Comments for New Day

Comment on Postcard from America by Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:04:56 +0000

given there is a massive internal demand driven merely by having 300+ million people living in what should be first class standards (inequality notwithstanding) it seems odd that they can’t self-start. especially as they have a history of entrepreneurship.

hawaii is, from what i’ve heard from friends who honeymooned there, odd. everything is imported from great distance. without tourism it’d be dead. no industry outside the travel dollar. it seems dangerous to put all your eggs into one basket that is so temperamental.

Comment on Red meat by Andrew M

Andrew M — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:28:07 +0000

are the christians more or less conservative than you’d find in a “typical” kiwi congregation? in a generation do you think the echoes of christianity will have faded in america as they have down under, or is there a vitality to their beliefs that transcend the moralistic therapeutic deism of going to church out of blind obligation?

Comment on Of broad avenues and large monuments by Andrew M

Andrew M — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:43:56 +0000

Did you manage to see Mark Dever’s church while in DC (capital hill baptist church)?

From the podcasts I get from the states (albeit from the conservative end of the reformed spectrum), I’m amazed and impressed with the pride americans have in their country and their constitution. there is a level of stoic individualism and self-reliance that (in sensible measure) is to be admired. the idea that if you are beholden to the government to provide you with something, you’re in its control. even the style of government healthcare we have in NZ and Australia is seen as not quite two steps removed from being soviet style collectivism.

Comment on The secretive power elite that runs the world by John Pickering

John Pickering — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:45:39 +0000

I trust you will touch the moonrock in the Smithsonian

Comment on Review of ‘Welcome to our world? Immigration and the reshaping of New Zealand’ by Nigel

Nigel — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:03:47 +0000

cheers. works now.

Comment on Review of ‘Welcome to our world? Immigration and the reshaping of New Zealand’ by drandrewbutcher

drandrewbutcher — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:01:51 +0000

Hi Nigel, Hopefully it is fixed now, hyperlinked under the word ‘review’

Comment on Review of ‘Welcome to our world? Immigration and the reshaping of New Zealand’ by Nigel

Nigel — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:55:29 +0000

HI Andrew,
I can’t open this link as it says Access is not permitted. Is there any other way to see it?

Comment on NZ’s soft power in Southeast Asia by Paul Marcroft

Paul Marcroft — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 03:24:12 +0000

Also do you see Maori Culture as Asian? I would have thought that there is a second channel of soft power linking indigenous peoples inside the Asia Pacific. (Please discuss – 1 hour)

Comment on NZ’s soft power in Southeast Asia by Paul Marcroft

Paul Marcroft — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:06:00 +0000

Andrew – a good solid read with much to ponder. The notion of hard and soft power has always seemed to me to be analogous to the masculine/feminine power dynamic – and the ability to recruit resources using alternative strategies of persuasion. However probably not an analogy you want to take too far lest it lend weight to those seeking to establish marketing other forms of flesh than tender NZ lamb.

PS – Did you consider/discard the idea of examining the dairy industry as part of NZ’s suite of soft assets?

Comment on Mind the gap: Australia and New Zealand’s views of Asia by John Pickering

John Pickering — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:15:52 +0000

Where’s your stats Andrew? I had a look at the Asia NZ report and the Lowry report. I noted that no stats had been presented to show that there were real differences in the numbers in your table and text, so I did my own (chi-squared analysis). Fortunately, in this case, there were differences at reasonable p values (<<0.05).
Sorry for my skepticism. But there are lot of numbers in the Asia NZ report and few stats to back up the suggestions of trends or differences (I saw one stat at the 90% confidence interval … i.e. 1 in 10 chance we may be wrong, and a few claims of "significance" although I couldn't see how significance was defined). I'm sure the people who did the analysis are competent and have done the stats, it's just if I (and maybe others) can not see them we can have little confidence that the differences observed are actually meaningful.