China---your silence is ----what?

What can I say about China no longer reading my blog? What can I say about the fact that China no longer lets people in that magnificent example of 'Human endeavour' have access to the thoughts of others. Can I say anything about a country that has to vet the list of candidates in the elections that will be happening in Hong Kong, because some of them may be a bit like me; able and willing to expose the 'flaws' in an administration, one controled by a party in league with the 'military/industrial and financial sector----oops, have I just not described the other great power----the USA? I will miss my readers in China; not that they ever made comments. Perhaps I have misread the numbers. Perhaps the ordinary people of China were 'not' accessing my blogs. Perhpas it was a Governmental body. Maybe it took them time to understand my weird Kiwi humour and perhaps they are a bit thin-skinned. Time will tell and after my period of self-imposed exclusive self-examiniation and a suitable statement of contrition, I shall be once again permitted to comnment on those things that matter---the clothing fashions, the exposing of things USA, and certainly nothing but the total observance of the 'great love' between NZ and the people of China! My words are indeed most sincere! www.authorneilcoleman.com

New Zealand's huge non-voter turn-out at the 2014 elections! Why?

There will be a great deal of soul-searching on the part of various political parties who were the ‘recipients’ of the non-voters at the general election we have just had in NZ. I have seen figures whereby the 1,000,000 plus votes that the National Party got was matched by those not voting. My first ‘gut-driven’ reaction to this is—‘well, don’t let me hear you moaning about the Government for the next three years---you had your chance to express your opinion and non-voting just doesn’t cut it with me!’ I do however have another reaction; one a bit more kind. I suspect there are many reasons, other than apathy for not voting. History has taught us that when people are suffering, down and almost out, they sometimes become ‘conditioned into believing anything they do will not work that their position in life is so bad that they have given up on themselves. That stance suits those in certain parties who do not want these people to vote for anything other than the elitist party now in power. I can already hear the indignant cries coming from that quarter (or more likely half!) Once again the reason are more complex than any one explanation. Once again, I turn to history to seek some answers. To believe that one can achieve change in society, comes a certain way of thinking. It also requires ‘organizing on a massive scale and the ruling elite often put barriers in place to stop such movements, albeit ones that are not always obvious in a country like NZ. The media is often blamed by those on the ‘left,’ as being controlled and unfriendly to alternate views.’ It would not be hard to find examples re the election just past. New Zealand should and must be different. We are a small nations and it is not impossible to organize for change. Sometimes the parties representing that desire, shoot themselves in the foot, by making unwise and counter-productive decisions. Once again we saw that in the election this year. For a large group of non-voters to be motivated, they need to hear policy than can relate to, in a manner that is accessible. They do not want to see public fighting that should occur behind closed doors re leadership issue. I wonder if the Labour Party will take that consideration aboard, when the knives are put tomorrow. If Labour and the Greens wish to make a difference; to get the non-voters out next time around, then they need to think way smarter. National openly made accommodations with minor parties this election and will do so again. That they then probably ignore them after the results are in, because they don’t need them. May of course comer back to bite them in the proverbial! Labour had a chance to come to an accommodation with the Greens and they did not take it! But, nothing can take away entirely from the fact that if you wish to change a Government or get your party more votes, you have to get the people out. Giving them reason is half of the solution, the other as always is with the individual making a choice to make a decision to get out and actually ‘do it.’ Apathy, laziness, call it what you like, just means more of the same! Have we learnt? I wonder. www.authorneilcoleman.com

2014 NZ election will go to the wire---Winston, the King maker--again?

So Winnie the kingmaker, will once again hold the nation to ransom, if the latest polls are to be believed. Yes, we have seen to before; sometimes he enjoyed the spotlight for weeks on end. The only way to avoid this is to give the Labour greens ‘alliance’ a clear lead. One would think that the events of the last few weeks would have been enough to turn NZers away from the bully boy and ‘at the end of the day,’ liar we have for a PM now, but no---I suspect that KDC’s efforts to unseat the present ‘ incumbent’ on the throne may have backfired. We should have seen this coming. The choice has often been framed as one between a shady character who got elected last time and the ‘influence ‘of another who came from a shady past elsewhere on the globe. Of course, if one sweeps away all the rhetoric form all the sources purporting to ‘speak the truth,’ then there are other more ‘positive’ choices out there. One of those may have fallen at the line, so to speak. I think you all know who that is! Whether that ‘conservative’ fellow has been the victim of a plot or we are really seeing him for who he is, will be debated, way after the results are known. So---for those of you who really care about NZ’s future, get out there today. Don’t wait for a rainy tomorrow and miss out. Don’t sit in front of your TV, watching the results swing a certain way, only to kick yourself for not casting those valuable votes that will make all the difference. ‘At the end of the day, quite frankly, to be honest,’ we need a clean sweep, a new broom that will deliver hope, where for many the feeling has been for at least six years, one of hopelessness! Over to you my friends! I see the colours red and green! www.authorneilcoleman.com

I THINK CHINA HAS BLOCKED ME!

