ISIL -- The Swiss Cantonal System
Kia-ora
"Good government is achieved when rulers are made accountable – and accountability is assured when ordinary citizens can participate in decisions, remove elected representatives who abuse their mandate, and repeal unpopular laws.
The Swiss system has served the ethnically diverse people of that country well for over 700 years. The rest of the world could learn from the example set in this mountain country and adopt similar systems of citizen-based government.""
Sunday, September 26, 2010
OpEdNews - Article: How we can take stolen profits back from banksters
OpEdNews - Article: How we can take stolen profits back from banksters
Kia-ora
"We need a grass-roots money-reform movement to take banking away from private interests and put it back in the hands of government -- initially at the state level and eventually at the federal level too. Indeed, North Dakota has very profitably run a state-owned bank for nearly a century, and not coincidentally is the only state in the union that has survived the recent recession unscathed, with the lowest unemployment rate in the country. "
Kia-ora
"We need a grass-roots money-reform movement to take banking away from private interests and put it back in the hands of government -- initially at the state level and eventually at the federal level too. Indeed, North Dakota has very profitably run a state-owned bank for nearly a century, and not coincidentally is the only state in the union that has survived the recent recession unscathed, with the lowest unemployment rate in the country. "
"Representative Democracy" ??
Kia-ora
Representative democracy is a contradiction in terms. You either have democracy, which is rule by all the people, or you do not. Representative democracy is simply a change of dictatorship, possibly, at each election.
Democracy is resisted by politicians of all stripes because they are all arrogant enough to believe they know better than the rest of us, being, mostly, self selected people who want power.
They will resist giving any power to the rest of us to their last breath.
A few cherry picked results of Switzerland's or California's system of voting are commonly used as an argument against democracy. The results are representative of their societies and would probably have occurred in the quoted cases under a revolving elected dictatorship anyway.
In fact, in New Zealand, the public supported women's suffrage. It was parliament who held it up. Under the Swiss system of direct democracy NZ would have most likely voted women the vote much sooner than we did . Same with gay rights.
Politicians very often get it appallingly wrong.
It is doubtful that a majority of the public would have voted to throw the baby out with the bathwater in the 80's. Or to Ruthenasia in the 90's, to name just two cases.
Muldoon would not have been able to gerrymander his way into power for so many years with election bribes to a couple of minorities.
Just because some people on the left disagreed with the majority on a recent referendum does not invalidate the principal.
Wisconsin and some other American States have a good track record with BCIR. Why do opponents of democracy always talk only about California?
Other arguments against democracy usually show an unstated contempt for ordinary people. They "dared to disagree with me they must be wrong" or "they cannot have understood the question".
Self determination means making decisions for ourselves, not having 120 self important, arrogant and mostly ignorant politicians making them for us.
"If voting made any difference they would abolish it" Abe Lincoln.
"Democracy is the worst system of Government, except for all the others" Winston Churchill.
Representative democracy is a contradiction in terms. You either have democracy, which is rule by all the people, or you do not. Representative democracy is simply a change of dictatorship, possibly, at each election.
Democracy is resisted by politicians of all stripes because they are all arrogant enough to believe they know better than the rest of us, being, mostly, self selected people who want power.
They will resist giving any power to the rest of us to their last breath.
A few cherry picked results of Switzerland's or California's system of voting are commonly used as an argument against democracy. The results are representative of their societies and would probably have occurred in the quoted cases under a revolving elected dictatorship anyway.
In fact, in New Zealand, the public supported women's suffrage. It was parliament who held it up. Under the Swiss system of direct democracy NZ would have most likely voted women the vote much sooner than we did . Same with gay rights.
Politicians very often get it appallingly wrong.
It is doubtful that a majority of the public would have voted to throw the baby out with the bathwater in the 80's. Or to Ruthenasia in the 90's, to name just two cases.
Muldoon would not have been able to gerrymander his way into power for so many years with election bribes to a couple of minorities.
