Posts by Marc C
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
It hurts me to read this post. It does though seem to prove my position, that we need a totally different society. We need for a start a universal basic income, fore EVERYONE, no matter whether disabled, fully healthy and equipped to work, or not so, for various reasons.
We need not only a “living wage” for those working, we need a UBI of sorts, guaranteed by statute, and by right, for every person at the age of 18 and over. Disability support may be offered on top of that, same as extra accommodation costs, and study costs, training costs, whatever can reasonably expected.
When does Labour and do others in opposition finally get it? I think the Greens more or less have this policy in their basic policy and program.
It is insulting, inhumane and absolutely uneconomical too, to expect parents and carers of disabled, same as disabled and long term sick and injured themselves, to have to fight with endless bureaucracy, with endless limitations and hurdles, to simply get what they need. We get endless forms to fill out, assessments, more assessments, endless reviews, as if some “miracle” may happen, so all get “healed” and can walk on water, so to say, and rid themselves off the “dependence” from state support. Clearly “the state” no longer wants to damned well “care”! Hence outsourcing all over the place!
Through Question Time in Parliament today, Carmel Sepuloni finally got it out of Bill English, Finance Minister, that the government plans to bring in a “voucher system” for disabled. It will involve more outsourcing, more contracting of “service providers”, turning disabled and their supporters or family members into COMMODITIES on “their market”, where you have “choices”, what damned “choices”, I ask?
NO serious expectations or demands are placed onto employers, landlords and agencies, to respect and treat disabled as they deserve to be, it is all about “contract”, business and making a buck out of them, where possible, otherwise they get short shifted to sit on the shelf so to say.
I am damned furious and angry today, at what is going on in New Zealand, also about many in the public, who are now so indifferent, it seems to all be nothing but a battle for “number one” and no other purpose, what has New Zealand become like under this nasty, rotten government, what the hell needs to happen to shake people up, to see that this cannot continue. “Investment approach”, when I hear this, it makes me damned sick.
FFS, some people cannot work and will never work on the “open market”, where is their recognition and place, please?
-
Envirologue: Too Big to Fail – Why…, in reply to Amanda Wreckonwith,
No I won't, there was NO "racist" intention and message, it was just an example of putting up with living situations more common in much of Asia. I am sick of PC nonsense. I speak freely and choose wisely. No regret on my part for what I wrote, thanks!
-
What we have now is government and private enterprise, both of whom invest in science and research, increasingly trying to put pressure on scientists, to deliver the reports they so desire, which are increasingly less independent.
Have a listen to the interview Kathryn Ryan conducted with Nicola Gaston, from the Association of Scientists, what their concerns are (from Nine to Noon on 10 April 2015):
And look at our media, probably amongst the worst in terms of "independence", despite of favourable international comments. Most is in private hands, almost all media now follow the commercial media, funded through advertising, and hence we get more shallow, brief and poorly researched reports, rather than investigative journalism and focus on stuff that really matters.
The media, and to some degree even scientists, seem to be put into the neoliberal straight-jacket, so with that, we have a dim chance to get a change of sentiment and any real action with the largely brain-washed populace, primarily geared to consume, to keep "the economy" going (as it is).
Housing in Auckland and Christchurch is the best example. Instead of standing up, protesting for change, most join the property speculation (those who can), or resign to the fact they will be renting for the rest of their lives, and "adjust" by living in cramped conditions, more akin the "Asian" way of being housed.
Brainwashing works, and as long as we have the type of brainwashing there is, forget about any change to happen soon.
No wonder that neoliberal forces ensured certain persons were placed in the media, to run it and to front it. Control the minds of the poeple (in laissez faire fashion), and you control society.
-
“As Naomi Klein pointed out in This Changes Everything, neoliberals are not just blocking action on climate change; they’re sandbagging a global economic and political empire they took thirty years to create.”
What they (neoliberals in government) are scared of is their lobbyist supporters sacking them from government, if they do not deliver to meet their sponsors’ expectations, but they also fear the anger of voters, should they actually take measures, which will necessitate change in behaviour and incurring costs on citizens, to fund the needed change.
What we have had so far, is a lot of appeals from climate scientists, the summits they and others attend, and activists that push for change. We have had media only pick up some of the news about climate change and the consequences, but the media themselves are dependent on advertising revenue, and with than on “sponsors” or financiers, who have vested interests and rather wish things to continue as they are.
The greatest challenge honest, committed reformers face is the human nature, the human condition, being human beings sticking to habits, and having brains that were shaped over millions or at least hundreds of thousands of years, to make us hunters and gatherers, at best “farmers” and “harvesters”, who make judgments on past observations and experiences.
