Thursday, January 27, 2005
Poles apart?
As the 'change the flag' brigade hit the pavements in search of the 300,000 signatures they need to force a referendum - My Right can't help but think that their efforts, whilst no doubt well intentioned, are slightly misdirected.
My Right is not making the assertion that all those in favour of changing the flag are necessarily republicans, but I am making the connection between some sort of identity crisis (or cultural cringe for the trendier reader) and changing the flag. Linking the identity crisis and the republic / constitution debate allows My Right to link changing the flag with the republic / constitution debate (don't try to understand the logic - just work with me).
Basically I believe the desire to change the flag is driven by a desire to assert and affirm our identity - the simplest way to do that - change the flag. But why not do things properly (and once) and have the debate about what New Zealand actually is?
A new written constitution, becoming a republic, installing The Treaty as our founding document, keeping the status quo - whatever. But lets have that debate, and then crown the outcome with a suitable flag at that point.
This debate seems like constitutional window dressing on a flag pole.
["crown the outcome" - that's awful - Ed]
My Right is not making the assertion that all those in favour of changing the flag are necessarily republicans, but I am making the connection between some sort of identity crisis (or cultural cringe for the trendier reader) and changing the flag. Linking the identity crisis and the republic / constitution debate allows My Right to link changing the flag with the republic / constitution debate (don't try to understand the logic - just work with me).
Basically I believe the desire to change the flag is driven by a desire to assert and affirm our identity - the simplest way to do that - change the flag. But why not do things properly (and once) and have the debate about what New Zealand actually is?
A new written constitution, becoming a republic, installing The Treaty as our founding document, keeping the status quo - whatever. But lets have that debate, and then crown the outcome with a suitable flag at that point.
This debate seems like constitutional window dressing on a flag pole.
["crown the outcome" - that's awful - Ed]
