A world at war: ask Peter Fraser anything
Diary of the last ten hours and tumultuous century
Jun 10 1942
An Auckland mother has taken to the Women’s Weekly Over the Teacups page to share a painful Blackout story. Since black curtains have been put up in all the windows and street lights dimmed, walking at night has become what Gilda Fitz-Daly calls an absolute ‘mare.
I have broken the heel on my best shoes twice in one month and ripped my nylons five times and it’s not good enough, she says.
I get that we’re at war and I don't want us to be bombed obviously but I don't see why the lights can't be turned up when I pop out for a walk.
Hello Prime Minister Fraser, if you're listening - not that I suppose you are, you'll be too busy being as wildly Socialist as you can be - I’m a Kiwi taxpayer and I'm waiting for your apology.
An Auckland businessman has taken aim at the government for freezing Japanese assets. David Seymour-Putz, a property investor with interests in the Far East, claims the move was premature and is causing him a lot of grief:
I get that we’re at war with them and everything. But I have three apartment buildings and a golf pro shop in Tokyo. So now what? What am I supposed to do if I can't collect my rent and membership fees? The government hasn't thought this through frankly and it's not good enough.
Hello Prime Minister Fraser, if you're listening - not that I suppose you are, too bloody busy getting black and white photo opportunities - I’m a Kiwi taxpayer and I'm waiting for your apology.
Wellington garage proprietor Colin Judas has taken out a quarter-page advertisement in the Evening Post demanding the government set out its plans re: tyre supplies.
What the Dickens are we doing at the back of the line for tyres? the advertisement asks, and continues, we get that 90% of the world's raw rubber supply is in enemy hands but if Israel and Singapore can get so many containers of Dunlop by paying a premium why can't we?
The government has responded that as far as they are aware the state of Israel does not yet exist, container shipping has not been invented and Singapore has so much rubber because it is occupied by the enemy.
Judas remains unconvinced however. Well they would say that wouldn't they? They have an army of three press secretaries who can come up with all manner of stuff that you and I aren't privy to. I just don't see why we can't have more tyres, that's all I’m saying.
Prime Minister Fraser if you're listening - not that I suppose you are, you'll be too busy tucking into your weekly ration of half a lamb chop - I'm a tax paying Kiwi citizen and I'm waiting for your apology.
An irate Christchurch man is mounting a rally this weekend to decry the government's invasion preparations. Simeon Bishop-Christmas calls the plans a joke.
Yes there are evacuation plans for our large cities and yes we’ve all been digging trenches and having air raid practices and yes complex emergency planning is underway in every city and yes the hospitals are ready for casualties. But mark my words we will need more than that.
And it should have been done by 1938. It would have been, too, if we hadn't elected a bunch of communists.
If you look at this map I’ve been plotting with little red bits of plasticine, I reckon the Japs are three days away, four tops.
Prime Minister Fraser if you're listening - not that I suppose you are, you never do - what we need is a plan B and we need it yesterday.
Jun 10 2021
6.10am
We all make mistakes, especially if you write a daily newsletter called More Than A Feilding. Apologies, yesterday's edition had a couple. Here we go:
Correction number 1: That big global tax announcement this week was by the G7, not the G8.
Also, if you’re looking for discouraging reading, this particular topic is fruitful as hell. For example: the reason the leaders of the free world have finally seen the desirability of flushing out Cayman Islands loot is not so much the gross inequity of the thing as that Covid spending has grievously hollowed out government coffers. Also, the likelihood of making any of this stick, according to seasoned jaded observers, is a bit - to use a gloomy Kiwi measurement - average.
Oh well. At least they're turning the destroyer around to face in the right direction.
Correction number 2:
I had barely put up yesterday's newsletter when MTAF reader Tinui Times was in touch to say:
The Retirement Commissioner has the retirement village industry in her sights, rather than the rest homes. The rest homes are a different financial can of worms entirely, although most of the big operators have a rest home somewhere in their expansive retirement village complex.
