File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-02-14.064, message 18


Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 11:23:13 +1200
From: Bill Cochrane <wrc1961-AT-ernie.midland.co.nz>
Subject: Re: M-I: New Zealand Reforms and Levy et al v Proyect


Comrades
A short comment on the issue of pointless personal enmity and the more
substantive issue of New Zealands economic reforms.
Firstly the various aimless wars on this and other marxism lists would
appear to be largely intra US left squabbles. As I have remarked elsewhere
this is indicative of why the US left has achieved so conspicuously little,
apart from the generation of sad bitter egotists and impotent microsects. I
suggest that you turn your attention to discussing substantive issues
rather than this endless debate of the relative merits of equally repellent
individuals.
While the economic reforms here have been very wide in scope and have
fundamentally transformed NZ society it is worth remembering that we retain
a comparatively strong welfare state, ie cheap-free healthcare, a wide
range of social welfare benefits and substantially free education.
Certainly an array of state supports that provide a substantially larger
welfare state than available in the US.
For example my wife two children and I are currently on the sickness
benefit, which will continue as long as my wife is unable to work, and
receive some $400 NZ a week net from the state.
My point being that while major inroads have been made into the welfare
state a large rump remains, though under some threat. The neo-liberals in
this sense have not been completely triumphant.
As to why the National party and their vile associates NZ first retain
power I would suggest that while things have become markedly tougher for a
large number of people the top 1/3 have done well while the middle 1/3 have
lost ground but believe that reform was necessary and that any
redistributive policies (ie the alliance) would be at their expense. The
bottom 1/3 having shouldered the majority of the cost of the reforms are
locked out of the political process by this alliance.
Bill Cochrane




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