Author Archive

The future is not going to be an Ecotopia

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, November 20th, 2015 - 71 comments

The way to keep people occupied during this period of “Pretend and Extend” is to keep a steady stream of establishment fairytales (and horror stories) flowing.

Roy Morgan says…National governs alone, again.

Written By: - Date published: 2:17 pm, November 14th, 2015 - 199 comments

National on 49%, GR + LAB 41.5%. Government confidence rating up 9.5 to 131.5.

Bottom lines weaker than tissue paper

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 287 comments

Today, Labour showed the commercial world that its non-negotiable “bottom lines” are actually very negotiable, and even disposable.

The (gradual?) decline of American empire

Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, October 6th, 2015 - 93 comments

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson was Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. And he says that the American empire is in decline.

70 refugees dead in small truck on Austrian roadside

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 pm, August 28th, 2015 - 107 comments

When European and NATO countries participate in destabilising and destroying nearby countries, the human tragedy doesn’t stay neatly confined to the other side of the border.

“Wall St braces for a brutal open after China rout”

Written By: - Date published: 10:12 pm, August 24th, 2015 - 121 comments

Wall St opens for trading in a few hours. When websites like MarketWatch start headlining using words like “brutal”, “rout”, “panics” and “carnage” you know it’s time to grab the popcorn and buckle in for what might potentially (and finally) be the start of GFC 2 proper.

Hard left Corbyn receives public backing from 41 leading economists

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, August 24th, 2015 - 118 comments

Jeremy Corbyn announces the potential renationalisation of privatised state assets, with minimal compensation. While 41 leading economists back his anti-austerity stance. This is what left wing leadership and courage looks like.

Rob Salmond’s argument – too simplistic and wrong in its assumptions

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, August 23rd, 2015 - 140 comments

As Mike Smith’s post last night relates, Rob Salmond makes the case that a properly left wing Labour Party is always going to lose. Screw that. More like a Tory Labour doesn’t deserve to win.

July 2015 the warmest month ever

Written By: - Date published: 5:16 pm, August 21st, 2015 - 65 comments

July was hot hot hot. Meanwhile, let’s keep focussing on economic growth and more exports (and not making the middle classes too nervous that life is going to change radically, one way or another).

New Roy Morgan: National 50.5% vs LAB/GR 38%

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, August 20th, 2015 - 138 comments

National is at 50.5%. LAB/GR down 7% to 38%. The Opposition is still struggling to gain positive traction with the voting public.

Most allegations against Julian Assange dropped

Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, August 18th, 2015 - 94 comments

Most of the allegations against Assange have been dropped but Swedish authorities still refuse to question him in London. And Assange still hasn’t been charged with a single crime.

Surprise – ordinary UK voters like Jeremy Corbyn too

Written By: - Date published: 7:26 pm, August 16th, 2015 - 70 comments

According to a new poll, Corbyn appears very electable indeed, despite more squeeling from Tony Blair and the right wing establishment of UK Labour.

The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, August 2nd, 2015 - 127 comments

A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.

The Future of…Jobs?

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, August 1st, 2015 - 78 comments

A relevant and real “Future of Work Commission” needs to be centred on building creativity, increasing collectivity, dealing with climate change and achieving fossil fuel transition.

left wing leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn well ahead

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, July 29th, 2015 - 25 comments

Hard lefty Jeremy Corbyn has a 22 pt lead in the UK Labour leadership race. The Labour Party Blairites are definitely not happy.

Voters want foreign buyer ban – but LAB doesn’t benefit

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 pm, July 26th, 2015 - 118 comments

Most Kiwis back a ban on foreign property buyers but this hasn’t translated into a boost for Labour. Critically, Key’s popularity drops under 40%.

It’s not just Serco, it’s state operated prisons

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 25th, 2015 - 72 comments

Recent focus has been on the tragedy and incompetence of a Serco run private prison. But problems extend further than that, into the entire way NZ views its prison system. We need fundamental penal reform.

RM: Labour jumps 6% – LAB/GR coalition leads

Written By: - Date published: 4:16 pm, July 17th, 2015 - 232 comments

Roy Morgan poll declares a “centrist” NZ First could act to replace the National Government, on latest poll results.

Auckland house prices – the good ol’ days ’05

Written By: - Date published: 7:14 am, July 17th, 2015 - 58 comments

Home ownership rates have been crashing since the 1990’s. Auckland house prices have been classed as “seriously unaffordable” since 2006 or earlier. The answer is to make sure that houses are no longer considered a financial asset for capital gains.

Phil Quin resigns from Labour

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, July 14th, 2015 - 390 comments

Phil Quin: “I cannot, however, belong to an organisation that considers racial profiling fair sport. It really is that simple. I will rejoin once this or any future leader publicly repudiates such tactics.”

Treaty of Versailles – Greek edition

Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, July 14th, 2015 - 101 comments

Just like there clearly are first class Euros and second class Euros, it is just as clear that there are first class Europeans and second class Europeans. Nothing is settled and the chance of further conflict is high.

GFC 2 in the oven: trillion dollar bailouts

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, July 10th, 2015 - 26 comments

Trillion dollar bank bail outs, interest rate apartheid and GREXIT. The ingredients for GFC 2 and another round of shock capitalism are quietly simmering. Graphic is of what US$1B looks like in printed notes.

Slash Greek debt now!

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 8th, 2015 - 222 comments

Europe must agree to slashing Greece’s debt so that economic growth can begin again. Germany should understand this better than most.

Delegates: vote down the NZ Super age increase

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 30th, 2013 - 160 comments

Raising the super age is not only unnecessary, it further entrenches intergenerational inequity, reduces community incomes and makes Māori and Pasifika pay too high a price. Conference delegates: make Labour think outside the orthodox economic box and vote it down.

Tat Loo: Viper Pilot

Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, October 20th, 2013 - 333 comments

You can get buried in the minutiae of policy detail, House speeches and daily news cycles, thinking that success there will win an election. Outside the Thorndon Bubble however, nothing is further from the truth. A reconnected Labour Party presenting gutsy alternatives using a narrative quite different to the old neoliberal consensus is starting to get serious voter attention. Now is the time to press ‘turbo boost’.

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