tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post4386354352756462783..comments2024-03-29T17:12:19.648+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Can Labour Serve Two Masters?Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-20615159988564545922020-12-12T00:19:22.976+13:002020-12-12T00:19:22.976+13:00Pretty damn eternal conundrum for democratic '...Pretty damn eternal conundrum for democratic 'socialists'.<br /><br />The last 270 years have been fun if you overlook ... From my pozzie, fun.sumsuchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133092096534660472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-4456884962643839732020-12-09T16:30:30.128+13:002020-12-09T16:30:30.128+13:00Kia ora Chris
Just two months back you were urging...Kia ora Chris<br />Just two months back you were urging all and sundry to vote for Labour as the best possible option under the colonialist system of government. <br />Perhaps Jacinda Five Eyes was a better choice than Judith the Crusher. It is not my place to second guess the wisdom of those who choose to participate in colonialist politics. <br />But when you go on to suggest that it is conceivable for the Labour government to govern in the interests of all New Zealanders, to restrain the excesses of colonial capitalism or to pursue an independent foreign policy, then you are dreaming. <br />And at the same time you are misleading your readers. <br />For all the good you can do now, you may as well leave your keyboard unplugged for the next three years.<br />The Labour Party exists to serve colonialism. It answers to no other master and has no other fundamental imperative. The party of Savage and Fraser, who both declaimed "Where Britain goes we go, where she stands we stand..", the party whose members solemnly swear to bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth will do everything in its power to retain its subservient connection to the Five Eyes imperial alliance. Whether that involves lulling us (which Jacinda can do with great finesse), placating us or threatening us will depend solely on the circumstances of the time. Of course that flexibility is a good thing, because it leaves open the possibility of peaceful coexistence, if not consensus.<br />However you should not presume that all the things that are unimportant to you are unimportant to the rest of us.<br />You ask "Can the Maori Caucus be turned aside from embracing the sort of constitutional radicalism that the Maori Party has already gone all the way with? ... Will Nanaia Mahuta’s Cabinet colleagues counsel her against removing the right of electors to force local authorities to submit their proposals for Maori wards to a referendum? Is Chris Hipkins strong enough to resist the introduction of a compulsory New Zealand history curriculum in which greedy Pakeha settlers are invariably cast as the “baddies”, while noble indigenous Maori are consistently presented as the “goodies”? Will agreement at Ihumatao open-up all previous Treaty settlements for re-negotiation – even as it allows privately-owned land into the anti-colonial Poker game?"<br />Well, well, well. This lets the cat out of the bag. <br />So Maori are the problem. Not capitalism, imperialism or colonialism.<br />In response:<br />There has been no "constitutional radicalism" from the Maori Party as you allege. However unwillingly the Maori Party have entered into and embraced the colonialist system.<br />If there can be geographical wards for local government, why should there not be Maori wards? Would you want a referendum of all Wellington ratepayers to decide whether Porirua should have a representative on Council? Why are you so opposed to fundamental democratic rights for Maori?<br />The colonialist state has consistently refused to teach New Zealand history in New Zealand schools for obvious reasons. Now it thinks that it might. If it does, the curriculum will be defined at a national level. That is the way the system works, and in that case it is for the state to determine that the curriculum is truthful, objective and fair. So where is the problem?<br />To cap it off, you worry about the possibility of "agreement at Ihumaatao". Would you rather have war? <br />If you do choose to go to war over Ihumaatao, you will be destroyed, and the whole colonialist system with you. So in your own interests, it would be better to back off now.<br />Geoff Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00509885628971898371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-87875178033664742432020-12-09T08:36:44.691+13:002020-12-09T08:36:44.691+13:00Is not constructive evolution much better, frien...Is not constructive evolution much better, friendly and humane than potentially very destructive revolution ?<br />Cheers - Jens.Jens Mederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05669231615285213453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-1494848129700406842020-12-08T21:43:15.653+13:002020-12-08T21:43:15.653+13:00"Every policy pursued by a government should ..."Every policy pursued by a government should improve the human welfare of all people in a society......."PM Jacinda Ardern<br /><br />Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.......<br />A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.......<br /><br />Keep the faith young man, Jacinda has it covered. Katnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-28814198767588034402020-12-08T15:50:42.448+13:002020-12-08T15:50:42.448+13:00Pragmaticism ~ Idealism. They are both needed. ...Pragmaticism ~ Idealism. They are both needed. It is a balanced outlook that is required now. It is pragmatic to show intelligent idealism. To keep balance on machine-mind thinking, one must bring idealism about the human condition into the picture.<br /><br />Humans in NZ have been treated with balance of the two approaches above, and there is no reason that the same balance and rationality should be regarded as used up as a behaviour pattern over the next three years. Labour didn't make big promises, having learned discretion after the debacle of Kiwibuild etc. But we have given them leeway I think for wider moves. We know there are illiberal smartarses abounding in our society. How to get around their limiting, stultified psychology? Try reading some of Chinese General Sun Tzu (about 500 BC) from his Art of War:<br /> <br />“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity” ... <br />“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” (To understand the mind)<br />“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” (ie Your voters Labour!)<br />“To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.” <br />“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”<br /><br />Also read some of the stories of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) of the UK. They needed courage, wiliness and chutzpah to stay alive and keep<br />serving the cause. They had short meetings making plans which then were actioned, they put themselves on the line. Just think what is the worst than can happen to Labour, and the answer will be that some things might fail. If you can publicise all the successes, and know why you failed and apologise, run some honesty meetings with the public who want better government and throw out the hecklers so you get to explain the matter, everyone will appreciate that. We like your Covid efforts though there have been holes, which could have been better explained. But the public will support honest effort especially if you mention the problems arising, and the trade agreement limitations, and why government had to sign up to these things.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-15026835848541527842020-12-08T12:48:14.263+13:002020-12-08T12:48:14.263+13:00Thank God I won't be around when your question...Thank God I won't be around when your questions will have to be answered. The greedy white majority or the noble brown minority?petes new writehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00256560029674496199noreply@blogger.com