Yep and opening the borders without MIQ great idea.
We're frogs in a pot. By the time most of realise that this pandemic has a long game (much longer than our feelings about Christmas) we will be used to death and disability and in adaptation mode. The government is easing us into it.
the pull to BAU is strong. I think because people don't practicing imagining other ways of living that are good. We're focused on the bad stuff and it makes use afraid and reaching for the familiar. Lots of people see covid/let it rip vs covid/protect at all costs, and Labour are trying to find a middle ground. There are other options that we refuse to look at.
Falling further and further behind in managing Covid is the bit that unsettles me. Ad's comment @2 is the reality.
I have also been thinking about needing Covid hospitals, that Covid is a medical speciality of its own and who will and will not have access to ICU/HDU.
I thought about middle ground maybe there is no middle ground.
Covid variants of concern is what has taken freedom away. When a person's health is impacted, (chronic/just treating the symptoms) freedom becomes limited due to not being able to afford more than a basic existence.
To weka ,and everyone,apparently the "frogs in a pot" analogy is just an old wives tale. Experiments done have found the frogs jump out as the water heats. I was glad when I recently learned this because I like frogs.
Well the fairy bread we had as a part of any childhood birthday party was white bread, thinly sliced, no crusts, lightly buttered with hundreds and thousands on it.
When having extended parties with dolls and other toys my Mum would make fairy bread AND rose petal sandwiches to be served. I made mud pies once and put them on baking trays and into a still warm oven. Not sure who was getting those!
Rose petal sandwiches is very cool. We had hundred and thousands on white bread, don't remember if we called it fairy bread. I was a fan of sliced banana in white bread.
Quietly scrolling down Stuff as one does at the end of a long day with only quick attention breaks, I saw an odd opinion piece:
How to use gratitude marketing to make easy sales
Apparently one should treat people with courtesy and express gratitude because it can be profitable.
This struck me as odd- who doesn't know that people like working with people who are friendly and normal?
Then it struck me as odd – who is friendly just to make sales?
And why is this considered normal in today's society? Shouldn't gratitude and courtesy just be genuine expressions?
But viewing people (and every basic interaction with another person) primarily as opportunities to gain resources was described a hundred and fifty years ago: Marx called it "alienation".
His solutions to the problem of capitalism were wavy-handed, but his descriptions of the problems it causes have examples every day.
His solutions to the problem of capitalism were wavy-handed, but his descriptions of the problems it causes have examples every day.
Ok, now I understand Marx and why I've never been impressed with what people say about his ideas. Your synopsis makes so much more sense (I hope it's true, lol)
From a wider perspective, his predictions about societal progression aren't any more wrong than, say, Orwell or Huxley. Assuming we don't make ourselves extinct beforehand, there will probably be a time when we have the technology where scarcity becomes obsolete. And then there will be no objective for most competition and exploitation of others. Overconsumption would be encouraged because the profit it creates will be meaningless. The Star Trek original series (and Next Generation) was close to that.
But the problem is that Marx followed in the tradition of Hegel, which weirds me out. The upshot is that Marx had the endgame outlined (communist utopia), and some steps along the way, but the trouble is that there's no testability for each step as it progresses. Which means if it doesn't go on to the next step, it wasn't really a problem with marx's ideas about social progression, it was actually just a fraudulent regimemasquerading as a step towards societal progression.
So every revolution is the communist revolution, then it massacres a bunch of folks (as most revolutions of any flavour tend to do), and good communists say "well, I guess it was a false start, #no_true_communist_society".
What do you think is going on with the false starts? Just that there is no testability? Or that the people with power don't really get it? Or human inclination to grab power?
Well, there's always a gap between the pre-revolution "the world would be much better if everyone did this", and the post-revolution realities of running a society and trying to get people to do it.
Especially if the revolution succeeded after a long and bloody civil war, there's a certain brutality of the spirit that taints the winners. Same reason cops and military should always be separate.
Then there are the opportunists and bad-faith actors who latch on to the winning side, say all the right things, but are all about benefitting themselves.
But actually pinning down when the thing goes awry compared to just being a tough bit of "the dictatorship of the proletariat" before everything becomes wonderful, there's no way to distinguish between them at that point. AFAIK, not Marx or anyone since has managed to make a checklist of features one way or the other, where someone can go "ok, the dude that suggested expanding the gulags? Bad idea, that's feature #5 of a false start rather than true social reform".
But I'm not even sure Marx was on board with the idea that a revolution would drive societal change. My vibe of it was more that society would change so much, and the elites would keep resisting it so much, that eventually the revolution would be forced up from society (rather than a cadre of revolutionaries changing the society). But again, good luck figuring out exactly when any society is precisely at that point.
Marx was very committed to the idea of progress, and that it is the modes of production throughout history that defines the way a society functions. This is now known as historical materialism and is essentially the reason there is a non-prescriptive or hand-wavy sort of inevitability to his idea of the transition to post-capitalist technological utopia.
Absolutely, some of those who tried to theorise about the true socialist revolution were much more prescriptive and as you say, there was/is significant differences in approach.
That's why Marx was mostly concerned about critiquing capitalism, the idea being that people need to know about it's inherent problems.
