Search Results

  1. To Kill Democracy…

    Written By:  Bill -  Date published: 2:12 pm, February 22nd, 2020 -  12 comments
    Categories: corruption, democracy under attack, election 2020, International, Media, Politics, us politics
    Tags: , ,

    If major Democratic Party donors and ‘big business’ lobbyists wanted to monkeywrench democracy in the US, then here’s how they could go about it.

  2. Sustainable NZ not so sustainable after all

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 2:42 pm, February 21st, 2020 -  23 comments
    Categories: election 2020, electoral systems, Environment, MMP, national, sustainability
    Tags:

    It appears that National’s dream of an alternative Green party that would drive the real Green Party below the threshold is in tatters with news that Sustainable NZ is on the skids.

  3. The death of Holden

    Written By:  advantage -  Date published: 11:01 am, February 18th, 2020 -  43 comments
    Categories: australian politics, Economy, tech industry, uncategorized, Unions, workers' rights
    Tags:

    Thousands of households across New Zealand heard the announcement of the complete death of the Holden marque this week, as the death of one of the greatest binaries and one of the most closely teased and contested brands of all: Holden versus Ford.

  4. China: Guns, Germs, and Steel

    Written By:  advantage -  Date published: 8:00 am, February 14th, 2020 -  34 comments
    Categories: China, Deep stuff, Economy, Free Trade, trade
    Tags: ,

    The coronavirus outbreak that exploded three weeks ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has prompted the most severe Chinese government actions in three decades.

  5. This result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 8:11 am, February 10th, 2020 -  13 comments
    Categories: boris johnson, Brexit, International, politicans, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , , , , ,

    Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog

    Nick is a Director of Piko Consulting and works as a Political Adviser in The House of Lords. 

    Listening to the results being reported while driving on that California freeway, I recall thinking ‘this result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom’. On hearing that both Northern Ireland and Scotland had voted to stay part of the EU, in contrast to the rest of the country, it was hard to imagine that this would not become a significant issue.

  6. Oh Look! (What. a. surprise.)

    Written By:  Bill -  Date published: 10:41 am, February 8th, 2020 -  20 comments
    Categories: Free Trade, International, making shit up, Propaganda, Syria, United Nations, us politics
    Tags: , , ,

    Mainstream media yet again aiding and abetting the character assassination of whistle blowers.

  7. What if plant-based wasn’t the answer?

    Written By:  weka -  Date published: 7:05 am, February 7th, 2020 -  123 comments
    Categories: farming, food
    Tags: , , , , , ,

    Instead of burning the world a bit more slowly, how about we don’t burn it at all?

  8. Southland floods and toxic waste

    Written By:  weka -  Date published: 7:05 am, February 6th, 2020 -  45 comments
    Categories: disaster
    Tags: , , , , , , ,

    As Southland starts post-flood recovery, the question arises of why 10,000 tonnes of waste known to become toxic on exposure to water was allowed to be stored on the banks of a river with known flood risk in a building with known flood risk? 

  9. Pay the money back Simon

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 3:17 pm, February 1st, 2020 -  33 comments
    Categories: election funding, elections, national, same old national, Simon Bridges, the praiseworthy and the pitiful
    Tags:

    Simon Bridges has stated that National wants to pay the undeclared $100,000 donation back but even though nearly two years have passed since it was made it still remains unrepaid.

  10. The Fourth Estate struggling in the social media world

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 11:51 pm, January 27th, 2020 -  30 comments
    Categories: facebook, International, internet, jacinda ardern, journalism, labour, Media, political parties, politicans, Politics, twitter, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , , , ,

    Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog

    Ahead of the 2020 General Election in New Zealand, Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that her party is committed to run a factual election and has signed up to a social media tool to help prove it. The 2020 NZ election will be an interesting case study of whether in the social media age there can be honest political debate free of misinformation and manipulation of facts.

  11. McClay accused of supporting China’s mass detention of muslims

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:26 am, January 17th, 2020 -  51 comments
    Categories: China, human rights, International, national, political parties, same old national, United Nations
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    Freedom House has criticised National MP Todd McClay for reinforcing Chinese descriptions of the mass imprisonment of Muslim minorities as vocational training centres.

  12. Why UK Labour lost? Part 6: New Labour & Blairism

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 10:39 am, January 15th, 2020 -  10 comments
    Categories: Austerity, Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn, politicans, Politics, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

    Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog

    Fact is that the world has moved on from the 1980s and 90s. Politics certainly has. The types of 3rd way or centre/centre right positions that Blair and Campbell think will win just won’t anymore.

  13. Why UK Labour lost? Part 5: Antisemitism

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 6:29 am, January 14th, 2020 -  13 comments
    Categories: elections, International, Jeremy Corbyn, Politics, racism, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , , , ,

    Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog

  14. Why UK Labour lost? Part 2: UK Labour’s Strange loyalty to First Past the Post.

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 2:56 am, January 13th, 2020 -  13 comments
    Categories: electoral systems, First Past the Post, labour, political parties, Politics, uk politics
    Tags: , , ,

    Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog

  15. Australian fires and the climate crisis everybody wanted to ignore

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 11:05 am, January 7th, 2020 -  51 comments
    Categories: australian politics, climate change, Environment, International, science
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog 

  16. The power of positive campaigning

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 2:42 pm, December 31st, 2019 -  123 comments
    Categories: election 2017, election 2020, internet, jacinda ardern, labour, Media, twitter, uncategorized
    Tags:

    With the 2020 election just round the corner and recent complaints about the left’s treatment of the #TurnArdern campaign it is a perfect time to think about the importance of language and positive uplifting campaign themes.

