Christmas and Freedom

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, December 17th, 2015 - 35 comments
Categories: activism, religion - Tags:

dissident jesus

In the spirit of Christmas, the last post was a provocation about a version of Christianity that would fit quite happily with the kind we celebrate at this time, in this society.

Here’s another version.

Christmas is essentially about the Mystery of God becoming one of us. God does not become real in the Boxing Dale sales, or in Santa parade costumes, or in eating yourself until bloated. Universal love comes down from the level of abstractions like “God” and becomes concrete in the struggle for the liberation of the oppressed.

Two quick passages, the first about 3.5 thousand years old. In Moses’ mission of liberation, there was a close relationship between the religion of Yahweh (God) and the elimination of servitude:

‘Moses and Aaron then said to the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heeded your complaints against him; it is not against us that you bring your complaints; we are nothing.” “You shall know this,” Moses said, “when the Lord, in answer to your complaints, gives you flesh to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread in plenty, what are we? It is against the Lord that you bring your complaints, and not against us.” (Exodus ch. 16).

There’s plenty more in there about the repudiation of slavery, starvation and poverty. It’s not hard to read Exodus inside a liberation theology.

Skip 1,500 years. What Jesus was on about was the task to liberate oneself from sin and the lies around us, and in doing so free the whole world. He named the perpetual impulse toward freedom as a personal conviction that would spread across the world:

This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come. (Mark ch. 4).

And so a movement towards freedom begins. (what they did to this movement …. sigh)

Same tradition, a further 2,000 years later. Pope Francis is calling Christians to make 2016 a time “of spiritual renewal, boundless forgiveness, and liberating service in our homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces, churches and schools.”

The point is use a moment in time  – like Christmas – to recommit to the task of perpetual liberation. That’s got more satisfaction then screwing up the tinsel from the 25th’s wrapping paper.

35 comments on “Christmas and Freedom ”

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  1. vto 1
    17 December 2015 at 9:03 am

    a judgment based solely on the prosecution is a worthless judgment…

    what does the devil have to say about this?

    • Ad 1.1
      17 December 2015 at 9:07 am

      What’s the crime?

      Note that this piece is the counterpoint to the one I posted yesterday.
      Best to read them sequentially.

      • aerobubble 1.1.1
        17 December 2015 at 1:43 pm

        A unreflected life is not worth living. A life embracing God to the believer looks like the reflected life, yet that’s not the test, anyone can delude themselves. The test for a reflected life is scepticism, and therein lies the lie of fundamentalism, its lack of self reflection due to its embrace of faith at all costs. So the mantra of relieving oppression is turned into being the tool of the oppressor to continue the authoritarians. Its the rigidity of faith to god that harms us all more that any benefits. That’s why science, capitalism, progressive secularism has won out.
        And strangely, even farcically, its still the most religious holding us back even today.
        Yes we’d be a much better world without the self victimization of death cults who exist solely to make the next life liveable.

  2. ropata 2
    17 December 2015 at 9:23 am

    F R E E D O M ! ! ! ! ! !

    “the truth shall set you free”

  3. Naturesong 3
    17 December 2015 at 10:50 am

    There seems to be some confusion with these posts.

    Supply Side Jesus is not about christianity, but about the ideology of supply side economics and the liars who push it.

    The joke is that it this prescriptive type economic governance is taken on faith.
    At the end of the comic it is made clear that SSJ is not the saviour.

    For this post. Yes, It’s been clear to me since I read the New Testament that JC was a revolutionary and is the earliest expression of socialism I have read.

    • Tracey 3.1
      17 December 2015 at 11:10 am

      “Supply Side Jesus is not about christianity, but about the ideology of supply side economics and the liars who push it.

      The joke is that it this prescriptive type economic governance is taken on faith.
      At the end of the comic it is made clear that SSJ is not the saviour.”

      Thanks for this, maybe post it in the other thread too?

      • Naturesong 3.1.1
        17 December 2015 at 11:55 am

        I thought it was self explanatory to be honest.

        The comic does come from the book titled: Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.

        • Tracey 3.1.1.1
          17 December 2015 at 12:05 pm

          Not sure everyone got it, judging by some of the responses

          • Naturesong 3.1.1.1.1
            17 December 2015 at 12:16 pm

            So I see.

