Trump and Musk: One Big Beautiful Break-up
By Elliot Crossan January 2025. The richest man in the world walks into the White House as advisor to the newly-elected President of the United States. A right-wing demagogue with an axe to grind and a tech billionaire who so desperately wants people to like him. Together, with Musk’s vast
The Trump Shock
By Elliot Crossan The eyes of the world are on Donald Trump once again. The world’s most successful attention-seeker has us all transfixed. It’s a story that has been all too familiar since the real estate mogul-turned-demagogue launched his first presidential campaign nearly ten years ago. On Wednesday 2nd April
What Is to Be Done? Taking the Fight to the Coalition in 2025
System Change Aotearoa was invited by the New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies to contribute to the ‘What Is to Be Done?’ edition of the Commonweal journal. Elliot Crossan submitted the following article in January on behalf of our organisation. The full journal can be read here. “You have to act as
“I implore people to not get sucked into despair” — Nadia Abu-Shanab on Palestine and BDS
Elliot Crossan interviews Nadia Abu-Shanab Last week, Israel unilaterally ended its ceasefire deal with Hamas just two months after it was signed. 730 Palestinians have been killed and 1,367 injured in Gaza since. Nadia Abu-Shanab is a member of Justice for Palestine in Pōneke/Wellington. She is a campaign organiser of
On Political Economy and Billionaire Bolt-Holes in Aotearoa
By Neil Ballantyne, via Reimagining Social Work While politicians, pundits, and the media tell stories about politics, economics, and society as if they were distinct spheres of influence, the working people of Aotearoa are acutely aware they are not. We have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of political economy:
Cuts to Disability Services Are Part of a Class War
By Elliot Crossan March 18th is an infamous date within the disabled community. One year ago yesterday, Whaikaha — the Ministry of Disabled People — suddenly announced sweeping changes to flexible funding without consultation. Now-former Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds caused outrage when she tried to justify her actions
Is NZ as Stable as Luxon Claims?
By Elliot Crossan “New Zealand has been and will continue to be a poster child for social and political stability […] when you look at all the tension, volatility and strife in the world today, I think that makes us pretty special, and a very attractive destination for anyone looking
Where Is the Resistance to Privatisation and Austerity?
By Elliot Crossan Yesterday, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced a “major overhaul” of our healthcare system, which will involve “partnering with the private sector.” This comes in the same week that a survey was released showing that 86% of healthcare workers believe that the government’s cuts to Te Whatu Ora will make
Will Climate Change Create the Conditions for a “Great Leveling”?
By M. Peterson 2025 has already been a turbulent year, and looks set to continue that way. It began in January with the wildfires that engulfed Los Angeles county, killing at least 29 people and forcing more than 200,000 to evacuate. Up to 16,000 homes and businesses — many owned