The human brain and mind is very ill equipped to grasp and act upon climate change. Yes, many people seem happy to agree, something needs to be done, but unless the dramatic consequences are right in front and around us, we tend to continue with established habits. There is no other explanation for the largely urban inhabitants to say on one hand, that they want more things done, like better public transport, better buildings and infrastructure using resources more efficiently, but on the other hand continue to jump into their cars each morning, to burn fossil fuels, and continue to fill rubbish bins with one-way waste, going into landfills.
There is a price to pay, sacrifices need to be made, and that will require efforts and forgoing some still appreciated luxuries and conveniences, and few are actually honestly willing to commit to this and do it. That is the major dilemma we face.
For instance cycling is much cheaper and healthier than driving in cars, and can easily be done in most cities, but few do buy a bike and cycle, as they dislike exposure to weather, to the dangers of other traffic, and doing physical exercise causing them to sweat. It would be an easy solution to reduce emissions and to improve health outcomes, but few take it up. Also re rubbish bags, one way food containers, the supermarkets keep delivering these, and almost nobody takes action to change this packaging madness.
Habits die hard, and change is not easy. When expected to deliver, most voters will simply not vote for major change, given the dinosaur type brain we have, and due to habits dictated by learned, old behaviour. Some form of pressure appears necessary, which will though cause various reactions, some in anger.
At least scientists are working on the methane issue, now looking at reducing animal methane production by 30 to 90 percent, as the news reported tonight.
More needs doing, but first we need a government that dares and brings change. National and their allies were though voted in not only by themselves, voters voted for them. See the dilemma again?
-
Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to Rob Stowell,
Germany introduced a so-called “solidarity surcharge” after reunification, which was meant to generate extra tax income to facilitate the redevelopment of infrastructure and other projects in former East Germany (the new regional states that joined former West Germany). It seems that it is today also used to raise funds to invest in some other structurally and economically weak regions.
See Wikipedia for details of the German tax system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_GermanyThat surcharge has been controversial, and some called for it to be abolished. See also this for further info:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/paying-for-german-reunification-court-rules-solidarity-tax-is-unconstitutional-a-663476.htmlhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/us-germany-tax-schaeuble-east-idUSKBN0H40GY20140909
-
“Progress included Paul Gibson’s appointment as New Zealand’s first Disability Rights Commissioner in September 2011. A Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 has been developed and a new Independent Monitoring Mechanism comprising the Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Convention Coalition (made up of Disabled People’s Organisations) now monitors the CRPD. New Zealand has not yet sign the Optional Protocol allowing individuals to take complaints to the UN under the CRPD.”
All this may sound positive, apart from the last sentence.
But when we look at the reality, the Ombudsman does nothing much but “monitor” and include a section in the Annual Report, the Commissioner is likely to be as half hearted and ineffective ans the Health and Disability Commissioner, and the Privacy Commissioner, and human rights laws are only of use, if they can be enforced.
So that means, people need to be able to take cases to Tribunals and Courts, to get their rights, when they are not honoured by government and agencies. What we have though is anything but encouraging.
I came across this recently, and Frances Joychild wrote in February or March this year, about how we basically have a crisis in access to justice, particularly for the many poor and on benefits:
“Frances Joychild QC on the fading star of the Rule of Law ”
http://eveningreport.nz/2015/03/24/frances-joychild-qc-on-the-fading-star-of-the-rule-of-law/It makes for grim reading, and the “solutions” seem to only represent some rather desperate hope for some legal experts to volunteer to do more.
Our present government has basically dis-empowered the weakest of the weak, when it comes to justice, and even the forever underfunded Ombudsman will offer little or no help. We have a crisis, and disabled will be amongst the worst affected, as some commenters here full well know.
-
Yep, I relate to the sentiments and the disappointment of the author.
Now we have many loaded with huge private, personal, household debt, while the government presents itself as a supposed “master of good economics”, pointing the finger at those “failed” European states, where things are supposed to be sooo bad.
Yes, Europe and other places have their many challenges and problems, but what was achieved with the wealth and debt transfers?
Many more now take on high debt, due to the housing price boom in Auckland and to some degree in Christchurch.
A BS economic “success” built on an earthquake rebuild and high levels of migrations, but little else. Look at dairy now, and some other areas, and how the regions start looking at a gloomy future again. With Australia slowing, and China also, the two major trading partners and their situation will bring consequences to us.
A “bust” may come, for the housing market, sooner or later, at least an adjustment, and then the many too high in debt will go down, forced to sell, and banks will lose, and all supposed “gains” will vanish.
If only the manly too short sighted people would wake up, but it seems it first needs to land or crash hard, so they feel the pain, for an overdue change.
But rest assured, the infatuation with one John Key will fade, it will fade soon!
