Jeff Sparrow
As usual, Jeff Sparrow contributes entertaining insight.
We are witnessing the final spurt to the Keynesian/Capitalist utopia where all material needs and many wants are available and accessible to everyone.
Financial capital has been moving across borders for centuries leading to the creation of multinational conglomerates of capital, which even threaten to displace nation/states as the ultimate source of sovereignty.
In the centuries-long conflict between human and financial capital the human element is now expressing itself in the demographic pressure across the edges of nations. Land borders are not defendable and sea borders lead to this sort of thing.
This is the beginning of a transition to world government and the Keynesian capitalist utopia.
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Of Political Leopards and Spots
Lewis and Woods
"Favouring the rich" is what conservative governments do. I know these guys are telephone pollsters but seriously, what else could anyone possibly have expected, knowing the colour of these guys' political stripes.
At the time of the last election I naively thought that the electorate was too intelligent to fall for the rhetoric of the LNP. I mean, OK the infighting and backstabbing of the ALP was pretty bad, to put it mildly, but the Gillard government had, what I thought was a good track record of consensus-driven progressive legislation even though a lot of it possibly was not progressive enough for my liking. Sure, the shock jocks were ranting against her, but really, that is what shock jocks do. Little did I know.
Superficially, these rantings were the misogynistic ravings of an alcohol affected boys club. Surely the electorate wasn't like that. No but it wouldn't tolerate disunity.
I suppose one could say that it has been interesting to watch all of this unfold. I might further characterise it as disheartening, even depressing, but the basic fact remains that the LNP never altered its stance one whit on any issue. Political leopards never change their spots.
Most of the commentariot has said that the change back to Rudd saved the ALP from annihilation but really the infliction of this non-government on us was a punishment for disunity and I think it possible, if not likely, that Julia Gillard may have beaten Friar Tuck in a fair fight.
We will never know, but this all speaks to the self-imposition of topical myopathy by voters, and the media is largely to blame. Yes it is the media which insists on a 24-hour news cycle, the reduction of every issue to a sequence of sound bytes on the television and the obfuscation of reality with white noise. No one forces them to. To write it off as simply an unavoidable byproduct of advances in IT is incorrect.
But that can wait for another post.
"Favouring the rich" is what conservative governments do. I know these guys are telephone pollsters but seriously, what else could anyone possibly have expected, knowing the colour of these guys' political stripes.
At the time of the last election I naively thought that the electorate was too intelligent to fall for the rhetoric of the LNP. I mean, OK the infighting and backstabbing of the ALP was pretty bad, to put it mildly, but the Gillard government had, what I thought was a good track record of consensus-driven progressive legislation even though a lot of it possibly was not progressive enough for my liking. Sure, the shock jocks were ranting against her, but really, that is what shock jocks do. Little did I know.
Superficially, these rantings were the misogynistic ravings of an alcohol affected boys club. Surely the electorate wasn't like that. No but it wouldn't tolerate disunity.
I suppose one could say that it has been interesting to watch all of this unfold. I might further characterise it as disheartening, even depressing, but the basic fact remains that the LNP never altered its stance one whit on any issue. Political leopards never change their spots.
Most of the commentariot has said that the change back to Rudd saved the ALP from annihilation but really the infliction of this non-government on us was a punishment for disunity and I think it possible, if not likely, that Julia Gillard may have beaten Friar Tuck in a fair fight.
We will never know, but this all speaks to the self-imposition of topical myopathy by voters, and the media is largely to blame. Yes it is the media which insists on a 24-hour news cycle, the reduction of every issue to a sequence of sound bytes on the television and the obfuscation of reality with white noise. No one forces them to. To write it off as simply an unavoidable byproduct of advances in IT is incorrect.
But that can wait for another post.
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Stealing the Common Good
Paul Krugman
"Elections determine who has the power, not who has the truth"
You Can't argue with the truth of this statement, but this presupposes that there is only one truth: the truth. We all like to believe in a world of absolutes where such a thing exists, yet we delve into the media, innocently believing that we will be enlightened with it, but are hoodwinked not believing in myths.
"A better, more democratic answer would be to seek a better-informed electorate. One really striking thing about the British economic debate is the contrast between what passes for economic analysis in the news media — even in high-end newspapers and on elite-oriented TV shows — and the consensus of professional economists. News reports often portray recent growth as a vindication of austerity policies, but surveys of economists find only a small minority agreeing with that assertion. Claims that budget deficits are the most important issue facing Britain are made as if they were simple assertions of fact, when they are actually contentious, if not foolish."
Public education is a good topic. Conservative political elites who have gained power through devious means such as these are notorious for having as one of their core beliefs, the debasement of public education to produce a more malleable electorate, more easily fooled into electing incompetent assholes who are good for nothing but stealing the common good.
Briefly reported in the media this week was an Australian professor of economics displayed on tv saying words to the effect that the only good tax reform would be an increase or expansion of the GET.
This is so breathtakingly ignorant it beggars belief, yet it stemmed from the mouth of a teacher of economics at the highest level.
That is all for now. Read this article. It is a good one.
"Elections determine who has the power, not who has the truth"
You Can't argue with the truth of this statement, but this presupposes that there is only one truth: the truth. We all like to believe in a world of absolutes where such a thing exists, yet we delve into the media, innocently believing that we will be enlightened with it, but are hoodwinked not believing in myths.
