tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5741664618931159402024-03-05T00:12:34.491-08:00Social Welfare Activistso you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-27444366190015273862024-01-26T00:34:00.000-08:002024-01-26T00:34:26.318-08:00What They're NOT Telling You About BlackRock And Bitcoin - Whitney Webb ...<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/UsxucjrHwJk?si=Si6HnxoY30uh5lY7" frameborder="0"></iframe>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-68307818592855232472024-01-23T03:44:00.000-08:002024-01-23T03:44:29.834-08:00Terence McKenna Predicts 2024 in 1996<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/MfiVOLXolV8?si=pBGkwJSnoKRRsn6O" frameborder="0"></iframe>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-15032250872761492172012-10-17T16:05:00.002-07:002012-12-25T21:42:13.991-08:00Pamphlet: Stable Economy by Permanent Poverty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-8260670471355114402012-10-03T20:52:00.001-07:002012-10-04T15:04:27.616-07:00Stable Economy by Permanent Poverty. The N.A.I.R.U and the New Zealand Economy <br />
<br />
<b>Introduction</b><br />
<br />
I am interested in exploring poverty in New Zealand and its intimate
connection to wage rates, unemployment and inflation. Over the last
thirty years in New Zealand we have undergone transformative reforms in
the economic and welfare sectors. The effect has created a significant
increase in the gap between rich and poor, to where today ours is one of
the largest in the world (<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571384/Wealth-gap-divides-nation">Donaldson & Hubbard, 2011</a>), suggesting that we don’t have welfare in New Zealand, but well-orchestrated poverty.
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Themes:</b><br />
<br />
According to Bill Rosenberg, Economist and Director of Policy at the New
Zealand Council of Trade Unions [CTU], wages rose on average according
to the rate of productivity up until 1992. However, after 1992,
productivity continued to rise at a steady rate, and wages on average
did not (<a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/.../M11_Rosenberg_LEW_final_2_.pdf">Rosenberg, 2010</a>).
If we look at data on the New Zealand Treasury website which shows us
unemployment rates since 1986, we can see in 1992 the largest spike in
unemployment in New Zealand history, with almost eleven percent of the
population registered as unemployed (<a href="http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/conferences-workshops/productivity">Parham & Roberts, 2004</a>).<br />
<br />
Could these two sets of data be related? According to Alister Barry in
his documentary, In a Land of Plenty, they clearly are; “the reserve
bank would manipulate interest rates so that at any given time one
hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand kiwis would be
unemployed....more unemployed people competing for jobs was bound to
drive wages down” (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWl1rSVnYU">Barry, 2002</a>). A precedent was set that was then to become the norm.<br />
<br />
But why would the government want New Zealanders to have a low wage? It
is one way to control inflation, and maintain great wealth for the few (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUvKAXwFCs">Barry</a>).
This is clearly demonstrated by the Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of
Unemployment [NAIRU], which defines the lowest level of unemployment an
economy can handle without causing rising inflation (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairu">Wikipedia.org, n.d.</a>). New Zealand’s NAIRU is currently estimated to be five percent (<a href="http://econfix.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/new-zealands-nairu-and-youth-unemployment/">Johnston, 2011</a>), our current unemployment rate is 6.8% (Trading Economics, n.d.), and correspondingly our inflation is very low (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairu">Trading Economics</a>). When unemployment was high in 1992, inflation dropped to its second lowest in New Zealand’s economic history (<a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/unemployment-rate">Trading Economics</a>), thanks to the unemployed.<br />
<br />
<b>Current concern:</b><br />
<br />
Right now New Zealanders have a new round of welfare reforms being
implemented that continue the agenda set 1991. According to The New
Zealand Herald, “anyone who turns down any offer of ‘suitable
employment’ will have their benefit cancelled” (<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10834762">Collins, 2012</a>).
