Saturday, January 29, 2005
A genuine plea
Could someone please tell me that this is a piss take before I waste half a day venting.
For real or not? Please say no....
This is from msn conversation with a colleague yesterday(a bit disjointed - but you should follow) - a few conversations later - we still couldn't decide of it was for real. My Right could do some research - but figures Jordan will know.
Frit says:
you busy??
JONAGO says:
what's up?
Frit says:
need you to read something and tell me what you think if you have five mins
JONAGO says:
sure, e-mail it through
Frit says:
http://publicaddress.net/default,1822.sm#post1822
Frit says:
read that and tell me if you think this country is completely fucked
JONAGO says:
oh lord
JONAGO says:
ok...
JONAGO says:
ok, i've got 3/4s of the way through, but is this a piss take? sure I'd like to have some of these laws but not because I'm a prick to others!
Frit says:
what's fucking next - fine smelly people
Frit says:
if you're ugly, $50
Frit says:
public swearing, $2 per word
Frit says:
god help you if you fart in the bus
Frit says:
Grade 1 fart, room clearer, $100
Frit says:
Grade 4 fart, not smelly but audible - a tenner
Frit says:
but if you kill your baby by suffocating it - state funded therapy
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Poles apart?
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]
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Fighting the malaise - Brash speaks
True to form - speak in clear sentences, pick a widely known topic, and tap into the sorts of things that people may be thinking - but have recently been afraid to express. Clearly this can work - seeing
But I think in all the dismissive and aggressive dissolution from the mainstream media (which My Right does not intend to link to) - I really believe they are missing the one thing that will resonate with the clichéd 'kiwi battler'. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
Labour underestimated the general unease about race relations - it didn't show up in their polling. Would you tell a stranger on the other end of the phone that sometimes Maori extremists (translated as Maori in general when polling) piss you off? No. Brash made having concerns OK.
So I think it may be with Orewa II - and not because we want to bash beneficiaries. Because we are sick of socio-policy-paths (the 'never been in the real world new age do gooders') who are out to save the world. My Right is not advocating natural selection - but the pendulum may well have swung too far.
Further, at least with Don you know what he is saying (as opposed to Social Steve). Many pundits have pointed out that George W (for all of his considerable failings) came across as a straight up simpleton - "you may not agree with me - but you know my intentions".
Overall My Right didn't mind the speech - but has always seen welfare as the simple white elephant of deeper societal issues. But, if mainstream NZ view this speech as an expose of a dangerous drift away from the good old kiwi ethos, then it may be a bit more dexterous than has been acknowledged thus far.
OK - I'm back
Maybe it took Orewa, or more particularly the way Orewa is been reported, to kick start My Right for the New Year. Mr Farrar and NZ Pundit have already pointed out some the outrageous headlines - so I won't bother. But I will have a look at some of the opinion pieces and throw some thoughts up later.
Parliament back on deck soon, media attacking Brash, Maharey speaking the kind of tosh that would have even the most seasonecd bureaucrat in hysterics.
Yes it's good to be back! Enjoy the drinks tonight Wellington folks - us Aucklanders will just have to be content BBQ'ing and watching the Government 'sponsor' a game of
