Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Gareth Morgan's vision

From Gareth Morgan's latest NZ Herald article:
"...we need a system of redistribution that gives to each adult the means to live in dignity in the absence of paid work, delivering to all the freedom to find a balance between paid and unpaid activity, while ensuring that all those who do seek paid work get rewarded for their efforts."

All of the above should be delivered through civil society (sorry, can't find a better term ). That is people finding the means to create a "balance between paid and unpaid activity" through their relationships with each other.

Gareth Morgan wants the state to deliver it to people through taking "the means" off one and giving it to another.

The civil society involves no force - Morgan's vision involves significant force.

The civil society binds people - Morgan's vision isolates them.

The civil society (with increasing interference from the state) is the long-standing basis by which many (but not all) have lived happy and fulfilling lives - Morgan's vision is merely a re-run of demonstrably disastrous utopian fantasies.

15 comments:

Mark Hubbard said...

Only because it's not made it to your blog roll yet, and it's related: foul hooking the Big KaTuna.

Mort said...

Local Marae often have reasonably large areas of unused land. Previously these areas were vege gardens in many cases. They tend to not get used these days because the Marae can't get anyone to tend them.
Perhaps arrangements could be made for the rejuvenation of these gardens, with the ultimate goal of some proportion being paid to the Marae as rent of the garden bed, the people doing the work (people without a job would be a good start) get to keep a bit for self use, and the rest sold to be divided amongst those who helped.
Many Marae are screaming out for this type of endeavour, and want Maxess type schemes to be re-initiated to get people back onto the Marae, and make these redundant areas viable again. The problem with Maxess schemes though is they are govt funded, and were liable to being rorted.

Kiwiwit said...

So Gareth Morgan has gone the whole hog and is now paraphrasing Marx ("From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"). At least we are in no doubt where he is coming from.

Anonymous said...

All of the above should be delivered through civil society

Why? Why should "all of the above" ever be delivered?
Only a society in terminal decline would want such a thing!

There is no "inalienable right" to "live in dignity"!

If you want dignity, ensure you can afford it. If you choose not to live in dignity what's that to do with anyone else?

FAIRFACTS MEDIA said...

I used to have respect for Gareth Morgan.
In recent weeks he has most certainly lost it.
What a Trot!

Anonymous said...

I must be missing something.

If you look at the calculator

http://www.gmi.co.nz/bigkahuna/calculator/personal.aspx

it is just a tax cut for every one, even if you earn over 5 million dollars a year instead of the current welfare system.

Not just the bludgers or people with big families but everyone.

So they take less tax, show real motivation for people to work as hard as they like. What am I missing?

me

Anonymous said...

Lindsay, a very good response. Thank you for your continued efforts. Rufus

Anonymous said...

Me again,
I found the drawback. On looking further he's going to sting me $7,200.00 for the business and possibly more for the house and meanwhile I've lost my old age super.

I shall shamefacedly go away and stop ruminating on your blog comments.

WWallace said...

I'm really glad I pulled my retirement savings out of Gareth Morgan's KiwiSaver scheme.

There's no way I wan't to be supporting such collectivist ideologies. I agree with Fairfacts Media: Gareth Morgan has lost my respect, too.

Newkiwi said...

Oh well, at least we are becoming more aware of Gareth's true (socialist) colours now. My Kiwisaver will shortly be leaving the Gareth Morgan Kiwisaver.

baxter said...

Everyone should be entitled to a Harley too.

Brendan McNeill said...

The big Kahuna will wash ashore, then back out to sea. Some pebbles will be moved, but largely it will pass unnoticed.

Thankfully.

Brendan

Manolo said...

It took him a few years to come out of the closet as a socialist, didn't it?

But of course, only after making heaps of money. How convenient.

Paulus said...

Morgan can only socially spout from a position of being a very rich man, the largest part of which came via his son's endevours, appreciating he help originally in setting up Trade Me.

Anonymous said...

Who was it who said:

To make the rich work harder, pay them more;
To make the poor work at all, pay them less!


Clearly Morgan isn't earning enough.