English is ramming through hard right doctrine to appease his angry right wing God. He is killing off secular Government obligations which he sees are sinful by pretending to resource only the truly needy. It’s a clever way to fool people, but it’s simply making the neoliberal welfare state even more punishing and more draconian.
There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Donald Trump’s Presidency, but what is far worse than his terrible potential is what the American Military Industrial Complex are doing right now by smearing and framing Trump with unverified and false dirt from a paid political mercenary.
Allowing only medical cannabis reform is merely tinkering at the edges and is an insult to the debate on Cannabis. America has strictly regulated markets now and they are incredibly successful, this should be the aim of a progressive NZ, not a cautious frightened foot dragging half step.
Admitting that the burqa is a bit scary is fine and human. Using that fear to justify a harsh and authoritarian crack down on what others wear is not fine (but is sadly pretty human).
We loved Barack because of his incredible oratory, because he voiced the vision of what we all believed we wanted America to be.
Labour must do more than not offend people if they want to be the Government. They have to offer hope and vision, and while affordable housing, education/health blah blahs and some tough on crime crap is all fine and dandy, it does nothing to inspire those living with the grim realities of debt and everyday life.
This is the legacy of 30 years of neoliberalism, this is the mythology that success is an individual pursuit that has nothing to do with the hegemonic structures of power within a society and being poor is a personal choice. This idealogical virus has infected user pays society and warped the values.
Labour and the Greens won’t touch the punitive neoliberal welfare state, but MANA and the Maori Party certainly can.
It’s the funny thing about culture in New Zealand isn’t it? At home white Kiwis seem to loath anything to do with the Maori culture because it forces us to consider the past abuses of the State which most of us have benefitted from, yet the bloody second they are drunk on their OE in Europe, they throw off the t-shirt and bust out their best Haka moves.
You all know I despise Jordan Williams and his flake David Farrar backed Taxpayer’s Union with a passion.