Recent incidents of cruelty and brutality, especially within families, are powerful reminders that something has badly gone wrong in many peoples lives.
The victims, so often, are those without the ability to defend themselves: children.
It is difficult to try to understand these events.
I am not a psychologist, and have no direct personal experience, so I can only make an educated guess at the type of behaviours and situations that lead to small children being brutally assaulted and murdered.
But I do have a firm view on the wider developments within New Zealand which underlie our arrival at this troubled point.
The recent attacks on children are not isolated incidents. They reflect a wider violence and a wider breakdown of what we regard as basic human values. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Victor Billot as Comment at 3:18 PM UTC
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A report appeared in the Sunday Star Times (8 July 2007) where Professor Jim Flynn was wrongly identified as supporting the idea of “eugenics.”
Jim Flynn is Alliance spokesperson on finance and tax, although the article was not related in any way to the Alliance.
Jim Flynn appeared on Close Up last night Monday 9 July and in a live interview strongly denied any such views. For those of you with broadband internet, you may wish to see the interview which can be found at TVNZ.
Jim is internationally known for his academic research into IQ and has consistently argued against eugenics and racist ideas in his work. He has consistently supported social measures to reduce inequality and improve life for all people, not just the wealthy.
Below Jim Flynn explains his position in the debate. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment, In the news, Information at 4:45 PM UTC
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The Alliance is supporting the community-organized protest against city council funding for a multipurpose stadium in Dunedin. The protest is starting at the Moray Place entrance to the Town Hall on Wednesday 23 May at 5pm. We say that the plan benefits business while disadvantaging those on fixed incomes, and massive debt on such a project is wrong when there are more pressing needs.
The issue has created strong local debate and the Alliance has presented oral and written submissions to the Dunedin City Council. Our stance is noted in full in this submission. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment, Events, Information, Publications at 6:10 PM UTC
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Issue 6 of Red and Green, the New Zealand Journal of Left Alternatives is available now! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment, Information, Publications at 1:09 PM UTC
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Although the Alliance is out of parliament, I believe the role it plays today is the most important in its history. At least twenty per cent of New Zealanders have a Social Democratic outlook, that is, believe that government must tax and intervene to create greater justice and equality.
Sooner or later, many will find a reason to look beyond the two old parties and beyond the Greens, who are essentially a party of the centre without a responsible budget that spells out how they would pay for their promises.
When that day comes, they will not have to reinvent the wheel. The Alliance consistently updates policies that would free New Zealanders from the tyranny of the market, costs them, and provides a cadre of activists who know how to mount an election campaign. They are a party in waiting. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment at 3:11 PM UTC
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Wealth disparity persists in New Zealand, as in other societies, says the Department of Statistics in a new report. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Big surprise there.
The poorest 50% of the population make do on 5% of the income. The wealthiest 5% own 38% of the wealth.
With the way our economy is structured, the more you have, the more you get. If you are starting off from a low income working class background, the odds are stacked against you from day one. The concern is there is a mentality amongst many New Zealanders that greed and self-interest are the highest values – a corrosive and brutal ideology that is returning us to the “law of the jungle.” This attitude is both a product and a cause of the inequality that we see around us today. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment, In the news, Information at 10:58 AM UTC
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The potential for further job losses at major New Zealand manufacturer Fisher and Paykel is reported here.
Posted by Admin as Comment, In the news, Information at 11:02 AM UTC
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by Victor Billot
I read today a profile of Bill English in the Otago Daily Times.
There was a lot of talk about his “moderate” politics.
Combined with the “liberal” image of new National Party leader John Key that is being uncritically promoted by the media, one thing is for certain.
The National Party has learned that dishonesty is the best policy. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Admin as Comment, Information at 6:04 AM UTC
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