The Privatization of Christchurch using disaster capitalism
The Shock Doctrine
The strategy by the world's economic elites of imposing an extremely neoliberal economic regime on communities they control, using some form of shock: a natural disaster, a coup d'etat, a war, a financial crisis, etc. Once the community has been crippled by this first shock, the economic "reforms" are imposed suddenly, creating a secondary blow. Then, as the community begins to recover and fight back, the authorities use torture and police brutality to (literally) shock the community a third time.
What we are seeing in Christchurch is disaster capitalism at it's most casual. The momentum that King Gerry Brownlee and the National Government are trying to quietly sneak through is the privatization of Christchurch's assets while the city is stunned and can't fight back.
The Christchurch rebuild will see wealthy areas looked after first while thousands of Christchurch residents live in freezing cold broken homes and services. This rebuild does nothing to address their needs and simply reiterates that this Government is focused on the interests of the wealthy first and foremost.
National will step in with corporate welfare, but when it comes to citizens, they must go to the market and find their welfare for themselves.
Tax cuts for the rich, asset shares for the rich, rebuilding for the rich.
Key is the 1% and this Key ain't for turning.
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posted by Bomber @ 12:25 pm
2 comments
2 Comments:
What about peoples propety rights?
The Chch CBD plan is less of a blueprint and more of a brownstain…a Gerry Brownstain. The people’s idea of a green city has been high-jacked to squeeze the CBD, up real estate prices and exclude small businesses. Multiple small parks could be created which would provide a more vibrant city with courtyards, lanes and sheltered areas…instead the long green belt will be mundane, open and exposed. This requires demolishing many existing buildings and will ruin businesses that are too small to relocate.
A convention centre should not be in the plan, or any plan (what’s this Government’s obsession with convention centres?). Conventions create temporary, part-time, minimum wage work which increases poverty, insecurity and inequality. Conventions are part of our problem, not our solution. The covered stadium is also a waste of time and money. If you want to partake in NZ’s most boring pastime, then buy a scarf & hat and go watch rugby at Addington. Rugby died years ago. This stadium will rarely be used and increase ticket prices. The stadium failed Dunedin, it won't benefit Chch.
There should have been a 100 day plan for housing 18 months ago. Govt intervention should first be for our needs, not our ‘nice to haves’. The token addition of housing is limited and pathetic. It’s not a liveable CBD plan. This is a corporate plan designed by lawyers and accountants, not for the people, and not by the people. It’s socialism for the elite, and capitalism for those with needs. Gerry just took a giant dump on Chch and our sewerage system is yet to be fixed…I bet his champagne tasted good.
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