What business should run for free?

The news from the NZ Herald that TV3 faces fines of up to NZ$300,000 because it broadcast advertising - its primary source of revenue on a Sunday morning should raise a more serious question.

Why should any privately owned broadcasters broadcast for free?

The laws restricting when TV broadcasters can broadcast advertising are a little recognised but very real limit on free speech. Why should the government dictate when a broadcaster can sell the only thing that broadcaster has to make money? Advertising.

Imagine a cinema that had to offer free tickets on a Sunday morning, or any other business that was told if it opened on a Sunday morning, everything would be free. Indeed, imagine the internet without ads on Sunday morning - um yes, got the point?

Of course look at who brought the case - the cheerless Ministry of Culture and the Arts. People who produce nothing, who risk nothing, but use your money to promote their view of what culture and arts should be subsidised. Not the culture and arts you consume and want, no. You're forced to pay for a statist view of the world. It's wrong, and the Ministry of Culture and the Arts should be disbanded.

Meanwhile, a small step forward would be to end restrictions on advertising on Sunday mornings, as well as Good Friday and Christmas Day (the only days radio stations cannot broadcast advertisements, but I doubt most of you even notice).

If you don't like advertising on TV on certain days then you can avoid it - do something else, turn it off.

What do you want councils to do then?

Given this news

You might ask why National and ACT are doing nothing to constrain the powers of the new Auckland mega city.

You want the new mega city to get involved in promoting shows with your money?

Well National and ACT don't care if it does.

So if the council will do what it likes
Wont reduce rates
It wont fix transport

What's the point? Especially when it makes some on the left get excited about the possibilities.

Iran's benign proxy?

Leave it to Trevor Loudon to post to remind us how an Imam from Hamas calls for extermination of all Jews.

Then wonder why, with this rhetoric, Israelis and Jews generally should "get over" the Holocaust, as so many leftwing commentators say.

While Palestinians support the likes of this, is it any wonder Israel wont compromise?

Oh and Iran funds and arms Hamas. However, you never hear calls for Iran to end its imperialist ambitions do you?

IRD cuts seen differently by Labour

250 jobs to be axed from the Department of Legalised Theft - which can only help boost the economy, as there are less claws trying to clasp money from the productive.

However, I found it funny that Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson on Twitter said:

"250 jobs to go at IRD. apparently its a good time to ask people to take voluntary redundancy! services we get from IRD will suffer."

Services? What are they Grant?

IRD is the state institution that says you're guilty and you have to prove your innocence to it. It harasses people to pay for what they never asked for, for services whether they deliver what you want or not, all without asking - it takes.

I've never understood the mindset of someone who would work for IRD - what joy is there is forcing people to pay for government? What joy is there is forcing people to surrender between 20 and 40% of their income for monopoly education, health and pension schemes which are never accountable if they fail you, and which you can't opt out of?

Taliban rolls further in Pakistan

First it was Swat Valley. I blogged about this tragedy here, here (the consequences of Taliban rule shutting down so much freedom) and here.

Just like the 1930s in Europe, the Taliban did not stop there. It didn't say "thanks we'll be good now", the Taliban have used Swat as a base, to fight onwards and now capturing Buner District, nearer to Islamabad.

CNN reports:

"The Pakistani government appears unable or unwilling to stop the Taliban's steady advance deeper into the territory of this nuclear-armed country"

Is Pakistan a failing state? What will it take for the West to be worried about Pakistan's apparent impotence against the Taliban? Will it take Islamabad to be surrounded before governments wake up and realise that the Taliban is taking over a state that holds nuclear weapons - and if you think a nuclear armed Iran is scary....