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• Post #2516897

  The hand-wringing of Nicola Willis, Luxon, and other political commentators about the level of NZ government debt is much more about ideology than economics or reality. NZ government "debt" doesn't work in the way that household or business debt does, by virtue of the fact that NZ issues it's own currency. By convention, NZ issues bonds in relation to the budget deficit (i.e. how much more the government spent than was recovered via tax). Willis, Luxon, et....

• Post #1009294

  RE: https://mstdn.social/@stux/116291037945726506 The drive for money under capitalism is just a way of securing food, shelter, and access to leisure activities. Imagine what we could do if we assured everyone that things would be ok. That we could provide food, housing, and good work for decent wages. We can do all these things.

• Post #1009292

  Proud and honoured to be standing as the Green Party candidate for the North Shore in the election this year. The Green Party is the voice in Parliament advocating for people and planet. We are so lucky to live in this amazing country that has enough for us all. Unfortunately, successive governments have prioritised corporate profits over what’s good for people and the environment, leaving us with crumbling infrastructure, worsening inequality, and an increasingly degraded environment. Coming...

• Post #1009290

  “Ascended into anarchy” is my new favourite phrase https://existentialcomics.com/comic/425

• Post #1009287

  First event of the campaign; we’ll be at Smales Farm Markets on Sunday. Sign up at https://www.greens.org.nz/nsh_ms_260412 #nzgreens #greenparty #nzpol #ge2026

• Post #856376

  This is what real political leadership looks like. Take a stand based on principles and well-considered evidence, and stick to it. The position outlined by both #ChristopherLuxon and #WinstonPeters when it comes to Iran is, by contrast, vague, evasive, and cowardly. ““Oman’s view is that the military attacks against Iran by the United States and Israel are illegal and that for as long as they continue to pursue hostilities, those states that launched this war are in breach of international l...

• Post #570702

  Chris #Luxon is very good at not answering any questions. It’s not up to the #US and #Israel to determine if the strikes on #Iran are a breach of international law. It’s up to the international community, including NZ, to determine if their very thin justifications under Article 51 stack up. The NZ Prime Minister should be able to take a stand, either one way or the other. Not being blown around in the wind of the breath of whichever interviewer is asking him questions at the time. #nzpol #r...

• Post #570699

  “A day in the life of an Enshittificator” https://youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ

• Post #570697

  NZ: we have an independent foreign policy Them: independent of what? NZ: independent of morality, decency, humanity, and justice, among other things #nzpol #iran https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/588587/new-zealand-not-in-place-to-make-call-on-us-strikes-in-iran-willis-says

• Post #570696

  It’s not enough to trust “good people” to do “good things”. We should always be endeavouring to set up systems and guardrails to make the good, society-enriching decisions easier to make, and conversely the society-damaging ones harder. That’s why I’m so initially distrustful of platforms that are set up with the best of intentions while still operating in a paradigm that makes them susceptible to the same problems that got us here in the first place. Why I’ll keep investing in staying active...

• Post #570695

  These numbers are big. While Ursula Le Guins quote is still true, it’s perhaps now easier to imagine the end of capitalism (or at least the neoliberal version) than when she coined it. “The…poll…revealed that 66 percent agreed that New Zealand's economic system was not set up to effectively to address issues like housing, healthcare and climate change. Half of New Zealanders also agreed that billionaires shouldn't exist while people still struggled with basic necessities like...

• Post #404622

  Of the lessons that can be drawn from Mamdani’s campaign and now Mayoralty, one of them is talking about (and delivering) the efficient, high-quality public services that well-run, well-resourced government can provide. We see time and time again that getting the “market” to deliver what the state should provide results in over-paying for substandard services. Or being unable to deliver anything at all — Auckland’s light rail and Kiwibuild being prime examples. The state can, and should, hav...