I believe National under aluxon are in close lock step with ACT and its rapacious anti democratic policies.
Thus I see National supporting the RSB through all stages,with Peters prevaricating,one eye on Jones who is busy on S Media promoting himself with a view to pushing Peters.
Such an alliance would see Democracy sidelined under a near fascist Seymour,an addled Luxon and a keen to please Jones.
Luxon has previously said he wants NZ to become more like the US, and this libertarian approach and RSB Bill would certainly do that. We could be in for a very bumpy 18 months
There definitely are links to USA influence with so many of the Nat leaders - either via education or employment. I do wish some future mp's would go get their education and experience in the Nordic countries!
Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful! I know it sounds terribly conspiratorial, but the Atlas Network is well funded, strategic, and generous. There has been a long-term commitment to spreading and embedding libertarian ideals across a range of governing bodies and countries. Hence the range of scholarships and training and experience available for right leaning folk, and the ideas and approaches now showing up in the behaviour and language of National’s MPs
Have you read "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth", by Ingrid Robeyns. She is a Dutch professor of institutional ethics. Published last year so I was fortunate to pick it up in our local library. I've read other books on social economics by Dutch writers - we need to feed our academics with them!!
Luxon broke off part of his trip to the US to travel to Texas to meet with...Ted Cruz.
I recall from my career as as a deeply hypocritical fundy xtian that what we scoff at,End Times, Damien,666, Israel, Armageddon...they take this literally,and this grouping,millions strong worldwide WANT a major conflagration in the Midd East. They are,in the active sense, working for it right now.
I know I may sound like a crank, but read Dr C Hedges book on US Xtian Fascism and you start to realise they want total ruin for Jesus.
Good work Dr Bex. Just highlighting how rude and situated Seymour has become is a korero worth hearing for everyone. The length of the leash Luxon has allowed him is out of all proportion to his electoral support. Meanwhile Van Velden is going full troppo on workers rights and conditions of service and needs knee-capping immediately (metaphorically speaking of course)
Thanks Mike. The libertarian arm of National sure seems to have taken over of late, and they do seem quite happy to support ACT in many of their endeavours, including as you say, this wholesale attack on workers rights. National are not only allowing but are actively supporting much of this legislation that is winding back protections for workers across the country.
I agree with George that this coalition have such a blinkered commitment to finances - and while they limit their perspective by self imposed boundaries, they ignore the very real boundaries of the natural world that are being infringed through our over consumption, extraction and pollution. There is a wider world out there to take into account.
The entire bill is deeply troubling; Seymour’s habit of dismissing legitimate concerns with denigrating remarks only makes my misgivings stronger. What concerns me most is its prioritisation of 'economic efficiency' and individual property rights above all else. As you say, Dr Bex:
"We grasp, at some level, that prioritising profit alone means we all lose out in the end."
Using the bill's language and intent, which frames 'good' legislation and regulation as those that meet narrow economic efficiency, and promotes a remarkably myopic view that individual rights override those of society and community, I’ve already written one piece exploring what this bill could mean for people with Young-onset Dementia and their families. Like you, Dr Bex, I’ll be doing a longer one soon (Promise).
Dr Laking is exactly right: public health and prevention strategies often can’t demonstrate short-term 'efficiency' in strict economic terms. Under this bill, they could be stopped entirely! Or worse, private companies affected by such measures might even sue the government for loss of earnings. Imagine tobacco companies suing if something like the former Smokefree legislation were reintroduced.
Another bill that needs to be on the radar is Simeon Brown’s recently announced Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Amendment Bill, which will amend the existing Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. In is to be introduced to Parliament shortly. It also is deeply flawed and troubling for the Disability Community and in my case, the Young-onset Dementia Community.
Time to get back to being a dementia carer and finding some writing time...
While we are talking about health issues - Last year I recall discussion (a little) arising from the govt's intention to modernize the Regulation of Medicines and Medical Devices. This included the harmonizing of "international good practice., enabling reliance on assessments and decisions by trusted overseas regulators" (Cabinet Paper 11 Oct 2024). This morning ProPublica have outed the FDA who had allowed distribution of medications sourced from foreign laboratories which had failed FDA inspections. https://www.propublica.org/article/fda-drug-loophole-sun-pharma?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=toc
😱 I remember that in the morass of "things we should be wary of" 🤷 However, is is even WORSE than this ProPublica expose in that with the unhinged Kennedy in charge what boundaries the FDA & others had are being demolished, as are any research projects that would be of benefit to NZ, plus the collection of data & statistics which could/would identify emerging health issues such as the spread of bird flu to humans, how many are getting Measles since vaccination rates have gone down, is Polio re-emerging, etc etc etc 🤬
🤔 It does seem that the Seymour cool faux calm & reasonable demeanour is showing cracks 😁 I don't expect it will CHANGE anything on his own personal level, but anything that might influence how he is perceived by his coalition buddies & the voters is worth exploiting. WE don't know how many submissions are already in but HE DOES, and there have been so many excellent articles & interviews from people who know of what they speak that the "flooding the zone" is currently all coming from those who OPPOSE this Bill. So much so that I keep re-thinking & re-drafting my submission 🤷
I see Melanie Nelson (I think?) has a repository for those who want to share their submission - this would be an excellent hedge against the laughable "BOT" narrative of 💩🤡 but also to support a class action defamation suit against him ⁉️ or at the very least a source for media to refute his 🤢🤮 bull💩 ⁉️
I believe National under aluxon are in close lock step with ACT and its rapacious anti democratic policies.
Thus I see National supporting the RSB through all stages,with Peters prevaricating,one eye on Jones who is busy on S Media promoting himself with a view to pushing Peters.
