capitalism

Categories under capitalism

discrimination (82)

The Qantas lockout

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 3:22 pm, October 30th, 2011 - 127 comments

There’s a lot going on with the Qantas lockout that isn’t being reported in our media.

This guest post from a reader who’s an aviation industry expert gives the dispute some context.

Do you feel lucky PREFU?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:22 am, October 26th, 2011 - 72 comments

The PREFU paints a pretty dismal picture of the economy. The worst case scenario is catastrophic, and (at one in five) I think that Treasury has significantly underestimated the odds. Do you feel lucky?…

Why is it wrong to want a better world?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:30 am, October 25th, 2011 - 37 comments

“The truth is, the world cannot be made perfect” says Deborah Hill Cone, arrogantly dismissing the Occupy movement. And she may be right. But that does not mean we are living in the best of all possible worlds and that the injustices and imperfections of our world are things we just have to accept. Rijab takes her on.

The austerity death trap

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:15 am, October 25th, 2011 - 89 comments

In response to tough economic times, Government austerity programmes do more harm than good. It’s a pretty simple equation based on the debt / GDP ratio. With an election coming up soon, NZ needs to look for economic competence and a willingness to try new ideas, rather than muddling along deeper into the austerity death trap.

Labour day

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:55 am, October 24th, 2011 - 16 comments

On this Labour Day it is good to see that the Labour Party is staying true to its roots, and is out there working for a labour policy to lift the wages and conditions of the workers of New Zealand.

National’s Little smears and the big issue of market greed

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 6:40 pm, October 21st, 2011 - 42 comments

A good interview from Andrew Little on the Nat’s failed attempt to smear him over facebook comments. Nice comments about David Farrar and strong support for the occupy movement. Good to see.

By the way, is it just me or is National’s obsession with opposition social media starting to look less like straight research and more like creepy stalking?

A global test of non-violent protest

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:07 am, October 20th, 2011 - 24 comments

The Occupation movement has bankers worried. So far, however, the protests have been peaceful. In fact, the Occupation is quickly shaping up as the biggest ever, world wide test of the efficacy of non-violent protest.

The denial machine

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:42 pm, October 9th, 2011 - 7 comments

It’s scary ‘coz it’s true.

Losing the class war

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:32 pm, October 7th, 2011 - 73 comments

The median (‘typical’) Kiwi income has fallen 6% under National after inflation. It’s worse if you’re Maori – 16%. And if you’re PI? 21%. That’s more than a hundred dollars a week. It’s a disgrace. In fact, ordinary people’s incomes have shrunk faster than the economy under National. Their policies have driven more of what’s left to the rich.

Doldrums

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:10 am, October 7th, 2011 - 48 comments

Looks like the RWC isn’t going to be the economic stimulus that we hoped. We’re stuck in the doldrums, and (just like in England) the government’s austerity programme is exactly the wrong response.

Bait and switch

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:25 am, October 5th, 2011 - 27 comments

The national icon suddenly announces that the future of the thing we pride ourselves is at stake. Some big mean foreigners are going to take if off us. Oh no, oh no! Fortunately, there’s a solution. It just requires a few tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. Sound familiar? As with the Hobbit, now with the All Blacks. We got suckered once. Will we again?

Occupation 2 – 700 arrested

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:13 pm, October 3rd, 2011 - 16 comments

The Occupation, now into its third week, seems to be growing. As is the Police response. In the latest development police have arrested more than 700 protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge.

A Smidgen of Truth Escapes the msm

Written By: Bill - Date published: 1:19 pm, September 29th, 2011 - 15 comments

It’s not often that ‘bald truths’ escape the filtration of the msm. The video below is an example of one of those rare moments.

Occupy Wall Street!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:32 am, September 29th, 2011 - 39 comments

Have you heard of Occupy Wall Street? If you are one of the 99%, you should have…

Be careful what you wish for

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 3:25 pm, September 25th, 2011 - 43 comments

On Friday the government announced a law change that opens the door to a whole world of cheap contract labour now available to anyone producing short projects like advertisements, tv episodes or parts of movies in New Zealand.

Many of the industry locals who will be most hurt by this are the same ones who were banging the drum against actors and for international producers during the Hobbit dispute. Ironic, huh?

English on the economic turmoil

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:20 am, September 23rd, 2011 - 53 comments

As most of the headlines this morning focus on the crumbling world economy, it was interesting to hear Bill English on RNZ. Among various inane comments there was one interesting gem, when English called for higher taxes…

Key missing the big picture

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:09 am, September 22nd, 2011 - 58 comments

It’s a bit of a worry that the PM seems to be clueless about the complexity and interdependence of the world economy. Bill English needs to take him aside and paint him a picture.

The wrong problem

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:13 am, September 21st, 2011 - 53 comments

Economist Paul Krugman argues that governments the world over need to wake up to the fact that they’ve been trying to solve the wrong problem.

Down the gurgler

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:57 am, September 17th, 2011 - 64 comments

The warnings on the economy are coming thick and fast now, both globally and nationally.

Price of milk your fault

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:16 pm, September 15th, 2011 - 198 comments

It turns out that the high price of milk is your fault. No – really.

Those who don’t know history…

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:54 pm, September 6th, 2011 - 7 comments

Robert Reich writes about the impact of growing inequality in the United States. He has a graphic that shows the effects over the past hundred years. As the US and Europe come closer to their Niagara fall, the logic is compelling. Edmund Burke’s saying that those who don’t know their history are destined to repeat it comes to mind.

How to make a more decent capitalism

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:45 pm, September 2nd, 2011 - 11 comments

Professor Robert Wade of the London School of Economics and author of the acclaimed Governing the Market will speak on this topic at LHT2, Rutherford House, Bunny Street, Wellington at 6pm on Thursday 22nd September. All are welcome to attend this free lecture; if you wish to come please register here as places may be limited. Click through to see abstract.

NZ must introduce a capital gains tax, sooner or later

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:41 pm, September 2nd, 2011 - 29 comments

The wealthy elite in Europe are now joining Warren Buffett in these calls for higher taxes for the rich (including CGT), why? Maybe it’s because they know the truth, they know that the world is likely to enter another global recession, and they know the risk this will bring to social cohesion, which they rely on for maintaining the lifestyle they enjoy.

Worlds apart

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:10 pm, September 1st, 2011 - 47 comments

Spotted in an English pub. Check out the artist’s name.

Dimpost: Galtian overlord watch

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:33 am, September 1st, 2011 - 21 comments

Paul Reynolds is leaving Telecom having pocketed tens of millions and seen the value of the company halve. He follows in the footsteps of Theresa ‘Goldeneye’ Gattung who lost Telecom shareholders billions and has put the millions she was paid in gold. Isn’t something broken when bad CEOs paid so much? Danyl notes that’s not the exception, it’s the rule.

In praise of collective bargaining

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:13 am, August 29th, 2011 - 75 comments

One of the lies at the heart of the Nats’ approach to industrial relations is that negotiating directly with the employer “empowers” the individual worker and allows them to get better wages and conditions. The facts prove otherwise.

Gaynor on vampire neoliberalism

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:28 pm, August 28th, 2011 - 14 comments

Brian Gaynor notes vampire economics of neoliberalism means nearly all the largest listed companies are either privatised former public assets and/or monopolies thanks to government regulation. The capitalist elite has failed to generate wealth and stripped previously privatised assets. Now, their party, the Nats, plans to suck out more of our public wealth.