            Context I expect.
            I’m pretty familair Al Frankens work both in and out of the Senate.

            NB. Best line of the comic: “It is easier for a rich man to enter Heaven seated comfortably on the back of a camel, than it is for a poor man to pass through the eye of a needle”

            The one about not healing the lepers because that would remove the incentive for others to not catch it comes a close second.

    • Ad 3.2
      17 December 2015 at 11:13 am

      No confusion.
      Just seeking a little more content than an exploding cracker around Christmas.

      Supply Side Jesus is also a strong critique of the Prosperity Gospel that were and in some parts still are hugely popular in US and US-styled mega-churches. You used to be able to see the NZ versions preaching on NZ television.

      You also see pretty strong resistance from a number of US Catholic Bishops to the current Pope’s diatribes against capitalism; they have been well covered on the Crux site.
      BTW Those are not minor ideological contests, as the excommunication of priests, shut-down of Base Communities, silencing of whole orders, and assassination of people like Archbishop Romero in El Salvador can attest.

      There are a few themes flowing through both posts, which respond to each other.

      • Naturesong 3.2.1
        17 December 2015 at 11:37 am

        Yes, I see some of those trends also.

        And I’m quite happy recognising the subtle backhander Franken gives to some on the religious right.
        But that’s not the thrust of the comic, nor that could I see, your post.

        To pair these two posts and as opposing views on the same religious plane is a non sequitur; SSJ is not about Christianity (though there is a jab at the religious right as you point out).

      • acrophobic 3.2.2
        17 December 2015 at 11:39 am

        Thank you for two very thought provoking pieces. The ‘prosperity gospel’ regrettably still commands a large following in the west, but it is a grotesque parody of the true gospel. As to the Pope, my apologies to Catholics, but he is a mere mortal. He is sometimes represented as having a shorter phone line to God than the rest of us, but that is simply untrue. I admire much of what he stands for, but his recent pontifications are, in my view, well above his pay grade.

        • Ad 3.2.2.1
          18 December 2015 at 5:43 am

          Cheers.

          I was brought up low church but converted to Catholicism late. So I understand your skepticism. No idea about the phone line – but compared to Jesus I do know that what the Pope lacks in concision, he’s certainly gained in breadth, if his big piece on the relationship between poverty and climate change is anything to go by. That piece set just the perfect tone a couple of months ago for Paris Cop 21.

    • Macro 3.3
      17 December 2015 at 12:01 pm

      Amos was perhaps one of the first c 750 BC to preach social justice. A minor prophet he railed against the injustices perceived

      This is what the Lord says:

      “For three sins of Israel,
      even for four, I will not relent.
      They sell the innocent for silver,
      and the needy for a pair of sandals.
      7
      They trample on the heads of the poor
      as on the dust of the ground
      and deny justice to the oppressed.
      Father and son use the same girl
      and so profane my holy name.
      8
      They lie down beside every altar
      on garments taken in pledge.
      In the house of their god
      they drink wine taken as fines.

      and

      “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
      your assemblies are a stench to me.
      22
      Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
      I will not accept them.
      Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
      I will have no regard for them.
      23
      Away with the noise of your songs!
      I will not listen to the music of your harps.
      24
      But let justice roll on like a river,
      righteousness like a never-failing stream!

      • Naturesong 3.3.1
        17 December 2015 at 12:06 pm

        I’ll have a read up. Cheers

        • Macro 3.3.1.1
          17 December 2015 at 12:18 pm

          Those last two lines I’ve highlighted are still used today.

          as in this modern Hymn by Bobby Gilles

          Forgive us Lord, for passing by
          When children cry for bread           (could have been written for National)
          Forbid it Lord, that justice lie
          In tatters, cold and dead
          Outside these walls run desperate streets
          Where greed is law and life is cheap
          We bar the doors, refuse to see,
          Or hear the words You said:

          Let justice roll like a river, Like a river, let it roll
          Let justice roll like a river, Like a river, let it roll

  4. Bruce 4
    17 December 2015 at 11:50 am

    I’m reminded of one of my favorite Les Murray poems. Especially in light of this year’s revelations that we still do the same to men every day, on the fishing vessels that plunder our remaining fish stocks:

    Easter 1984, Les Murray

    When we saw human dignity
    healing humans in the middle of the day
    we moved in on him slowly
    under the incalculable gravity
    of old freedom, of our own freedom,
    under atmospheres of consequence, of justice
    under which no one needs to thank anyone.
    If this was God, we would get even.
    And in the end we nailed him,
    lashed, spittled, stretched him limb from limb.
    We would settle with dignity
    for the anguish it had caused us,
    we’d send it to be abstract again,
    we would set it free.