  17. It Is the Thought That Counts

    Written By:  Incognito -  Date published: 12:33 am, December 28th, 2019 -  70 comments
    Categories: Deep stuff, Ethics, jacinda ardern, leadership, Left, Politics, uncategorized
    Tags: ,

    Antagonistic personalities are an obstacle to effective politics tackling major present problems.

  18. Democratisation by Social Media and the Internet Is Just Meaningless Waffle

    Written By:  Incognito -  Date published: 1:35 pm, December 24th, 2019 -  22 comments
    Categories: accountability, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, democratic participation, internet, Media, Politics, uncategorized
    Tags: , ,

    Social Media and the Internet are literally in our faces 24/7 but our political engagement is diminishing.

  19. The British Election result 2019

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 11:05 am, December 20th, 2019 -  21 comments
    Categories: boris johnson, democratic participation, electoral systems, International, Jeremy Corbyn, MMP, Politics, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Democracy is a precious thing, and not something that can be taken for granted. Having an electoral system where every vote matters is crucial to creating a decent society. It is time that the UK started seriously debating electoral reform and how to improve its democratic systems.

  20. How to counter angry boomer campaigns

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:15 am, December 17th, 2019 -  154 comments
    Categories: australian politics, boris johnson, democratic participation, Dirty Politics, Donald Trump, election 2020, elections, jacinda ardern, Jeremy Corbyn, Politics, uk politics, uncategorized
    Tags:

    The UK election was won not by Russian bots but by older voters with limited technical skills circulating poorly designed ads.  What can be done in New Zealand to counter what is clearly a right wing campaign tactic?

  21. The Missing Millions

    Written By:  Bill -  Date published: 11:18 am, December 12th, 2019 -  18 comments
    Categories: Austerity, Bernie Sanders, Brexit, capitalism, class war, democracy under attack, Economy, elections, Europe, Free Trade, International, Jeremy Corbyn, journalism, Left, liberalism, Media, Politics, Privatisation, Propaganda, uk politics, us politics
    Tags: , , ,

    Millions of people and an entire region of the UK left out of polling calculations….

  22. Thawing after the BRR

    Written By:  weka -  Date published: 7:10 am, December 12th, 2019 -  27 comments
    Categories: economy, greens, james shaw
    Tags: ,

    “The purpose of fiscal policy should be to ensure ongoing wellbeing for all and the health of our environment.”

  23. Little’s Electoral Bill a curate’s egg – good in parts

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 1:51 pm, December 4th, 2019 -  11 comments
    Categories: Andrew Little, campaigning, elections, electoral commission, political parties, social media lolz, spin
    Tags:

    I’ve always liked Punch magazine’s famous cartoon “True humility” where the curate assures his bishop noticing his bad egg that parts of it are excellent. Most discussion on Little’s Bill has focused on the bad bits regarding foreign donations. The good bit requires all political ads online to be attributed.

  24. Whither Warren?

    Written By:  advantage -  Date published: 7:40 am, December 2nd, 2019 -  20 comments
    Categories: capitalism, climate change, Donald Trump, jacinda ardern, us politics
    Tags: ,

    Is it too early to call negative odds on Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy?

  25. The folly of electoral pacts

    Written By:  nickkelly -  Date published: 2:15 am, November 30th, 2019 -  2 comments
    Categories: Brexit, electoral systems, First Past the Post, International, Politics, polls, uk politics
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Originally posted  Nick Kelly’s blog One feature of the UK election has been various electoral alliances or deals done. This has mostly occurred around the issue of Brexit. Early on in the campaign I wrote about Trump’s intervention in the UK election, specifically him calling on The Brexit Party and The Conservatives to do a deal. […]

  26. Never Trump

    Written By:  advantage -  Date published: 8:06 am, November 23rd, 2019 -  46 comments
    Categories: Donald Trump, elections, Politics, uncategorized, us politics
    Tags:

    There is tremendous momentum within the Democratic Party right now with recent gains in Kentucky and Louisiana and Virginia. But in the battle to get rid of Trump they can still blow it.

  27. Hypocrite

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 12:23 pm, November 20th, 2019 -  74 comments
    Categories: election 2020, election funding, elections, electoral commission, electoral systems, jacinda ardern, national, nz first, politicans, same old national, Simon Bridges, uncategorized, winston peters
    Tags:

    Simon Bridges has accused NZ First of engaging in the most significant breach of electoral law in New Zealand’s history. But has not ruled out working with NZ First in the future. And has forgotten about National’s neat partition of a $100,000 donation to hide it from the authorities.

  28. Two Referendums Too Many

    Written By:  Incognito -  Date published: 1:32 pm, November 16th, 2019 -  50 comments
    Categories: campaigning, death with dignity, election 2020, leadership, Politics, quality of life, referendum
    Tags: ,

    The referendums on two contentious issues could cloud and crowd out the General Election.

  29. Sustainable Party launches

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:01 am, November 11th, 2019 -  99 comments
    Categories: climate change, Environment, global warming, greens, national, political parties, same old national, sustainability
    Tags:

    The Sustainable Party, National’s sock puppet party designed to weaken the Greens has launched. And its policies for some strange reason have not put climate change front and centre.

  30. National’s fundamentals

    Written By:  weka -  Date published: 7:15 am, November 6th, 2019 -  87 comments
    Categories: Christopher Luxon, election 2020, national
    Tags: ,

    Are National parachuting in a fundamentalist Christian as a Prime Minister hopeful?

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