What policy would DEFINITELY get your vote?

[SPman]

Absolutely understand what you're saying there dude

Unlike about 90% of the rest - those who can not, or will not accept, that life isn't lived in harsh black and white, but encompasses all the hues of the rainbow and that narrow dogmatic outlooks invariably cause far more problems than they can hope to solve......

[mstriumph]

Just "everybody's moral": don't steal, don't vandalise, don't lie, etc.

if those WERE "everybody's morals" then arguably they WOULDN'T need to be taught in schools

but - unfortunately - they are demonstrably NOT "everybody's"
- think Idi Amin, George Bush, Mgabe [ and all the Western Powers that turn a blind eye to the carnage], most politicians [hell - probably ALL politicians ], many of the catholic clergy [and their leader who seeks to pardon their crimes] ................ i could go on, that's just a small sample?

the ten commandments were written long, long ago in a country far, far away - although still holding some general relevancy to today's ills they were intended as specific to the times in which they were written and to address immediate problems in the place WHERE they were written

if you want something totally and universally as relevant today as it was in biblical times try Rabbi Hillel's response to the man who challenged him to teach the whole of Judaism whilst standing on one leg ............ he said words to the effect of "Do not do to anyone else what you would hate having done to you .......... all the rest is commentary"

that works for me irrespective, as you say, of faith or religion

[mstriumph]

Unlike about 90% of the rest - those who can not, or will not accept, that life isn't lived in harsh black and white, but encompasses all the hues of the rainbow and that narrow dogmatic outlooks invariably cause far more problems than they can hope to solve......

right on extremists frighten me .... no matter WHAT their belief

[Big Dave]

We don't have to be cruel as well.

Oh great. A world without fun.

[Marmoot]

if those WERE "everybody's morals" then arguably they WOULDN'T need to be taught in schools

but - unfortunately - they are demonstrably NOT "everybody's"
- think Idi Amin, George Bush, Mgabe [ and all the Western Powers that turn a blind eye to the carnage], most politicians [hell - probably ALL politicians ], many of the catholic clergy [and their leader who seeks to pardon their crimes] ................ i could go on, that's just a small sample?

the ten commandments were written long, long ago in a country far, far away - although still holding some general relevancy to today's ills they were intended as specific to the times in which they were written and to address immediate problems in the place WHERE they were written

To be frank, You seem to be nitpicking. If that is the standpoint you take then anything I provide would not be enough in your view. It would be like preaching about religion to an atheist: there is simply nothing that can make you believe what you have tried to prove unbelievable.

"Everybody's morals" implies to a "general standard". Not a definition of "morals obeyed by everybody", it is rather a "moral that SHOULD GENERALLY BE obeyed by everybody (i.e, general populace)". The "everybody" in this case refers to something that general populace accepts as something to aspire to. Your examples (Idi Amin, George Bush, Mugabe, etc) points to the flaw in your logic.

Children, as the root of life, grows up mostly based on the foundations that are instilled into them. Hence we see a lot of disfunctional individuals actually coming from disfunctional families (e.g., abused when they were small, growing up among poverty and crime-ridden areas, etc). If we can instill a sense of understanding between good vs. bad, between rights and responsibilities, and between action and consequences, then it would surely lead to a more developed thinking process within these growing up individuals which may well lead to increased quality. That is where the education should come in.

And to your second suggestion, "do not do unto others what you would not want others do to you". It is merely a summarisation and/or restatement of the ten commandments. To imply that it is different would open a door to possibility of Rabbi Hillel countermanding something that Moses delivered.
I agree yours would be easier to remember, but as far as education goes, it is easier to teach little kids the 10 commandments as they are more definitive.

[alanzs]

Legalize drugs and use the tax dollars for treatment, education and health care. California is talking about taxing cannabis and they conservatively estimate making over $3 billion a year in increased revenues.
Lets be proud of thinking on our own, not being a bunch of sheeple who blindly follow the US' stupid, failed policies.

[Dargor]

A way for me to represent myself on certin issues.
A "good" way for me to stay informed on what happens(everything) in house.

