Posts by Rob Stowell
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Gareth Morgan, who's been advocating for a UBI for years, adds his 2 cents.
-
I love the idea of a UBI. I love the way, for example, it could change society and the way we thing about work. If no-one wants to clean toilets, no-one HAS to. So toilet-cleaning might get you a good wage. Other jobs might decline in value – because they offer personal satisfaction at a rate that amply compensates. Art might be everywhere. Music might be free (haha, mutter the musicians sardonically. But really – sure, we can come round Tuesday night and play at your party. But you better get some beer in for the bass-player.)
Tax policy would have to shift markedly, though. Already wealthy folks know there are many ways to minimise your tax. If we put up income and corporate rates, the ridiculousness of having no CGT will jump out. Because it’s such a simple way to avoid tax altogether, with higher income tax no-one will declare money they can shove into a capital asset. It’s already glaringly obvious this is happening. -
Eta: the dating seems to be questionable. Still: so much we don't know about how we got here.
-
Legendary cities of the Indus - fascinating! Thnx Mr D :)
-
In the case of apple, there's "added value" and then there's markup (or pure profit.) It's pretty clear the majority of that comes from sales here.
And how much of apple's "added value" really comes from Ireland?
In the case of Google, nz eyeballs ARE the added value. Nz advertisers are the local revenue stream. Google get both for close to nothing tax wise. -
Speaker: The real problem with the ‘Kiwimeter’, in reply to Euan Mason,
The wording was “Māori should not receive any special treatment.” I can’t simply disagree with that statement because I take issue with the way it’s phrased.
Yeah. It's a reasonable assumption Māori are discriminated against - we have all manner of evidence for this. Discrimination is 'special treatment'.
This is a very poorly thought-out question. It may well bring out the 'shitty attitudes' - but how would you have any idea what people meant when they agreed or disagreed?
Without even starting to think about whether 'having a tiny proportion of what was unjustly seized from your iwi returned a century or so later' is 'special treatment'?
Meh. -
Speaker: The real problem with the ‘Kiwimeter’, in reply to Stephen Judd,
This is beautiful :)
Imagine your HR department running a survey at your workplace, where one question was "Susan should not receive special treatment." I don't think you would feel very good about that, even though it does not logically imply that you receive special treatment.
This is what I am concerned about when I say this was a loaded question.
-
Lots of security. I’m hearing some of the MFAT team looked decidedly uncomfortable. I think they were fearing something more than a nurse with a pink thing …
Or maybe just scared of looking like dorks? -
Polity: Key Derangement Syndrome…, in reply to Alfie,
there is still a taste for public service broadcasting in NZ. Unfortunately it’s no longer offered as an option.
RNZ National - they rate ok. But are influential (IMO :)) well beyond the simple numbers.
-
Polity: Key Derangement Syndrome…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
is it a critical mass of population thing?
I think it's more a critical mass of neo-liberal hegemony thing :)