Tag Archives: human nature

National Standards and Neanderthals – “They will know what is required …” – Part III

Posted on 23rd Apr, 2013 by Puddleglum

In Part I of this post I outlined the historical context of our modern education system and argued that  National Standards were a continuation of the controlling and directive imperatives of that system. In Part II I described the nature … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Education, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

National Standards and Neanderthals – “They will know what is required …” – Part II

Posted on 23rd Apr, 2013 by Puddleglum

[Apologies, but this post is now in three parts, not just two - this is Part II. Part III should be up by the time you read this.] Who’s afraid of National Standards? In Part I of this post, I argued … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, Education, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

National Standards and Neanderthals – “They will know what is required …” – Part I

Posted on 7th Apr, 2013 by Puddleglum

“School prepares for the alienating institutionalization of life by teaching the need to be taught.” - Ivan Illich There’s an interesting opinion piece by archaeologist April Nowell in a recent ‘New Scientist‘ – ‘All work and no play: Why Neanderthals were no Picasso‘ … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

Getting ‘stuck in’ to employment

Posted on 11th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

Recently, Rodney Hide related his experiences as a manual labourer, doing casual jobs for a builder, digger driver and retaining wall builder. Hide drew a lesson from his experience about the motivation of the unemployed. Basically, it amounted to the conclusion … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A better term than ‘breeding for a business’

Posted on 29th May, 2012 by Puddleglum

  Back in 2002, some years before scaling the heights to the Prime Ministerial summit, John Key said that Labour’s Domestic Purposes Benefit policy had led to a situation “where people have been, for want of a better term, breeding … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

City in a box

Posted on 29th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

It was meant to be the ‘City in a Park’. But, according to a Press editorial, a lot of people in Christchurch have taken a look at the future and they don’t like what they see: The artists’ impressions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Free Market, Human Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The banality of corruption

Posted on 27th Mar, 2012 by Puddleglum

At the heart of the exotic and exciting spectacle of National Party luminaries engaging in their own version of the shootout at the OK Corral – and, in so doing, managing to take out one of their own – is … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Human Nature, New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Soul Food

Posted on 2nd Jan, 2012 by Puddleglum

Back in the 1970s I remember reading an American TV reviewer who pointed out that, at the time, the only programmes dealing with serious issues were comedies. He used the example of ‘All in the Family‘ with its lead character … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Believing what you need to believe

Posted on 6th Sep, 2011 by Puddleglum

It’s a common belief that politics and policy-making would be better if it availed itself of the fruits of scientific endeavour. Some call it ‘evidence-based policy‘ and it is often those on the left who call for much more of … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The science and politics of the ‘politics of envy’

Posted on 21st Jul, 2011 by Puddleglum

The release of Labour’s tax policies – which include a new top tax rate (39cents for income over $150,000), a Capital Gains Tax (at 15%), no GST on fresh fruit and vegetables and a tax free $5,000 threshold – have … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics, Philosophy, politics of envy | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments