Author Archive

NZ Herald watch – history repeats

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, February 7th, 2014 - 146 comments

The NZ Herald has a long history of opposing Maori resistance and supporting colonisation. It has always been right wing with a strong commercial focus & MO.  Yesterday it censored news of Waitangi Day protests.  Today an editorial spins in slippery style, for the Govt’s failing PowerCo sales.

Myths of Waitangi Day – & Hikoi

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, February 5th, 2014 - 289 comments

The ratings driven MSM beat up dramas and conflict in relation to Waitangi Day – they continue to circulate myths about the Day.  Morgan Godfery has blogged about those myths.  Meanwhile, the hikoi to protect our seas and land continues. [update: Rachel Smalley]

Here’s an idea! Clean energy…

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, February 4th, 2014 - 56 comments

Anadarko fails to find commercially viable oil in Taranaki, and is now moving on to waste even more time, money and resources in the Canterbury basin.  This is a big fail for John Key’s casino capitalist, speculative economic policy.  And a fail for NZ’s people and environment. [update: Hikoi]

UN to NZ Human Rights – ‘can do better’

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, February 3rd, 2014 - 20 comments

A draft UN report on human rights shows NZ has been slacking off.  The government is glossing over its failings: eg on domestic violence, child protection, poverty, ethnic inequalities, discrimination, disability rights, government abuse of urgency. Collins focuses on punishment, surveillance.

John Key: telling it like it isn’t

Written By: - Date published: 6:12 pm, February 1st, 2014 - 121 comments

John Key says that the Greens make personal attacks: calling for ministers to be sacked.  This is hardly a diversionary personal attack unlike the nastiest of Key’s cheap point scoring . The Greens “go hard” in focusing on relevant issues: public transport, environment, poverty & inequality gap.

“How are you all doing?”

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 pm, January 31st, 2014 - 46 comments

One handwritten poster by a student in South Korea, asking “How are you all doing?” has started a poster movement where people doing it tough talk truth to power. Campbell Live featured a woman writing to John Key about her struggles on low pay.

Media Watch: infotainment & “balance” – inequality

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, January 30th, 2014 - 56 comments

The ratings/sales driven ethos of the corporate MSM skews the coverage of the election campaigns of parties of the “left” and the “right”. Focus on individuals, implying they represent large sections of the population. The left are leading the agenda on inequality.

Seeger “brought politics to music”

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, January 29th, 2014 - 23 comments

1919-2014: Gone but never forgotten. Songs for and of the people.

Opposing the PM’s statement

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle.  Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

‘Reclaiming Our Children’s Birthright’- Metiria’s speech

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, January 27th, 2014 - 53 comments

Metiria Turei delivered a very strong, inspiring, and well-targeted speech yesterday. She reclaimed fractured values of inclusive, collaborative communities. She framed inequality as the issue for the coming election; the Greens’ education hub policy central.  Labour, NZEI responded favourably.

Less (inequality) is more….

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, January 25th, 2014 - 40 comments

John Key seems to be trying to fudge the evidence of the damaging inequalities in NZ.  I recap Bunji’s 2010 series of posts on The Spirit Level showing the benefits of a more equal society.  Will this be addressed by Cunliffe and Turei this  long weekend?

AAAP: grass roots action. Well done!

Written By: - Date published: 7:41 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 12 comments

A video by Auckland Action Against Poverty is a record of their work and achievements.  Narrated by Sue Bradford, it’s must see viewing for anyone interested in actions against poverty, grassroots campaigning, networking and direct action.  Very impressive!

Isolating change: the poverty of education

Written By: - Date published: 11:24 am, January 24th, 2014 - 60 comments

John Key presented one great idea in isolation instead of a full election agenda: a desperate attempt to stop the growing discontents with his government.  He failed to address underlying problems.  Cunliffe will outline a broader political agenda.  Turei addresses poverty & income inequalities.

The Pablo-Trotter interchange – whither the left?

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 pm, January 23rd, 2014 - 169 comments

A response to recent exchanges between Pablo (on Kiwipolitico) & Chris Trotter.  I agree and I don’t.  I argue that Pablo’s Marxism needs some updating to include the politics of various kinds of oppression & the intertwining of and interaction between cultural “superstructure” & “economic base”.

Spot the difference! Stating the nation

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, January 23rd, 2014 - 97 comments

[Updated] Speeches: Key (today ZB Transcript). PM’s speech – untruths, misdirections & corporatisation of education – comment added. Cunliffe on Monday, on greater opportunities for all Kiwis. Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday – will talk education, environment. Peters responds to Key. Greens response – education. Cunliffe’s Stand-up – audio.

