Trevor Loudon's New Zeal blog has moved to

TrevorLoudon.com

redirecting you there now

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Anderton Lauds Late Socialist Icon, "Woofy"

Most people don't think of Minister of Agriculture, Jim Anderton as a hard core socialist.

Check out his press release on the death of Anderton idol, one time leading socialist economist and life long communist fellow-traveller, Wolfgang Rosenberg.

Economist Wolfgang Rosenberg leaves huge legacy

I mark with considerable regret and a great sense of loss, news of the passing of the Christchurch economic thinker and academic Wolfgang Rosenberg,” said MP for Wigram and Progressive leader, Jim Anderton said today.

“‘Woofy’, as he was affectionately known to family and close friends was one of our unsung heroes. He was probably best known to generations of Canterbury University students as an inspirational and stimulating teacher of economics, not a subject that often inspires that sort of enthusiasm. In that role he was not afraid to go against the orthodox or the powerful and publicly crossed swords with Prime Minister Robert Muldoon on more than one occasion.

"During the nineteen eighties and nineties in particular, when many of his professional colleagues were enthusiastic for, or muted their criticism of the prevailing belief in the market as the cure all of New Zealand's problems, he was not afraid to speak and publish against the prevailing current.

"Wolfgang Rosenberg maintained that economic policies with policy goals of full employment, an expansionary fiscal stance and a high level of government intervention were more in New Zealand's broader interests than the new right agenda pursued by Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson in their respective parties and governments. And he had the satisfaction in my view, of being proved right.

"It is an indication of his intellectual integrity and level of understanding that his major books have stood the test of time and continue to be relevant, when the writings of his then opponents have gone into oblivion.


"Wolfgang's books The Magic Square (1986) and New Zealand Can be Different and Better (1993) were crucial books when I formed the NewLabour Party with key commitments to a full employment economy, regional and industry development and a partnership approach between government and our key sectors.

New Zeal Mr Anderton is as delusional as the troupe of trained socialist seals who made a pilgrimage to North Korea last month.

Hardly surprising as "Woofy", was with Don Borrie, a co-founder and long term stalwart of the NZ/North Korea Friendship Society.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Neanderton wrote:

"It is an indication of his [Rosenberg's] intellectual integrity and level of understanding that his major books have stood the test of time and continue to be relevant, when the writings of his then opponents have gone into oblivion."

That must be news to the late, lamented Milton Freedman, whose books, albeit inadvertently, trashed everything Rosenberg stood for. Of course, Freedman wouldn't have even heard of this nutbar, let alone wasted his valuable time engaging with his writings.

5:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent debating style, as opposed to the tin soldier circus spewed forth by Dear Mah......

Must say tho' bro' - what a mongrel obituary ? Or, should I say "O-Bitch-Uary" ?


Kia Ora !

8:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent debating style, as opposed to the tin soldier circus spewed forth by Dear Mah......

Must say tho' bro' - what a mongrel obituary ? Or, should I say "O-Bitch-Uary" ?


Kia Ora !

8:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting that Rosenberg was Don Brash's MA supervisor.

11:52 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home