Posts Tagged ‘expansionary austerity’

Anemic recovery

Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, June 24th, 2013 - 113 comments

Despite the heroic efforts of National’s spinsters the economic “recovery” remains anemic. We’re still behind 2007, and what recovery there is seems to be largely driven by another property bubble, and captured by a few. All National have managed is to hold us back for four years.

The budget’s flawed premise

Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, May 15th, 2013 - 27 comments

The whole austerity driven focus of the budget and National’s economic policy is based on a premise which is in turn based on a spreadsheet error.

Nats have held us back for four years

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, May 8th, 2013 - 22 comments

We’re in yet another round of talk of “green shoots” of economic recovery, complete with the hype of an optimistic budget. Maybe they’re right this time, but the recovery, when it does happen, will be in spite of the National government, not because of them. All National have done is hold us back for four years.

Economic sabotage

Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, April 23rd, 2013 - 185 comments

Which is really the party of “economic sabotage”?

Tax cuts – because it worked so well last time

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 29th, 2013 - 190 comments

The ideological loonies advising the government want us to go even further down the stupid and damaging path of income tax cuts. Surely even the Nats have too much sense to listen this time.

The Brits are smarter than us

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, March 11th, 2013 - 44 comments

All sorts of bad polling news for the British Conservative government, as the Brits lose faith in the politics of economic austerity.

The failure of economic austerity

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, February 11th, 2013 - 18 comments

As one writer sums it up – “no austerity has helped any economy”. So why do we carry on with this failed ideology? Perhaps because, while it does nothing for the vast majority of people, it helps make the super-rich even richer…

Austerity vs. stimulus

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, September 27th, 2012 - 53 comments

The UK and USA make for interesting case studies in their differing responses to the global recession.  A pity that NZ followed the wrong leader.

Austerity in Britain

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, July 26th, 2012 - 45 comments

Gosh, isn’t government austerity working well in Britain. Thank goodness we’re following in their footsteps.

Admitting that austerity has failed

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, June 16th, 2012 - 56 comments

Austerity has failed in both the UK and NZ.  But at least Cameron’s Conservatives have the wit to realise it, and the courage to act.

Excuses excuses

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, March 7th, 2012 - 32 comments

Tax revenue is down, blowing a big hole in all the government’s financial projections. The Nats are in trouble and instead of looking for solutions, they’re looking for excuses.

The austerity death trap

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, October 25th, 2011 - 89 comments

In response to tough economic times, Government austerity programmes do more harm than good.  It’s a pretty simple equation based on the debt / GDP ratio.  With an election coming up soon, NZ needs to look for economic competence and a willingness to try new ideas, rather than muddling along deeper into the austerity death trap.

Doldrums

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, October 7th, 2011 - 48 comments

Looks like the RWC isn’t going to be the economic stimulus that we hoped.  We’re stuck in the doldrums, and (just like in England) the government’s austerity  programme is exactly the wrong response.

Squeezing the life out of the economy

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, June 20th, 2011 - 41 comments

Are we “roaring out of recession”?  No.  Is there an “aggressive recovery”?  No.  What’s going wrong?  The problem is that the Nats are squeezing the life out of the economy.

Expansionary austerity – fail

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, April 21st, 2011 - 32 comments

Expansionary austerity is the idea that cutbacks in government spending can stimulate economic growth.  Empirical evidence shows that it doesn’t work.  Current experience shows that  it’s not working in Britain, and it isn’t working here.  Like “trickle down economics” this favourite of the political Right is not so much a theory as a deluded fantasy.