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Showing posts from April, 2020

COVID-19: NZ vs SWE

By Peppertree If the fight against the virus was a football game, we would find ourselves in the typical first 15 to 20 minutes. There are two typical strategies for that phase. One is to throw everything forward to score an early goal in order to demoralise the opposition and provide a buffer to take a breather. The other is to not do anything spectacular, but to focus on a solid defence, check out the opposition’s weaknesses and to build up the game. NZ has chosen the first strategy and it seems that the early goal has been scored. New infection numbers have dropped to mostly single digits and the number of fatalities is very low, although still increasing. But now the big question is what to do next. Just like the full-on attack mode in football can’t be kept up beyond 20 minutes, the level of lockdown we have can’t be sustained much longer. The government knows that and that is why Jacinda Ardern is at pains to explain what level 3 will look like. It is becoming clear that there ar

COVID-19: NZ vs SWE

By Peppertree If the fight against the virus was a football game, we would find ourselves in the typical first 15 to 20 minutes. There are two typical strategies for that phase. One is to throw everything forward to score an early goal in order to demoralise the opposition and provide a buffer to take a breather. The other is to not do anything spectacular, but to focus on a solid defence, check out the opposition’s weaknesses and to build up the game. NZ has chosen the first strategy and it seems that the early goal has been scored. New infection numbers have dropped to mostly single digits and the number of fatalities is very low, although still increasing. But now the big question is what to do next. Just like the full-on attack mode in football can’t be kept up beyond 20 minutes, the level of lockdown we have can’t be sustained much longer. The government knows that and that is why Jacinda Ardern is at pains to explain what level 3 will look like. It is becoming clear that there ar

Small revolutions

"I stopped by Commonsense Organics on the way home and a woman in the queue - desperate for a conversation with someone other than her husband - started chatting from 2 metres away. At one point she leaned in and said 'You know, I'm not even wearing a bra. Because no one cares anymore.' Small revolutions happening every day."

Small revolutions

"I stopped by Commonsense Organics on the way home and a woman in the queue - desperate for a conversation with someone other than her husband - started chatting from 2 metres away. At one point she leaned in and said 'You know, I'm not even wearing a bra. Because no one cares anymore.' Small revolutions happening every day."

COVID19 - We’re not all in this together

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By Peppertree There is plenty of writing out there that stresses how the COVID19 pandemic is different from other disasters because “it affects everyone”. Even on the left, people are writing about how the compliance with lockdown is an example of what we can achieve if we all pull together and put human life before profit. They then build a picture of how this crisis can lead to a revolution of sorts that results in a different economic system that doesn’t leave people in poverty and the planet in ruins. That is a nice thought but unfortunately it’s based on a lie, just like any other time when the privileged claim that “we’re all in this together”. Because we’re not. For some, mainly middle class white people like myself, the virus threat and the lockdown has been an inconvenience. I still have my job, I have a home that I can work from, I have access to communications technology that allows me to stay in touch with friends and family. I am reasonably healthy and am not reliant on he

COVID19 - We’re not all in this together

Image
By Peppertree There is plenty of writing out there that stresses how the COVID19 pandemic is different from other disasters because “it affects everyone”. Even on the left, people are writing about how the compliance with lockdown is an example of what we can achieve if we all pull together and put human life before profit. They then build a picture of how this crisis can lead to a revolution of sorts that results in a different economic system that doesn’t leave people in poverty and the planet in ruins. That is a nice thought but unfortunately it’s based on a lie, just like any other time when the privileged claim that “we’re all in this together”. Because we’re not. For some, mainly middle class white people like myself, the virus threat and the lockdown has been an inconvenience. I still have my job, I have a home that I can work from, I have access to communications technology that allows me to stay in touch with friends and family. I am reasonably healthy and am not reliant on he

The future?

We usually leave the crystal ball gazing to our resident astrologer, but extraordinary times call for extaordinary measures. Here is prediction of what will happen by another member of the collective who says "I'm cautious about making predictions while everything is in a state of flux, but this is almost certainly what is going to happen". If you have a better prediction, send it to us at freedomshopaotearoa@gmail.com . Probable timeline May 2020 – Lockdown extended. Ardern condemns panic buying and praises mutual aid groups for keeping communities functioning. June 2020 – Ardern condemns mutual aid groups and issues plea for people to panic buy in order to keep businesses afloat. August 2020 – Economy collapses. September 2020 – Wave of collectivisations sweeps country as businesses fail. January 2021 – Financial Times newspaper changes name to 'Mutual Aid Times'. August 2021 – NZ military called out, but return to barracks saying people were being mean to them.

The future?

We usually leave the crystal ball gazing to our resident astrologer, but extraordinary times call for extaordinary measures. Here is prediction of what will happen by another member of the collective who says "I'm cautious about making predictions while everything is in a state of flux, but this is almost certainly what is going to happen". If you have a better prediction, send it to us at freedomshopaotearoa@gmail.com . Probable timeline May 2020 – Lockdown extended. Ardern condemns panic buying and praises mutual aid groups for keeping communities functioning. June 2020 – Ardern condemns mutual aid groups and issues plea for people to panic buy in order to keep businesses afloat. August 2020 – Economy collapses. September 2020 – Wave of collectivisations sweeps country as businesses fail. January 2021 – Financial Times newspaper changes name to 'Mutual Aid Times'. August 2021 – NZ military called out, but return to barracks saying people were being mean to them.

Reading for the COVID-19nz Lockdown

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Why Reject the Treaty When the lockdown is lifted, do you want the focus to be on building roads or would it be better to start building homes? Build a quality healthcare system? Abolish prisons? Kick capitalism into the gutter? The Shop is shut but here are some zines to help you plot and plan your way through the lockdown and envisage the communities that can come after the lockdown. The Myth of Passivity by Toby Boraman Prison Abolition Annette Sykes 2010 Bruce Memorial Lecture Anarchy by Sam Buchanan Are We All NZers Now by Ani Mikaere

Reading for the COVID-19nz Lockdown

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Why Reject the Treaty When the lockdown is lifted, do you want the focus to be on building roads or would it be better to start building homes? Build a quality healthcare system? Abolish prisons? Kick capitalism into the gutter? The Shop is shut but here are some zines to help you plot and plan your way through the lockdown and envisage the communities that can come after the lockdown. The Myth of Passivity by Toby Boraman Prison Abolition Annette Sykes 2010 Bruce Memorial Lecture Anarchy by Sam Buchanan Are We All NZers Now by Ani Mikaere