Need to distract attention away from deeply unpopular asset sales? Drug test dirty bennies
"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well housed, well warmed and well fed."
Herman Melville
Bennett pulled this exact same stunt by going on Michael Laws talk hate radio show to announce sexual reproduction restrictions on filthy bennies when larger school classes blew up, and once again National fall back on bashing bennies when they need attention diverted.
Drug testing beneficiaries is nothing less than the dirtiest and filthiest of dog whistle politics. The Government know their assets sales are deeply unpopular, their farcical claim of having a mandate to do so simply doesn't stand up to any scrutiny. They only have a 1 seat majority, that's not a bloody mandate! Over 60% of the enrolled electorate didn't vote for National, and crowing they have a mandate from the lowest voter turn out in 120 years is so politically bankrupt, it's an insult to our collective intelligence that National attempts to use it.
Forcing solo mothers back to work, using ACC bonus schemes to kick people off benefits, enforced long term contraception for the poor and a raft of draconian measures aimed at punishing those who require help all play to Nationals red neck rump vote who have all the reactionary forethought of talkback radio froth.
The reason bashing bennies works so well is because the National Party have understood a truth about NZers, the working poor hate the beneficiary poor with the same visceral passion that racists hate people of different color.
The working poor look at the pittance they earn and look at the 'money for nothing' that beneficiaries get and their fury is impossible to control. It is a fury that ironically gets whipped up by National who plays to that anger by bashing bennies. I say ironically because the working poor should be angry not at beneficiaries, but at National because the pittance they are comparing against the benefit is driven by the disgustingly low wages our country earns since National's neoliberal union crushing policies from the early 1990s.
This isn't social policy, it's State enforced cruelty aimed at a group so despised within society that Paula Bennett could suggest mandatory organ donation from beneficiaries and no one would blink.
We should drug test beneficiaries the day we breath test politicians. A pissed politician is far more dangerous than a jobless stoner.
This country is becoming something I no longer recognize.
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posted by Bomber @ 8:47 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
But what about the TomKat divorce? It very well to waffle on about poverty and the working poor, but I just heard on MSM news that the Church of Scientology is now stalking Katie!!! I mean OMG! Bomber, are you Team Tom or Team Katie? Think carefully before your reply, your credibility is at stake!
haha Nitrium,are you team Paula or team Paula?
http://gizmodo.com/5904129/heres-how-much-body-parts-cost-on-the-black-market
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/a-z-benefits/live-organ-donor-assistance.html#Howtoapply5
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9227923/New-York-woman-sacked-after-donating-kidney-to-save-bosss-life.html
Part 1 of 2.
Way to make the poor literally piss poor Paula.
I have to disagree with you Bomber that the raft of draconian policies aimed at beneficiaries by the Natzi regime is largely diversionary; one must consider the human cost. This “government” has beyond doubt demonstrated their willingness to slash spending regardless of the social consequences. If they’re diversionary, they’re killing two birds with one stone.
Your blog posts are exemplary in having a social conscience, but consider the many poor folks out there that don’t have access to the internet and hence have a limited ability to voice their perspective concerning the mounting hardships they face. The gagging of or largely dead public broadcasting sector, now replaced with the versificator that is the MSM conveniently clouds the plight of the growing poor in society. The low voter turnout has a base consisting of the poor who are disillusioned with government, who they see as representing the interest of the wealthy foremost.
I know of many out there struggling terribly from day to day, the worst off are the growing number who are blatantly cut from benefits who just simply can’t find work in the abysmal labour market out there. Disgusting how WINZ hounds beneficiaries into attending “seminars” on a regular weekly basis, these “seminars” are more akin to an irrational inquisition, with a “case manager” intent on finding a pathetic excuse to cut the beneficiary, no help on assisting in finding work is ever provided. The recent ACC debacle no doubt demonstrates a policy of awarding bonuses on a “cut head count” present in all social services, proof in the documents pending.
Beneficiaries on drugs a major problem? Consider:
In the past two years record drug busts throughout the country, largely concerning cannabis the poor man’s drug. No doubt this will limit the supply and hence inflate the price, increasingly out of reach for those on low incomes, who struggle with the rising cost of living.
The many in the work force already on drugs with regular consumption. I personally know of builders, plumbers, welders, supermarket staff, bakers, share-milkers and civil servants hooked on drugs. Interestingly you tend to find the blue collar workers largely into cannabis and are outgoing friendly folk, quite open about their drug use. Whereas your white collar drug-o is on who knows what, with a deeply closeted attitude and rampant denial. You know they’re on it due to them having little to show with their handsome salary, erratic and bizarre behaviour and the peculiar fondness of wearing an awful lot of sunglasses or tinted glasses on weekends. After all they have the money for the hard stuff that really screws you up.
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