    *****

    But we had raised up evolution.
    It would not stop being human.
    Ever afterwards, the accumulation
    of freedom would end in this man
    whipped, bloodied, getting the treatment.
    It would look like man himself getting it.
    He was freeing us, painfully, from freedom,
    justice, dignity — he was discharging them
    of their deadly ambiguous deposit,
    remaking out of them the primal day
    in which he was free not to have borne it
    and we were free not to have done it,
    free never to torture man again,
    free to believe him risen.

  5. seeker 5
    17 December 2015 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks for this for this very becoming and of the actual truth post Ad. Most timely, I could almost think that Ad was short for Advent rather than Advantage, but both suit the wondrous, informed content for us in your post. May you have a very, happy truly liberating Christmas Ad.

    footnote. Ad. could also be short for ‘advert’ regarding this post, for it could easily be followed with the immortal words……. ” but wait there’s more!”
    Of course so much more to be told and understood about ‘liberation’.

    • Ad 5.1
      17 December 2015 at 1:43 pm

      Could be Anno Domini.

      Or short for Adorno, but that’s a bit wanky.

      Let’s go with Advent for now.

      Save Adventure for the New Year.

      • seeker 5.1.1
        18 December 2015 at 5:30 pm

        Ho Ho Ho Ad! Good idea.
        Am now looking forward to an Adventure in the New Year which may greatly Advance Adverse effects for remedial purposes on a rather self absorbed, unenlightened government. Hopefully it will begin to bring a really prosperous New Year 2016 to the many poor in this nearly ruined country of ours. And I know just who to ask for help.
        Cheers!

  6. Puddleglum 6
    17 December 2015 at 1:03 pm

    Yes, a timely and seasonal post. Thank you.

    Then of course there’s ‘Love thine enemy’ – interesting to reflect in the light of ‘left’, ‘right’, etc.. 🙂

    I’ve always thought that ‘love’ was misunderstood in this context.

    I don’t see it as some emotion or warm, glowey feeling in the chest, or even like a fond, doting smile.

    Instead, I see it as being the kind of mindful, complete attention that a young toddler brings to its encounters with the world.

    So utterly intent on seeing things just as they are (after all, the child has to learn how to get by in the world so best to see it exactly as it is!) that there is no room for judgment, anger, aggression or – especially – the substitution of one’s own favourite caricature of the ‘other’ for the thing (or person) itself.

    We very lazily and quickly substitute stereotypes and prejudices for the things we are supposedly interacting with particularly when those things are at the periphery of our attention – the marginalised, the voiceless, etc..

    It’s worth remembering that the word ‘attend’ (and ‘attention’) is related to the word ‘tend’ (as in ‘tend your garden’ – to care).

    In some ways ‘love’ is simply the kind of attention a scientist must adopt to their study of the world (if they are to do their best work).

    To see clearly and thoroughly in the most subtle and beautiful detail – rather than attempting to ‘explain’ – is the first and only freedom. Everything else just gets you caught up in a web of unfortunate forces that push you in directions probably best not trod – but then that is also what it is to be human.

    When you are entirely engrossed in ‘seeing’ the world in this way there’s also not much room for your ‘self’ – it’s something else that just gets in the way.

    Of course, a lot of clever people would insist that’s it’s just impossible to see other things and people ‘as they are’. In other words, it’s impossible to ‘love’ them.

    But, at this time of year, I tend towards the view that it is possible. (Especially when I look at my young daughter.)

    It certainly gives me peace.

    • Ad 6.1
      17 December 2015 at 1:49 pm

      Glad you found it.

      Sometimes we only allow ourselves such thinking once the Boxing Day sales have finished and there’s a moment to just sit still and consider.

      At best, the beginning of the New Year is an entrance, as in en-“trance”. Proceed through a magical liminal threshold into something profound.

      You are also pointing towards the intersection of an optimal spiritual impulse, and an optimal political impulse:

      that the world should be renewed (a political impulse) ,
      and that we can renew it (the religious impulse).

