Speaker: Why we need to stop talking about inequality
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
Thought experiment.
Dumb luck is not a manifesto. America’s GI Bill and the German Soziale Marktwirtschaft are.
And will the wealth gap still be ‘not your problem’ if those on the wrong side of it decide the only way to close it is with AK47s, and one of them happens to be pointed at you? JFK once said that ‘those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable’.
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Joe Wylie, in reply to
Dumb luck is not a manifesto.
IMHE those who happen to be favoured by dumb luck tend to see their situation as evidence of a functioning meritocracy.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
‘those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable’.
Which is kinda what Tracy was saying in 1988.
In a whisper.
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andin, in reply to
I’d compensate everyone
Very community minded of you, would SHG do anything like that ? could he & his ilk put others first?
Stolen? Yeah right.
It is an old thought game no need to get cynical on it, although the temptation is definitely there these days.
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One Planet / Three worlds / One future?
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and
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It’s not so easy to examine and modify our own personal prejudices.
No it isnt, but if our species are to have a future in this universe that is what we have to do. It was the aim for centuries of our species in the mistaken belief that a god wanted us to do it. Well there may be a consciousness to the universe but us on this small stone in one of a billion galaxies will never be able to grasp it. It just makes our existence more tolerable and that is the best reason of all
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No, we must continue to talk about income inequality as it is the most important issue facing the world but we must get thwe words right and clear messages about what to do about it.
It is important as a friend said to me "you are well enough off to be a liberal" What he meant was that for most people if you are worried about where the next meal is coming from then issues like "climate cahnge" are simply not on the agenda.
As to what we should do about inequality:
1. A "living wage" for the minimum wage inflation adjusted
2. Enough well paid jobs for all who need them. If industry can't supply then Govt must.
3. Benefit levels at living wage levels
4. A progressive tax system that taxes all income regardless of source, including benefits. No tax on the first $20000 then progressive from there up to 60% on everything over $500,000And that is a start.
Peter Malcolm -
Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
+1
No, we must continue to talk about income inequality
I think maybe we should stop talking and start acting.
Less hui, more dooey.
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andin, in reply to
the most important issue facing the world
Is who are these arseholes, who are lining their pockets, screwing everyone else and inflating their own sense of self purpose? We dont need them! They shouldnt be in charge of a Weet bix packet.
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Well, up here in the Far North we have inequality in spades and when some community minded people come up with a great scheme... this happens.
Last month the council awarded a five-year, $4.6 million contract for waste and recycling services for the northern half of the district to Whangarei's Northland Waste The contract had been held for 24 years by Kaitaia social enterprise CBEC (Community, Business and Environment Centre) and later by Cleanstream, a partnership between CBEC and Te Rarawa.
CBEC boss Cliff Colquhoun said the partnership between council, iwi and community was the envy of many councils around New Zealand.
"We were the last locally owned enterprise in the Far North to hold a major contract with the Far North District Council, and this appears to be the end of an era for local contractors."
Kaitaia's pioneering recycling programme had been a model for other schemes around the country. Cleanstream had more doubled recycling in the Far North, saving ratepayers $600,000 a year by extending the life of the Ahipara landfill
But somebody wants to make a profit instead.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
Kaitaia’s pioneering recycling programme had been a model for other schemes around the country.
We are in the FN often, we're seriously into recycling and have found the depots up there extremely well run.
26 years is a testament to sustainability....I wonder how long the new boys will last?
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
.I wonder how long the new boys will last?
I wonder how long before they start laying off workers and telling us that the recycling program is losing money and we have to expand the Ahipara landfill thus negating any savings and causing grief to the community.
They will, of course, get their way and be "compensated" for any losses. After all, private profit is good eh?. -
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/soundshistorical
Tonight's (16th August ) Sounds Historical on Natrad dug a 41 year old interview with Bill Rowling out of the archives.
A bit discomforting listening to Rowling talk about inequality and how the haves should share more with the have nots.
Rowling talks about voters being more educated about social and political issues....that basically New Zealanders are fair and rational people.
He also spoke about seeing himself more of a referee, rather than promoting his own point of view on issues of public importance.
I felt rather sad and nostalgic...
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Joe Wylie, in reply to
Natrad dug a 41 year old interview with Bill Rowling out of the archives.
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Nat,
Really interesting post, thank you!
I just read this article too, and I think they are very complimentary: https://newmatilda.com/2015/08/19/truth-hurts-science-behind-why-people-dont-care-about-death-our-planet-and-democracy
It's long but well worth it, and offers a potential framing to counter apparent apathy about global warming (in an Australian context).
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