Brexit: The Referendum Result Heard Round The World Is A Shot Against Neoliberalism
Well that was a bit momentous, then, wasn’t it. Yesterday, seemingly everybody – politico or pedestrian – was glued to…
Setting the Agenda
Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
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Brexit – a triumph of democracy or a failure of reason?
The Brexit vote is being read as a victory of racist rhetoric and anti-immigrant dissent. By preying on fears of Britain losing its Britishness, and harking back to nostalgic nationalist pride, ‘Leave’ voters, it’s suggested, have been manipulated into believing it’s the EU and immigrants and refugees, that are responsible for joblessness, homelessness and reduced state services.
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30 years of Homosexual law reform
On 9 July 2016 we will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the passing of legislation sponsored by Hon Fran Wilde that removed criminal sanctions against consensual homosexual conduct between males.
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Forget road tolls – Auckland needs free public transport
Instead of road tolls which punish low-income workers who live the farthest from their jobs, Auckland City should be looking at free public transport
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Posturing and selective commitment
At 1:30am, 9 June 2016, three Palestinian fishermen in two small boats came to the end of an exhausting 13-hour fishing trip. As they began their return to port an Israeli Navy gunboat approached, hurling abuse from a loudhailer before opening fire on them and wounding a fisherman, Rajab Khaled Abu Riela. The warship then rammed one of the fishing boats.
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Four Limericks – As Britain Takes Her Leave
1. William, with a conqueror’s grin, Told the English: “It looks like you’re ‘In’!” But, after one thousand years, It’s…
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Marg Jones: the matriarch of good causes
Marg Jones never seemed old. Well in to her 90s she could be seen on all the big protests, or running a street or festival stall for the Soil and Health Association. She was always chirpy, her mood matched by bright and often rather outrageous outfits using the best op-shop materials.
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Getting On Top Of Things: The National Party’s Strategy Of Class Defence
Social democracy and egalitarianism are joined at the hip, and the longer they persist the easier it gets for working-class people to say “Fuck you!” – and walk away. Capitalism can survive many things: riots, strikes, economic depressions, even wars: but it cannot survive that.
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Is it time for some Community Communism in Aotearoa?
The outlawing of Zero Hours Contracts in Aotearoa this April was big news for the Left and union movement abroad, with the result that Unite union activists were invited to speak at conferences and parliaments in Ireland, Britain and the USA last month.
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Where were you when we needed you?
As unions struggled to organise workers over the last 25 years governments de-regulated the labour market or sat back and watched organised labour fall apart. The art of civil society is to organise for the common good whereas the art of politicians is to compromise, for their own good.