Fear, Loathing and Denial.
There’s a major and rather obvious contributory factor to UK Labour’s failure in the UK general election that doesn’t seem to have drawn any comment. Until now…
Economy
capitalism
Pull the other one… ponytails, minimisation and male privilege
From pulling ponytails to police minimisation, there is a deep problem in our country with attitudes towards women and to sexual violence.
ANZAC 4 SALE
Has the spirit of ANZAC Day become subsumed by the commercial imperative?
Wikileaks – Sony Archives
A Wikileaks dump of documents relating to Sony shows a close working relationship with the US government. Implications also for Kim Dotcom.
Dear Maccas, Burger King and Wendys, about those zero hour contracts
Following its success in persuading Restaurant Brands to do away with zero hour contracts Unite Union has set up a webpage where people can email these organisations.
Dollar Parity
As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests. No such luck in Aotearoa …
Alternatives to banks
We need an alternative to fattening the coffers of Australian banks.
Trends in America
Here’s some slow Monday reading to ponder, on political trends in America.
California drought
The California drought gives us a case study in how the effects of climate change are going to play out.
Screaming left-wing conspiracy theorist shocked at spying on Diplomats
In the NZ herald today, Terence O’Brien has been questioned about the recent revelations of spying to get Minister’s jobs after politics. Despite […]
The rich want to hide their wealth because of kidnap threats
The Liberal National Party Coalition in Australia want to overturn a requirement for corporations with a turnover of $100 million to disclose tax information on the grounds that kidnapping will occur even though the rich’s ostentatiousness is plain to see without the information being published. And in America it has been estimated that Wall Street’s bonus pool is twice the amount paid to full time American employees living on the minimum wage.
The “Brighter future”.
Labour, in 1984, with Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas, promised that if we adopted their prescription we would have a “Brighter Future”. Ruth Richardson in the 90’s promised a “Brighter Future”. Again in 2014 John Key’s National promises a “Brighter Future”.
A “Brighter Future”. For whom?
UPDATED: Developers will save Kauri – for a Price
Was driving through Henderson today toward the City centre and spotted a car with screen painting on its bumper…
“Keep Kauri standing”…
Anti TPPA Rallies this Saturday
For details of protest action nearest to you check out the itsourfuture website.
National Ltd™ Battling Truth On Two Fronts
The lies and media pap being distributed for public consumption by the boys down at “The Club” are old and worn out now. Politicians, public commentators, and media heads who really think they can get away with this flimsy “rinse and repeat” justification of the indefensible are treated us with contempt.
Expect more zero-hours crisis cases
Today is not a good day for workers. Employment law changes that take effect today weaken workers’ rights and will result in more cases of zero-hour contract “excesses”. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway has been doing good work on this issue (sign the petition). In contrast National’s position now appears confused, with Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse acknowledging problems even as today’s changes make matters worse.
Nats getting squeamish on zero hour contracts
Zero hour contracts are the logical end point of National’s agenda for employment legislation. But last night Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse promised legislation to “prohibit the worst excesses”. “Excesses” in the free market – who would have thought?
Politicising banking
The attack on banking services for Mega is a high profile example of the politicisation of banking. We’re on a very slippery slope here…
Politician salary rises and the minimum wage increase
John Key has yet again asked the Remuneration Authority to limit the increase in MPs pay. And yet again they have said that the law required them to make the decision they did. So MPs get a hefty raise at the same time that the minimum wage is raised slightly. And the media report Key’s comments sympathetically. He is the Prime Minister. If anyone can change the law he is the person best placed.
NZ Banks are very worried…
New Zealand banks (which are really Australian banks) are REALLY worried for us (oh, and for themselves).
Another week another banking scandal
Another big tax evasion scandal with links to NZ. Don’t expect the government to spend any time looking in to this.
The SkyCity Deal
Eighteen months ago Stephen Joyce said about the Sky City Convention Centre deal that anything not written down was not happening. It appears that he was wrong as John Key softens us up for more public money being spent on a private convention centre.
A calculated feeding of the beasts within
The social democracy of my youth has radically collapsed into our current culture of individualism, privatisation and personal greed.
The lie about productivity and wages
The Productivity Commission has a new report out which looks at changes in the labour income share, or LIS, from 1978 to 2010. […]
AFFCO Talley’s and Jobs That Count
Darien Fenton at Jobs That Count brings us the details of the fight for decent pay and conditions at Talley’s meat processing plants
Greece to reclaim its future?
Greece has voted to reclaim its future from the banks.
Monbiot on state media and the corporate elite
George Monbiot wrote recently on how Canadian and United Kingdom public media reporting on corporate news are hopelessly pro business and lacking in any sort of balance. And how the volume of articles concerning environmental issues is declining. Is it the same in New Zealand?
The last gasp of oil
Fracking has created a short term oil glut. That’s bad news for climate change. Could we at least find a silver lining in this carbon cloud, or will it be business as usual?
An interesting milestone
An interesting milestone in inequality is about to be passed.
Sacrificing our Sovereignty in the name of Free Trade
The United Kingdom is debating entry into the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which like the TPPA will allow investor-state disputes to be resolved by unappealable unaccountable private arbitration. George Monbiot in the Guardian describes the issue well and has suggestions on how the proposal can be challenged.
Dirty Politics in 2015
Political Scientists Bronwyn Hayward and Mark Boyd were interviewed on Radio New Zealand yesterday on New Zealand politics in 2014 and what happened during the election. They talked extensively on dirty politics, on the role of the media and how things can be improved in 2015.
The Socialist Pope
Pope Francis has created a stir recently. He has been instrumental in the ending by the United States of sanctions against Cuba, he has criticised the Curia for being inwardly focussed and not sufficiently concerned for the poor and he has reached out to Muslims. And to top things off he is intending to issue a Papal Encyclical on climate change and will be urging countries to enter into a meaningful agreement on climate change.
Bill Gates on Piketty and inequality
Thomas Piketty in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century came to the strong conclusion that capitalism left by itself will increase inequality and cause increased risk of social, economic and democratic upheaval. He has an unlikely supporter, albeit critical, in Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world.
USA pimpin for its mega corporates
Another day, another crucial leak of information relating to a relentless drive by the USA to have control of as much data as they can, in as many countries as possible.
Inequality – two excellent pieces
Inequality has been very much in the news recently. Friday saw the publication of two really excellent pieces that between them provide a comprehensive, if depressing overview.
Christmas at the extremes
Two New Zealands will shortly celebrate Christmas, the poor and the rich. Here’s a crazy thought…