Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Scoop Feedback: Unemployment, Lies, IDF & Joris
In This Edition: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul? - Wolfowitz, Lies And Deception - Israeli Defense Force - Is Nothing To Be Sacred -
Scoop welcomes reader feedback. Please send your news view and tips to editor@scoop.co.nz.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul?
Sir,
The government has been trumpeting the latest unemployment figure of 4.9 percent (Household Labour Force Survey as recorded by Statistics New Zealand) as being vindication of its employment policies.
What the government has not brought to the notice of the electorate is that the Ministry's figures also reveal that dependence on other benefits has continued to rise despite steady economic growth.
These figures show that while the number receiving unemployment benefits was at its lowest level since the 1980's (having dropped by 23 percent), the dependence on other benefits has continued to rise. The number drawing sickness benefits rose by 10.8 percent and the number on invalid benefits rose by 25 percent over the same period.
Over that last decade it is now evident that despite a drop in the number receiving unemployment benefits, this has been more than offset by the increasing number receiving other benefits.
The indications are, supported by anecdotal evidence, that significant numbers of people have been migrating from unemployment benefits to those other forms of benefit.
It is time this government came clean on the fact that its management of benefits is sorely lacking and it is now running out of control.
The time has come for the government to admit that both it and its various departments have completely lost control of this aspect of governance and that they have an independent body audit the entire process with a view to introducing more stringent applicability criteria, checks and controls.
Only then can we who fund this activity (along with those who genuinely have need of its support) have confidence that the best use is being made of the funds available.
Mirek Marcanik
Wellington
Wolfowitz, Lies And Deception
Dear Sir,
Wolfowitz: "First of all there are al Qaeda terrorists who operate in and out of Iraq. Secretary Powell was quite explicit about some of them in his speech to the United Nations. That by itself would be justification for military action. Not as openly as they did in Afghanistan, for obvious reasons. Saddam is not quite as foolish as the Taliban. But the support for terrorism is clear-cut. The support for al Qaeda is clear-cut."
Another lie from Wolfowitz and the bunch of sycophantish jackals who drool at his every word didn't challenge this statement. If there are any al Qaeda terrorists who operate in and out of Iraq they do so in the Kurdish controlled regions, well beyond the reach of Saddam but well within the reach of the US. Of course al Qaeda terrorists do operate in and out of the United States on a regular basis.
There is popular support for this war in the US but that support is grounded in total ignorance of the issues. This ignorance is played on every day by the Bush regime. The fact that Wolfowitz can get away with his primary school analyses in front of a group of supposedly bright individuals serves to highlight this. How can any rational, HONEST person twist Bin Laden's speech to derive support for Saddam Hussein?
Here in Colorado the education budget has just been cut by $90,000,000 while Bush offers Turkey $20,000,000,000 to host a war that no civilised, educated people want. Perhaps Bush has it wrong. Maybe the United Nations is as relevant as it ever was and by standing up to the US a despotic regime may still be stopped in its tracks? There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Turkish parliament refused the US bribe. The US will put enough pressure on Turkey so that there will be another vote. My guess ... a majority against hosting US troops. Perhaps the United Nations can show some real backbone and stand up to the US and its imperialist designs.
Please access
http://www.moveon.org/emergency/
to add your name to an international petition that is being sent to the Security Council to prop up opposition to the US/British/Spanish resolution.
I believe that the Ameircan people are essentially good, just misinformed and badly led. One day Bush and his buddies will be tried in an international court for war crimes if their jihad goes ahead.
In the meantime I'll see how long my green card lasts ....
Cheers,
Dr Paddy Ryan
(P.S. Keep up the good work. You guys are a breath of fresh air in a bullshit polluted atmosphere.)
Israeli Defense Force (IDF)
As someone who served in the IDF for 3.5 years and still serves as a reserves Staff Srgt., I cannot fathom the slanted reporting job your guys do in our area. I often wonder is it is just hatered for Jews that pushes people like you to portray us as monsters.
I have spent months in the disputed "what you enjoy calling occupied" areas, and neither me, nor any of my brothers in arms, ever woke up in the morning hoping to kill, rape or hurt any innocent woman, child or man. The sad reality in our region is that the Arab world has not accepted Israel's right to exist.
The Arab leaders created a new people, namely the Palestinians to do the fighting for them. The Palestinains, in the name of all Muslims, use terrorism as the sole modus operandi, and ALWAYS hide behind women and children. One must realize that fighting an enemy that uses human shields on a regular basis is hard and often the wrong people get hurt. The responsibility for that hurt should be placed on the shoulders of the terrorists and not the soldiers who are defending their country from terror.
Regards,
Amir Stamper
Israel
Is Nothing To Be Sacred
Sir,
Race Relations Commissioner makes a call for private businesses to adopt Maori names for their businesses (6 March).
It is incomprehensible that Joris de Bres should be making such a suggestion when there is nothing in either the Functions and powers of the Commission (The Human Rights Act 1993) or the Functions of Race Relations Conciliator (Human Rights Act 1993 082 - Commenced: 1 Feb 1994) that gives him the right to do so.
This outburst of politically correct nonsense is inflammatory, counter-productive and, I would suggest, a severe case of attempted political interference in the process of business.
What on earth, from a branding perspective, would be the advantage of Toyota, NEC, GEC, Fisher & Paykell or The Warehouse (to name a few) re-branding themselves under a Maori name?
Mirek Marcanik
Wellington
Scoop
Scoop Independent News
Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.
Ian Powell: From Thriving To Surviving - ‘Poster Child’ General Practice Struggle Symbolises Primary Care Crisis
Ramzy Baroud: Criminalizing UNRWA - How Israel Is Delegitimizing The United Nations
Binoy Kampmark: The Price Of Eggs - Why Harris Lost To Trump
Martin LeFevre - Meditations: The Triumph Of The Swill
Gordon Campbell: On US Voter Suppression, Plus The Races To Watch
Ian Powell: Fast-Tracking Wealth Accumulation And The War On Nature