Some clever websites would work well.

[Winston001]

if those WERE "everybody's morals" then arguably they WOULDN'T need to be taught in schools

but - unfortunately - they are demonstrably NOT "everybody's"
- think Idi Amin, George Bush, Mgabe [ and all the Western Powers that turn a blind eye to the carnage], most politicians [hell - probably ALL politicians ], many of the catholic clergy [and their leader who seeks to pardon their crimes] ................ i could go on, that's just a small sample?

Hmmm you seem to be picking on anyone you don't like or approve of, to justify the lack of a common accepted morality. The overwhelming majority of human beings are good. If this wasn't true, there would be no such thing as a community or society because it would be everyone for themselves.

I suggest there are a few fundamental rules which are common in darkest Africa or high-rise New York. Protect children. Do not steal. Do not harm other humans. Respect others.

The sad fact that these simple guidelines are not followed by some people is a cause of social breakdown.

[SARGE]

>>Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed it in wine to see whether the child was strong. If the child survived it was brought before the Gerousia by the child's father. The Gerousia then decided whether it was to be reared or not.<<

And then it gets hard. We're giving Sarge the G gig.

yea BOIIIIII!!!!!!

[FROSTY:Me]

One policy would get my attention would be FREE hospital health checks for sickness benificiaries and as a result free remedial health care to ensure their return to a functional life.
Short term cost would be high long term cost low.

[Swoop]

- Stimulate economic activity by lowering the tax rate for the lowest 2 tax brackets..

Well, that will help KFC and McDonalds, but what about proper economic growth? GE Finance again?

- Full length tunnel for Mt. Albert.

Most definately! Preferably directly into the Waitemata Harbour.

- Outlawing Green party.

I have to agree on this one. Stupidity needs to be eliminated.

Some great ideas except the Mt Albert arterial route should still be above ground. It demolishes in excess of 100 Labour voting households.

NO! Beneath ground! See above...

[Street Gerbil]

Right to self defense enshrined in a law.
Requirement to all members of police force involved in patrol duty to undergo fortnightly training with firearms and requirement to always possess one when on duty.
Safe (as opposed to cost effective) road furniture.
Safe cycleways planned as parts of road layout (not ad hoc i.e. build a narrow road and let cyclists and drivers sort it out).
Zero blood alcohol limit for drivers.
Revised tax brackets.
Blanket ban on commercial fishing for the next decade and tax free gas for motorcycles and private watercraft :-)))).

[mstriumph]

To be frank, You seem to be nitpicking. If that is the standpoint you take then .................................................. .

it isn't - therefore please accept that any or all the suppositions you have made about my intentions may be misplaced


i do assure you that, where something i have said can be read as a simple NON-PERSONAL continuance of a debate or, with a bit of work, given a spin to mean something that allows someone to take personal offence from it ..... i ALWAYS mean the former. Without prior provocation i am a peaceloving gentle sort of person with no wish to give offence

i wouldn't have quoted Rabbi Hillel if i had been aware of your religious affiliations [as i have been since made aware] - it therefore was NOT a dig at you - i certainly meant no offence by it.

once again, i tender my apology for any offence you have inferred from my last post - and my assurance that none was implied. subject closed.

[mstriumph]

Hmmm you seem to be picking on anyone you don't like or approve of, to justify the lack of a common accepted morality. ...............

do you mean that you are CONDEMNING my non-approval of Idi Amin and the rest of the motley crew i mentioned?

to suggest that such non-approval is 'picking' on them ......... or that somehow my doing so is seeking to 'justify' a lack of morality is ..... strange.

[Marmoot]

once again, i tender my apology for any offence you have inferred from my last post - and my assurance that none was implied. subject closed.

Umm...no apology was necessary.
My point was that it seemed you were taking a firm non-negotiable diametrically opposed viewpoint from mine which effectively rendered any discussion as moot (due to the non-negotiable position).
Not that I am offended by it or something.

By the way, just to clear up any confusion, I am not Jewish