This is not going to make me popular but I have stopped reading most of the bloggers on my right and am thinking of blacking out my blog. Knowing how few readers I have that would probably be as futile as the actions of those occupying my beloved Octagon.
They have a sign saying they will not move until capitalism is destroyed. In that case they will be there long after I am dead and buried. Their spokesman who shouted in the council chambers and took his dog in with him to make just as much noise is a known communist and rabble rouser in the city. If we had communism he would not be allowed to make his protests.
In my youth (50's and early 60's) I was attracted by communism but was concerned by the atheism involved. It is wonderful in theory but does not allow for the greed of human nature. Even the early church in the early glow of Christianity had Ananias and Sapphira.
I am still a Socialist and believe that Capitalism needs moderating by government action. Most in the USA would call that communism. We have seen how the people opposed Obama's attempts to provide a more acceptable health scheme. While it is not perfect by any means, countries like Australia and New Zealand do moderate capitalism. The Scandinavian countries do it even better. The USA is a basket case and that is the reason I say the USA has nice scenery and some nice people but I am always glad to leave. Here there is no need for people to beg in the streets nor go homeless in our countries. The few cases are generally due to mental problems or those who fall through the cracks. The churches and other groups are always campaigning for improvement.
The main problem is from a few people who exploit the social system, allowing politicians to campaign to remove such benefits. People are shown on welfare with wide screen TVs and of course smoking. I noticed young people smoking in the occupation camp the other day. They are supporting the worst of the multi-nationals. I would remove all health benefits from people who continue to smoke. I have to move away at bus stops or cover my face with a handkerchief when walking down the street. as I am allergic to cigarette smoke.
If there had been a march or even a few days occupation, I would have supported the aims but to occupy our city's beautiful meeting area for over 3 weeks has just antagonised so many of us. The buses from the cruise ships (83 this summer) which are so important to our economy pull up there. I have friends coming on a ship in early December and this morning my sister said "arrange to meet them under the Robbie Burns statue". I snorted. "I can't, it is occupied" and she was horrified. The occupations in Sydney and Melbourne have been removed by police. To my knowledge they have not returned. Of course police brutality was claimed but this is always a tactic of such groups.
The Dunedin City Council offered the occupiers another park away from the centre, but they refused. Yesterday the laws were invoked and they were told to leave by 8pm last night. As yet the police have not acted. If I and some friends decided to camp in the main street, we would have been moved very quickly and rightly so. Photos have shown dishwater running down the path. They are using the nearby council provided toilets which have always been very clean, I now go several blocks away to the toilets provided by the multi-national owned shopping centre.
The irony is that in our democratic elections at the end of this month, the Prime Minister is riding high in the polls. Wikipedia provides the following:
In 1995, he joined Merrill Lynch as head of Asian foreign exchange in Singapore. That same year he was promoted to Merrill's global head of foreign exchange, based in London, where he may have earned around US$2.25 million a year including bonuses, which is about NZ$5 million at 2001 exchange rates.[3][8] Some co-workers called him "the smiling assassin" for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.[4][8] He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001.
These occuaptions are driving more people into his arms. It is not 99% against 1%. Probably 70% or more of our population, while annoyed at the actions of the 1%, are doing quite well. The 1% do not use the city central park or meet friends there, they have their own mansions and chauffeur driven cars.
The situation at St Paul's has also saddened me. These people would never go near a church and would probably oppose the church if they had power. They are laughing up their sleeves knowing the church people are wusses, scared to be seen taking action.
We do not have the problems of the dysfunctional USA government. It is bad enough that we import so much like Coca cola and Stsrbucks, we do not need their occupation movements. Even our education systems have been damaged by importing American ideas.
I can never understand why just to the north there is a so much better society with similar history and culture in Canada.
