We Are All One – But So What?
By VJM
A cosmic truth, realised by many people who have meditated or done enough psychedelics, is that we all one. Despite the fact that it appears that each of us occupy a separate body, forever dooming us to stand apart from everyone else, mystics and shamans throughout the ages know that we are all intimately connected […]
Read more..April 22, 2019
1960s: Gasometer’s Demise
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
For most of New Zealand’s industrial history, especially before electricity, towns had their own on-site coal gasworks to produce the energy for lighting, cooking, and heating. Until the 1960s/70s the state of technology dictated on-site storage; Thus the ubiquitous gasometer. Reluctantly I accept ‘gasometer’ is an accurate title for a giant gas silo although it’s […]
Read more..April 22, 2019
1852: Culverden
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Staightening the curves and flattening the hills is only cool when the Duke Boys do it. This is the equivalent to sending your unique and beloved kid to military school to have their personality expunged. That’s what’s happening now with Highway 7’s latest roading project.. “Work costing $760,000 is under way to level some of […]
Read more..April 21, 2019
You Will Never Be Allowed Any Alternative to Neoliberalism
By VJM
Workers and labourers were disappointed on Wednesday by the news that the Sixth Labour Government had ruled out a capital gains tax. Many working Kiwis felt it unfair that their labour continues to be taxed at such a high rate while unearned income remains untaxed, and felt that the Labour Party had betrayed them. As […]
Read more..April 21, 2019
2018: School students banned from touching army guns
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
God Defend New Zealand because we are certainly not. This image of children with guns is only from 2017 but in the moral climate of 2019 such pictures send the mainstream into paroxysms of shock. Our only hope is that foreign nations hungry to expand don’t read our newspapers. This article should be in the […]
Read more..April 20, 2019
1974: The Ohu Scheme
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
New Zealand is no stranger to communes. I discern, as with most things, a generational cycle of 20 years. In 1974 Labour 3.0 announced The Ohu Scheme, opening up isolated Crown land to communes. As with the 1990s (eg Centrepoint,) the 1970s people (eg. Mahana est.1978) faded away as they discovered replacing modern culture wasn’t […]
Read more..April 19, 2019
Liberals: A Buck Each Way
By NZB3
I think both women are trying to play both sides. Open to being accepted by the out-group of their society by dressing like them and sending signals allowing them to be included. But not so much signals that your in-group will not eject you. Stay within the permissible boundary of what your in-group lets you […]
Read more..April 19, 2019
1932: Queen Street Riot
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
The Slump (aka The Great Depression) reached its most visible and worst point in Auckland on April 14, 1932. Tensions were high as the unemployed marched along Queen Street that day. Fun and games like Cheer Up Week were in the rear-view. Union Leader Jim Edwards organised street demonstrations but this one was getting out of […]
Read more..April 18, 2019
Hurunui Victimhood Councillor
By NZB3
The first thing mother of three Julia McLean did upon being elected to the Hurunui District Council was complain it didn’t pay enough. Not having done her homework, she was caught by surprise only after running for office, being elected, being sworn in. If her own domestic challenges (3 childrens’ needs!!) have been so poorly thought out […]
Read more..April 18, 2019
1931: Cheer-up Week
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
17 April 1931, Auckland’s ‘Cheer-up Week’ turned up the manufactured optimism full bore. The world-wide economic depression, ‘The Great Depression’, was running its course in New Zealand. Worse was to come in terms of conditions: Horrible relief camps and street riots in Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland the following year. Government measures would exacerbate the pain […]
Read more..April 17, 2019
Pride Festival Cancelled
By NZB3
It’s a simple idea. Protected people in society seek to be assured that their protectors are doing their job; They are strong and they are ready to exert deadly force in the line of duty. Are our official strong-men, The Police, and our un-official strong-men like gangs and armed martial males tough enough to keep […]
Read more..April 15, 2019
1904: Education Compilation Act
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
In Lord of the Rings the big bad guy, Sauron, created the One Ring of Power to rule them all. The idea of technological institutions can, like magic rings, replace human leaderships and charisma is a fatal conceit. We know we can get someone else to carry our physical burdens and even have labour-saving devices […]
Read more..April 15, 2019