      • Puddleglum 6.1.1
        17 December 2015 at 2:14 pm

        Yes, the impulse to renew, but to do so in the right way.

        While we’re on these kinds of thoughts I often consider ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ (there’s a book – Kazantzakis – and film – Scorcese).

        The title comes from T.S. Elliot (Murder in the Cathedral):

        “The last temptation is the greatest treason:
        To do the right deed for the wrong reason.        “

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.2
      18 December 2015 at 5:46 pm

      Very well put.

      I think you exhibit a lot of love in the patient way you have of illuminating things. Lao Tzu makes a lot of the virtues of impartial nurturing, although does say that “when the way is lost, there is love…”

  7. Magisterium 7
    17 December 2015 at 2:52 pm

    I like the bit of the Gospels where Jesus repudiates every part of the Old Testament that condones the abomination of slavery and tells his followers that all that shit can be ignored from then on.

    • ropata 7.1
      18 December 2015 at 12:10 am

      you mean this bit from Luke 4?

      “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

      or do you mean the revolutionary words of the Sermon on the Mount? (Matthew chap. 5-7)

      “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
      “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
      “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
      “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
      “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
      “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
      “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

      or do you mean this bit where he slams the Pharisees over and over (here’s just a sample of Matt. 23):

      “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

  8. red-blooded 8
    17 December 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Hey, take what you find comforting out of the bible, but remember that it’s also been used to justify the slaughter of millions and abominations like apartheid. Maybe your reading is the one true reading, but those others also called themselves Christians and thought they were following the teachings of Christ and others, as revealed in the bible.

    And what about others of all sorts of religious inclinations? Are they just wrong (but somehow this one true reading of the one true book is right)?

    The historical Jesus Christ may well have been a good-hearted (even wise) man, but there have been and continue to be many, many good-hearted and wise people in the world. That doesn’t mean they have some kind of supernatural status.

    Sorry to be the odd-one-out in this discussion, but surely the fact that you’re talking about how one part of the bible repudiates another underlines the fact that it was written by human beings, rather than being the revealed word of god. Even the bits you’re enthusing over were actually written generations after the events and comments they purport to represent, and have been translated and altered many times over in the generations since then.

    • ropata 8.1
      17 December 2015 at 4:27 pm

      absolutely agree the bible is open to interpretation and abuse but this little series is about how the RW interpretation is wrong and there’s definitely a more enlightened way

    • acrophobic 8.2
      17 December 2015 at 11:10 pm

      Human being have become very adept at misusing a variety of philosophies to justify their own evil predilections, and of all such philosophies it is the followers of secular humanism or atheism that have wrought the most carnage. And whatever you may claim about the Bible, it’s preservation is remarkable, and it’s presentation as faithful to the original manuscripts as any other writing of antiquity. We have more manuscripts and the ones we have are dated to closer to the actual events than for many ancient writings we take for granted. For example the New Testament books were not written ‘generations after the events’. 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Romans, Corinthians, Galations and Philemon are all considered to have been written in the 50’s AD, no more than 20 years after Jesus was crucified. Mark’s gospel was written before AD60, and is a reflection of the testimony of Peter, a contemporary of Jesus.

      The ‘many alterations’ is also a myth. The Bible, the NT in particular, has undergone intensive scrutiny in the form of textual criticism, and has been refined using more recent manuscripts as they have been discovered. None of these have changed the fundamental message of the gospels, which is as clear to day as it was in the time of Augustine, and the time of Jesus.

  9. Jesus Lizard 9
    17 December 2015 at 6:42 pm

    Worshipping the dead.

    Who would worship a dead man?

    He can’t have been that special if God killed him.

    • Macro 9.1
      18 December 2015 at 11:34 am

      But that is the whole point.
      It wasn’t the man who was important – it was the philosophies and ideas that he brought. Vested interests – the rich – and what we would now call the religious right killed the man, because he challenged their beliefs and way of life. But the concepts of truth, and justice, and freedom for all people lived on and still do today.
      Very much like the song best sung by Joan Baez
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX7M9psH0rM
      From Woodstock 1969 🙂

  10. acrophobic 10
    17 December 2015 at 10:14 pm

    1. We don’t worship a dead man.
    2. God didn’t kill Jesus. The Romans did.

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    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

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