2009: A Year to Ignore?

I know it seems a bit early to give you a year in review- but seeing as each of these blog entries come out on a Thursdays and next Thursday is Christmas Eve and I'm on hoilday to Queenstown, Blenheim and Wellington from the 23rd of December to 3rd January, this will be the last blog of the year.

This being my last blog of the year- brings a key point to mind- how was 2009?

At first look, this year is pretty much a year to ignore and put it into the history file "Bad Years".

The case for 2009 being one of these "Bad Years" obviously starts with economics. The word recession went from one of those square words you never say to the best possible economic outcome to 2009. I really don't need to go into in depth analysis of what a recession did to 2009-it's plainly evident in the numbers of umemployed and less money floating around.

Politically, 2009 has been a year of nothing much happening. Internationally, there is a still war raging in Iraq & Afganistan. North Korea and Iran still like playing with their nuke toys.
Closer to home, Fiji got a military dictatorship, Samoa and surrounding countries got swamped by tsnaumi.

At home, the biggest two things to happen where a smacking debate and the government's decision to sidestep the Royal Commission the Auckland Super City and Referendum on the super city (which was required by law) all in order to get in sorted in time for the local body elections next year.

While this may look all negative and such, but when you compare 2009 to other years in history 2009 comes off as quite a bland year, there have been years that make 2009 look like a walk in the park. Just think about these years: 1989, 1945, 1939 anyone?

It all probably boils down to this: If we had a bad year- then we should our best to make it better. Take the reccession example- while the effect is immense- we know the price of uncontrolled greed.

So have fun and look after yourselves,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, the next blog will on the 7th of January at the latest.