Marx definitely thought capitalism, as it existed then, wouldn't be able to withstand it's own contradictions but it's obvious it has shown it's resilience and adaptability. Even Adam Smith thought it inevitable that as productivity increased people would need to work less hours for their living. That this isn't the reality definitely has it's roots in the decline of unionisation and the rise of globalisation. More democratic workplaces and more worker coordination would help us correct the ship back towards a more equitable shore.
If the good guy husband with a gun threatened the bad guy ex and the bad guy ex was legally armed and shot the good guy husband dead, would the bad guy ex get off the hook pleading self defence?
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
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I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
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Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
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A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
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Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Glen Eden gang stoush: Handguns, machetes in Head Hunter, Comancheros confrontation – NZ Herald
Police in Glen Eden are now armed full time throughout tonight. Never happened before there.
This is after the Commancheros attacked the Head Hunters on Tuesday.
This is on top of five further fire arms attacks in the New Lynn-Glen Eden area since the end of October this year. Four deaths, now six attacks.
Unprecedented in my lifetime in the west.
Do we need to underscore that Glen Eden has the Labour Minister of Social Development, New Lynn has a Labour MP?
And both have massive Labour majorities in their local boards?
And in Glen Eden we have a Labour Councillor?
Oh and we have a Labour government?
Are they incapable of organising together?
And a massively accelerating gang and illegal firearms problem in west Auckland?
Is law and order just too hard for Labour?
It's almost as if a once in a century pandemic might cause social unrest..
Is it the pandemic or the subjugation?
I'm sorry, I'd forgotten all about you poor dears being loaded into cattle wagons and sent east.
/
Fucked if I know why Sepulponi still has that job. From the WINZ side it's just daft. I'm guessing that transfers across.
Thanks Scomo.
Thanks Scomo.
Well the B11529 COVID variant looks like a barrel o'laughs.
What we know so far about the B.1.1.529 COVID variant causing concern in South Africa | Euronews
Yep and opening the borders without MIQ great idea.
As for gangs and guns we would have less police softer gun laws.
Since 501's have been coming from Australia gangs the anti has been upped.
Illegal Drug's are where the gangs are funding their lifestyle.
Until we decriminalise and supply by prescription with rehabilitation services the gang problem is only going to get worse.
The Police say they are making big inroads into supply ,they always say that and the problem only gets worse.
Every govt since back in Muldoon days has said its going to get tough on gangs none have succeeded.
With the housing crisis its going to get a lot worse and maybe not get better as intergenerational poverty ,abuse and neglect take decades to solve.
We're frogs in a pot. By the time most of realise that this pandemic has a long game (much longer than our feelings about Christmas) we will be used to death and disability and in adaptation mode. The government is easing us into it.
I just made a comment to someone that I do not know how people who are now age 35 – 40 are going to be like when they are age 60.
Madness to open up the borders when there is not enough information on how concerning, new variants could affect people.
the pull to BAU is strong. I think because people don't practicing imagining other ways of living that are good. We're focused on the bad stuff and it makes use afraid and reaching for the familiar. Lots of people see covid/let it rip vs covid/protect at all costs, and Labour are trying to find a middle ground. There are other options that we refuse to look at.
Falling further and further behind in managing Covid is the bit that unsettles me. Ad's comment @2 is the reality.
I have also been thinking about needing Covid hospitals, that Covid is a medical speciality of its own and who will and will not have access to ICU/HDU.
I thought about middle ground maybe there is no middle ground.
Covid variants of concern is what has taken freedom away. When a person's health is impacted, (chronic/just treating the symptoms) freedom becomes limited due to not being able to afford more than a basic existence.
To weka ,and everyone,apparently the "frogs in a pot" analogy is just an old wives tale. Experiments done have found the frogs jump out as the water heats. I was glad when I recently learned this because I like frogs.
💚
Yuss! New cartoon by First Dog on Moon! 🙂
https://twitter.com/firstdogonmoon/status/1464101679393951745?s=20
do I want to know what fairy bread is?
Well the fairy bread we had as a part of any childhood birthday party was white bread, thinly sliced, no crusts, lightly buttered with hundreds and thousands on it.
When having extended parties with dolls and other toys my Mum would make fairy bread AND rose petal sandwiches to be served. I made mud pies once and put them on baking trays and into a still warm oven. Not sure who was getting those!
Rose petal sandwiches is very cool. We had hundred and thousands on white bread, don't remember if we called it fairy bread. I was a fan of sliced banana in white bread.
At our exercise dance group this am the first two songs were
Hey Jude
and
Hit the road Jude
Nice!
I wasn't around yesterday, has Puckish Rogue been crying into his beer?
That would only dilute perfectly good beer.
He told me it was all part of a very long and cunning plan … and seemed quite perky about it.
good on him for putting on a brave face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDAXMZIlM-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA_TnixTfHc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtvmTu4zAMg
I'm sorry for your pain.
Some country music for a laid-back Friday evening.