"A better, more democratic answer would be to seek a better-informed electorate. One really striking thing about the British economic debate is the contrast between what passes for economic analysis in the news media — even in high-end newspapers and on elite-oriented TV shows — and the consensus of professional economists. News reports often portray recent growth as a vindication of austerity policies, but surveys of economists find only a small minority agreeing with that assertion. Claims that budget deficits are the most important issue facing Britain are made as if they were simple assertions of fact, when they are actually contentious, if not foolish."
Public education is a good topic. Conservative political elites who have gained power through devious means such as these are notorious for having as one of their core beliefs, the debasement of public education to produce a more malleable electorate, more easily fooled into electing incompetent assholes who are good for nothing but stealing the common good.
Briefly reported in the media this week was an Australian professor of economics displayed on tv saying words to the effect that the only good tax reform would be an increase or expansion of the GET.
This is so breathtakingly ignorant it beggars belief, yet it stemmed from the mouth of a teacher of economics at the highest level.
That is all for now. Read this article. It is a good one.
Saturday, 18 April 2015
What a Good Turn of Phrase
Darrin Barnett
"But with polls out this week confirming Abbot and Hockey are doing laps of the toilet bowl, waiting for someone to push the flush button, Morrison might be singing to a different audience."
Need I say more?
Friday, 17 April 2015
My Cringe Metre Has Settled Down Now
Greg Jericho
Well written Grog.
Barnie Rubble, our fearless leader here in the West, continues to show his true colours: blue LNP as you would expect.
After declaring bankruptcy so I could afford my anticringe medication, I nonetheless tried to be admitted to our fabulously expensive Fiona Stanley Hospital due to complications caused by my catching a glimpse of him on the news, only to find that the management contractor forgot to hire the specialist.
Well written Grog.
Barnie Rubble, our fearless leader here in the West, continues to show his true colours: blue LNP as you would expect.
After declaring bankruptcy so I could afford my anticringe medication, I nonetheless tried to be admitted to our fabulously expensive Fiona Stanley Hospital due to complications caused by my catching a glimpse of him on the news, only to find that the management contractor forgot to hire the specialist.
Saying Goodbye to Sovereignty
Mungo MacCallum
Always a good read is Mungo.
'"If anybody in this country doesn't minimise their tax they want their head read. As a government I can tell you that you're not spending it so well that we should be paying extra."'
I of course remember this episode as I am sure many people do. A good starting point. At the time I thought it was roughly fair enough and a good point. However, I only remember the first part, and tax minimization is what you pay accountants and lawyers to do for you isn't it?
The sarcastic ridicule which follows is truly a thing of beauty. But that just keeps you entertained.
What is so eloquently described here is a phenomenon noted by thought scoffers and future gazers for some time now. Essentially national sovereignty no longer exists. The legal frameworks and commercial process apparatuses set up by the lawyers and accountants, under the guiding principles of the neoliberal ideology, have created a world economy where every national government is at the mercy of the market. Sovereignty has become a meaningless concept and everybody seems to be happy with this state of affairs.
Thomas Pickety documents the long rise of Capital. He notes that the balance sheet for the world economy is permanently skewed because of the multiplicity of tax havens where wealth is secreted. He concludes, among other things, that much would be improved if transparency were imposed on the financial system. Then there would be nowhere to hide.
We await the world government.
Always a good read is Mungo.
'"If anybody in this country doesn't minimise their tax they want their head read. As a government I can tell you that you're not spending it so well that we should be paying extra."'
I of course remember this episode as I am sure many people do. A good starting point. At the time I thought it was roughly fair enough and a good point. However, I only remember the first part, and tax minimization is what you pay accountants and lawyers to do for you isn't it?
The sarcastic ridicule which follows is truly a thing of beauty. But that just keeps you entertained.
What is so eloquently described here is a phenomenon noted by thought scoffers and future gazers for some time now. Essentially national sovereignty no longer exists. The legal frameworks and commercial process apparatuses set up by the lawyers and accountants, under the guiding principles of the neoliberal ideology, have created a world economy where every national government is at the mercy of the market. Sovereignty has become a meaningless concept and everybody seems to be happy with this state of affairs.
Thomas Pickety documents the long rise of Capital. He notes that the balance sheet for the world economy is permanently skewed because of the multiplicity of tax havens where wealth is secreted. He concludes, among other things, that much would be improved if transparency were imposed on the financial system. Then there would be nowhere to hide.
We await the world government.
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Not Yet Bill
Chris Berg
Because this guy is a right-wing ideologue. A highly intelligent and persuasive right-wing ideologue but a right-wing ideologue none-the-less. I've read his book on the history of free speech so I know all about him. Believe me, the point he sits on the political spectrum, makes that on which you sit look like a Gingin hippy festival.
It will therefore be to his interest that you reveal yourself early enough in the electoral cycle for his buddies to capitalise on the fact.
My apologies to Chris Berg but you have to call a spade a spade.
Because this guy is a right-wing ideologue. A highly intelligent and persuasive right-wing ideologue but a right-wing ideologue none-the-less. I've read his book on the history of free speech so I know all about him. Believe me, the point he sits on the political spectrum, makes that on which you sit look like a Gingin hippy festival.
It will therefore be to his interest that you reveal yourself early enough in the electoral cycle for his buddies to capitalise on the fact.
My apologies to Chris Berg but you have to call a spade a spade.
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