New Zealand’s poor in this new crisis
Covid 19 is not some great leveller. To succeed the state has to completely redirect the economy to so that ordinary workers and working families are supported.
Social issues
Has the EU failed during COVID-19?
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
For global governance organisations, this is an important moment. This is the chance for them to demonstrate their worth and coordinate the response. In many ways how these structures respond becomes more important than the response of nation-states. This also is where the deficiencies and shortcomings of such organisations become very apparent. The noise coming from the EU in the last 48 hours is far from reassuring.
National’s Petition is Cynical Populism
National is trying to steal show political leadership and relevance by launching a petition.
Addendum added
National seeks delay to election
Hot on the news that National’s polling has plunged to 35% Paula Bennett has publicly suggested that the election should be delayed. I wonder if they are related?
Tourism is the elephant in the living room
Rather than saving an industry that has multiple sustainability and resiliency failures, how about we regenerate local economies and set them to serve our communities?
Pandemics are no a time for inward-looking nationalism
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog
Trump is focused on the November US Presidential Election. His anti-Chinese, nationalist, America First rhetoric is his go-to response to keep his political base onside. He is placing his political ambition ahead of millions of lives both in the US and globally. Trump has placed electoral politics ahead of leadership that could save millions of lives.
From the inside out
I feel that many kiwis are quite unaware exactly how exceptional our plague performance has been so far. It is interesting reading the perspective published in the Washington Post by a recently returned kiwi. Less interesting was the mathematical illiteracy on the MP David Seymour who managed to ignore all medical facts while advising on how to bulk kill our citizens.
The end of partisan politics?
Throughout the world there is an increasing consensus emerging that the free market approach is failing and principled intelligent leadership from governments provide the optimum result.
Clark’s calamity
Health Minister David Clark has been demoted but has kept his Health portfolio after he revealed that he had driven 20 kilometers with his family to visit a beach during the lock down.
Beyond mere rescue
It’s time to plan the re-launch the very idea of New Zealand.
Bill Gates – lets prevent the next inevitable epidemic!
Bill and Melinda Gates have been plowing wealth into mitigating and preventing epidemics over the last decade. Like the World Health Organisation and just about anyone with any sense of medical history, he predicted very accurately the type of epidemic we are now facing – a worldwide respiratory pandemic. He talks about the current pandemic, and how to prevent the next one.
Children: the pandemic has only just begun
I’m always intrigued at the capacity of most humans to be self-delusional in the way that they favour to believe regardless of facts. Nothing else could explain the delusional idiots like David Farrar and his mischievous minions wanting to go back to their business as usual – their ministerial scalp collection. It’d be nice if such dimwits thought and established facts before they wrote.
What not to do in a pandemic
The Trump regime has this week plunged new depths in the handling of the Covid-19 Pandemic in the United States
About Carrots and Sticks
How can we improve motivation to stamp out this virus in New Zealand?
David Clark
He should have been immediately fired.
It’s the end of main stream media as we know it …
The Covid-19 lock down has and will tip media companies already struggling to survive into closure.
Quick Snippets
The joys of bread rising far to fast through a warm autumn night is…this post.
The kind of imagination we’re going to need
More was achieved by and for Americas throughout the Franklin D. Roosevelt era than ever before or since in American history. This may provide us with a model for how we get things back on track.
Cabin Fever.
The Government did exactly the right thing, telling everyone they can take outdoor exercise locally within the necessary physical distancing rules.
Trusting people to be sensible about the possibilities of virus spread. To trust that most people will , given the information and criteria, will make the right decisions for themselves and others.
What about Climate Change then?
Shouldn’t this global shock from this COVID-19 virus make us all wake up to the power of collective global action on climate change?
Holding the Government to Account or Concern Trolling?
When Opposition Spokespersons behave like concern trolls, we have a problem.
CTU launches online tool for reporting bad employers
The Council of Trade Unions has launched an online tool allowing employees to log complaints against ill treatment by employers during the Covid-19 lockdown.
New Zealand Tourism after 2020
Post Covid-2019 what is going to happen to New Zealand’s tourism market?
Please don’t have to bring out your dead.
Anyone who has read even briefly into written human history is going to be aware that it is as much defined by our epidemics and pandemics as by any of our technical and societal achievements. This post is essentially a quick range over the history of pandemics and epidemics with links and some focus on COVID-19.
How this may play out
Developments on Covid-19 are happening at pace as we enter the make or break stage concerning the virus’s spread.
One Virus to Rule Them All
Trying to make sense of what’s happening is mindboggling.
All of govt: 27th March
The daily briefing: All of Government COVID-19 National Response 27 March.
The Big Chill
A post for the duration: what’s inspiring us or helping us get through? Music, film, books, games, or just sharing what’s keeping us occupied as we hunker down.
No politics, no aggro, no politics.
We are all socialists now
It seems that the pure free market approach is ill equipped to provide the world with the leadership and guidance it requires.
That eerie silence
Waking up this morning was a bit of an eerie feeling. The alarm went off as usual at 0700 (and the 0880 one just clicked over). Very little traffic noise. The quiet sound of the workstation and server fans was louder than the the remaining white noise from the traffic.
This post is here for you to share your first day under lock-down.
Bullet Train Wreck
New York Governor Cuomo was told CoVid-19 was like an approaching freight train. More like a bullet train was his response. Watching the White House daily briefing with Trump dominant it looks like a massive train wreck is on the way in the US.
Bye bye parliament for a while.
Gotta love parliament – James Shaw “there are no fiscal conservatives in a foxhole”.
Anyway, parliament in the chamber will be going dark for a few months. So will parliamentary TV (but you can still get that live).
Have a look at the archives from today- there are some politicians who are on form..
Roll out the plans
Fairly soon every group and their dog are going to come out with recovery plans for New Zealand. First off the block – even before we went into lockdown – is the ten point plan from Infrastructure New Zealand.
Generational astrology
In the time of coronavirus, we can move from blame to connection.
This changes everything
What will our future now look like?
Phasing into phase 4
Heading into phase three, moving into phase four 48 hours later. Here is the video briefing and the quick analysis.