We have been constantly feed the importance of money and a need to hoard it, but money itself is an intangible concept and "value" can only come from an exchange of currency (money) for items of actual tangible value. Our political system is based on individual assessment of value for a multitude of complex items, when we place a dominant value on Self Interest above Community Interest we distort our individual valuation to a decision between Self and People, and that should be an ethical decision based on what is good for people compared to what can be exploited for individual benefit with detriment for people. Our politics should be a comparison between the two options good for People or good for Self with a consequence when a Self option is a direct penalty for people.
Are you listening Christopher Hipkins? I really hope so as the alternatives are few and fewer. No, don’t bother Luxon, you’re too far gone. And speaking truth to power can be an incredibly successful strategy. It will slice through all the spin like a hot knife through butter. Please, give it a try. Your old hits like removing gst off fruit and veges and ‘strongly considering’ capital gains and wealth taxes (decades overdue) are past their use-by-date. The requirement for a fairer tax system is a cup-of-coffee moment for you. Just get on with it. Meanwhile, over here, Neo-liberalism, its inherent individualism and the vulture capital ecosystem it thrives in is THE real problem. Start addressing it. Sapphi is 200% correct. Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
🙋 Don't disagree with most of this (IMHO Bernie Sanders would NEVER have won the election, but 🤷) but as well as politicians being honest, the VOTERS have to be pragmatic. As I have said elsewhere, "the lesser of 2 evils" is a valid reason to vote FOR/AGAINST and no party being 💯 with your wishes is NOT a reason to stay home instead of votiing. Being plugged into the US political discussions about the 2024 election, many factors added up to a Trump narrow victory, but the LARGEST tranche of voters who could have defeated him were purists about Israel/Gaza & stayed home or voted 3rd party & thereby delivered the worst outcome possible on US policy for the Palestinians they rightly cared deeply about.
Individually we can get engaged with our closest aligned party & work for the change we want, but throwing our toys out the cot & letting the worst of the worst get elected by default in essence, is why Aotearoa & the US are paying the price now 😱
Exactly right, and have a strategy ready for anticipating and combatting the magnified howls of protest and derision from the Right and the 'mainstream' media. The lack of such a strategy killed previous attempts to bring in CGT and higher wealth taxes.
Well good luck with this thesis Sapphi which, although I wholeheartedly support, seems to be as impossible to enact for the current Labour Party as finding the end of a rainbow.
I hope they are somehow reminded of what’s at stake. This is about more than the next election, and they need to let go of ideas of winning and losing. It’s a far longer game, and it is worth running on a moral platform and losing the election if it wins you the war.
Unfortunately I think Chris is too wrapped up in his ‘boy from the Hutt’ made good ego trip to separate personal ambition from national interest. And I do realise there will be people, including my partner, who will be insulted by this thesis. However the evidence of forty years of NZ Labourism is solid proof that they are puppets of their capitalist masters
We have been constantly feed the importance of money and a need to hoard it, but money itself is an intangible concept and "value" can only come from an exchange of currency (money) for items of actual tangible value. Our political system is based on individual assessment of value for a multitude of complex items, when we place a dominant value on Self Interest above Community Interest we distort our individual valuation to a decision between Self and People, and that should be an ethical decision based on what is good for people compared to what can be exploited for individual benefit with detriment for people. Our politics should be a comparison between the two options good for People or good for Self with a consequence when a Self option is a direct penalty for people.
Good description.
It speaks volumes that this even needs to be articulated. Thanks for doing so, and for doing it concisely.
Are you listening Christopher Hipkins? I really hope so as the alternatives are few and fewer. No, don’t bother Luxon, you’re too far gone. And speaking truth to power can be an incredibly successful strategy. It will slice through all the spin like a hot knife through butter. Please, give it a try. Your old hits like removing gst off fruit and veges and ‘strongly considering’ capital gains and wealth taxes (decades overdue) are past their use-by-date. The requirement for a fairer tax system is a cup-of-coffee moment for you. Just get on with it. Meanwhile, over here, Neo-liberalism, its inherent individualism and the vulture capital ecosystem it thrives in is THE real problem. Start addressing it. Sapphi is 200% correct. Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
🙋 Don't disagree with most of this (IMHO Bernie Sanders would NEVER have won the election, but 🤷) but as well as politicians being honest, the VOTERS have to be pragmatic. As I have said elsewhere, "the lesser of 2 evils" is a valid reason to vote FOR/AGAINST and no party being 💯 with your wishes is NOT a reason to stay home instead of votiing. Being plugged into the US political discussions about the 2024 election, many factors added up to a Trump narrow victory, but the LARGEST tranche of voters who could have defeated him were purists about Israel/Gaza & stayed home or voted 3rd party & thereby delivered the worst outcome possible on US policy for the Palestinians they rightly cared deeply about.
Individually we can get engaged with our closest aligned party & work for the change we want, but throwing our toys out the cot & letting the worst of the worst get elected by default in essence, is why Aotearoa & the US are paying the price now 😱
Far too much emotion in politics. it blinds us.
Left coalition. Labour, TPM, Greens. Let's go!
Exactly right, and have a strategy ready for anticipating and combatting the magnified howls of protest and derision from the Right and the 'mainstream' media. The lack of such a strategy killed previous attempts to bring in CGT and higher wealth taxes.
Honesty is not traditionally favoured in politicians .
Agree. But I think it’s something we need to value more, fast.
Not going to disagree with that 😊
Everything a government does should be FOR THE COMMON GOOD .. simple
Wow Sapphi. Just wow. The best thing I've read for a long time. Succint. Powerful. Totally on point. 100% support you.
Well good luck with this thesis Sapphi which, although I wholeheartedly support, seems to be as impossible to enact for the current Labour Party as finding the end of a rainbow.
I hope they are somehow reminded of what’s at stake. This is about more than the next election, and they need to let go of ideas of winning and losing. It’s a far longer game, and it is worth running on a moral platform and losing the election if it wins you the war.
Unfortunately I think Chris is too wrapped up in his ‘boy from the Hutt’ made good ego trip to separate personal ambition from national interest. And I do realise there will be people, including my partner, who will be insulted by this thesis. However the evidence of forty years of NZ Labourism is solid proof that they are puppets of their capitalist masters
100% spot on 🙂🙂
‘Honest politicians’? Finding one is the first challenge!