kowtow to their political mistresses"), and bemoans political correctness (code for anything the right wing doesn't like) as per usual.

Towards the conclusion, he actually defends "two fundamental principles of our legal system - double jeopardy and the right to silence."

"Wow, how enlightened" you might be thinking. Well, err, no: these principles are merely a subset of the old laws Darth supports. Others include the criminal prohibition of abortion, homosexuality and prostitution; refusal of the state to recognize same-sex unions and grant divorces; and the hard-fought right of the wealthy to seek to buy elections.

"We seem to think that by changing the law we can make okay that which is not okay" says Darth.

Some of us can actually appreciate that sometimes a law change may advance the cause of human freedom, while other times it detracts from it. Nuanced I know.

Labels: darth george

First, on the topic of the latest verbal diarrhea from the Peters Party - what Yamis said. Anyone who can talk of an "open door" immigration policy in NZ clearly has no experience of it. None. Zilch. Nada. Maybe it was easier when Peter Brown immigrated back in 1921, but it's fucking difficult now.

Now, for the substantive topic of today's talk, children, I give you the latest offering from the august Mr Darth George.

Today, Darth opines on tax. And he doesn't even throw in trite Bible quotes about tax collectors, or rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's! Well, actually, that last bit would probably undercut his argument somewhat, since Darth doesn't like tax.

First, Darth has a go at GST, "which is a double-dipping tax on our taxed income and deprives us of 12.5 per cent of our spending power." There are actually strong arguments for reducing income tax before consumption tax (in order to promote savings), but I'm inclined to agree with Darth about the ubiquitous nature of GST in NZ. While it is simple, it does mean that the price of essentials (in which our friend in the four-litre Ford includes fuel, of course) are more expensive than would otherwise be the case. Quoth Darth:

I can think of no better contribution to the well-being of New Zealanders, particularly those on low incomes, than to make food, water, electricity, motor fuel, rates and medical expenses exempt from GST.

Well, my list might be slightly different - I'd include University fees, and argue for a different system for taxing fuel altogether - but basically I think he's on the right track.

Darth then has a gripe about the way the official inflation figure is (under) calculated, when he knows damn well that "Butter has risen 91 per cent in the past 12 months, cheese 60 per cent and milk 21 per cent. Meat and fish have become so expensive that many families have to do without both." Not sure where that last part came from, but I do wonder whether diets lacking in butter and cheese might actually be health-promoting. And I say this as someone who likes cheese in particular.

Darth then serves up a useful reminder that he is a Muldoon/Peters style populist conservative, rather than a Shipley/Brash neoliberal attack dog:

The result is that while the Government, the producers, the suppliers, retailers and businesses in general keep on doing very well thank you, the public, as usual, is getting screwed harder and harder.

Darth then returns to the topic of GST, making some useful observations around petrol- "Motor fuel is already heavily taxed, so the GST (which goes up every time the tax goes up) is, on the Government's part, triple-dipping" - and the much more agreeable and equitable GST system in Australia, where food and medical expenses are spared.

However, Darth's public goodwill only goes so far ... it's only fair that a man with his column can be self-serving from time to time, and argue for GST exempt private health insurance and, get this, income-tax free pensions: "Another example of double-dipping is income tax charged on pensions and benefits. These, since they are paid from out of taxation, should be tax-free."

Listen, old timer, when the government uses its revenue to give you an income, it's - err - and income, and therefore subject to taxation like any other. Still, teachers, nurses, and doctors in the public systems might like to try that logic: "We're paid out of tax revenue, so why tax our incomes again?!"

Good luck with that.

Labels: darth george, nz first, taxes

Ole Smokey has been positively salivating this year at the prospect of a National Government. Finally, there will be an outlet for his brand of small-minded conservatism beyond the NZ Herald. Official recognition, even. Darth George for Minister of Climate Change!

Let's have a look at this week's effort: after the obligatory lengthy quotes (always good for the old word count eh Darth?), he launches into anti-intellectualism. This is standard fare for conservatives in New Zealand, who have long bewailed the presence of teachers, lecturers and former trade union officials in the Labour Party caucus ("a goodly number of our ruling politicians for the past eight years are also erstwhile academics" points out a clearly "scared" Darth). Why these professions are somehow inferior to the former farmers, small town accountants, and (more recently) retired currency speculators who make up the National caucus is a mystery to me.

Onwards and upwards though: there's a quick mention of abortion (for no apparent reason), a gripe about MMP (better when National could win elections when they had fewer votes than Labour eh, Darth - like in '78 and '81?), but settles on "government interference in our daily lives with the imposition of legislation that has arisen from ideas that have quickly become ideologies."

"What the fuck is Darth on about?", you might well ask. Was not National motivated by an uncompromising ideology known as "neoliberalism" last time we had the misfortune to see it in office? (Albeit tempered by other ideologies - known as "pragmatism" and "populism" from 1994-99).

