Greece defaults
As the last Global Financial Crisis taught us, we’re in for another round of protecting the banks and letting the people suffer.
International
Greece and the Euro crisis
The invisible hand of the market is busy punching itself in the face today. Some observations on Greece and the Euro crisis, from the factual to the fun, courtesy of Twitter this morning.
Kia ora Gaza
Native Affairs reporter Ruwani Perera and cameraman Jacob Bryant have been arrested by Israeli forces for being part of a peace flotilla wanting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. If Murray McCully wants to achieve peace in the Middle East he could start by demanding that they be released and that the delivery of aid to Gaza be allowed.
Australia where the bloody hell are you on gay marriage?
Following on from New Zealand, Ireland and many other states the United States Supreme Court has recently ruled that banning same sex marriages is a breach of the 14th amendment’s right to life and liberty. It makes you wonder when Australia is going to institute change.
An open letter to Andrew Little
A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!
Universal Basic Income Experiment
Income in a world of climate change.
If you thought the Auckland property bubble was bad now…
… then prepare for it to get a lot worse.
Lift the refugee quota
Refugees are people, but they get treated as a political football, as recent events in Australia and NZ have demonstrated once again. It is long past time that NZ raised its refugee quota.
The Best of British; The NHS, the Welfare State and David Bowie
Massive anti-austerity marches have just ended all over Britain. Tens of thousands of protesters have turned out to let the Tory government know that the fight against the right has not ended with the general election. Welsh singer Charlotte Church told the crowd in London that she is proudly British, but for all the right reasons.
The NRA is a terrorist organisation
In the land of the free and the brave the NRA is trying to say that the way to stop incidents such as the Charleston Church massacre is to have more guns. And the right are trying to dispute the reality that the incident was caused by racism.
Keep on rocking in the free world
Donald Trump has attracted adverse comment for using Neil Young’s song “keep on rocking in the free world” during his campaign launch. There are a number of other examples, both local and in the US, where right wing candidates have misappropriated progressive musicians’ music for campaign purposes.
Snakeheads
It is looking likely that the Australian Government has broken its own laws and international treaties by paying off people smugglers. Did John Key know? Did he approve of what may be criminal activity?
The third way according to Tony Blair
Supporters of Tony Blair’s third way and the need for Labour to be aspirational should reflect on recent reports of his huge wealth earned with taxpayer support while he has been engaged on official business.
Labour. Horse. Water.
Sometimes…often…I just can’t get my head around people who make obvious and simple things kinda difficult and fraught.
TPP designed to cripple our health system
“[The TPP] appears to be designed to cripple New Zealand’s strong public healthcare programme and to inhibit the adoption of similar programmes in developing countries.”
Is this progress?
Richard Harman has broken a story about the formation of a Blairite third way think tank within the Labour Party. Those involved include Stuart Nash, Phil Quin, Josie Pagani and Nick Legget.
Sheepgate: the McCully mess
The media have joined opposition demands that Murray McCully’s actions in relation to sheepgate are investigated. If John Key really expects high standards from his ministers this is the least that should be done. Update: And a claimed “independent audit” of the tender process was conducted by none other than MFAT.
Conservatives and Human Rights
In Australia a recent attempt by Abbott and some supporters to give the Minister of Immigration the power to cancel an Australian’s citizenship status was met by a cabinet revolt. In England there is talk of the UK withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights. So much for the Conservative commitment to the rule of law.
Sheepgate
It has emerged that the New Zealand Government has paid money to a Saudi businessman allegedly to settle a legal dispute that does not exist but more probably to persuade the Saudi Government to enter into a free trade agreement. Update – and maybe there was a threat of legal action but because of the actions of National, not Labour.
Crosby ‘most successful propogandist since Goebbels’ – Ken Livingston
Ken Livingston talks about Lynton Crosby and neoliberalism.
Ireland votes for same sex marriage
Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to legalise same sex marriages.
TPPA and sovereignty
Grosser has confirmed that the TPPA (if it ever happens) will contain “ISDS” provisions that could limit the scope of our sovereignty by allowing foreign corporations to sue NZ.
Are the left really angry?
The latest attacks on the left involves the right claiming that left activists are too angry and hurting labour’s chances in the UK as well as New Zealand.
Jon Stewart on Fox News on the poor
Unbelievable.
TPPA circling the drain
As widely reported today, the TPPA has taken a probably fatal hit in the US Senate. Good riddance.
Donate to Nepal
Nepal has been hammered again. Here’s how to donate.
Stop TPPA – clever placement
Full marks to these folk for clever protest placement.
Elections in the Anglosphere
An excellent summary reposted with permission from Dim-Post. “Seems to me that one of Labour’s biggest problems – both here and in the UK – is that they’re faced with an opponent that is (a) better resourced than them and (b) uses those resources to make themselves far, far better at politics than their left-wing opponents.”
400ppm
A significant milestone has been passed.
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…
Same sh*t different election
The English Election campaign and the results felt like a rerun of the New Zealand 2014 election campaign. Slick Crosby Textor designed attacks on Labour’s stability and on the leader and an imbalance of resources contributed to the result in both cases. How does the left counter this?
‘Forgot’ NSA spying
Well who among us hasn’t forgotten a massive illegal domestic spying programme?
The difference an electoral system makes
UK Election; the lessons.
Like a punch drunk boxer, the pollsters didn’t see it coming. Three leaders could be writing their resignation letters over night. David Cameron is pinching himself at how easy it all turned out. And Scotland had another referendum.
Some brief thoughts on the UK Election and what can be learned.
Update: Ed Miliband resigns. Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage have also quit.
Congratulations Mhairi Black of the SNP
One of the outstanding results in the UP election was the result in the seat of Paisley where a young 20 year old woman Mhairi Black defeated Labour heavyweight Douglas Alexander.
NSA bulk collection ruled illegal
In the US a federal appeals court has just ruled the NSA’s bulk collection of phone records is illegal.