When this Government cheerfully point to the so called ‘Rock Star Economy’ as some sort of proof of their good governance, they utterly ignore the reality behind those so called ‘growth’ statistics.
Ignore for one moment that our so called ‘growth’ is nothing more than an Auckland property bubble fuelled by speculators propped up on a milk powder industry that is increasingly dropping in value hiding behind the increased economic activity reconstruction of a natural disaster provides.
Ignore how false our so called ‘growth’ is and look at the real issues that define a nation – our child poverty, gender equality and human rights because on those indicators we have gone backwards under National.
The Government needs to be in denial over child poverty because admitting the scale of the number of NZers living in Poverty demands a response better than ‘they choose to be poor’. The neoliberal mythology requires success and failure to succeed to be personal achievements that the individual has chosen, meaning it would be immoral to reward individuals for the poor choices they make.
Such economic Darwinism has no place in a compassionate modern society. We are failing as a nation, Key’s vision was that of their TV advert, a bunch of elitist rowers increasing their distance away from those who are not elite.
Their TV advert was an advert for MORE inequality. And NZers voted for that.
The voters have failed NZ democracy, NZ democracy hasn’t failed the voters.
A trio of left wingers write a report critical of how the government is not left wing enough. Why us this of interest beyond to left wing people?
I think in all seriousness you would only have to take an historic overview of this country’s slide into malaise under the neo liberal ideology since 1984.
My father fed our family , ran a car, paid a mortgage , paid the electricity bills , phone bills, a tv licence , still could afford Christmas prezzies , kept 3 dogs , a cat , clothed us and still there was a little cash left over for discretionary expenditure.
All on a single wage.
A lower middle class wage when working as a ranger in the then ARA. Basically – a worker.
That was in the 1970’s .
Contrast THAT …..with two parents struggling on minimum wages these days having to go to food-banks , Winz top ups, not being able to keep a car on the road legally , missing rent, kids going hungry , not being able to afford school fees, clothes ,not having any chance of savings – the list goes on and on and on.
Gosman – I would call that a state not of recession – but Depression. A carefully crafted, intentionally imposed Depression on a people who once lacked for nothing. Which by degrees ,….is slowly cannibalizing even those who once thought themselves safe from having to be associated with ‘ those other wretched classes of people who are poor ‘ .
I would also add that you , buddy , are a class A idiot . Why ?
Because you are like the fool who happily sleeps in his cabin as the Titanic goes down.
You would believe anything. ….if you were truly such a fanatic.
However…with your deliberate , persistent , obnoxious and carefully staged -albeit ludicrous – denial of the facts due to your mock adherence to your treasonous neo liberal ideology , one would have to deduce that you are nothing more than a common or garden variety internet troll .
And dangerously – bordering on a subversive individual yourself.
Why ?…simply …the Achilles heel of a social democracy is that corrupt individuals as yourself are free to express such anti societal viewpoints. Such was the rise to power of fascism during the 1930’s among the democratic nations of Europe.
And there were plenty of those types in Europe during the 1930’s. That is how dangerous they are. And it is also how dangerous the neo liberal ideology is.
It is simply not about mere economics. It is an ideology…replete with political strategy’s, power blocs and financed by big business using subversive means to bring it about.
It seeks to neutralize any democratic processes ,media , or opposition to it. We have seen the results of this recently before our general election with undemocratic dirty politics.
It is a cancer and a blight on democracy.
Thusly , it is anti New Zealand.
As are its political adherents.
I know how you feel but concentrate on attacking the message, not the messenger – else you are dropping to Slater’s level.
Fair comment . Am working on it. Perhaps its better to ignore emissaries of treasonous ideologies. Very hard after 35 years of it , though.
If you can’t actually debate with people who support the policies you oppose so strongly how do you expect to convince people that are wavering in their support?
Probably for the same reason you don’t actually “debate” with people, Gosman, and instead resort to straw-man questions.
Why not criticise that particular messenger?
You know, the one who is always with the questions.
Always questions, questions, questions, from Gosman.
It is a common passive-aggressive technique very suitable for trolls who never have anything positive to say.
I merely point out the obvious flaws in a position. This report is no different to Don Brash’s report on closing the gap with Australia. In that regard his recommendations were roundly ignored by left wingers as being ideologically based. Why should these obviously left wingers views be taken seriously by people across the political spectrum?
Simply because most of these worn out tired old neo liberals such as yourself have had their day – they a had a fair go – and blew it.
Go outside and meet a few people outside of your comfort zone…get your head out your ass long enough to see everything you’ve raved on about is a mirage.
You’ll see the chaos – as are many , many people ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM right now as this is typed.
This is why Winston Peter’s won Northland. The people are growing weary of the constant promises and never any delivery.
THAT’s why people are not only believing but VOTING for it.
Except the ideas we expose are still largely in vogue in NZ. The Labour party is actually moving closer to the center now rather than the left wing fringe. Ultimately even if the parties I support lose the next election (3 years away) the policies I support are still safe.
Same for our family Wild Katipo, in 1954 when Dad fed us clothed us, and kept our holidays and xmas gifts on a one wage economy and mum had four children, so as you see we were much better off then than now, since the economic slavery began when both parents are forced to work just to keep our heads above water and some have the gall to call today “Progress”.
This two wage earner slavery is only good for those (Government) who capitalise on a wider tax base coming from a two wage economy, and the goods they hiked up the prices of all our essential commodities on including Power and all services.
Nicely Godwin’d.
I take it you did not read the OP, Gossy?
The article doesn’t once state “left wing.” It states that the government lacks compassion, and in place of that, uses cherry picked stats to create a false impression of success. Wouldn’t want to address the point now though, would you?
Did you read Amy Adams’s silly comment at the end of the article? We signed up to Kyoto – and we’re failing on that, too.
As for this ‘debate’ point of yours – for my part you were so far away from the points raised ATL that – well – it wasn’t a very interesting tangent you flung out there, was it? A tenuous connection, at the very kindest of interpretations, and barely worth a ‘how d’ do?’, really.
It seems you were interested enough to come to this blog, look at it and comment on it. I think I know why, your favourite right-wing blather-sites get a bit boring and predictable after a while. You want to see something different so you come over here, a great compliment to TBD really.
Absolutely Mike the Lefty.
And what these people from the “other side”, don’t realize, their visits and contributions are a positive in some respects, by raising the number of visitors to the TDB. Can only be good for this site 🙂
To those from the “other side”, thumb downers and all I say, welcome to some class.
That pie graph says it all. If the TPPA goes through those corporate profits won’t be staying in NZ either.
What a nice hitback at Hosking. He thinks if one cant afford children, they shouldnt bring them into the world. And along came John Key. So what do you say to your mate now Hosking.
Did your parents afford to have you Hosking? Or were they on the benefit as well?
Do you know what bugs me about the whole idea it is personal choice and responsibility to make it in this world?
This:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM
If wealth wasn’t so skewed to one end of society, then there would be some truth in it. But capitalism relies on profit and inequality to line the pockets of the few.
What I found particularly galling about Hoskings comment was that it was a commentary following a piece about changing child support amounts.
His statement that “why should the rest of us foot the bill?” Shows how misleading and disingenuious he is being.
Only the father (and mother in some cases) are expected to pay for child support, and large fees will incur and follow them forever if they don’t pay.
At no point ever does government or “the rest of us” pay for child support .
We might not pay for the kids but we do pay for the nagging and hounding and bullying of non-custodial parents good and otherwise. So the government has decreed.
This seems like a very cruel law, from what I’ve read. Kinda ‘religious’ and punitive. Not appropriate in a secular society, perhaps.
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