RBNZ warns of more mortgage stress, but only for a few; Poor renters much more stressed and numerous; Child homicides not being counted; Jobless rate up; Big Foreshore & Seabed ruling
"The Federal Reserve decided Wednesday afternoon not to raise interest rates, marking a second straight instance it declined to raise rates.
The Federal Reserve kept the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%, which still marks a 22-year high. This has made the cost for borrowers quite high, with 30-year fixed mortgage rates exceeding 8%.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has made it the Fed's goal to get inflation to an annualized rate of 2%. As of September, the consumer price index, the leading measure of consumer inflation in the U.S., was 3.7%. The consumer price index has fluctuated in the 3%-4% range for much of 2023 after topping 9% in 2022. "
To keep inflation down (to benefit businesses and property owners) we need 3-4% unemployed. These unemployed are deemed integral to our prosperity and yet no one acknowledges the cost they are forced to pay on our behalf. #crushedatbottom They are regarded as numbers not people children families. As long as they are not on a living wage with safe housing and access to education, we are not a civilized society
I've said it before on the Hoon, the problem is that sympathy does not scale, many, if not most, right wing leaning persons are willing to put their hand in their pocket to help out an individual when they hear their story, but not willing to do so at scale even when doing so will cost them less than their "charity".
David, some of the right wing folk I know insist that unemployed people receiving govt assistance are lazy bludgers and that their hard earned taxes are being wasted supporting said lazy folk. What would they (the right wingers) do if everyone was employed, I wonder?
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office was a ‘dumpster fire’ says Dominic Cummings
"Boris Johnson says his party thinks the whole thing is pathetic and Covid is just Nature's way of dealing with old people and I am not entirely sure I disagree with them."
"The next day after attending cabinet Sir Patrick Valance wrote the chief whip says I think we should let the old people get it.
Prime minister says a lot of my backbenchers think that
How amazingly callous! Especially seeing Johnson himself was on death's door with Covid. Should they have not bothered to treat him seeing it is obvious he doesn't look after his body? I really can't believe the cruelty, othering and selfishness that seem to dominate politics around the world. I increasingly think those over 50 are not fit to govern for future generations (and I'm on the cusp of that too). Bring on a new compassionate generation of leaders!
I find it interesting when talking w several of my mostly younger conservative family members who may have voted for Nats/ACT but all agree that both labour and Nats r so similar and that they offer nothing new than what has occurred ova the last few decades. It’s like they see thru the folly like u have highlighted Bernard .... yet they still voted for these same policies!
No. I told them I voted TOP, but they said they knew little abt them. All they saw in MSM were the two main parties and the three minor ones (ACT, Greens, NZF), which comes back to the problem of an equal platform for all parties to compete on.
On the Inflation front...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZf_3H_eR8
"The Federal Reserve decided Wednesday afternoon not to raise interest rates, marking a second straight instance it declined to raise rates.
The Federal Reserve kept the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%, which still marks a 22-year high. This has made the cost for borrowers quite high, with 30-year fixed mortgage rates exceeding 8%.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has made it the Fed's goal to get inflation to an annualized rate of 2%. As of September, the consumer price index, the leading measure of consumer inflation in the U.S., was 3.7%. The consumer price index has fluctuated in the 3%-4% range for much of 2023 after topping 9% in 2022. "
To keep inflation down (to benefit businesses and property owners) we need 3-4% unemployed. These unemployed are deemed integral to our prosperity and yet no one acknowledges the cost they are forced to pay on our behalf. #crushedatbottom They are regarded as numbers not people children families. As long as they are not on a living wage with safe housing and access to education, we are not a civilized society
Similar attitude to ...
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/thursdays-chorus-less-stressed-than/comments#comment-42894828
I've said it before on the Hoon, the problem is that sympathy does not scale, many, if not most, right wing leaning persons are willing to put their hand in their pocket to help out an individual when they hear their story, but not willing to do so at scale even when doing so will cost them less than their "charity".
David, some of the right wing folk I know insist that unemployed people receiving govt assistance are lazy bludgers and that their hard earned taxes are being wasted supporting said lazy folk. What would they (the right wingers) do if everyone was employed, I wonder?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAP7q950D5A
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office was a ‘dumpster fire’ says Dominic Cummings
"Boris Johnson says his party thinks the whole thing is pathetic and Covid is just Nature's way of dealing with old people and I am not entirely sure I disagree with them."
"The next day after attending cabinet Sir Patrick Valance wrote the chief whip says I think we should let the old people get it.
Prime minister says a lot of my backbenchers think that
and I must say I agree with."
More quotes here
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/31/natures-way-of-dealing-with-old-people-the-damning-messages-revealed-to-covid-inquiry
How amazingly callous! Especially seeing Johnson himself was on death's door with Covid. Should they have not bothered to treat him seeing it is obvious he doesn't look after his body? I really can't believe the cruelty, othering and selfishness that seem to dominate politics around the world. I increasingly think those over 50 are not fit to govern for future generations (and I'm on the cusp of that too). Bring on a new compassionate generation of leaders!
Re Jenny McGee
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/442852/kiwi-nurse-who-helped-uk-pm-boris-johnson-quits-uk-health-service
Not that NZ treats our nursing student exports any better ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wxBRScHAw
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/tony-alexander-expect-house-prices-to-rise-10-in-2024-and-15-in-2025-44546
"Tony Alexander: Expect house prices to rise 10% in 2024, and 15% in 2025
here's growing acceptance that we're in the upwards leg of the cycle."
In other words a big F..K YOU to first time house buyers & another excuse for landlords to keep hiking up rents.
And just to add insult to injury ...
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/sir-john-keys-former-beach-house-up-for-grabs-44542
To yet another Chinese foreign buyer I wonder ...
https://substack.com/@nzheretic/note/c-17554216
I find it interesting when talking w several of my mostly younger conservative family members who may have voted for Nats/ACT but all agree that both labour and Nats r so similar and that they offer nothing new than what has occurred ova the last few decades. It’s like they see thru the folly like u have highlighted Bernard .... yet they still voted for these same policies!
Politics as team-sport.
Could they not see a viable alternative?
No. I told them I voted TOP, but they said they knew little abt them. All they saw in MSM were the two main parties and the three minor ones (ACT, Greens, NZF), which comes back to the problem of an equal platform for all parties to compete on.