This is seen as a logical escalation of what was in place before;
whereby the client was given “three chances” before they were cut. This
reform continues to undermine the basic right of choice for a New
Zealand citizen, as the Work and Income New Zealand [WINZ] case manager
decides what is ‘suitable’ for the client.<br />
<br />
<b>Personal impact: </b><br />
<br />
I was affected directly by the above scenario in 2010 as a person with part time employment (see <a href="http://www.wellsgroup.org%29/">www.wellsgroup.org)</a>
looking for full time work and receiving an unemployment benefit. After
consultation with the Ministry of Social Development’s work brokers,
where we discussed which were suitable and unsuitable jobs, I was
immediately offered employment in the very role that I had identified as
unsuitable due to my physical and mental health at the time. Despite
there being many suitable jobs that I had expressed a direct enthusiasm
for, I had no actual choice. Job ‘suitability’ was simply being used as a
means to remove myself from their support. At the time I considered
mine an isolated incident but having since worked alongside benefit
rights advocates and meeting other cases, I understand this is an
accepted procedure.<br />
<br />
<b> Conclusion: </b><br />
<br />
In short I had refused to participate in what is now the very essence
of welfare; a tool for applying pressure on existing jobs by falsely
creating the impression that there are numerous able applicants
available for a position. That pressure of course is applied using real
people living on the margins of society in poverty. People growing more
and more desperate and becoming increasingly prepared to accept lower
and lower standards of living. This is the accepted way to manage the
economy and control inflation. As Suzanne Snively of the Reserve Bank
Board of Directors from 1985-92 has said: “...it was a manageable thing
for the reserve bank to use employment and unemployment as a means to
get wages down, it was far easier than any other means to get inflation
down, so they used it” (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUvKAXwFCs">Barry</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>References: </b><br />
<br />
Barry, A. (2002) In a land of plenty clip. [Videofile] Retrieved from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWl1rSVnYU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWl1rSVnYU </a><br />
<br />
Collins, S. (2012). ‘One strike’ rule for beneficiaries. Retrieved from The New Zealand Herald website: <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10834762">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10834762 </a><br />
<br />
Donaldson, M., & Hubbard, A. (2011) Wealth gap divides nation. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571384/Wealth-gap-divides-nation">http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571384/Wealth-gap-divides-nation</a><br />
<br />
Johnston, M. (2011) New Zealand’s NAIRU and youth unemployment. Retrieved from Econfix: <a href="http://econfix.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/new-zealands-nairu-and-youth-unemployment/">http://econfix.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/new-zealands-nairu-and-youth-unemployment/ </a><br />
<br />
Parham, D., & Roberts, P. (2004) Productivity: performance,
prospects and policies. Retrieved from New Zealand’s Treasury website: <a href="http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/conferences-workshops/productivity">http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/conferences-workshops/productivity</a><br />
<br />
Rosenberg, B. (2010) Real wages and productivity in New Zealand. Retrieved from Victoria University of Wellington website: <a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/.../M11_Rosenberg_LEW_final_2_.pdf">www.victoria.ac.nz/.../M11_Rosenberg_LEW_final_2_.pdf</a><br />
<br />
Trading Economics. (n.d.). New Zealand unemployment rate. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/unemployment-rate">http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/unemployment-rate </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia.org. (n.d). <i>NAIRU</i>. Retrieved from: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairu">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairu</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55d5SKsEvjR0neRSmFxb8fA9lQdiPieAPFPBK9GK8uI4CAvM7bydBLEmfuAjyhmDONu8r4ASPcA5dnnNNEi3vcrW7JToGT4WYyJwTnE0ryrfakbnnixPCKk6EAFv0x9Q4aty-HTcMz84/s1600/stable+economy+paid+for+by+poverty.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55d5SKsEvjR0neRSmFxb8fA9lQdiPieAPFPBK9GK8uI4CAvM7bydBLEmfuAjyhmDONu8r4ASPcA5dnnNNEi3vcrW7JToGT4WYyJwTnE0ryrfakbnnixPCKk6EAFv0x9Q4aty-HTcMz84/s1600/stable+economy+paid+for+by+poverty.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/view/?79z6z7aoc9qn4hz"><br /></a>
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/view/?79z6z7aoc9qn4hz"><br /></a>
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/view/?79z6z7aoc9qn4hz"><br /></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/view/?zeo87mm4oqozz92">PAMPHLET VERSION HERE</a><br />
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so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-47649487458940224792010-08-30T22:54:00.000-07:002010-08-30T22:54:34.997-07:00'Pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table"<object style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/u6XAPnuFjJc/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u6XAPnuFjJc?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u6XAPnuFjJc?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-83828924359997984602010-08-30T22:28:00.000-07:002010-08-30T22:36:53.833-07:00"Content of the Democratic Conversation"<object height="344" style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/Ql3Jp3ydfE8/hqdefault.jpg");" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ql3Jp3ydfE8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ql3Jp3ydfE8?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-75092236400146000542010-08-30T22:22:00.000-07:002010-08-30T22:43:23.187-07:00"It has to be conceived as an attitude, an ethos, a philosophical life in which the critique of what we are is at one and the same time the historical analysis of the limits that are imposed on us and an experiment of possibly going beyond them."<object height="295" style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/AC7ANGMy0yo/hqdefault.jpg");" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AC7ANGMy0yo?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AC7ANGMy0yo?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-33451341403790136562010-08-30T04:18:00.000-07:002010-08-30T04:18:32.558-07:00RSA Animate - Crises of Capitalism<object style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/qOP2V_np2c0/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOP2V_np2c0?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOP2V_np2c0?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-6892451561903324872010-08-30T04:17:00.000-07:002010-08-30T04:17:31.687-07:00RSA Animate - The Economic Consequences of Mr Brown<object style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/AHcfNy1_zqA/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHcfNy1_zqA?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHcfNy1_zqA?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-9081109435037693182010-08-30T04:02:00.000-07:002010-08-30T04:02:14.144-07:00RSA Animate - Superfreakonomics<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/pQItB5uoiHI/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQItB5uoiHI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQItB5uoiHI?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574166461893115940.post-68345079407402369092010-08-30T03:45:00.000-07:002010-08-30T03:45:56.981-07:00First, let's start here.<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/hpAMbpQ8J7g/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hpAMbpQ8J7g?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hpAMbpQ8J7g?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>so you tell mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11003204842020505433noreply@blogger.com0