-
“Disability policy is a mixture of progress and retreat. Negatives included the reintroduction of work-testing on beneficiaries under the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Act 2013 and Funded Family Care (FFC).”
Yes, indeed a retreat, this “work testing”, and the now introduced “work ability assessments”, all dressed up as “support” for disabled to “assist” them into work on the open employment market. Employment in that market may be possible for some, but not necessarily for all considered “fit” for work now.
I raised these issues with the new WINZ approach before, which to some degree follows the UK approaches of past years. Here is a reminder of what is behind it all:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-controversial-bio-psycho-social-model/http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-a-revealing-fact-study-part-d/
(more parts on that available on that blog)But reviews of the WCA in the UK have shown how difficult it is to treat all with the same brush. The WCA has such a poor image now, and is still not delivering well, it is ripe for the scrapheap for failed policies:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/the-discredited-indefensible-work-capability-assessment-wca-in-the-uk-and-what-its-demise-must-mean-for-nz-welfare-reforms-part-1/And there are some alternative ideas being worked on now, steering away from past failed policies:
http://www.demos.co.uk/projects/rethinkingincapacity
https://www.rethinkingincapacity.org/A recently released report also questions the New Zealand approach:
https://www.rethinkingincapacity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rethinking-the-WCA-full-for-web.pdfAs for the treatment of disabled under the present government, it seems to be more about “campaigns” of awareness, some pet projects here and there, and nothing much else but “monitoring” and writing annual reports.
And WINZ are reluctant to come forward with information on the “success” of their new approaches, as the following post reveals:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services-msd-withholds-o-i-a-information-that-may-prove-their-trials-a-failure/ -
John Key does not trust YOU or ME, that is plain simple, and whatever his comments may say, they are just further diversions from the matter in question, as usual. If you have nothing to hide, you should not argue with us, is the message, the same applies to new measures that NZ Customs wants to bring in, to get a law change, to enable them to force people to provide their passwords for any computers, tablets, smart- or i-phones they bring with them, when entering New Zealand.
Soon we will all be asked to walk around naked 24/7, and if you refuse, you will be a prime suspect, and able to be charged for anything, for concealing "illegal material" to "terrorism". Get your clothes off, for a public protest, showing you have "nothing to hide", dear people. Get it off, and show you are "clean" and "loyal" and "follow the law".
John Key's New Zealand, the perfect example of how George Orwell's novel 1984 did eventually come true, and nobody bloody noticed it.
-
This is a good and balanced post, I must say. There is much talk about “our duty”, “being part of the club”, and despite of discomfort and some opposition, most in the mainstream media now seem to portray this as “necessary”, and very low level contribution to “international efforts”.
Indeed, who dares asking about the reasons behind the rise of IS, ISIS, ISIL or DAESH, whatever you call them? Who bothers to read, study and reflect on history? Who asks about the practicality, the sense and likely outcome of New Zealand’s contribution in the form of “training” Iraqi army units.
I heard someone say on radio or TV, oh, well the threat to them will not be that great, as most Iraqi army members they will be training are likely to be Shia, so they won’t shoot their own trainers, as they hate the IS and Sunnis anyway.
Is New Zealand not taking sides with a corrupt force, a corrupt, incompetent and morally questionable regime that now runs Iraq? Are we (rather Key and his government) not choosing the “lesser evil” of the players to keep some western influence and control in the area?
Yes, the abominable crimes of IS or DAESH must be stopped and fought, but is this going to do it, together with the most despised foreign force in the region, that is by the Arabs, being the USA?
I fear this is not going to solve much at all, and if they defeat IS, they will soon enough have other ruthless elements to fight, it is a cess-pit now, and we can thank George W. Bush and his war mongering in 2003, to have created it as it is now.
Stupid US imperialist interventions gone wrong, causing more uncountable damage down the line, and now we are called to help “clean it up”.
As we see, the world is back to the way it was during the Cold War, yes perhaps more so as it was in the 19th century, where strategies and influence count more than morals and human values. The UN Security Council is the prime example. And what is New Zealand doing there now, apart from Mr McCully holding the odd lecturing speech, but having NO real clout to move anything anywhere.
Vanity, search for new “friends” and trade opportunities, and a blind Five Eyes’ compliance, that is what rules the foreign policy of this NZ government, none else.
As for Iraq, it is only still a "state" on outdated maps, it no longer exists. Even after the first gulf war in 1991 the Kurds established their own defacto state. They have their interests, so do the Shiite militias and parties, and the Sunni are between a rock and a hard place, hardly keen to rejoin an untrusted Iraqi government and "state" that is totally dominated by Shiites, that is the "rump state" down the South East, what is left of Iraq. It will NEVER be one state again, as it was.