A little later, the Retirement Commissioner was also in touch to courteously say the same thing and would I mind clarifying that and yes, by all means, sorry about that, Commissioner.
Mea culpa, I was much too loose. When I said rest home, I was indeed thinking of them fancy village complexes. And, no, they’re not by any means the same as each other.
Cheers to Steve for the best last word on the subject.
Did I say the last word? Actually, a couple more thoughts -
Nick offered this, about alternatives to the RETIREMENT VILLAGE model:
There is an alternative to the Licence to Occupy model of retirement villages where you purchase a unit title and have full control of the sale when your time is up. They also have all the shared facilities that come with the LtO model. No medical facilities for advanced care but these are for active retirees.
And in answer to my question - what ever became of little pensioner flats? - Lorna reported in from Palmy. Cheers Lorna!
8.30am
Dear Uncle Dave,
I notice there's a borderline homicidal maniac and weapons-grade twerp on line making noises of hostility towards people who ride bikes, when he's not too busy putting up footage of himself being a a borderline homicidal maniac and weapons-grade twerp with his ludicrous cars. I can’t work out if it’s better to ignore him and his ‘petitions’ or do something, because people like this are full of shit and mostly just crave the attention. But what if someone ends up getting hurt?
Decent Person
Hi Decent
I reckon we should be reporting shit like this to the police (and maybe Facebook LOL) but also I don't think we should be amplifying it. I’m not a fan of reportage that uses this stuff as clickbait. We don't want to be like Facebook.
Cheers, Dave
Hey Uncle Dave
Who's this maniac you're talking about and where can I see him?
Clickbait Junkie
Hey CJ,
I don't want to help encourage this stuff but you’ll find the story on social media readily enough if you're keen.
Uncle Dave
Hey Dave,
You seem a bit touchy, have you got a touch of the snowflakes or is that your car-hating coming out?
Online Goader
Hey OG
Alow me to refrain last night’s post about the way Judith Collins and co keep saying Oh these people who want to decarbonise my town and my motorway, they hate cars, what the hell is their problem why do they hate cars?
My response:
I want us to make it separate and safe so that the very many people who presently say they’re too frightened to get on a bike will be able to make the move.
That's how you decarbonise the city.
That's how you fix the problem properly.
That's what you do if you don't hate all the babies that are going to be born in the next hundred years.
Yes, I said HATE. If Pop-Up leader wants to pull that shit, let’s serve it back.
People of Aotearoa! Do you wish to decarbonise this country or do you hate all the babies that are going to be born in the next hundred years?
Of course you want to do what’s right! Of course you do! Never doubted you! Here! Hop on! Pedal with us into a sustainable future.
Hello readers of the free Thursday edition, there was a lot more of this sort of thing in last night’s subscriber edition. You can join us right here.
9.30am
Best climate crisis line of the day, from Marc Daalder:
My view: The Climate Change Commission's emissions budgets and the Zero Carbon Act targets must be the floor of our ambition, not the ceiling - otherwise we're betting 1.5 degrees on a coin toss.
10.30am
Best laugh of the day, from Blaire Goddam Erskine
11.30am
Best thing I had never heard of until this week and now I think I want to try it, except that this is probably a really dumb idea if your heart has given out a couple of times. Big Dog's backyard Ultra: The toughest, weirdest race you've never heard of.
12.30pm
Thing I learned today that everybody else most likely already knows but somehow it passed me by:
Question: Who was due to hold the Olympics, after Berlin, in 1940?
Answer: Tokyo.
You know, life really is a lava lamp with familiar shapes reappearing over and over.
1940: the Olympics in Tokyo? Oh I don't think so, no.
2020: the Olympics in Tokyo? Oh I don't think so, no.
2021: the Olympics in Tokyo? Boy do I have a lot of questions, please see my earlier ones.
4.20pm
I was looking forward to seeing what you made of the insane car guy...
yeah but Tokyo in 1964 was ok, so erm...