“Today the West faces challenges without and threats within. But no greater threat exists than that which comes from people inside the West intent on pulling apart the fabric of our societies, piece by piece. By assaulting the majority populations in these countries. By saying that our histories are entirely reprehensible and have nothing good […]
Douglas Murray on the West
Douglas Murray on the West
07 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Really?
06 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, unemployment Tags: monetary policy
It doesn’t seem to have been the best week for the Reserve Bank since the release of the latest Monetary Policy Statement last Wednesday. Of course, one could make a pretty compelling case that in the Orr years few weeks have been, and especially not any weeks when Bank figures actually say or do anything. […]
Really?
MICHAEL BASSETT: MODERN MAORI MYTHS
06 Dec 2023 1 Comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, constitutional law, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is really happening is that ministers are stopping the crusade waged by the Ardern/Hipkins…
MICHAEL BASSETT: MODERN MAORI MYTHS
CLIVE BOONHAM: Should Te Pati Maori MPs be allowed to swear the oath of allegiance?
04 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
This article is a continuation of the article Swearing in of new MPs: The constitution versus the Treaty activists. __________________________ On 1 December 2023 Te Pati Maori published an official press release on its Facebook page entitled An Oath to our Mokopuna. It was published in the name of Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and five others,…
CLIVE BOONHAM: Should Te Pati Maori MPs be allowed to swear the oath of allegiance?
Chris Trotter in strife?
03 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: Age of Enlightenment, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Given his (qualified) support for Israel in their cage fight against Hamas I had wondered over the last few weeks if Chris was feeling the pressure from the New Left who hate Israel and have grown to outnumber he and his kind here in New Zealand over the last couple of decades. I noticed that […]
Chris Trotter in strife?
ANANISH CHAUDHURI: Winston Peters has a point about media bias
03 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
Winston Peters has suggested that mainstream media were “bribed” by the previous Labour government. Members of the media are outraged. Peters, true to form, is being provocative. I don’t think Peters’ strident tone helps. If Peters wants to get through, then a more diplomatic approach may be better. Aggressiveness merely gets people’s backs up and…
ANANISH CHAUDHURI: Winston Peters has a point about media bias
Government net debt: how does NZ compare?
02 Dec 2023 1 Comment
in budget deficits, fiscal policy, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand
In my post yesterday on the new OECD Economic Outlook fiscal numbers I included this chart Even if you leave off the last two observations (OECD projections based on current – Labour government – fiscal policy) recent trends have hardly been something to take any comfort in. But at least we were still a bit […]
Government net debt: how does NZ compare?
Lord Hannan, Daniel speaks about equality, the Treaty and the Taxpayers’…
01 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, discrimination, economic history, economics of crime, gender, history of economic thought, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
The new government and the Reserve Bank
27 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in business cycles, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: monetary policy
But first a correction. As I noted on Twitter and very briefly on the post itself on Saturday, it seems that the gist of my post on Friday was wrong. The repeal of Labour’s tobacco de-nicotinisation legislation – whatever motivated the parties that championed the change – will leave the flow of tobacco excise revenue […]
The new government and the Reserve Bank
David Seymour: Treaty principles, Pharmac, and being minister for regula…
26 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, economics of education, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, health economics, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, public economics
Look who wants to debate Treaty issues now
22 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
Seymour’s proposed referendum has made discussion seem a very attractive alternative. Graham Adams writes — After the revolutionary He Puapua report was brought to public attention for the first time in April 2021, Judith Collins and David Seymour did their best to spark discussion about its implications — especially with regard to the threat that […]
Look who wants to debate Treaty issues now
ELE LUDEMANN: Does reset need a referendum?
17 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: constitution law
Act wants a referendum to define the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The principles do need redefining and that redefinition will almost certainly result in a reset that reverses a lot of the insertion of the undefined principles in areas which many think have nothing to do with the Treaty. It is 23 years […]
ELE LUDEMANN: Does reset need a referendum?
Some questions for those protesting for Palestine
15 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, Public Choice, war and peace
I’m frankly astonished at the scale, frequency and anger of protests held in solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza, which variously call for a ceasefire, call for “freedom” for Palestine and which variously accuse Israel of atrocities, using the language and statistics issued by the Gazan totalitarian theocrats. It is driven by a coalition of communists,…
Some questions for those protesting for Palestine
Bari Weiss proposes ending DEI
11 Nov 2023 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: affirmative action, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination
Bari Weiss, head of the Free Press, just published this article on her website, but it appeared in Tablet, in identical form, a few days ago. You can click on the headline below to read it, or go here to see it on her site. As the subheader on her FP article says, “It’s not […]
Bari Weiss proposes ending DEI
CHRIS TROTTER: Failing the “Leftist” litmus test
31 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, war against terror
LIKE THE WAR in Ukraine, the war in Gaza is serving as a remarkable litmus test for the Left. It is testing its moral compass, its understanding of international law, its grasp of geopolitical realities and, not least, its awareness of what the PR mavens call “the optics”. A substantial portion, even, perhaps, a majority,…
CHRIS TROTTER: Failing the “Leftist” litmus test
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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