Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 2nd, 2022 - 84 comments
Our economic system depends on infinite and exponential growth.
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, October 6th, 2021 - 53 comments
With all the unfortunate rhetoric around “giving up on the elimination strategy”.
Small businesspeople around me, who have quietly carried on with the program, and have been supportive of the Government strategy of elimination, even though, in many cases, it has been personally costly, are telling me,, “why did we bother”!
It doesn’t matter if it is the actual Government intention, or the media interpretation, the damage has now been done.
Written By: - Date published: 6:04 am, March 14th, 2021 - 49 comments
I believe, as our first Labour Government did, that everyone has the right “to a life” regardless of their perceived ,”value”.
In our country, with its excess of resources and capability, we have no excuse for poverty.
For leaving people behind.
Written By: - Date published: 4:36 pm, March 11th, 2021 - 50 comments
Expecting a bit much aren’t you? We haven’t had that since Muldoon. At least he had them. The kind of people now asking for a plan were those who complained about governments that “interfered with the sacred ‘free market’” and screamed about “central planning”, “picking winners”, “protectionism” etc. They prefer just getting cheap labour to give the illusion of economic growth. And build a cycleway!
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, September 4th, 2020 - 78 comments
Everyone has recently had an education on “Socialism” working in practice.
And a graphic illustration of the shortcomings, of under regulated “Free market” Capitalism, Globalism, tax cuts for the rich, and the mania for monetising everything in sight, and “running it like a business”.
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, April 25th, 2020 - 20 comments
“Othering” has long been a staple of Governments that want to remain in power for the benefit of an Oligarchy, an “Elite”, a small ruling class, or the ones with, “the money”. Deflecting blame for economic and social issues on, an ethnicity, a class, the elderly, the poor, the young, the unemployed, young solo mothers, the disabled, immigrants, or any other convenient group that can be demonised. Very soon more of us may become the “others” we didn’t care about.
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 am, April 15th, 2020 - 112 comments
After the lockdown, it is tempting to try and go back to what we had before. To the familiar and comfortable, especially for us that were comfortable. Forgetting that for so many, things were anything but, comfortable. That won’t be happening. “Before” no longer exists.
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, April 1st, 2020 - 38 comments
The Government did exactly the right thing, telling everyone they can take outdoor exercise locally within the necessary physical distancing rules.
Trusting people to be sensible about the possibilities of virus spread. To trust that most people will , given the information and criteria, will make the right decisions for themselves and others.
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, February 25th, 2019 - 192 comments
The concentration of wealth and power insufficiently regulated capitalism has caused, now works against the survival of human civilisation. With the wealthy opposing any attempts to limit the damage which affects their wealth.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, November 8th, 2017 - 99 comments
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, October 17th, 2017 - 56 comments
“Once upon a time, in a world far away” we had these people called “reporters”.
An honourable profession, who considered it their job to keep the public accurately and completely informed.
Written By: - Date published: 7:06 pm, August 19th, 2017 - 27 comments
Excuses/reasons, for not doing anything about children in poverty.
This is a re-post from 2013. Unfortunately the need to talk about poverty is even greater now.
Written By: - Date published: 3:39 pm, August 17th, 2017 - 48 comments
With the current dialog about welfare, It is time to look at the people who are the real beneficiaries, of the welfare system.
Who use the educated and healthy workforce our system provides
The people who say “everyone should stand on their own two feet”, “you don’t work you don’t eat”, and “take personal responsibility”,
The business sector.
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, August 9th, 2017 - 5 comments
“Here’s a new idea for the Tories: Why not ask a simple question every time you propose a course of action: Is this morally just?”
Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, April 26th, 2017 - 15 comments
Am I the only one who is upset, over mealy mouthed politicians making flowery speeches saying “We will remember them”
when they manifestly don’t.
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 pm, January 30th, 2017 - 27 comments
Killed in the USA?
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, January 25th, 2017 - 20 comments
The problems we have identified many times, with privatisation of essential services, continue.
Written By: - Date published: 4:49 pm, August 30th, 2016 - 16 comments
No Right Turn has reminded me that the deadline for submissions on the Spy bill is 7th October 2016. Submissions. can be made here. The spy bill. The bill makes it illegal for civil servants, or anyone else, to blow the whistle on the Government. It makes it legal for spies to break laws at […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, July 15th, 2016 - 23 comments
The fiction that National is doing a competent job of managing the economy is entirely due, now that the boom from Dairy and Christchurch rebuilding is ending, to immigration and rising house prices.
They are now riding a bolting horse that they cannot dismount, caused by their own inaction.
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, June 9th, 2015 - 101 comments
Advocates of Kiwisaver and other funded “retirement savings” schemes perpetuate the fundamental misunderstanding that “conventional” in New Zealand’s case “neo-liberal” economists, speculators, finance companies, politicians and those with a lot of share holding wealth in non-productive enterprises like to perpetuate.
Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, March 21st, 2015 - 34 comments
Labour, in 1984, with Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas, promised that if we adopted their prescription we would have a “Brighter Future”. Ruth Richardson in the 90’s promised a “Brighter Future”. Again in 2014 John Key’s National promises a “Brighter Future”.
A “Brighter Future”. For whom?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 10th, 2014 - 41 comments
Another day of shame for the New Zealand Government. as they march us in lockstep…….
Towards the sort of police State we used to fight.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, November 27th, 2014 - 6 comments
The stage was long ago reached where members of the US Government were told they should “wear their sponsors logo’s on their shirts”.
Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, September 24th, 2014 - 140 comments
Labours choice.
Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, September 22nd, 2014 - 31 comments
Nationals promises to you. #1.
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 89 comments
How long before “they” use control of the internet and media to bury adverse information, subvert democracy and vilify and silence those who disagree. “They” are doing it, NOW! A Government no longer has legitimacy, when they regard their own citizens as the enemy.
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, July 8th, 2014 - 149 comments
If the aims of National/ACT’s education policy were, genuinely, to to improve the learning, education and career choices for our children, including the ones that are failing at present, they would not be following policies which have signally failed to achieve any of these goals, anywhere else they have been tried.
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, June 29th, 2014 - 11 comments
How to make your very own New Zealand Prime Minister. Even better looking than this vessel.
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, May 26th, 2014 - 71 comments
The more that National publicly adopts “left wing” “socialist” party policies, such as “free” medical care for children under 13, keeping the retirement age as it is, and balancing the budget, the more they rise in the polls.
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 79 comments
Not the bright young man who has to be paid a million dollars to come to work. The new broom, who fixes what ain’t broke, cost cuts, asset strips, takes his share options, and leaves.
Just what schools need. More of this approach.
Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, January 25th, 2014 - 68 comments
However, a UBI is a change in distribution of incomes, not an increase in the size of Government.
Progressive taxation is the price of living in a well resourced, pleasant, and cohesive society.
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