Category Archives: Freedom

Great minds? Or just something in the Veuve Clicquot?

Posted on 14th Oct, 2013 by Puddleglum

No sooner than I clicked the ‘publish’ button for the previous post, along comes a strong echo of almost exactly the same refrain. This time, Rodney Hide – after complimenting Len Brown on his stewardship of the Super City – … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Fascism, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

100% Pure Surveillance? – A retrospective

Posted on 6th Sep, 2013 by Puddleglum

Any potential tourists  who may have raised their eyebrows at the prospect of ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ being the agar plate for mass produced botulism (apparently all a sad mistake) will now have their impressions of a pristine country, saved from … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | 4 Comments

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

Back to school in happy town

Posted on 23rd Feb, 2013 by Puddleglum

How are you feeling? If you’re in Christchurch, CERA thinks you’re doing really well. A media release cheerily announced that ‘Wellbeing Survey reveals positive outlook‘. Conducted for CERA by Nielsen Research from August to October, 2012, “2,381 residents completed questionnaires [of whom] … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Freedom, New Zealand Politics, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

And to the victors, the spoils – ‘business as usual’ in Christchurch

Posted on 3rd Dec, 2012 by Puddleglum

[Warning: Very Long Post] The strangely mis-named Christchurch and Canterbury ‘recovery’ continues to unfold in highly predictable ways. Even Christchurch’s arsonists appear to have aligned their activity with the interests of the ‘recovery’ – or at least with the plans … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, Free Market | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘Human capital depreciation’ and the Pike River Mining Disaster

Posted on 10th Nov, 2012 by Puddleglum

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 , , , , | 2 Comments

The school of hard knocks and ‘the curious incident of the dog…’ – Part I

Posted on 24th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

Often the best way to learn something is the hard way. You tend not to forget when you get bruised in the process. If that’s the case, then many Cantabrians are gaining memorable lessons about what it is like to … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Education, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Coming up for air in the New Jerusalem

Posted on 26th Aug, 2012 by Puddleglum

The grand plan for New Zealand’s own ‘New Jerusalem’ has been revealed. The excited assurances that, indeed, the Promised Land has been glimpsed have been echoing around the media ( e.g., here, here, here, here, here and here) – fired in perfect sequence, like a 21 gun salute. … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments