Social issues

Categories under Social issues

South Australia’s new Covid strain

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, November 19th, 2020 - 16 comments

During a week in which two Covid vaccines have been announced there is disturbing news coming out of Australia where a new more potent strain of the virus has appeared in South Australia.

Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, November 18th, 2020 - 19 comments

To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states.  So far his cases have not gone very well.

They Are Not Morons

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 17th, 2020 - 76 comments

Donald Trump will be back for another go at the Presidency in 2024. Progressives should underestimate the possibility of his winning. Unless the remaining centre-left generates strategies that are executed so well that people feel the difference good politics makes, the elements of populism arising again will stay ready like the elements of a bomb. 

 

The million MAGA muppet march

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, November 16th, 2020 - 37 comments

America is in some trouble.  Covid19 is surging.  The third wave is hitting hard.  Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is.  And a group of Americans have been persuaded that Trump has had the election stolen off him.

Capitalism’s end game

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, November 13th, 2020 - 145 comments

In Aotearoa New Zealand we are facing a new crisis. Not Covid, although the recent case of community spread is deeply concerning. The crisis is the value of houses.

Covid and contact tracing

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, November 12th, 2020 - 32 comments

News of a new community case in Auckland, and the need for us all to be taking precautions and keeping track of our movements and contacts.

Some men just want to see the World burn

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, November 12th, 2020 - 58 comments

Normally when you lose an election you say nice things about the winner and make way for them. But is Trump doing this in the US of A? No sirree. From refusing Biden transition resources to instructing officials not to cooperate with Biden’s team to mass sackings of Defense officials to various failed cases Trump is obstructing the transition every step of the way.

COVID19 Vaccine and New Zealand’s K-Shaped Recovery

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 11th, 2020 - 36 comments

IF the discovery of a potential Covid vaccine looks like a new dawn, let’s not forget that this is the accelerating point of the K-shaped recovery New Zealand have been dreading. Our already rich are on the line heading upwards. They are getting richer because of a range of our Government policies.

What should the left make of the US election result?

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, November 10th, 2020 - 76 comments

Now the dust is settling on the US election result the one question I have is why was it even close?

Lawyers, guns and money

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 9th, 2020 - 51 comments

Over in the United States of America the country is descending into chaos. But so far the farcical type of chaos as opposed to the violent type of chaos and this is a good thing.

Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden

Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, November 8th, 2020 - 19 comments

It is customary for outgoing Presidents to leave for the incoming President a short letter of introduction. The Standard has managed to obtain a early draft copy of Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden drafted while he was playing golf.

If Biden wins, then what?

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, November 7th, 2020 - 39 comments

I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying this but a Biden presidency seems almost inevitable. But presuming he prevails the transition is going to be one of the most difficult and most important in America’s history.

Blood sucking leeches blame young for blood supply crisis

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 118 comments

The Property Investor Federation’s executive officer has expressed the opinion that every time a first home buyer buys a house it makes the housing crisis worse.

Labour’s cabinet

Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments

Some details of the new Cabinet announced today by Jacinda Ardern.

The Covid crisis

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, November 1st, 2020 - 51 comments

A surge in Covid infections in Europe and in the United States is raising the specter that the most pessimistic predictions about the disease and its effect on the health system may occur.   And right wing governments appear to be spectacularly unable to deal with the crisis.

UK Labour suspends Corbyn for stating the obvious about anti-semitism in the Party

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 pm, October 30th, 2020 - 35 comments

Following a report into anti-semitism in the UK Labour party, Corbyn said it exists in the Party but it is over-stated and the campaign against it is politically-motivated by opponents inside and outside the Party. He was instantly suspended from the party and had the whip removed by leader Sir Keir Starmer, which seems excessive and will cause further discord. Corbyn is not an anti-Semite.

The reeferendum fails

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, October 30th, 2020 - 207 comments

The referendum seeking to decriminalise cannabis appears to have failed narrowly although special votes are still to be counted.

Could the real Labour Party please stand up

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, October 29th, 2020 - 35 comments

We need to get the Labour government to focus on decreasing inequality and poverty in all its forms and effects. The new government needs to show that Labour has changed the country for good. Otherwise there’s no reason to vote for them in 2023.

Aotearoa New Zealand is a hell hole paradise dystopian democracy

Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, October 29th, 2020 - 55 comments

Fox News has seized upon a four month old video of Jacinda Ardern to suggest that New Zealand has a terrifying new response to the disease and are throwing people into quarantine camps.

The boy from Matamata

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 28th, 2020 - 43 comments

Trump deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell, who is also a Kiwi, has announced his candidacy to be head of the OECD.  The Greens have announced their opposition because he has been part of inhumane decisions and also decisions that undermine international institutions.  The right back him because he is a kiwi.  What should Labour do?

Justice Coney Barrett appears to be a climate change denier

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 28th, 2020 - 10 comments

Newly appointed Republican and Trump supported Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is not convinced that humans are changing the world’s climate.  Meanwhile China and Japan are convinced and have announced dates by which time they intend to be carbon neutral.

Melbourne gets on top of Covid

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, October 27th, 2020 - 15 comments

Yesterday the city of Melbourne recorded its first day of no new reported covid infections in nearly five months. At the same time in America the White House has effectively said that control is too difficult and that it is giving up.

Labour day

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 26th, 2020 - 41 comments

Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!

What should Labour do in the next three years?

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, October 25th, 2020 - 74 comments

With the hand brake gone and the Government’s policy platform already complete what should the Labour Government set out to achieve this term?

Kelvin for DPM

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, October 25th, 2020 - 16 comments

Some thoughts on who the country’s Deputy Prime Minister should be.

Rangitata and the Future of the National Party

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, October 24th, 2020 - 42 comments

As National reels from the disastrous 2020 election result could a policy based on high tech agriculture represent a way back?

The Trump Biden debate

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, October 23rd, 2020 - 21 comments

Discussion post for this afternoon’s live US Presidential debate.

Why Can’t The Ministry of Works Just Build Houses Like 1935?

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, October 23rd, 2020 - 32 comments

We don’t have a government like the Labour government that formed in 1935.

Some consequences of Chloe Swarbrick’s win

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, October 22nd, 2020 - 41 comments

What are the lessons to be learned from Chloe Swarbrick’s election night win of Auckland Central.

NZ election 2020: Labour win is a watershed moment in the country’s history

Written By: - Date published: 12:27 am, October 20th, 2020 - 47 comments

The 2020 election was more than just a victory for Labour and more than a crushing defeat for the National Party (New Zealand’s main centre-right political party). This result marks a significant watershed in New Zealand politics which will likely have implications long after this parliamentary term.

Later Jami-Lee

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 19th, 2020 - 43 comments

It appears that this election will be the swan song of Jami-Lee Ross’s political career with his final political act being eviscerated publicly by Tova O’Brien in an interview.