Darth suggests an unwilling public "swallowed" civil unions, "choked on" the legalisation of prostition, and is now "flatulent" in the face of the "ideology" of human-induced climate change. Yes, flatulent.

That would be the same type of climate change that John Key now professes to believe in.

But for Darth, and - he suggests - the public at large, the final straw was the anti-smacking bill. The bill that was apparently a product of Labour/Green ideology, and the exemplar par excellence of the Government's "arrogant and overbearing treatment of New Zealanders."

That would be the exact same bill supported in the House by EVERY SINGLE FUCKING MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL PARTY, YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER TOOL.

By all means support the Bill's opponents (Act, that dork who used to be in United Future, and NZ First) if you must ... but don't give National a free ride when it supported the bill.

Labels: darth george

The long-awaited Ikea store (which would be an excellent addition to the retail landscape, especially in the currently over-priced furniture department) can't go to Mount Wellington because it might ... um, generate traffic. No shit. After it took me 50 minutes to get to work this morning, instead of the 20 minutes I was enjoying until last week, I suggest the Environment Court refuse resource consent for schools.

Apparently there were just two windows to pick-up pre-paid tickets at Eden Park for the T-20. The organizers of the event blame people not turning up early enough and being unfamiliar with the "intricacies" of Eden Park. Which rather disregards the idea that people generally, um, work on weekdays. Y'know that thing you do until at least 5pm, and quite often 6? As one disgruntled fan put it, "Do they assume that as they already have our money we will accept this?" Yes, that's exactly what they expect.

Right-wing talking point of the week is that Clark was cowardly in not attending all the events at Waitangi while Key looked prime ministerial. Audrey Young notes that previous visits have seen the PM and Labour MPs subjected to (1) accusations of treason, and associated death threats; (2) being shouted down by the usual suspect; (3)jostled by aggressive assholes; (4) perhaps most disgustingly, sprayed with urine. In the face. And add to that (5) Don Brash being pelted with mud, to which he replied rather wittily, "nice shot", but to which he would have been perfectly entitled to reply: "fuck off you little fucking c8nt".

If I'd had similar experiences in a place I wouldn't set foot in it. Quite why those responsible for law and order in New Zealand have let events like that unfold in the past is beyond me.

And for a little Darthwatch, this week he blames primary teachers for not "sorting out the little shits early enough" (although he doesn't deem to provide us with his thoughts on how this might be done); expresses support for more "real men" (read: heterosexuals) in primary school teaching; raises the old right-wing bugbear of performance-based pay for teachers (without suggesting even one criteria by which said performance might be measured); bashes teachers' unions; and prattles on about the government-in-waiting.

Yawn.

Labels: darth george, schools, travel, waitangi

So, what does the dark lord have in store for us this week?

His column starts promisingly enough with a five-paragraph tribute to the late Sir Ed, although like many others Darth tries to politicize the issue: first by raising a long-standing conservative gripe about the demise of recognizable titles like "Sir", and second by characterizing the idea of an additional public holiday as, essentially, an invitation to sloth. Sir Ed's life was, Darth notes (accurately), "energetic, active, adventurous, useful and hard-working." What he fails to note is that for many people it's hard to be energetic, active and adventurous when you're tied to a desk, a telephone, or a supermarket checkout. It's much easier when you're on holiday.

As for the first claim, titles like "Sir" are certainly distinctive in a way that prestigious honours like "ONZ" are not. This seems to be true and is unfortunate. But as for the claim that "he appellation Sir carries weight no matter where you go" ... well, you can't get it in Australia (finally ceased in 1986; highest award: Order of Australia), Canada (generally discontinued since 1919; highest award: Order of Canada), the United States, Ireland, South Africa (discontinued 1952), or too many other countries where English is widely spoken as far as I can tell. Except Papua New Guinea of course - perhaps that's what Darth means by "international".

Darth even means to slip in a reference to "the new National Government we will get later this year" ... for fuck's sake man, the death of a most distinguished and likable New Zealander is no time for this pathetic carry on.

But five paragraphs of a inappropriately politicized and ill-considered tribute to Sir Ed doesn't stand up to ... (drum roll please) ... 16 paragraphs (424 words) considering "a few rare gems" Darth has received via email. Yes, Darth has rediscovered the cut and paste function on his computer. Take this "gem", versions of which are readily found on the internet.

The next time you feel as if God can't use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk; Abraham was too old; Isaac was a daydreamer; Jacob was a liar; Leah was ugly; Joseph was abused; Moses had a stuttering problem; Gideon was afraid; Samson had long hair and was a womaniser; and Rahab was a prostitute.

