Posts by mark taslov
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Up Front: Cui bono?, in reply to Marc C,
Thanks for your reply Marc, that is awesome.. Anyone who lacks advocacy is in big trouble, some are very lucky to enjoy the support networks they have. That these support networks are so needed is testament to our having produced generations of school leavers lacking the confidence and/or the ability to articulate themselves far beyond “Speights.”
The vacuum left by so many moderate voices can only distort our national discourse, A thread begins with some excellent suggestions for improving our benefits system and ends up with a commentator calling “feral” in response to the unfortunate comments made by a prominent mental illness sufferer in our community – his word, hiffed to the forefront of our modern popular lexicon, the way he sees people, a totally inappropriate choice on his part planted in the armoury of an enemy he craves..
Due to the nature of mental illness, anything Cameron Slater says is subject to the influence of his illness. Yes he puts that tone out there, but at the end of the day it’s a symptom of a greater problem, he is high conflict, clearly he is dealing with a great deal of pain. In this context we are equipped to either ignore or absorb that without retaliation, just as we would the outbursts of a Tourette sufferer, a choice most with sufficient empathy are free to make.
Is Paul Henry about to have another meltdown?
As spectacular as that portrayal sounds – I certainly hope not, but if he is then perhaps a quiet word in the ear rather than a nasty national news headline might better benefit everyone concerned.
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Up Front: Cui bono?, in reply to Kumara Republic,
gig economy
No not exclusively, my last work provided full time contracts and had difficulty finding teachers willing to sign up for that. There is all sorts of work and plenty of opportunities available, long or short term, contracted or freelance, poorly remunerated for the most part but there all the same,
that the article defines hosting an online shop as a 'gig' where as a bricks and mortar version would be seen as a business. While the article appears to largely ignore the fact that many RL industries are and always have been a 'gig' for most players involved, 'gig economy' as used in the article to describe the more encompassing and 'online economy' is lazy pigeon holing from the Guardian. Like the RL job market the internet presents an array of opportunities.
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oops, sorry Rosemary, my reply to Sofie, anyway, that’s me have a great year people!
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Up Front: Cui bono?, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
We gotta start somewhere. If we can find just one Minister ( it would be nice if it was the Prime) that wants change, that person could effect change.
I guess that what I’m getting at here though is that regardless of any legislation that may be implemented, it’s the administration of that legislation that will remain the core aggravation. It’s all very well proposing a UBI or any stop gap measures for that matter, but if that in turn leads a much larger demographic being subjected to the same indignities as our current beneficiaries already suffer then I don’t see that as a great improvement. This isn’t just about the money, and throwing more money or rejigging specific rules will do little to alleviate the wider issue. They could give us all the money, sooner, but in all likelihood the authorities would continue treating us in a sub- human manner and in the end one may suggest that our proposals are little more than fire fighting an apocalypse.
As I see it, the fundamental here is our increasing lack of respect and regard for our fellow earthlings, and that arguably begins with better education and ends with more stringently protected rights for workers and non-workers alike. It’s all very well being a vocal proponent of the three Rs, as some here are, but if that comes at the expense of producing a kinder more respectful, more humane culture, then we’re just sending more lambs to slaughter – expect this downward spiral to continue unchecked.
With regards to unemployment figures and jobs, via the internet there are numerous opportunities now available, we are no longer limited to working for companies based within the country, we no longer require full physical mobility, the job market has changed irrevocably, so referrals to those kinds of phenomena (as have been bandied about) need no longer occupy the position of relevance they may have once enjoyed.
As clarification, I chose not to use WINZ to supplement any shortfall in my income, for reasons made abundantly clear by other posters- the indignities our authorities perpetuate widely, on a daily basis. My experience with WINZ was under the previous Labour and National Governments and I’m sorry to say neither presented any marked differences to me beyond the rebranding exercise.
I do appreciate that not everyone enjoys the luxury of having this kind of choice. My refusal to submit to their hoop jumping has occasionally caused me to go hungry, but I’ll continue to persevere with the status quo. As there is literally no higher rung within earshot, and while our cultural dictates remain focused on demeaning our weakest, the poorest, the least materially endowed, the losers, the unwell, the outsiders, of anyone for that matter, then the difference between the othering that WINZ offers to the employable and what employers of the LCD are offering as alternative remains largely indistinguishable and academic, give or take a few dollars here and there.
To be fair to Emma and everyone contributing I'm not jumping in to contend any of the suggestions I have seen presented here, I just don't see the issues faced existing in isolation from our general societal sentiments or at the very least those sentiments expressed consistently by New Zealand's media/ government/ celebrity clique.
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Up Front: Cui bono?, in reply to Alec Morgan,
WINZ is darkly classic “Catch 22” material–staff are personally rewarded for denying what their “clients” seek rather than providing it!
what was in earlier times Social Security is now a sadistic bureaucratic punishment maze
I think pinning this on WINZ and bureaucracy is something of an oversight. I applaud Emma’s sentiment, however I feel that the issues underpinning the treatment of beneficiaries are consistent with those measured out by society as a whole. I understand that most posters here are white collar workers and independent contractors and have little grasp of life for blue collar workers in New Zealand.
In our family, my wife grades fruit where she is subject to random mandatory drug testing, her work place regularly subject to visitations by the drug dogs. I work online and have done so for 5 years (not as a Nigerian Prince as previously suggested by a regular poster here – but this attitude is indicative of the wider issue). I have dealt with zero hour contracts and I have been required on a regular basis to provide the company that I now freelance for with photographic evidence of my genitals confirming that I am the gender I claim to be – in order to keep the channels for earning money open.
So with specific regards to unemployment beneficiaries; attending a seminar or meeting or two doesn’t seem at odds with the larger trends within our culture i.e that everyone is guilty until proven innocent, that our bodily fluids, our bodies and our right to previous expectations of privacy are now the property of those with either the money to support us or those who provide us with the opportunity to support ourselves.
Sorry to sound like a Strangelove knock off but this is now the world we live in. Which isn’t to say that it shouldn’t be fixed, but in order to do so, meaningfully, we may need to widen our scope beyond a couple of ministers and a department or two and address the wider cultural and societal issues and attitudes, both nationally and as part of the international community we are aligned with.
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OnPoint: My last name sounds Chinese, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
What I fear with that Craig is that Labour really aren't reading the game, already this year we've seen National slip in a watered down CGT. On May 10 Grant Robertson appeared on Q&A, refloating Labour's election policy regarding the introduction of incentives for migrants to go to the regions. A week later we get this headline:
Minister: Govt could incentivise migration to regions
Election 2014;
Yesterday:
NZ introduces 'gender diverse' option
Which again is not at all what Labour promised, but it's a massive step in the right direction. These are all in their way the apparent fruits of the National Government, in much the same way as if you ask most people who invented the light bulb they'll answer Thomas Edison, public perception being paramount.
So I won't be holding my breath waiting 2 years for Labour to implement this new tax policy.
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;)
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Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to tussock,
Mark, your skills list is terribly out of date...It’s not the 1950’s any more.
You got me there :)
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Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to Kumara Republic,
I managed to secure a subsidised treatment plan via the DHB system
I'm glad to hear that. I hope it gets sorted in a timely manner.
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Envirologue: What has Neoliberalism Done…, in reply to Kumara Republic,
If you start one of those pledge/ donation accounts I'd be happy to donate a bit for you to get the treatment you need. Not that I can afford much, but I know from experience how much of a distraction and frustration teeth can be and would be more than happy to help.
