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Thread ID: 65620	2006-01-24 23:01:00	Which government privatised our copper wire to Telecom?	braindead (1685)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
424031	2006-01-26 03:11:00	The sales were ideology driven. The ideology is based on economic theories. Economic theorys work well, as long as their application is confined to spreadsheets. As soon as they are applied to the real world, they stop working. The economists don't care; they've got a fact-free subject. They just follow a new fashion. English is a living language and I reserve the right to introduce "Idealogically" at this juncture. :D And there are some Marxist economists who'd be deeply affronted at the suggestion that they don't care. :rolleyes: At the moment the Chicago school of economics is in the ascendancy internationally and Keynesian theory is out of favour. But that won't last forever. What we need is a World Government with Helen Clark as it's first President. :thumbs:	Winston001 (3612)
424032	2006-01-26 03:22:00	The economists (not necessarily Marxist) who don't support the fantasy theories might care. The ones who got the Nobel prizes, and got their idiot ideas implemented by idiot politicians, don't care.	Graham L (2)
424033	2006-01-26 03:49:00	Actually the debt problem is worse today even after all the family silver being sold off because most of the debt was just privitised and now most of the dividends head overseas instead of remaining in this country. yes don't hold me to ransom on this one, But I think if all the "family silver" that has been sold to date, had of been sold off on day one of the "big blow out" we would have enough money in the bank now (ready to buy back the family silver?)	Eric (378)
424034	2006-01-26 04:42:00	The point is Eric, that it wasn't 'sold off', it was 'flogged off'. Don't you recall the commentators calling it 'the fire sale of the south pacific'? Millions was spent on the Railways to make it 'attractive' to buyers. It was sold for less than not only what was spent on it but also its original value. The idea was to offload a liability. This didn't apply to all SOEs. Some could've been retained and returned a dividend to the ultimate owners, the taxpayers. There was a period in NZ's history where full emplyment was a social and political goal, and the various govt departments like the railways and state coal were required to provide employment even if it meant (famously or infamously) leaning on a shovel. With the great 'roll back the state' revolution of Freidmanite economics (Reaganism, Thatcherism, Rogernomics) the popular idea was to dispose of these vast poorly-producing monopolies and open them up to competition and "business principles". The greatest tool to make that workable was unemployment. A guaranteed stable level of unemployment breaks the Unions and forces conditions and wages down, therefore giving great opportunities to the businessess that took the place of the old state monopolies. That duopolies, persisiting monopolies in the private sector and cartels might develop wasn;t really the issue. It was the buyers who promoted the ideology and they have been very successful in their enterprises. The enduring unemployment, low wage economy and the social costs are some else's problems. ie. ours.	mark c (247)
424035	2006-01-26 04:55:00	The privatising movement works on the principle: "Privatise the profits,; socialise the losses". Except that they have no principles. And their theories don't work.	Graham L (2)
424036	2006-01-26 05:11:00	The privatising movement works on the principle: "Privatise the profits,; socialise the losses" . Except that they have no principles . And their theories don't work . They work for them . And it's easy to sell to the masses . Any opposittion can be dismissed as communist, mental-derangement, ludditism . This friend of mine who works in the privatisation industry is totally cynical about it, he gets well paid, travels all over, and is a real nice guy . His plan is to accrue enough wealth to survive the damage he's causing . But he says it's a steamroller, unstoppable, it not only has ideologiocal impetus but it also delivers the candy! The candy, a short, sharp sugar hit and then who cares?	mark c (247)
424037	2006-01-26 07:23:00	........The greatest tool to make that workable was unemployment. A guaranteed stable level of unemployment breaks the Unions and forces conditions and wages down, therefore giving great opportunities to the businessess that took the place of the old state monopolies........... That's what the Business Round Table and others of their ilk call flexibility :)	Terry Porritt (14)
424038	2006-01-26 07:47:00	I forgot the appropriate tune. www.authentichistory.com :thumbs:	Terry Porritt (14)
424039	2006-01-26 07:48:00	Yes TP, I agree. It will be interesting to see the posts of the supporters of the revolution. They are still about in large numbers as seen by National's deft (but not quite deft enough) ploy with the tax bribes at the last election. C'mon tory guys and gals, you can afford it.	mark c (247)
424040	2006-01-26 07:57:00	While talking about firesales might I just mention the BNZ sale about 1991 . Faye Richwhite (the public company not the people) bought it and it turned out to be a dog . The NZ taxpayer walked away from that one laughing . Mind you, the poor taxpayer had previously stumped up $600million to stop the BNZ falling over so needed a bit of cheering up . Look guys - I've just finished a book about Albania and am currently reading about Moldova . Both are former communist states and powerful arguments against that political system . Greed isn't the exclusive province of private enterprise . In these communist nations greed and corruption reigned and the people who held the wealth were politicians . The greater the part a government plays in an economy, the greater the temptation for individual politicians and civil servants to look after themselves . Government with a light hand is the best course .	Winston001 (3612)
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