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young; David had an affair and was a murderer; Elijah was suicidal; Isaiah preached naked; Jonah ran from God; Naomi was a widow; and Job went bankrupt.

Peter denied Christ; the disciples fell asleep while praying; Martha worried about everything; Mary Magdalene was ... well ... you know; the Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once; Zaccheus was too small; Paul was too religious; Timothy had an ulcer; and, if you please, Lazarus was dead.

For fuck's sake man, what does this have to do with anything? You're too lazy to even do your own proselytizing, so prefer instead to cut and paste hackneyed lines pointing out the foibles (including "divorce" apparently) of the key characters in the book? Why? And there's some obscure characters there too: I can't recall ever hearing of Rahab or Zaccheus. And the word he was looking for to describe Mary Magdalene was "prostitute". Just like Rahab.

Who pays this chump? At least hand his column over directly to the National Party. There's evidence that Bill English has a sense of humour - "The trouble is that New Zealanders are leaving the country in planeloads, and Australians are coming here in kayaks." Assuming that's an original line, it's bloody funny. Originality and humour are not things that Darth seems well-acquainted with.

Labels: darth george, herald, prostitutes

Today Darth wades into the murky waters of climate change, concluding that it is to scientists what smoking is to "health professionals": no, not "a serious risk to human wellbeing", but rather "an international rort". I bet Ole Smokey really wanted to say "health Nazis" but the sub-editor wouldn't let him. Anyway, perhaps Darth is driving the piss-poor climate change skeptic/denial writing in the Herald lately, convincingly exposed first by Russell Brown, and second by Idiot/Savant.

In large part it was Fran O'Sullivan's serving of denialist craptrap that led Russell Brown to label the Herald an embarrassment: a big call, but the right one. Idiot/Savant did a good job of fisking another "think piece" by Brian Leyland, an apologist for "yesterday's dirty technology, unable to understand that the world has moved on."

Anyways, back to Darth: he refers to a letter (updated: thanks to Anon, below) from "more than 100 prominent scientists from around the world, including at least seven from New Zealand, to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon" which questions the notion of human-induced climate change, and rings alarm bells about trying to reduce carbon emissions. I hope for Darth's sake they are real scientists, and not a motley collection of TV weathermen and gardeners, a la the infamous Inhofe list cited by O'Sullivan.

Update: Hot Topic astutely notes: "The 'prominent' scientists overlap with Fran O’Sullivans 'eminent' scientists. Yes, Owen McShane and Bryan Leyland are there. Again." Ahh, nice to see NZ's finest scientific minds hard at work.

Darth is basically in parroting mode today. I guess we should be thankful it's not trite Bible phrases (a Darth specialty) or a National Party press release (a talkback specialty). He basically asserts, on the basis of this "letter", that current climate change is not abnormal because it is within the bounds of natural variability (highly unlikely and depends on a cherry-pick), that computer modelling can't predict climate (as models go, they're highly sophisticated), and that old favourite "there has been no net global warming since 1998" (a stupendous heap of dung).

Is there a place for debate on climate change and how humans should respond, if at all? Absolutely there is. But don't look to Darth and his friends at the Herald for anything meaningful.

Time to put NZ's leading man of letters out to pasture.

Labels: darth george, herald

Russell Brown has recently observed the "petty", "spiteful" and (increasingly) "unreadable" quality of the NZ Herald opinions. He didn't specifically comment on the latest effort from our friend Darth, though. Darth's New Year's message rails against ... (drum roll please) ... political correctness! It is hard to believe anyone is willing to pay this chump to roll out crusade against "political correctness", in an outdated 2005 Wayne Mappesque fashion. This is all very familiar territory.

Our friend Darth doesn't pass on any particular warm wishes for the festive season or the New Year, but blathers on about this amorphous thing which supposedly "robs us of our uniqueness as human beings, while it tries to reduce us all to an amorphous mass of uncertain, anxious, obedient wimps." Darth declines to give any specific example of political correctness, apparently preferring to talk in generalizations about its alleged effects on language (unwillingness to "call a spade a spade") and denial of natural differences between human beings (e.g., claims that "all men and women (and even children) are not just equal but the same.")

I'm not being overly harsh in my interpretation. But I don't see much evidence of the first problem, and suggest the second is in fact, wrong by about 180 deg. One thing I absolutely loathe is a tendency amongst many far left/ultra-critical commentators not to deny the differences between people (on the basis of ethnicity, gender, age, etc) but to grossly exaggerate them, in order to advance a political case that, say, the interests of Maori are radically, perhaps diametrically, opposed to the interests of other New Zealand citizens. Or that women are universally and constantly oppressed by men, etc (hence the need for their own subway cars, perhaps). Such thinking is a recipe for separatism of various sorts, and is far more alarming than any supposed trend towards saying that everyone is "the same" (whatever that might mean). In fact, I think we could do with more emphasis on our common, shared interests as human beings, than on ethnic or gender differences.

