Saving the town
What do you do for a town when the company that provides all the jobs shuts down?
Economy
poverty
Towards a new economic order
George Monbiot in the Guardian gives a precise and accurate description of neoliberalism and asks the question why has the left not come up with a modern alternative?
The Divide (Spirit Level – The Movie)
Based on the breakthrough book The Spirit Level, just released film The Divide puts a human face on low wage hell. “Why aren’t we earning enough to live?”
Justin Lester: begging is a social issue, not a crime
The Auckland local government race isn’t the only one where begging is becoming a top issue.
Shameful tactics on beneficiaries
Why does it take a volunteer organisation like Auckland Action Against Poverty to help people get the benefits that they are entitled to?
Postcard from the “brighter” future
Evidence of growing poverty hitting “mid-decile” schools.
Global elite plan their escape from “pleb masses”
So, Key has now come out and revealed to us how afraid the global oligarch class (and their well paid professional enablers) are. They appear to have no plans to reverse their activites to make things better for us.
Glasses and Brick Walls (& woods and trees).
The thing about not having great sight is that sometimes you don’t really see things coming.
Intergenerational theft
The Guardian has an excellent piece on “the 30-year economic betrayal dragging down Generation Y’s income”.
The Butcher’s Apron or the Tea Towel
Next week the voting on part two of the Key Legacy Project © begins. We’re being given a choice between the outdated and the bland. The Butcher’s Apron or the Tea Towel. Do you care?
the Global Death Economy
A new edition of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” has been released. It makes it clear that we are in the grip of a global “Death Economy” and a collective embrace of ‘Thanatos’, the death instinct.
Another poverty report to ignore
Another report on child poverty for the Nats to ignore.
Bob McCoskrie confuses correlation with causation
Family First’s Bob McCoskrie has released a research paper that essentially concludes that the anti smacking bill and not child poverty is responsible for the plight of children deteriorating over the past decade.
So, how would you spend $1.2B per year?
A Kiwi Kids allowance for all under fives, with totally fee free public primary and secondary schools.
Postcards from the brighter future
Part of an occasional series.
The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED)
How many more lies will John Key tell today in his so-called State of the Nation address? Virtual chocolate fish to whomever guesses the closest number.
Another attempt to minimise the significance of poverty
A piece yesterday foreshadows a report on poverty from right-wing lobby group “The New Zealand Initiative”. It’s (surprise!) another attempt to minimise the significance of poverty in NZ – and it’s another big distraction…
62 vs 3.6 Billion
Ever widening inequality generates ever more astonishing statistics – suck up economics in action. The super-rich are laughing all the way to the bank.
What to do about poverty (and a suggestion to the media)
An excellent piece on poverty by Lizzie Marvelly in The Herald this morning poses a question to which we already know the answer. (Plus some bonus rambling on the media.)
The problem with free market capitalism
This morning’s Herald contains a story about a young man who with a family gift has managed to purchase eleven houses over the past five years and can afford to pay World of Warcraft all day.
Well this is awkward
Jamie Whyte yesterday wrote an article for the Herald claiming that child poverty does not exist in New Zealand. But he wrote essentially the same article in 2005 about child poverty in Great Britain.
The myth of drug dependancy and poverty
New research from Morgan Foundation suggests that poverty can be alleviated by increasing incomes and that the beneficiaries will be children of poor families not vendors of alcohol and cigarettes.
Summer break
Standardista authors are on summer break! There will be an Open Mike each day, but little or no other posting (unless an author feels particularly inspired). Here’s some summer reading suggestions – by all means add your own…
Child poverty has been monitored – now what?
A guest post from McFlock on what we might do about poverty when the talking’s done.
Child poverty – it’s not choice
The mantra of ‘Poor Choices’
It is that time of year when poor people realise just how poor they really are – the season for giving, the season […]
Rashbrooke on inequality
Max Rashbrooke has another excellent piece in The Guardian, on inequality and on the ways he has been attacked for his writings on this issue.
Hikoi for Homes.
Saturday in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Inequality is a choice
Inequality is a choice. It isn’t a choice made by individuals, it is a choice made by governments. Check out Joseph Stiglitz’s new book Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy: An Agenda for Growth and Shared Prosperity.
Poverty’s Beneficiaries.
While pondering this post, I was pointed to a post from last year, in which poverty and the cost of breakfast were on the agenda. Stephanie was writing in response to the ignorance of Nikki Kaye who claimed that giving affordable nutritious breakfast to children was easy. While I haven’t taken the time to read all of the comments on the subject, I thought Stephanie proved the point quite aptly that the reality is far different than the hypothetical world of poverty in which Nikki Kaye lives.
Food Bank Charity
Guest post from Kōrero Pono on the politics and ethics of food banks.
Obesity policy ignores elephant in the room
Obesity is a difficult topic to write about, but with the release of new government policy yesterday it is very much in the news. Unfortunately, unsurprisingly, National have chosen to tinker with the consequences of obesity without addressing the causes.
Briefing Papers: Refugees and inequality
Briefing Papers have been busy recently, check out some recent articles. How long can wealth keep sucking up before a society breaks down completely?
Pope Francis speaks
Pope Francis has given two important speeches recently.
The strip mining of Housing Corp is accelerated
Not only is Housing Corp planning to pay a $118 million dividend to the Crown this year but hidden away in its accounts is the payment of a further capital contribution of $336 million. Talk about strip mining …
Good question
