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Politics
Deep stuff
This is how you change the Government – electorate vote Goldsmith if you are on the Epsom roll
For progressive Epsom voters the best way to change the Government may be to give your electorate vote to Paul Goldsmith.
After nine long years National discovers there is child poverty in New Zealand
Bill English has finally committed the Government to doing something about Child poverty. But why has he and National taken so long?
Challenging the divine right of kingmakers
23 days to go. We’re now this close to changing the government, and have a real chance at a truly progressive government with a Labour/Green coalition. For that we need strong Green representation.
Political Statues
America is experiencing difficulties because of the celebration by the right of statutes of their racist heroes. Why does New Zealand not have this problem?
Solidarity forever
Andrew Little has stood aside for Jacinda Ardern because he thought the Labour movement needed fresh legs. Time to acknowledge him and support her.
The Catholic Church is urging its parishoners to vote
The catholic bishops of Aotearoa have released a pamphlet urging parishoners to vote. And apart from conservative positions on euthenasia and drug liberalisation the policies they support have a decidedly progressive bent.
Why be a public servant?
Today thousands of IRD workers face the prospect of losing their jobs while two MOT workers who lost their jobs for whistle blowing are vindicated. Who would be a public servant?
Skepticism cynicism lies and hypocrisy
There’s a very good / depressing long read in The Guardian on the dangerous “weaponising” of cynicism by climate change deniers. One of the most interesting sections was a discussion of the way that voters are more forgiving of lies than hypocrisy.
Does the left do more of the same or does it get radical this election?
Andrew Dean has written an opinion piece for Stuff where he suggests that to win this election Labour and the Greens have to become more radical.
Dirty Politics 2017 style
Latest polls and some anecdotal evidence from the doorstep are showing a move back to the Tories in Britain. If so it may in part be due to last-minute dark and dirty personally targeted Facebook advertising to voters in marginal seats. They cost so will need to be watched later on here.
The UK elections – Has Labour got the big mo?
And in the United Kingdom the election that was meant to be a foregone conclusion suddenly is suddenly tightening.
Slater v Craig – battle of the has beens
The High Court this week has been asked to dissect the decline of the Conservative Party and of the 2014 form of dirty politics.
The looming battle over property
Housing may be the issue that decides this year’s election. And if Labour wins Andrew Little will have a major crisis to deal with, one that he has to solve.
Prefigurative politics: being the change you want to see
In election year, we have some choices about how to proceed.
The patriotic millionaires
In America a group of millionaires have emerged who are advocating for increased taxation for the wealthy and increased democratic rights to everyone else.
The French Presidential Runoff
The French Presidential run off presents worrying signs for progressives. Why is the electorate sliding to the right?
Utopian Musings: Companionship, Community, Compassion, Passion
Incognito muses on the state of society, and that despite many of us feel relatively happy & content there seems to be an increasing feeling of ‘unease’, that something is not quite right in/with our society and where things might be heading. Rather than the ideologies and buzzwords, Incognito focuses on the factors that make humans happy in community.
Monbiot on the embedded economy
A model for a sustainable economy. Something to ponder on a wet holiday weekend.
The neoliberal revolution
Thirty years old today – the longest April Fool’s joke in history?
When right-wing hacks confess the damage that they do
Some right-wing hacks (like Glenn Beck) are recanting their rants and apologising for the damage that they’ve done. I reckon a few more should follow their brave lead.
Nicky Hager announces new book release
Nicky Hager’s latest book is to be launched this Tuesday at Unity Books in Wellington.
International Women’s Day, 47 years on, how far have we come?
Test of a speech given by feminist icon Sandra Coney on the state of the feminist movement in 2017
Slightly smug about MMP
2017 will be New Zealand’s eighth election under MMP, over 22 years. With very strong democratically elected governments appearing right across the world digging in for the long term, it’s useful to take a moment for MMP.
Is this the impossibility turning point?
There’s a wonderful fiction still propelling the world that the 21st century will bring an ever-expanding arc of freedom and prosperity to the vast majority of humanity but the reality seems to be anything but.
How do we increase voter participation?
Fewer people, particularly young people, are voting. How do we turn this around?
The CIA Director confirmation hearings
Mike Pompey is Donald Trump’s chosen head for the CIA. He is someone who believes in the mass collection of all metadata and combining it with all publicly available information. Are we going to see the unprecedented destruction of rights of privacy?
Refining that dog whistle
Bill English has used a proposal for timing of his Waitangi speech to wrongly claim that he is being silenced. And most of the media bought it.
I have an idea
Advantage muses on the meaning of Christmas and how our response to it says a lot about who we are.
America’s broken democratic system
Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.
Kindness
It has been a terrible year. People should think about being kind to each other and looking after each other.
Democracy can be refined
Democracy is difficult. Government is far too complex and ordinary people have neither the time nor the inclination to spend time to understand it properly. So what are the alternatives?
Post-Election Recovery Salon
Need a haven from the post-election fall out?
Nothing’s Going to Happen.
A wee reflection on our psychological fuck-edness.
Our most effective Prime Minister
Ad ranks post second world war according to criteria which produces some interesting result.
Ombudsman to investigate John Key’s dirty politics communications
The Ombudsman is to investigate John Key’s failure to disclose communications with David Farrar and Cameron Slater