Comments for The Opinionated Diner http://opdiner.com Mon, 07 May 2012 03:57:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on The way I act don’t seem like me / I’m not on top like I used to be by Will http://opdiner.com/2012/the-way-i-act-dont-seem-like-me-im-not-on-top-like-i-used-to-be/#comment-12408 Will Mon, 07 May 2012 03:57:59 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3519#comment-12408 I suspect there is a A deep-seated cultural fear of reprisal for colonisation at play in the NZ psyche: if and when the US declines, it goes, New Zealand will necessarily be brutally colonised in a 19 Century way by the ascendant foreigners because that's what Europeans did when they had all the guns, germs and steel. History, the fact that the Chinese have no history of imperial behaviour outside of the middle-kingdom, doesn't seem to mitigate it. Of course the Chinese have strategic interests in our dairy industry; we have strategic interest in their dairy industry also, and so far they seem extremely willing to allow us to invest in it without imposing the sort of anti-competitive market restrictions that, say, the European Common Market imposes. Incidently, we just sold off about 100 years of intellectual property in respect of apples, in the form of ENZA, to the Germans. If there was a news story I missed it. There wasn't any outrage, and comparatively that was a much more significant sell off than the Crafar farms, one with arguably little benefit to our economy. I suspect there is a A deep-seated cultural fear of reprisal for colonisation at play in the NZ psyche: if and when the US declines, it goes, New Zealand will necessarily be brutally colonised in a 19 Century way by the ascendant foreigners because that’s what Europeans did when they had all the guns, germs and steel. History, the fact that the Chinese have no history of imperial behaviour outside of the middle-kingdom, doesn’t seem to mitigate it.

Of course the Chinese have strategic interests in our dairy industry; we have strategic interest in their dairy industry also, and so far they seem extremely willing to allow us to invest in it without imposing the sort of anti-competitive market restrictions that, say, the European Common Market imposes.

Incidently, we just sold off about 100 years of intellectual property in respect of apples, in the form of ENZA, to the Germans. If there was a news story I missed it. There wasn’t any outrage, and comparatively that was a much more significant sell off than the Crafar farms, one with arguably little benefit to our economy.

]]> Comment on The way I act don’t seem like me / I’m not on top like I used to be by Simon http://opdiner.com/2012/the-way-i-act-dont-seem-like-me-im-not-on-top-like-i-used-to-be/#comment-12379 Simon Sat, 05 May 2012 14:07:06 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3519#comment-12379 Yeah, I agree George. The idea of sidling up to take part in the US's endless confrontations to gain fiscal (and political) advantage seems stuck in those capitals, perhaps because so few actually notice them and they desperately wish they would. Yeah, I agree George. The idea of sidling up to take part in the US’s endless confrontations to gain fiscal (and political) advantage seems stuck in those capitals, perhaps because so few actually notice them and they desperately wish they would.

]]> Comment on The way I act don’t seem like me / I’m not on top like I used to be by George D http://opdiner.com/2012/the-way-i-act-dont-seem-like-me-im-not-on-top-like-i-used-to-be/#comment-12378 George D Sat, 05 May 2012 13:56:59 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3519#comment-12378 It doesn't seem to have occurred to Australia (and by extension NZ - since NZ hasn't had an independent foreign minister with confidence in his own ideas in the last 15 years) that countries exist not to line themselves up as subjects of a second cold war, but as independent entities whose interests are prosperity and security. Simple enough to grasp, but the world really does look a little different in Canberra and Wellington (it really does). It doesn’t seem to have occurred to Australia (and by extension NZ – since NZ hasn’t had an independent foreign minister with confidence in his own ideas in the last 15 years) that countries exist not to line themselves up as subjects of a second cold war, but as independent entities whose interests are prosperity and security. Simple enough to grasp, but the world really does look a little different in Canberra and Wellington (it really does).

]]> Comment on The way I act don’t seem like me / I’m not on top like I used to be by Nigel http://opdiner.com/2012/the-way-i-act-dont-seem-like-me-im-not-on-top-like-i-used-to-be/#comment-12377 Nigel Sat, 05 May 2012 11:05:43 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3519#comment-12377 Glad you're back blogging. That was a fascinating post. Glad you’re back blogging. That was a fascinating post.

]]> Comment on Everytime I Look Around…. by Shane http://opdiner.com/2012/everytime-i-look-around/#comment-12353 Shane Fri, 04 May 2012 11:44:19 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3489#comment-12353 In the mid 90s I was on a gold mine in East Kalimantan, and How Bizarre was the song of the moment. But of course, being in Indonesia it sounded like "How Besar" (or "How big??") and so it became the catch phrase for the next year or so. We need some bigger trucks - "How besar?" and so on. Even for an Aussie it was a great song. In the mid 90s I was on a gold mine in East Kalimantan, and How Bizarre was the song of the moment. But of course, being in Indonesia it sounded like “How Besar” (or “How big??”) and so it became the catch phrase for the next year or so. We need some bigger trucks – “How besar?” and so on.

Even for an Aussie it was a great song.

]]> Comment on His teeth as he smiles / Are white and glistening by Copyright as Theft « Workers Party (NZ) http://opdiner.com/2011/his-teeth-as-he-smiles-are-white-and-glistening/#comment-12209 Copyright as Theft « Workers Party (NZ) Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:01:22 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=2400#comment-12209 [...] http://opdiner.com/2011/his-teeth-as-he-smiles-are-white-and-glistening/ Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...] [...] http://opdiner.com/2011/his-teeth-as-he-smiles-are-white-and-glistening/ Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]

]]> Comment on There’s a stack of shellac and vinyl / Which is yours now and which is mine? / 45 by simonantz http://opdiner.com/2011/theres-a-stack-of-shellac-and-vinyl-which-is-yours-now-and-which-is-mine-45/#comment-12073 simonantz Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:07:14 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=623#comment-12073 Oh yesss...i was the young trainee manager in McKenzies Krd in 1976 We put in the new record store..i still remember these 2 young island dudes asking me to put KC n the sunshine band on...... i was 17 n far to skinny to say no... but sounded good all the same :D Oh yesss…i was the young trainee manager in McKenzies Krd in 1976
We put in the new record store..i still remember these 2 young island dudes
asking me to put KC n the sunshine band on…… i was 17 n far to skinny to say no… but sounded good all the same :D

]]> Comment on Then somebody comes and smiles at me / And I can’t feel bad at all by Michael Higgins on Facebook http://opdiner.com/2012/then-somebody-comes-and-smiles-at-me-and-i-cant-feel-bad-at-all/#comment-12075 Michael Higgins on Facebook Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:45:55 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3513#comment-12075 A small piece of magic A small piece of magic

]]> Comment on Then somebody comes and smiles at me / And I can’t feel bad at all by Moony Moon Moon on Facebook http://opdiner.com/2012/then-somebody-comes-and-smiles-at-me-and-i-cant-feel-bad-at-all/#comment-12074 Moony Moon Moon on Facebook Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:13:54 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3513#comment-12074 music cures all. and makes happiness a contagious disease. onyer chris. music cures all. and makes happiness a contagious disease. onyer chris.

]]> Comment on Then somebody comes and smiles at me / And I can’t feel bad at all by Busters Bands on Facebook http://opdiner.com/2012/then-somebody-comes-and-smiles-at-me-and-i-cant-feel-bad-at-all/#comment-12070 Busters Bands on Facebook Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:48:15 +0000 http://opdiner.com/?p=3513#comment-12070 indeed seeing chris smile is wonderful indeed seeing chris smile is wonderful

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