I Like Smoking Pot (A Lot)
by Wheeler Walker Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjiS20NqNqs
Not bad, getting a real Willie Nelson vibe. Hows this for a bit of life on the edges of society:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4zfEkKs2ZM
Look up Wheeler Walker Jr. "Redneck Shit" song on YouTube. (Warning: Adults only and will offend most people).
PR – I'll try to never say a bad word about you again now that I know your a Townes fan.
I came to him through the usual way of Steve Earle
Quietly scrolling down Stuff as one does at the end of a long day with only quick attention breaks, I saw an odd opinion piece:
Apparently one should treat people with courtesy and express gratitude because it can be profitable.
This struck me as odd- who doesn't know that people like working with people who are friendly and normal?
Then it struck me as odd – who is friendly just to make sales?
And why is this considered normal in today's society? Shouldn't gratitude and courtesy just be genuine expressions?
But viewing people (and every basic interaction with another person) primarily as opportunities to gain resources was described a hundred and fifty years ago: Marx called it "alienation".
His solutions to the problem of capitalism were wavy-handed, but his descriptions of the problems it causes have examples every day.
'the secret to selling is …sincerity…fake that ..and you've got ..it made'!
Ok, now I understand Marx and why I've never been impressed with what people say about his ideas. Your synopsis makes so much more sense (I hope it's true, lol)
That was my takeaway, anyway.
From a wider perspective, his predictions about societal progression aren't any more wrong than, say, Orwell or Huxley. Assuming we don't make ourselves extinct beforehand, there will probably be a time when we have the technology where scarcity becomes obsolete. And then there will be no objective for most competition and exploitation of others. Overconsumption would be encouraged because the profit it creates will be meaningless. The Star Trek original series (and Next Generation) was close to that.
But the problem is that Marx followed in the tradition of Hegel, which weirds me out. The upshot is that Marx had the endgame outlined (communist utopia), and some steps along the way, but the trouble is that there's no testability for each step as it progresses. Which means if it doesn't go on to the next step, it wasn't really a problem with marx's ideas about social progression, it was actually just a fraudulent regime masquerading as a step towards societal progression.
So every revolution is the communist revolution, then it massacres a bunch of folks (as most revolutions of any flavour tend to do), and good communists say "well, I guess it was a false start, #no_true_communist_society".
that makes sense too.
What do you think is going on with the false starts? Just that there is no testability? Or that the people with power don't really get it? Or human inclination to grab power?
Well, there's always a gap between the pre-revolution "the world would be much better if everyone did this", and the post-revolution realities of running a society and trying to get people to do it.
Especially if the revolution succeeded after a long and bloody civil war, there's a certain brutality of the spirit that taints the winners. Same reason cops and military should always be separate.
Then there are the opportunists and bad-faith actors who latch on to the winning side, say all the right things, but are all about benefitting themselves.
But actually pinning down when the thing goes awry compared to just being a tough bit of "the dictatorship of the proletariat" before everything becomes wonderful, there's no way to distinguish between them at that point. AFAIK, not Marx or anyone since has managed to make a checklist of features one way or the other, where someone can go "ok, the dude that suggested expanding the gulags? Bad idea, that's feature #5 of a false start rather than true social reform".
But I'm not even sure Marx was on board with the idea that a revolution would drive societal change. My vibe of it was more that society would change so much, and the elites would keep resisting it so much, that eventually the revolution would be forced up from society (rather than a cadre of revolutionaries changing the society). But again, good luck figuring out exactly when any society is precisely at that point.
Marx was very committed to the idea of progress, and that it is the modes of production throughout history that defines the way a society functions. This is now known as historical materialism and is essentially the reason there is a non-prescriptive or hand-wavy sort of inevitability to his idea of the transition to post-capitalist technological utopia.
Fair point, but it leads to the real-world conundrum of "we are the true socialist revolution" – "no, we are the true socialist revolution", etc.
Whereas capitalism is more "I haz all the gold, do what I say. Look, I used a small portion of my gold to hire men with guns, see? Believe me now?"
Absolutely, some of those who tried to theorise about the true socialist revolution were much more prescriptive and as you say, there was/is significant differences in approach.
That's why Marx was mostly concerned about critiquing capitalism, the idea being that people need to know about it's inherent problems.
Marx definitely thought capitalism, as it existed then, wouldn't be able to withstand it's own contradictions but it's obvious it has shown it's resilience and adaptability. Even Adam Smith thought it inevitable that as productivity increased people would need to work less hours for their living. That this isn't the reality definitely has it's roots in the decline of unionisation and the rise of globalisation. More democratic workplaces and more worker coordination would help us correct the ship back towards a more equitable shore.
Jono & Ben. Hey Judith song.
https://www.facebook.com/TheHitsNZ/videos/577448973533656/?
Brilliant.
'are we meant to take more than…we give.'
https://youtu.be/FFNXnd0cPb8
Normal self defence in Texas.
Texas man claims self-defence after shooting woman's ex-husband in filmed confrontation – NZ Herald
If the good guy husband with a gun threatened the bad guy ex and the bad guy ex was legally armed and shot the good guy husband dead, would the bad guy ex get off the hook pleading self defence?
Buckle up!! The new variant is in 6 countries already. We don't know how lucky we are.
Jim Boult will sort it.