The foundations of the 35 year neoliberal experiment in NZ have been exposed and found to be cracked to their core, with the climate crisis demanding a radical change, this pandemic is the perfect time to challenge the religious orthodoxy of free market dogma.
I’ve been calling for the Progressive NZ Left to assemble before the election to put together a policy platform that we need to present to Labour and pressure for implementation.
The naked truth is that Labour has been so involved in keeping the country’s head above water in survival mode over the pandemic that they simply haven’t had the time to consider news ideas on how to rebuild not just from the virus, but to extend that rebuild deep inside the neoliberal hegemonic structure for the necessary greening of our economy.
I am excited that there will be a Progressive NZ Left conference in July that will bring together the smartest minds from across the Progressive NZ Left spectrum to thrash through a solutions based policy platform that we can take to the Government and rally around.
Normally cautious Jacinda is the one who tinkers with domestic policy, but this pandemic crisis has exposed foundational rot with the neoliberal system that tinkering can no longer hide.
Labour are too frightened to wake the free market sleeping dogs, the destruction of the party after Rogernomics means Labour are too scared to debate actual reform, so the Left wing Think Tanks need to do it.
Once the details of the conference are made public, TDB will be promoting it every day.
This plague has allowed us to see the enormous shortcomings of free market neoliberalism, now is the time to engage and rebuild from it.
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…” This plague has allowed us to see the enormous shortcomings of free market neoliberalism, now is the time to engage and rebuild from it ”…
Succinct and in a nutshell. This plague is occurring almost , – socially and economically, – in the same sort of conditions prior generations experience in the aftermath of World War One with the advent of the Spanish Influenza, – which killed more Americans than all its wars of the 20th century, – and more globally than ever died from the Great Plague.
That period too, was in a period of unsustainable boom and bust , – the kissing cousin of neo liberal called Laissez-faire. Everything on credit,- and it was only a matter of time before it all collapsed like domino’s. And collapse it did. Just like its smaller brother in 2008 , sending the globe to economic brink.
If it were not for the brilliant economic plan of John Maynard Keynes , – which rescued the globe and in most cases ensured nations that adopted that plan moved from the red into the black on average in 6 months,… the ongoing social destruction would have precipitated mass social unrest and violent revolutions…
Well , we now have the disease Covid19,- and almost certainly the pending economic collapse. And neo liberalism aint gonna cut it. In fact sustainably, – it never ever did sustain anything. It was always subject to boom or bust cycles with those at the bottom bearing the brunt of the wealthy’s insatiable greed. Just like in the 1920’s Laissez faire with no recourse in a time of global economic downturn. It is the economic / political ideology of the 1% , – and not of the many.
Originally , the World Bank and IMF were set up to be used as tools for economic growth and development until they were hijacked in the 1960’s by groups such as the Mont Pelerin society headed by charismatic figures such as Milton Freidmann,… so any initial economic development plan must now be home grown.
The policies of neo liberalism and its ‘treatment’ of austerity measures when things go wrong will no longer placate the global citizenry. It seems that it is time again for the rise of a John Maynard Keynes type persona, except this time, due to the rotting neo liberal infrastructure in place and the reluctance of the 1% to relinquish its power stance, – it will need to be a movement of the common battler , from the rural to the urban sectors.
The battlers outnumber the 1% by literally thousands to one. Easily.
An analogy could be drawn between the old Roman style of small numbers containing and controlling the popular movements of the day in the nations they conquered. This tactic will no longer work in this age of mass communication and instant news coverage. We have that on our side whereas former cultures didn’t. Yet just like those former cultures, any economic ‘revolution’ against its oppressors will need to be of a local, national , and then regional nature. And that is how it will grow. Not by for example the denialist Boris Johnson’s of this world but by the mass discontentment of the peoples of the UK. And so on and so forth.
This coming economic depression is more than a feeling, its a reality.
Boston – More Than A Feeling
https://youtu.be/krmfBLeo4Nc?t=3
Great news Martyn re the left conference–the Labour Caucus, or NZ Labour Party members (more an electoral machine) are not going to do the ideological heavy lifting to move towards dismantling NZ’s Parliamentary neo liberal consensus, so we must. Hand it to them on a plate, and most importantly, generate widespread support to help make it happen.
@Wild Katipo–Pomp rock in the morning–I will raise you…Herbs original line up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIkZVAEizAI
Recommended to me by my wonderful surviving younger son Finn , who like me, also loves southern rock , except he diverges into modern cross over rap/ southern rock… Herbs are a classic and iconic Kiwi band.
I remember being right up amongst them in Aotea square in Auckland, I loved reggae , esp that of Brother Bob Marley. And whilst the adherents enjoyed the herb, being a metaller I was at home with the vino and mountain dew…
But I found them the most relaxed people I could ever find myself in the company thereof… I could have easily retired in an austere seaside shack in Jamaica…
You bring back great memories. Thank you.
But this is more what we were into back in the day- the lead singer even looked like this guy l0l!
Texas Hippie Coalition – “Pissed Off and Mad About It”
https://youtu.be/UQa6Z1xFq4E?t=113
contrast this with reggae … 🙂
Left Conference for “System Change. Now.”
Excellent approach.
As we are not alone on this globe:
The old new. Think Globally – Act Locally.
https://progressive.international/
https://www.instagram.com/progintl_en/
The Left cannot be taken as voting cattle.
Also worth an attempt, for true Labour believers:
https://wellbeingeconomy.org/
Great I will be there…. so good that this is actually happening with some great speakers etc.
And will this bringing together of NZ’s progressive left, bow to the authoritarian left at Wellington gender identity politics central, and not include anyone speaking for maintaining female sex-based rights?
Both Labour & the Greens are suppressing any debate on this, and the Greens in particular are no-platforming anyone who disagrees with their gender self-ID agenda. This leaves many women, especially many lesbians, with no left wing party to vote for.
I don’t know who advised you in humor, Martyn, and it is your right to pick and choose, but you wont neglect Handel’s Messiah. Perhaps in my exuberance and tongue in cheek I triggered a few anti royalists, … but here it is again.
Royal Choral Society: ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah
https://youtu.be/IUZEtVbJT5c?t=9
And I also think Adern is a credit to our nation. There. No political toes stood on. I am proud of our PM. She stands head and shoulders over what passes as political leadership in other so called large and influential country’s.
I am proud to be a New Zealander again because of her and her leadership. And rest assured, people from other lands when I am online are wowed by her and her party. Labour and this COL is far from perfect, but we should stand proud of our govt. The world is indeed watching whether we realize it or not.
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