What made Darth's alarmist nonsense about tortured, obscure language and the (probably non-existent) trend towards sameness somewhat amusing was the google ad pop-up which accompanied his column at the time I first read it.
1. George W. Bush WWIII
2. Iran Nuclear War Prophesy
3. Your name and Bible codes

Between political correctness, George W. Bush and "Bible codes" the end is surely nigh.


I had the good sense to create a screen capture.

Labels: darth george, herald

Darth George has written an articulate, moving and original column. Well done: you earned this week's pay cheque.

Labels: darth george

How often can Darth George be allowed to write the same "country going to hell in handbasket" story? Honestly, he shovels out this reactionary shit at least once every six weeks. You get the sense things were so much better back in Holyoake's days ... men were men, hospital waiting rooms were empty, and you could drink, drive and speed with impunity.

This stock story from Darth alternates with his other favourite, a good cut'n'paste from the Bible, concluding with some banal statement to the effect that politicians should take note. It's easy to imitate.

Honestly, can't someone just show him the door, and send him packing to whichever provincial outpost he promised to go to? I nominate Oamaru ... cold, boring, white. Little changed since Holyoake was PM.

Also in today's news ... arrival of standard winter weather prompts media firestorm. Snow in the South Island, who'd have thunk it? These hacks can smell an easy story from 1000km away in a nice, warm, comfortable Auckland newsroom.

Labels: darth george

The great man of letters is moving on to parts unknown.

He appears to rule out Tauranga and Nelson (there goes my theory about the NZ Herald relocating to become the Tauranga Herald), but the rest of the country had better keep a look out for an elderly curmodgeon with a writing style that mixes small doses of common sense with large measures of moral panic, quoting of Scripture, and climate change denial. And a bad moustache.

As to why Auckland is going to hell in a handbasket, Darth offers the following insights:

...an ever more crowded and unfriendly environment in which privacy is but a memory, scarred by big, ugly apartment buildings rapidly becoming slums.

Am inclined to agree on Auckland apartment buildings being ugly ... but how exactly they are becoming slums I know not. In any case, how such trends affect Darth in his leafy North Shore suburb is an interesting question.

And spreading suburban ghettos based on ethnicity and religion.

Well, I live in a one-up-from-the-ghetto suburb and there's no evidence of ethnic or religious homogeneity whatsoever. Quite the opposite. Ethnically it's diverse, and as for religious belief, it goes unmentioned in polite society.

And more and more infill housing so you can shake hands with your neighbour out the kitchen window (although your neighbour is more likely to shake his/her fist at you).

Again, I can sympathize with aesthetic objections to much infill housing (building a cheap fucking "minor dwelling" on exposed wooded piles is not proper fucking housing, people!) I don't see a lack of neighbourliness in Auckland.

And it's definitely not unfriendly by the standards of medium-to-large sized cities. I find it considerably friendlier than Vancouver. Interestingly, Vancouver ranked 3rd equal, and Auckland a close 5th=, in a recent international survey of urban quality of life. One suspects neither would be good enough for our moustachioed friend.

Hours of time and buckets of money will be wasted trying to get from point A to point B by car or bus as the city's roading infrastructure falls further and further behind the needs. Even today many of us stay close to our homes at weekends because we won't put up with the frustrations of trying to go anywhere.

Like I said, the man is not always bereft of common sense. But really, a sense of proportion can help here. Lots of sprawling, automobile oriented cities have bad congestion. Sydney. Seattle. Toronto. Etc. Given Darth's professed love of his 4-litre Ford, methinks he doesn't spend much time on the bus anyway. He just threw that in there so that people who actually do use public transport might sympathize with his complaints.

Local body services, inadequate as they are already, will struggle with increasing lack of success to deal with sewage and stormwater disposal and rubbish collection. Heaven knows the inner harbour is polluted enough as it is but I fear we ain't seen nothin' yet.

Err, OK, but at least Auckand treats most of its sewage to a reasonable level, something many smaller towns and cities can't or won't do.

My suburb right now resembles a Third World slum with the streets piled high with inorganic rubbish, some of which has been there for weeks uncollected by council services obviously not well enough organised or manned to get the job done efficiently.

Yes, that is a bugbear for many uptight Auckand residents. It would be pleasant if the Council would pick up inorganic garbage more quickly, but I'm not about to leave the city because of it.

Neighbourliness and community spirit, already at a premium, will, like privacy, become an ever-dimmer memory; our parks will deteriorate as they become too crowded to cope; and those Aucklanders so inclined will have to travel further and further to get away from it all.

Has Darth been to a park lately? Unless there's a festival or free concert on, they're practically deserted.

Labels: darth george, herald