Welfare profiteers

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, January 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments

Paula Bennett’s punitive welfare reforms are bad enough (pressuring people into unsuitable work, or off benefits without alternative support); then there’s privatising the scheme by outsourcing enforced work placement to private companies  –  worse still, to overseas corporates. Devaluing & dehumanising people, communities, & nurturing activities. [Update: APM conflicts of interest]

A matter of “confidence”

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, January 21st, 2014 - 41 comments

Bill English reviews the economy

Some say the economy often responds positively to “confidence”, while lack of it can result in some financial nose dives.  But whose confidence is being highlighted in reports of NZ’ “rock star” economy?  Not that of workers, beneficiaries – the precariat, say Labour, Greens.

State housing: bursting the “market” bubble

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, January 20th, 2014 - 102 comments

The inhumane (un)affordability of housing in NZ, especially in the cities of Christchurch & Auckland, is beyond crisis point. The answer is not letting the “market” (aka the wealthy and powerful) decide. As Utah shows the solution is more state housing.

The politics of food: Oxfam report

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, January 16th, 2014 - 10 comments

Some MSM reports crow about positive economic indicators, & decreases in the time people spend on benefits. Such statistics fail to show inequalities, & struggles of people on low incomes.  An Oxfam comparative international report on food security is not good news for NZ, or the world.

Down among the women: limits of ‘growth’

Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, January 14th, 2014 - 97 comments

The GDP measure fails to account for life sustaining activities outside paid employment.  Women do the majority of such unpaid work.  A gender blind approach to financial crises is socially and economically destructive.   An alternative, cooperative social and economic model would attend to gender and other diversities.

Here’s an idea: electoral funding

Written By: - Date published: 6:01 pm, January 11th, 2014 - 25 comments

“Want to get some transparency back into politics funding in New Zealand? Tired of electoral funding skullduggery?” Standardista freedom suggests “NZ creates the Electoral Donation Register of New Zealand.”

Obama’s TPPA bid to over-ride democracy

Written By: - Date published: 6:47 pm, January 10th, 2014 - 16 comments

There’s a tussle going on as Obama pushes to seal the deal and to limit Congress’s say on TPPA deals.  But, Congress would still have more say about the deals than NZ MPs. It’s about democracy & sovereignty.  It could slip under the radar over summer.

Consumerism’s ‘desert of the real’

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, January 6th, 2014 - 47 comments

In The Matrix Neo discovers that his “reality”, is a virtual world that had kept him from seeing “the desert of the real”. George Monbiot cites research that shows how capitalism is eating itself and its consumers. The marketing con of “the good life” – desert of the real.

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, January 3rd, 2014 - 110 comments

Celebrity golf!  Which one will get voted off the island first!?  Meanwhile the world burns, the poor struggle, and the wealth gap continues to be a blight on our country.

Towards online citizens’ radio

Written By: - Date published: 4:31 pm, December 31st, 2013 - 72 comments

What would it take to set up and run one or two regular online progressive radio shows?  Ones to counter the corporate dominance of politics, news and current events in the MSM, and on TV & radio, including on RNZ.

Poverty denial

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, December 30th, 2013 - 230 comments

Here & in the UK: food poverty, increases in queues to foodbanks, in diseases of poverty, a crisis in affordable housing, & struggles & insecurites of the working poor. But poverty denialists blame the poor, smear beneficiaries, & talk of (always-around-the-corner) “brighter futures”.

John Key’s patchwork ‘job machine’: user pays

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, December 28th, 2013 - 47 comments

John Key’s great idea for job creation – his cycleway project – has produced some benefits, but is a patchwork production.  Some sections will be user pays to fund maintenance.  Meanwhile the job creation benefits have been limited.

Shop til we all drop

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, December 27th, 2013 - 90 comments

The cult of the super rich, cheer led by the uncritical echo chamber in the MSM. Those struggling in poverty receive a few crumbs of charity, promoting superficial “good will” by those indulging in the orgy of consumerist excess. Underlying causes & solutions are ignored.

In the shadow of Savage

Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, December 26th, 2013 - 17 comments

25 December is a good day to visit historic sites.  Yesterday I visited the Savage Memorial in Auckland.  Political heritage in today’s environment.  A memorial for workers? Remember the Savage government!  Remember the Bastion Point protests!  Lessons for today?

Thank you ….

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, December 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.

Auckland in search of democracy

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, December 24th, 2013 - 29 comments

Media beat-ups around personality politics divert from Auckland’s real problems: an undemocratic council structure that panders to corporates, & that does not represent Auckland’s diversity, while doing little to counter the destructive impact of the inequality gap.

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