From In and Down to Outward-In: The Big Picture matters
The world is entering a generation of challenges not seen since the late 1930s. New Zealand is better placed than most states to weather this challenge if it prepares now.
capitalism
NZ election 2020: Labour win is a watershed moment in the country’s history
The 2020 election was more than just a victory for Labour and more than a crushing defeat for the National Party (New Zealand’s main centre-right political party). This result marks a significant watershed in New Zealand politics which will likely have implications long after this parliamentary term.
Should Parents and Teachers Defy the Government?
School’s back on Monday, but the medical community is still struggling to understand covid 19
The future of Capitalism
2019 has been a remarkable year for those wanting social, economic, and environmental renewal. The level of protest remains high, the idealism as […]
Can we have a future, with capitalism?
The concentration of wealth and power insufficiently regulated capitalism has caused, now works against the survival of human civilisation. With the wealthy opposing any attempts to limit the damage which affects their wealth.
A Thousand Words
…in a single graph.
A right, Left problem
A post suggesting that the traditional descriptive lens of “left and right” isn’t up to capturing current political realities.
Smile!
The extent and limits of current politics.
Deep Trawling.
Is NZ’s fishing industry just a domestic version of the tobacco companies? And how much would that really matter?
Buttered Bread
What side’s yours buttered on?
Let’s stop kidding ourselves.
The “Adapting to Climate Change in NZ” report.
Jacinda Ardern’s speech
If you missed it last night – Jacinda Ardern’s first speech as PM elect is everything that we could want and expect. But the take-home line of the drama belongs to Winston Peters.
Professor Mark Blyth on…
…the past 70 years of economic theory and practice. (h/t Adam)
Do you want to keep me in poverty?
If you want to know exactly how, then read on.
Incrementalists ‘Brick It’
Meet Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and original negotiator behind the Paris Agreement. She’s co-signed an article, published in Nature and signed by over 60 scientists as well as business leaders and other ‘pillars of the global community’ that headlines – “Three years to safeguard our climate”
Free market efficiency in health – not
The idea of free market efficiency is not nearly as powerful or universal as its (often fanatical) proponents would have us believe. The sorry state of the USA’s health system is yet another compelling example of its limitations.
The Ray White – China deal
Real Estate agent Ray White has formed a partnership with China’s Lianjia to market NZ houses to about 260 million Chinese buyers. They say it’s the government’s problem – and they’re right.
Dead Hands
Time worn patterns and predictable decisions.
State of Nations
This post isn’t a ‘contrast and compare’ piece on the policy announcements of National, the Greens and Labour. Enough to say that National are pursuing privatisation while both Labour and Green are at least trying to do good things.
Shame about the reality of the bigger picture then.
Halting Dynamics and Shifting Inertias
Like many, I’ve been somewhat bemused and not a little angered that austerity is touted as a pathway to economic recovery. Like many, I’ve come to view both austerity and bail outs simply as means to put public monies and the control of public institutions into private hands – all the while diminishing the power of citizens on both an individual and collective basis.
But why consciously destroy or abandon real economic activity in a quest for power? Why not continue to build on whatever ‘real economy’ bases of power you posses? Idle speculation might suggest a lust for power, y’know… power for power’s sake. Or a reaction to, or recognition of impending peak resources in a world of growing population.
Waltzing at the Doomsday Ball
This guy writes what I would aspire to write if I had the time and the cojones. For a lazy Saturday morning rant, read on.