class war

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Mum and Dad Investor?

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, July 27th, 2014 - 124 comments

The SST this morning have broken a story about how an American couple were able to purchase $1.6 million worth of shares in Genesis while “mum and dad kiwi investors” had their share allocation limited to $5,000.

State of the left in Aotearoa/NZ

Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, July 26th, 2014 - 112 comments

Sue Bradford’s PhD thesis on the Left & Think Tanks, went online this week. It outlines the state of the Left in NZ. Bradford concludes that the Left is strong but fragmented, and identifies some ways forward.

The real aims of National’s “Education” policy.

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.

“Hope and Wire”: Disaster & collaboration

Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, July 4th, 2014 - 10 comments

Responses to TV3’s miniseries, Hope and Wire, based on the Christchurch quakes & aftermath, are mixed.  The opening episodes set up some universal themes: of wealth-seeking individualism versus community solidarity and collaboration.  Many in Christchurch are angry that their city, and it’s experiences, have been mis-represented.

Is Bill English’s ‘big data’, Big Brother & privatisation of govt?

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, June 30th, 2014 - 135 comments

Bill English has stated that a third term Key government would majorly reform the government’s budgeting & spending.  It’s a major move towards privatisation of public services, & full spectrum digitally-enhanced monitoring of individuals’ lives: especially those of the already demonised and harassed single mothers on benefits.

Stand up – for an inclusive, caring & sharing NZ

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, June 19th, 2014 - 57 comments

Stand up: fight back: We know what we are up against. We’ve seen the depth of the negative, right wing campaigning.  NZ wants and needs better politics, and a more inclusive society.

Spying on the left: 20th century “dirt files”

Written By: - Date published: 9:43 pm, June 1st, 2014 - 56 comments

Secret files have been released, that document the spying of Labour/left politicians in the early-to-mid 20th century: Savage, Fraser, Nash, Sutch, Sir Dove Meyer Robinson.  The NZ establishment has a long history of treating the left as a threat. [Update: “Dunne over” by spy review]

The selective empathy of Key’s callous government

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, May 12th, 2014 - 21 comments

John Key’s government is cutting back on state housing, uprooting families from their homes. Large numbers of state houses are empty, while many are left to move from caravan park to sleeping in cars or outdoors. Weasel words from Paula Bennett and Nick Smith.

The politics of private dinners

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, May 9th, 2014 - 225 comments

Whether it’s Judith Collins, Michael Woodhouse or the Cabinet Club/s, National Party fundraisers, target the wealthy base they represent.  In the process, boundaries are blurred between mainstream politics, exclusive private spaces & personal relationships.

Piketty: inequality & capitalism’s flaw

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, April 30th, 2014 - 50 comments

There is a major new economics tome out this year that’s sending waves through the economics community like none since Friedman in the 70s. It’s Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
It points out that under capitalism, we’re doomed to inequality.

Second class citizens. Beggars belief

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, April 29th, 2014 - 58 comments

Out of sight-out of mind seems to be the logic of Auckland City’s bylaw to come into effect next month, to outlaw begging on the streets. The clear message from Native Affairs report, ‘Walk on By‘, last night, is that the bylaw is the result of pressure from the comfortable middle classes. [Update: bylaw only says it’s an offence where begging causes a nuisance]

Key Govt asset stripping state housing

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, April 25th, 2014 - 54 comments

Phil Twyford has exposed the government’s asset-stripping approach to running down state housing, while  favouring of private & overseas entities.  The Greens & Mana have strong policies for increasing the amount of state housing. Still waiting for a commitment from Labour.

Wealth and the wealthy

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, April 22nd, 2014 - 28 comments

A NZer in Britain and a Briton in NZ – 2 CEOs complaining they get paid too much. And science shows the US is ruled by a bunch of oligs.

An Easter message: greed is not good

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 21st, 2014 - 14 comments

Greed used to be regarded as a major sin.  Now it is often seen as either trivial, or, in Gordon Gekko’s words, “Greed is good”.  Greed has become a religion, focused on the sacred “economy” and its “market” of (allegedly) “invisible hands”. Greed fuels inequality and undermines democracy. Democracy needs a more critical public sphere and media.

Inequalities of the 10 percenters

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, April 12th, 2014 - 28 comments

All inequality measures are not equal.  The GINI Coefficient is widely used but it doesn’t show the impact of vast increases in inequality between the richest and poorest Kiwis; it doesn’t show increasing experiences of hardship: it can mask vast inequalities in wealth & asset ownership.

September 18th

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 pm, April 8th, 2014 - 46 comments

The 18th of September 2014 is a big day.