Such an alliance would see Democracy sidelined under a near fascist Seymour,an addled Luxon and a keen to please Jones.
Luxon has previously said he wants NZ to become more like the US, and this libertarian approach and RSB Bill would certainly do that. We could be in for a very bumpy 18 months
There definitely are links to USA influence with so many of the Nat leaders - either via education or employment. I do wish some future mp's would go get their education and experience in the Nordic countries!
Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful! I know it sounds terribly conspiratorial, but the Atlas Network is well funded, strategic, and generous. There has been a long-term commitment to spreading and embedding libertarian ideals across a range of governing bodies and countries. Hence the range of scholarships and training and experience available for right leaning folk, and the ideas and approaches now showing up in the behaviour and language of National’s MPs
What a very good idea Liz! We must stop looking at the USA and start looking towards the Nordic countries – well said!
Have you read "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth", by Ingrid Robeyns. She is a Dutch professor of institutional ethics. Published last year so I was fortunate to pick it up in our local library. I've read other books on social economics by Dutch writers - we need to feed our academics with them!!
Considering what's currently happening in the US, that's mad! Huge demonstrations, and protests and a descent towards world war 3.
I agree, ACT is doing what National want but knew they could not campaign on
Luxon broke off part of his trip to the US to travel to Texas to meet with...Ted Cruz.
I recall from my career as as a deeply hypocritical fundy xtian that what we scoff at,End Times, Damien,666, Israel, Armageddon...they take this literally,and this grouping,millions strong worldwide WANT a major conflagration in the Midd East. They are,in the active sense, working for it right now.
I know I may sound like a crank, but read Dr C Hedges book on US Xtian Fascism and you start to realise they want total ruin for Jesus.
Brown and others are of this ilk.
Good work Dr Bex. Just highlighting how rude and situated Seymour has become is a korero worth hearing for everyone. The length of the leash Luxon has allowed him is out of all proportion to his electoral support. Meanwhile Van Velden is going full troppo on workers rights and conditions of service and needs knee-capping immediately (metaphorically speaking of course)
Thanks Mike. The libertarian arm of National sure seems to have taken over of late, and they do seem quite happy to support ACT in many of their endeavours, including as you say, this wholesale attack on workers rights. National are not only allowing but are actively supporting much of this legislation that is winding back protections for workers across the country.
I agree with George that this coalition have such a blinkered commitment to finances - and while they limit their perspective by self imposed boundaries, they ignore the very real boundaries of the natural world that are being infringed through our over consumption, extraction and pollution. There is a wider world out there to take into account.
The entire bill is deeply troubling; Seymour’s habit of dismissing legitimate concerns with denigrating remarks only makes my misgivings stronger. What concerns me most is its prioritisation of 'economic efficiency' and individual property rights above all else. As you say, Dr Bex:
"We grasp, at some level, that prioritising profit alone means we all lose out in the end."
Using the bill's language and intent, which frames 'good' legislation and regulation as those that meet narrow economic efficiency, and promotes a remarkably myopic view that individual rights override those of society and community, I’ve already written one piece exploring what this bill could mean for people with Young-onset Dementia and their families. Like you, Dr Bex, I’ll be doing a longer one soon (Promise).
Dr Laking is exactly right: public health and prevention strategies often can’t demonstrate short-term 'efficiency' in strict economic terms. Under this bill, they could be stopped entirely! Or worse, private companies affected by such measures might even sue the government for loss of earnings. Imagine tobacco companies suing if something like the former Smokefree legislation were reintroduced.
Another bill that needs to be on the radar is Simeon Brown’s recently announced Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Amendment Bill, which will amend the existing Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. In is to be introduced to Parliament shortly. It also is deeply flawed and troubling for the Disability Community and in my case, the Young-onset Dementia Community.
Time to get back to being a dementia carer and finding some writing time...
While we are talking about health issues - Last year I recall discussion (a little) arising from the govt's intention to modernize the Regulation of Medicines and Medical Devices. This included the harmonizing of "international good practice., enabling reliance on assessments and decisions by trusted overseas regulators" (Cabinet Paper 11 Oct 2024). This morning ProPublica have outed the FDA who had allowed distribution of medications sourced from foreign laboratories which had failed FDA inspections. https://www.propublica.org/article/fda-drug-loophole-sun-pharma?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=toc
oh YIKES!!
😱 I remember that in the morass of "things we should be wary of" 🤷 However, is is even WORSE than this ProPublica expose in that with the unhinged Kennedy in charge what boundaries the FDA & others had are being demolished, as are any research projects that would be of benefit to NZ, plus the collection of data & statistics which could/would identify emerging health issues such as the spread of bird flu to humans, how many are getting Measles since vaccination rates have gone down, is Polio re-emerging, etc etc etc 🤬
🤔 It does seem that the Seymour cool faux calm & reasonable demeanour is showing cracks 😁 I don't expect it will CHANGE anything on his own personal level, but anything that might influence how he is perceived by his coalition buddies & the voters is worth exploiting. WE don't know how many submissions are already in but HE DOES, and there have been so many excellent articles & interviews from people who know of what they speak that the "flooding the zone" is currently all coming from those who OPPOSE this Bill. So much so that I keep re-thinking & re-drafting my submission 🤷
I see Melanie Nelson (I think?) has a repository for those who want to share their submission - this would be an excellent hedge against the laughable "BOT" narrative of 💩🤡 but also to support a class action defamation suit against him ⁉️ or at the very least a source for media to refute his 🤢🤮 bull💩 ⁉️
Well done.
I felt the joy when the quilt photo arrived 🥳