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4:36 pm, December 9th, 2025 - 3 comments
Categories: capitalism, class war, community democracy, Economy, employment, equality, Financial markets, housing, inequality, infrastructure, interest rates, jobs, labour, law, manufacturing, monetary policy, political alternatives, Privatisation, privatisation, Public Private Partnerships, RBNZ, social democracy, socialism, tax, thinktank, unemployment, Unions, welfare -
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Privatisation and Plunder: Neoliberalism – causes, costs and alternatives
New Zealand Fabian Society, Steele Roberts publishers, 2025, $30
Privatisation and plunder is a powerful analytic distillation of the economic paradigm that has ben used to govern Aotearoa for the past forty years for the benefit of the few not the many. It is essential reading for those on the political and economic left who would like to see and work for a more equal society where prosperity for all is the aim.
Produced by the New Zealand Fabian and edited by Richard Werry and Chris Werry, it brings together presentations made to the Society over the past several years by prominent public intellectuals from here and abroad. Gathered in one volume of under 200 pages, the book packs a powerful punch as a comprehensive analysis of neoliberalism that is also not short on what needs to be done to correct its many forms of social harm.
Neoliberalism as a programme is still unfinished, and as Jane Kelsey says is not a short-term blip.
Shifting the legislative framework will be important but not easy, as Geoff Bertram’s metaphor of the ‘iron cage’ sums up the combined effect of legislation from the Commerce Act to the Reserve Bank Act all intended to benefit most those who need it lest.
Contributors include Dr Geoff Bertram, Prof Brett Christophers, Dr Brian Easton, Dr Max Harris, Prof Jane Kelsey, Prof Bill Mitchell, Jacquline Paul, Prof John Quiggin, writer Max Rashbrooke, Dr Bill Rosenberg, Prof Guy Standing, Prof Chris Werry and last but not least Richard “Dick” Werry, who was the inspiration for the book and with his son Chris was instrumental in bringing it to production. A magnificent line-up.
Antonio Gramsci’s famous aphorism about the interregnum, “where the old order is dying and the new cannot be reborn, and a great variety of morbid phenomena appear” features in more than one of the chapters. But as Gramsci intended, interregnum is also a time of opportunity for activism that is grounded, courageous and informed.
The first New Zealand Fabian Society was founded in Christchurch in the late nineteenth century. Avowedly and proudly socialist, it contributed to the world-leading social and economic legislation of the time that drew Beatrice Webb, the foundress of the English society, to make the trip to New Zealand to examine our policies.
This book is well written, packed with information but not difficult to comprehend, and offers a challenge to all of us to work with likeminded groups to demand courage in our politics and better information in economics. It aims to make a contribution to those who would like to work together to make Aotearoa once again a progressive world-leader.
Nice promo there. Wearing my sceptic's hat, I'm inclined to focus on the lack of alternatives made specific in your recommending. Perhaps you are keeping them back to use in a consequent essay. If so, go for it!
It seems audacious for the Fabians to try for relevance in the 21st century. I admire their stance. Delivery of substance would be the icing on their cake. How long must we wait?
Perhaps their problem is liaison with Sue Bradford's leftist think-tank, which has now been in gestation for around a decade or so. Perfectionism is ever so hard, eh? Getting a prescription right takes time. One never really knows how much time is essential.
The new cannot be reborn because it is brand-new (of course) but one cannot reasonably expect a public intellectual to be able to figure that out. Morbid phenomena abound, so the quote is apt for the times. Random knife attacks by discharged mental patients, for instance. RNZ this morning reported a local person in east Auckland wondering why such get released: voting Nat/Lab, of course! The left/right consensus has delivered psychopaths into the community for several decades, so folks can realise the wonder of democracy.
I'm looking forward to this on the holidays pile.
Thanks for the heads up Mike.
I've just ordered a copy as a Christmas prezzy to me.
Friends and family will benefit too once I've had the third hazy and get up on my high horse during the festive season…