On that day, people living in Scotland will decide if they want to become citizens in a nation that will have reclaimed its sovereignty.

Poverty denial – NZ Herald editorial

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, April 8th, 2014 - 210 comments

Today’s NZ Herald editorial joins Paula Bennett’s beneficiary-bashing stunt, asking for flying privileges to be cut, & denying there is a lot of poverty in NZ- a view from the privileged part of NZ’s inequality gap.

The image is the story …

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, April 7th, 2014 - 15 comments

Images from today’s mainstream media news: tales of class, crime, drugs, disasters…… and jet-setting beneficiaries.

Go Annette!

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, April 4th, 2014 - 53 comments

Mana Party candidate Annette Sykes has been developing an effective organisation in her electorate.  Her speech at the TPPA rally laid out its threats to livelihoods in the Bay of Plenty.  Her views on the Internet Party will be listened to when discussed by the Mana Party.

Rogernomics, income inequality & gender politics

Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, April 3rd, 2014 - 22 comments

All of us, in our diversity, can make a big impact this election year. Time to end the “neoliberal” tyranny!  Crime stats are celebrated masking the continuing impact of income & social inequalities. Rogernomics fractured gender politics & rape crisis intiatives.

Highlighting the income gap

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 31st, 2014 - 84 comments

A high proportion of Kiwis know that there is too big an income inequality gap. Economic power & media discourse too often work to maintain such inequalities.  How can knowledge and understandings be changed via the media, social media and creative political action?

Power disconnections increase as hardship grants are cut

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 25th, 2014 - 38 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that power disconnections have soared at the same time that WINZ hardship grants have plummeted. Simon Bridges has suggested that it is the power companies fault. The Government should be blaming increasing poverty and inadequate WINZ hardship grants instead.

Assuming justice and creating justice

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 23rd, 2014 - 35 comments

I’ve been thinking about politics, assumptions, and justice. I sat in on a recording of The Egonomist on Friday – thanks for having me there, guys! – and we discussed some of the issues and reactions to Sarah Wilson‘s articles on WINZ, specifically the backlash from people who insist that Sarah must be a liar, […]

Corporates for TPP

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 22nd, 2014 - 47 comments

Big (US) Pharma has been the leading lobbyist that has shaped the TPP, followed by corporates in the following industries; Hollywood, automobile, textiles, dairy. This makes the TPP a major threat to the interests and well-being of Kiwis. Good reasons to take part in next Saturday’s Day Of Action (29 March 1pm) across NZ.

And now for the real news…

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 21st, 2014 - 15 comments

“Rockstar economy”?   Let’s hear it for another chorus of,”There is no depression in New Zealand”!  Demographia reports on absolute food and housing poverty for too many Kiwis.  Simon Collins reports on the ethnic inequality gaps & high rates of Maori imprisonment.

Power of an informed public

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, March 15th, 2014 - 5 comments

The West Auckland Peasants Film Club FB page says: “The greatest threat to freedom and well-being everywhere is corporate ambition: the greatest threat to corporate ambition is a well-informed public”. This week the PFC is showing, I Am (Dir. Tom Shadyac)  – how to get such information seen more widely?

Tony Benn 1925-2014

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 pm, March 14th, 2014 - 34 comments

Sorry to hear that Tony Benn has died today, at age 88.  He came from an aristocratic background, but became part of the UK Labour Party’s “radical” left.  He spoke for Unions, people power and democratic process, and against neoliberalism. [Update – Tony Benn quotes]

Stand up for fairness in & for NZ – TPPA, March 29

Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, March 13th, 2014 - 6 comments

International, cronyist, corporate capitalism skews democratic processes in NZ, making it harder for the majority of battling Kiwis to get a fair go – harder to ensure all New Zealanders live in a society that works for them. The TPPA is a power-play between the US and other powerful countries.  There’s nothing in it for NZ. National Day of action March 29th, 2014.

Ukraine

Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, March 10th, 2014 - 50 comments

That thing about truth and war…

Beltway blues: serving the public interest?

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 10th, 2014 - 32 comments

Gower’s one-dimensional, distorted, gotcha reporting, highlights the failings of TV3 news & The Nation.  Corin Dann and Qu &A are less one-dimensional, but speak within the B-Hive-Media Loop, that  speaks for the comfortable middle & Business classes, & manufactured a “problem” week for Cunliffe.

Tricky Patrick Gower in NZHouse of Cards

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, March 6th, 2014 - 133 comments

In need of public service media. TV3 News is a neoliberal propaganda vehicle.  I’ve stopped watching it.  However, today Martyn Bradbury posted a transcription of last night’s highly distorted report by Patrick Gower, with a critical analysis of just how much the report misrepresents.