More short takes

Here a few more short comments on recent events:

Will New Zealand get more electricity shocks?

The National Party-led Government has announced what it calls “reforms” of the electricity sector to deal with skyrocketing prices. I’m sceptical: The last time National was in power, then-minister Max Bradford “de-regulated” the sector, a colossal failure that led directly to this mess. Yet the current minister, Gerry Brownlee (arguably the most partisan member of the National Party caucus), heaps blame on the former Labour-led Government because it didn’t bring down prices—prices that are high, remember, thanks to National Party policies.

Personally, I doubt that this will improve things at all, unless by “improve” you mean make the state-owned power companies a better prospect for selling off to foreign owners. That would be shocking NZ voters in another way altogether.

Current favourite slogans:

I saw two timely slogans rececently I that I really like. The first said, “Axial Tilt: It’s the reason for the season.” Fundies will hate that, since they don’t believe in science (and probably don’t accept that the earth tilts). In any case, it would go way over their heads. The other was from an atheist campaign and said, “be good for goodness’ sake”, pointing out a belief in a god isn’t a prerequisite for being a good person. Sometimes really short is the best way to say things (yeah, like I'd know anything about that!)

Maybe God doesn’t like “Christmas”

Speaking of religion, the storms that roared across much of the US tore down the Tennessee State Christmas Tree. Could it be God’s judgment on them for not calling it a “Holiday Tree”? Just wondering, since the right wing is so quick to blame other natural events on some supposed divine wrath, I thought maybe this was, too.