Readers' Comments

Reader Comments on Another month passes...
From: Michael
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Knowledge Economy,

Hi,

It is obvious our government is backwards thinking.  Why
would they otherwise be doing everything in the face of
development?  Why are they trying to hide from
globalisation?  Why are the trying to derail the Knowledge
Economy?

I think one of the biggest reasons is they don't believe as
a country we can compete with some of the big overseas
guys.  Unfortunately our proven track record as a country
of beating all the odds and being world class in science,
technology, innovation and entrepreneurship has simply
slipped their minds.

If you take our population into account and compare us to
other countries logically we shouldn't be achieving
anything.  We should never have one the Americas cup.  Our
Rugby team should never win against anyone.  Our scientists
shouldn't have been able to split the atom.  Out country
certainly shouldn't have such a revolutionary and
innovative company such as IndraNet Technologies.

We can compete in the world market effectively with
technology and high value services.  We have some of the
smartest people in the world here.  We are more lateral
thinking, creative and less narrow minded than others.
This gives us a huge competitive advantage.

Our government just needs to back us and provide an
environment in which we can develop.  It is so cheap in NZ
for overseas companies, and the quality of the resources is
world class.  We just need to implement the political
infrastructure that encourages development and over seas
investment.  We need to let the Electronic Herd into our
country, or forever sit back and watch our brightest stars
moving over seas.

There is so much opportunity in NZ if you know how to grasp
it.  The Internet has opened up the entire world market to
us and we just need to take it.  Why move to London to work
if you can design a software program, market it online and
earn more money in a month than most IT people earn in a
year?  My good friend and author of the one of the worlds
best FTP client is proof of the potential we have.

This potential is not going to be unleashed unless we
change.  Why is it that our government provides
disincentives to work hard?  Shouldn't you be rewarded for
being productive and working hard instead of being rewarded
for being unproductive and doing nothing?  It seems that
all you need to do to earn a lot of money in NZ is to go on
the dole and have lots of kids.  What good is that going to
do us?  The tax rate should get progressively better as you
become more productive, not progressively punitive.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee before it is to
late.
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