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Tag Archives: welfare
The morality of poverty and the poverty of morality
We are moral animals. But, so far as I can judge, in politics today our moral instincts are operating in a way that generates the worst moral outcomes. Metiria Turei’s recent confession (a moral notion) at the launch of the Green … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy, Economics, New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology, Poverty
Tagged Elections, human nature, political psychology, Voting, welfare
14 Comments
Varieties of poverty in New Zealand
The debate over various ‘food in school’ programmes is remarkably lively, especially now that the Government is seemingly covering its flank on the issue – and perhaps even attempting to outflank those on the left. In fact, it’s now gone well beyond being … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Education, New Zealand Politics, Poverty, Welfare
Tagged capitalism, community, welfare, wellbeing
6 Comments
National Standards and Neanderthals – “They will know what is required …” – Part II
[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 education, Freedom, human nature, welfare
3 Comments
‘Human capital depreciation’ and the Pike River Mining Disaster
There are moments when a few words can open up a vista on an entire worldview. The words shoot through the air for a few days like a rapidly fading spark on Guy Fawkes night but, every so often, and … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Education, Free Market, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics, Welfare
Tagged capitalism, community, self-interest, welfare, wellbeing
2 Comments
Underneath the ‘underclass’
Joe Bageant died on the 26th of March last year. Apparently, he was sometimes referred to as an American ‘leftneck’ – which is not a bad label for him. Bageant’s book (and, more generally, his literary life) has been devoted to laying … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy, Economics, Education, Free Market, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare
Tagged capitalism, community, economic history, John Key, markets, self-interest, unity, urbanisation, welfare, wellbeing
13 Comments
A better term than ‘breeding for a business’
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 human nature, mental health, National, teenage pregnancy, welfare, wellbeing
26 Comments
Soul Food
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 human nature, mental health, Slow Food, welfare, wellbeing
1 Comment
On choices – good and bad
As the election draws near, it’s clear that ‘welfare reform’ will be one of the main areas of discussion and debate. It’s also, historically, an area littered with sloganesque arguments that fly around like empty cartridge shells at the OK … Continue reading
Posted in Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare
Tagged Christchurch, community, Elections, John Key, mental health, welfare, wellbeing
7 Comments
The Right’s Dependence on Welfare
A recent comment by Don Brash [about 7mins45secs into the video] gave me the clue as to why the right are so dependent on the ‘welfare’ argument. They are, to put it bluntly, dependent on ‘welfare’ as the explanation for all … Continue reading
Posted in Free Market, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics
Tagged economic history, human nature, ideology, urbanisation, welfare, wellbeing
4 Comments