Just because some people on the left disagreed with the majority on a recent referendum does not invalidate the principal.
Wisconsin and some other American States have a good track record with BCIR. Why do opponents of democracy always talk only about California?
Other arguments against democracy usually show an unstated contempt for ordinary people. They "dared to disagree with me they must be wrong" or "they cannot have understood the question".
Self determination means making decisions for ourselves, not having 120 self important, arrogant and mostly ignorant politicians making them for us.
"If voting made any difference they would abolish it" Abe Lincoln.
"Democracy is the worst system of Government, except for all the others" Winston Churchill.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Address to the Brazilian council of economic advisers.
Kia-ora
A succinct description of how economies are manipulated to transfer wealth to US banks.
"Indebted “host economies” are in a similar position to that of defeated countries. Their economic surplus is transferred abroad financially, while locally, debtors lose sovereignty over their own financial, economic and tax policy. Public infrastructure is sold off to foreign buyers, on credit and therefore paying interest and fees that are expensed as tax-deductible and paid to foreigners. "
A succinct description of how economies are manipulated to transfer wealth to US banks.
"Indebted “host economies” are in a similar position to that of defeated countries. Their economic surplus is transferred abroad financially, while locally, debtors lose sovereignty over their own financial, economic and tax policy. Public infrastructure is sold off to foreign buyers, on credit and therefore paying interest and fees that are expensed as tax-deductible and paid to foreigners. "
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The shadows behind the National figureheads.
Kia-ora
Some idea of the motivation behind the NACT's Labour and bene bashing. Making the world safe for corporate doners.
"January 21, 2010 will go down as a dark day in the history of American democracy, and its decline. The editors of the New York Times did not exaggerate when they wrote that the Supreme Court decision that day "strikes at the heart of democracy" by having "paved the way for corporations to use their vast treasuries to overwhelm elections and intimidate elected officials into doing their bidding" -- more explicitly, for permitting corporate managers to do so, since current laws permit them to spend shareholder money without consent."
Some idea of the motivation behind the NACT's Labour and bene bashing. Making the world safe for corporate doners.
"January 21, 2010 will go down as a dark day in the history of American democracy, and its decline. The editors of the New York Times did not exaggerate when they wrote that the Supreme Court decision that day "strikes at the heart of democracy" by having "paved the way for corporations to use their vast treasuries to overwhelm elections and intimidate elected officials into doing their bidding" -- more explicitly, for permitting corporate managers to do so, since current laws permit them to spend shareholder money without consent."
Sunday, September 12, 2010
On a sustainable society
Kia-ora
We will not have a sustainable society with an economic system that requires continual growth to function. With all its commensurate requirements such as monetary growth, planned obsolescence, continual expansion of production, concentration of wealth and strip mining of natural and human resources.
Social justice is a requirement for an environmentally sustainable society.
Democracy, In reality, not pretend as at present, is a requirement for a consensus on how to get there.
We will not have a sustainable society with an economic system that requires continual growth to function. With all its commensurate requirements such as monetary growth, planned obsolescence, continual expansion of production, concentration of wealth and strip mining of natural and human resources.
Social justice is a requirement for an environmentally sustainable society.
Democracy, In reality, not pretend as at present, is a requirement for a consensus on how to get there.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
On the foreshore and seabed.
Kia-ora
I strongly believe all foreshore and seabed should be commons. None should be in private hands and none should be salable because a future right wing Government decides.
"The Greens are confident that if we lay aside our fear and anger it is possible to reach agreement about a system that recognises Maori Customary title, prevents it from being turned into individual saleable title, provides for all New Zealanders to have access to the beach provided they respect it, and puts in place a range of measures to ensure the values we all cherish on the coast are protected.
It can only happen through rebuilding trust and good will. The heritage of the Commons is one of Europe's gifts to our cultural imagination; the Customary tenure of iwi and hapu is an indigenous taonga. Together, they can give us a shared appreciation of a sustainable relationship with our environment."
I strongly believe all foreshore and seabed should be commons. None should be in private hands and none should be salable because a future right wing Government decides.
"The Greens are confident that if we lay aside our fear and anger it is possible to reach agreement about a system that recognises Maori Customary title, prevents it from being turned into individual saleable title, provides for all New Zealanders to have access to the beach provided they respect it, and puts in place a range of measures to ensure the values we all cherish on the coast are protected.
It can only happen through rebuilding trust and good will. The heritage of the Commons is one of Europe's gifts to our cultural imagination; the Customary tenure of iwi and hapu is an indigenous taonga. Together, they can give us a shared appreciation of a sustainable relationship with our environment."
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A neo-lib recants
Kia-ora
"It is not surprising, then, that during the last bubble (from 2002 to 2006) the top 1 percent of Americans — paid mainly from the Wall Street casino — received two-thirds of the gain in national income, while the bottom 90 percent — mainly dependent on Main Street’s shrinking economy — got only 12 percent. This growing wealth gap is not the market’s fault. It’s the decaying fruit of bad economic policy".
"It is not surprising, then, that during the last bubble (from 2002 to 2006) the top 1 percent of Americans — paid mainly from the Wall Street casino — received two-thirds of the gain in national income, while the bottom 90 percent — mainly dependent on Main Street’s shrinking economy — got only 12 percent. This growing wealth gap is not the market’s fault. It’s the decaying fruit of bad economic policy".
The New York times.
Kia-ora
"That’s because the real problem has to do with the structure of the economy, not the business cycle. No booster rocket can work unless consumers are able, at some point, to keep the economy moving on their own. But consumers no longer have the purchasing power to buy the goods and services they produce as workers; for some time now, their means haven’t kept up with what the growing economy could and should have been able to provide them."
"That’s because the real problem has to do with the structure of the economy, not the business cycle. No booster rocket can work unless consumers are able, at some point, to keep the economy moving on their own. But consumers no longer have the purchasing power to buy the goods and services they produce as workers; for some time now, their means haven’t kept up with what the growing economy could and should have been able to provide them."
Friday, September 3, 2010
Foreshore and Seabed
Kia-ora
“It’s disappointing that John Key has put nothing in the proposal to stop owners of private title restricting access to or selling the foreshore into foreign ownership.”
Exactly. Do it to every one then we can all retain the foreshore and seabed as commons.
NACT are fine with the Maori party/aristocracy claiming veto/ ownership rights because they know they can then buy Maori “elite” off to put fish farms and mines anywhere they like.
This needs a lot more thought and discussion.
If Maori agree that putting all privately owned foreshore and seabed into “commons” Crown ownership/public ownership is acceptable then this may be an answer.
“It’s disappointing that John Key has put nothing in the proposal to stop owners of private title restricting access to or selling the foreshore into foreign ownership.”
Exactly. Do it to every one then we can all retain the foreshore and seabed as commons.
NACT are fine with the Maori party/aristocracy claiming veto/ ownership rights because they know they can then buy Maori “elite” off to put fish farms and mines anywhere they like.
This needs a lot more thought and discussion.
If Maori agree that putting all privately owned foreshore and seabed into “commons” Crown ownership/public ownership is acceptable then this may be an answer.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Economic Sovereignty
Russel Norman: Economic Sovereignty and Dignity - Speech to Grey Power Rotorua | Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Kia-ora
Russel Norman on Economic Sovereignty.
"But we will only have the opportunity to make the right decisions if we have the right to make the decisions at all. We can only make the right decisions for the future of New Zealand if we protect and take back our economic sovereignty."
Kia-ora
Russel Norman on Economic Sovereignty.
"But we will only have the opportunity to make the right decisions if we have the right to make the decisions at all. We can only make the right decisions for the future of New Zealand if we protect and take back our economic sovereignty."
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