Yes, I really think that China has blocked me. I have had no hits for at least 10 days and that is significant. I may be wrong, but it is a worry if it is true. It's not as if I have been writing politically sensistive blogs about China, although I could. Hell, even Russia hasn't banned me and I have been writing heaps of shite about them. Maybe Mr Putin likes my blogs because they invite him to be 'nice.' LOL. Oh well, maybe China will return to the real world soon.

This election has been stolen because we have not had enough about the real issues!

Of course this election has been stolen. One can imagine all sorts of ‘conspiracy theories’ as to why and by whom. One can see that it well be to certain ‘player’ advantage for this to be so. One can see that all the kerfuffle over the various sideshows could act as a back-fire that advantages the present ‘regime,’ just as those on the opposite side(s) could put an argument forward that the PM has been the victim. The latter doesn’t sit well with me though. My list of sideshows include, the battle for Hone to stay in Parliament, the KDC fiasco in all of its settings and ramifications, the Dirty Politics and the resulting stage shows which no doubt figure very highly for a large number of people but simply drive some voters into the arms of a willing Key, and some local issues that have made it to the ‘main-stage,’ of nationwide politics. Has it always been like this---have past elections had the same ‘nasty underlying themes?’ I think that this time around, the ‘backing themes have dominated, pushing real debate the issue that matter at least as much or even more so, to het place where they have not figured as they should. The issues around health, education and jobs have been ‘bit players,’ and that is not how it should be. NZers need to have had a full and open debate about these, but one has the feeling that they have just been add-ons as the dirt is shoved around from player to player with many imports having their say too. Yes, these issues are important, but if they have played their parts and influenced a non-listening public, then maybe they should have been a distant ‘also ran.’ I guess the real poll on Saturday will reveal just how much.

Ireland---lots of you reading my blogs now--no more Irish jokes I guess!

Writing blogs and placing them on FB and Twitter has its up and downs. Sometimes one country dominates the reading figures. The USA has always been tops, followed by NZ (well I do live here after all) and then, lately---China, which ‘was’ catching up really fast, but suddenly they have dropped off the list. Hell---it’s not as if I was giving them a hard time about human rights abuses. I was anything but--- mean---I lauded their ‘advances’ and was getting real close to them. But—no---they have deserted me. Perhaps one of the leaders didn’t like my words of ‘wisdom.’ Oh well- I shall shrug off my disappointment and get on with connecting to my new friends---especially those from Ireland. I am feeling ‘much love’ form the ‘Emerald Island,’ a country in many ways, similar to New Zealand. Let’s face it---lots of you have come here over the last 160 years. Irish blood flows strongly in the veins of NZers! Pray, tell me why Irish readers have suddenly replaced those from China. Surely you haven’t arranged some strange swapping of the love! Actually---I don’t care. I just love to see you reading mu blogs and hopefully some of you will buy the hard copy of Roskill or download the EBook version. I would love your feedback. Come on---when have the Irish been backward in expressing an opinion. So--- Ireland and the rest of the word—p-follow this link http:www.amazon.com/dp047325655X That will take you straight to the Amazon link to directly download my book ROSKILL, a sad, but at times funny tale about an issue that affects most countries. Those that say it doesn’t are probably living with their heads in the sand and as there’s not a hell of a lot of sand in Ireland that won’t be the case. If you want to know more about Roskill or want to buy the hard copy (then you get a free download of the EBook as a bonus) just go to my website and follow the link. www.authorneilcoleman.com

China---where are you?

I have come to the conclusion that the absence of China from my reading list for the last 4 days has to be put down to the fact that they have been ‘instructed’ not to read my blog anymore, because they represent a threat to the sanctity of the Chinese nation. Perhaps my words have offended someone high up in the regime! I somehow doubt that and my introduction was merely one in which I am expressing mild consternation about the absence of my many friends in China. China was rapidly climbing the readership list and I was thinking that they would soon be number ONE! But that all suddenly changes. I am wondering if the work my publicist has done on my Facebook page somehow translated into my blogs not being so readily available to China. Silly assumption, you say. Either way I welcome back my China-readers and hope that you can resume your quest for knowledge about my wonderful country and of course download or buy my books at www.authorneilcoleman.com