Excessive-drinking is not a criminal matter to be punitively persecuted, or a lifestyle issue to be coerced from; its a crisis of values. Its the implication of some pretty poor social values; which are a manifestation of most people's personal values. Don't expect the two major parties to do anything constructive. Their measures will however help stop off-licensed site boozing with this law, but they will not stop people tanking up before going out with it, or simply modifying their behaviour. They are just as likely to switch drugs, maybe even go for harder drugs. Its a start, but a half measure. Its values stupid. Address the mind, not the social implications. Stop behaving like 1970s behaviourists!
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Showing posts with label Driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Driving. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
New Zealand - peace man!
According to some liberals at the 'Vision of Humanity', NZ is the most peaceful nation in the world. Sorry, I don't agree. These surveys are not entirely useful because 'peace' is a frightfully bad measure of health. Why?
Peace is not an indicate of well-being. Look at the runner-up 'Japan'. Japan is a highly collectivist nation. Japanese people are often very unhappy people; and they have a propensity to jump in front of trains to remind you. They feel constrained by their culture. It is fun for foreigners to come to Japan because we think their 'entrenched values' are cute, but for Japanese people, they want to stay abroad. This escapism of course is not restricted to Japan. Westerners want to go to Japan, or the Philippines, because foreign nations seem to treat one better than the servitude one sinks into when you are a 'local'. In NZ, one gets a 4-year tax holiday on offshore passive income. This is a great deal. NZ is a friendly place...but living there for the last 2 years, I have come to see it as quite a threatening place. There are anti-social elements which mean you stand a modest chance of befalling some violent death. I think one far safer in Australia; but then you stand a higher risk of being persecuted by your government in Australia.
There are however signs of improvement in Australia. Belatedly, after 2 decades of persecuting motorists, a NSW liberal MP has asked the Attorney General to investigate the use of speed cameras. A little reflection is encouraging, but actually, I don't expect much change.
Back to the issue of peace. Not a good measure. It can equate with repression just as much as well-being. i.e. Saddam Hussein, a vile dictator, famously kept Iraq a peaceful place until the Americans invaded. But I suspect Iraqis would prefer American occupation to Hussein back in power. That is because in this context, peace correlated with political oppression. There is no overt opppression in the West; its more subtle. We have taxation. And because we are enslaved by arbitrary law, we are more repressed than oppressed. But the distinction is more one of rationalisation, whether by you or government, and the extent to which you challenge the system of the authorities.
I joke about the use of drugs. Drugs are very popular in NZ. More so than Australia I suggest. This escapism highlights the extent that people need to resort to various forms of 'coping' in a society which disempowers.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Driving age in New Zealand
NZ is considering whether it ought to change the driving age for youths. The clear motivation is the high number of deaths. My views are that age is not the issue. The issues are:
1. Consequences: Is a teen over the age of 15 years able to know the consequences of their actions. The answer is yes.
2. Driving experience: Does the youth have adequate knowledge of driving, driving conditions, driving safety to go on the road.
3. Values: Does the child have the intellectual maturity to deal with any vulnerabilities that might impact their ability to drive.
Clearly the intellectual maturity is not an issue solely restricted to youths. The problem is that politicians turn complex issues into simple media placards which does not properly respect the rights and interests of people.
We have a situation now where the government unconditionally grants drivers the right to drive on the basis of a limited test - both theory and practice. This test does not adequately reflect the range of driving experience of youths. In addition, the nature of our political system is destined to encourage youths to challenge the authority of police and more broadly the law. Far from achieving 'obedience', unfair law is a call to disregard it, and to treat it with contempt, making an subsequent difficult.
What we know about youths is that they are over-invested in what others are thinking. They don't have a well-developed sense of their own values, their character, their personal identity. That is a problem in a social context, in which they feel compelled to impress people. It is a problem in a context in which a youth is looking for a sense of control. i.e. They are looking for intellectual control, but if they can't get that, they will seek some sense of practical or concrete control, which inadvertedly might mean through driving, for a sense of efficacy they cannot get elsewhere. Most youths know their limits; however in a social or alcoholic-fulled context, these concerns are subdued.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Driving age rising for NZ drivers
After a spate of young driver-related deaths it appears probable that the minimum driving age will rise from 15 years to 17 years. This increase will of course make a difference to road fatalities, however it will not end the pattern of youth-related deaths. What is often not appreciated is the nature of those deaths. At the moment the license precludes the young drivers from having passengers. The problem is that young drivers routinely breach this rule, and the fact that alcohol is illegal is little discouragement since its easy for kids to get alcohol. It is a recipe for disaster.
NZ is of course a rural-based economy so no youth license is an obstacle for rural families more than city families. I can understand the need to raise the driving age, but actually kids up to 25yo tend to be pretty irresponsible. I would suggest a string of other measures:
1. A link in the driving age to school results. Kids who show a strong average school grade should only be given the right to get an early drivers license.
2. Continued restriction on youth drivers having passengers
NZ is of course a rural-based economy so no youth license is an obstacle for rural families more than city families. I can understand the need to raise the driving age, but actually kids up to 25yo tend to be pretty irresponsible. I would suggest a string of other measures:
1. A link in the driving age to school results. Kids who show a strong average school grade should only be given the right to get an early drivers license.
2. Continued restriction on youth drivers having passengers
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'Buying NZ Property – Download the free sample readings!
NZ presents some of the most alluring property in the Western World; particularly given the greater easy of residency, the low cost of property, and the liveability of the country. In addition, there is no capital gains tax, transfer taxes, VAT/GST or wealth taxes in NZ, so rest assured that NZ property is tax-effective! Learn more now!
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