Polity by Rob Salmond

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Polity: In defence of the centre

208 Responses

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  • Sacha, in reply to Deborah,

    That's a two way street, not helped by this sort of thing.

    Was that from before or after Labour rejected Green approaches to work closer during the last election campaign?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Sacha,

    It was from July this year. I saw it on a Green friend's FB page. I've googled the quote, and it comes from a July 2015 press release.

    Labour and National too afraid to do what’s needed to stop rising house prices

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Deborah,

    And what approaches has Labour made to the Greens since the election to improve the relationship, do you know?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    You win those people over by being relevant to them as they are, not by telling them they’re worldview needs a rethink. It is just basic psychology. Tell people they were right all along; they like you. Tell people they were wrong all along; they don’t.

    Yeah well what needs to be done now, globally, is taking us as a species past such pop considerations. If anything, its the human species that is becoming irrelevant

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    Relevant

    Also, interesting. Hopefully he continues.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • grant,

    I was idly browsing through my Oxford Dictionary Of Quotations last night and came across this little pearler from Oswald Mosley (English fascist leader in the 1930's):

    "I am not, and never have been, a man of the right. My position was on the left and is now in the centre of politics". (Letter to The Times 26 April 1968)

    Clearly even the exponents of the most extreme viewpoints like to be thought of as centrist.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2015 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to grant,

    Clearly even the exponents of the most extreme viewpoints like to be thought of as centrist.

    Calling Mr. Oswald with the swastika tattoo
    There is a vacancy waiting in the English voodoo...

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • grant,

    Calling Mr. Oswald with the swastika tattoo..

    Thanks Joe. Haven't heard that for years.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2015 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Sacha,

    Are you really saying you are happy with how Labour have conducted themselves since about 2007?

    Panic is never a good look and Clark was a hard act to follow. Trouble is, trying to get the leadership right distracted from the message. I can understand the panic, National's PR team are top notch, they even have you believing Labour are useless and whining about them not seeming to do what you want helps nobody except National.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Sacha,

    If Labour do not demonstrate for voters right now that they can work constructively with progressive allies, we will get another term of the incumbents. Labour’s caucus and party are kidding themselves if they imagine getting to 40% this time.

    A big part of Helen Clark's victory in 1999 was when she buried the hatchet with Jim Anderton, who had quit Labour a decade earlier in disgust.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    A big part of Helen Clark's victory in 1999 was when she buried the hatchet with Jim Anderton,

    ...and Andrew Little said on the Nation this week that it was too far away from the Election to talk about coalitions but Labour had worked with the Greens and NZFirst in the past and could do so again but Lisa Owen ignored him and just wanted to say whatever it is she interrupts with.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Seriatim,

    “The accusation is widely made that Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters have moved to the extreme left on economic policy. But this is not supported by the candidate’s statements or policies. His opposition to austerity is actually mainstream economics, even backed by the conservative IMF. He aims to boost growth and prosperity.”

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/22/jeremy-corbyn-economists-backing-anti-austerity-policies-corbynomics

    Wellington • Since Dec 2010 • 57 posts Report Reply

  • Seriatim, in reply to Russell Brown,

    If he's read Paul Mason's "Postcapitalism - a Guide to Our Future" and listened to Salim Ismael's recent interview he might have a few new ideas.
    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20150730-1006-tech_entrepeneur_salim_ismail_on_building_a_start_up-048.mp3

    Wellington • Since Dec 2010 • 57 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    A big part of Helen Clark's victory in 1999 was when she buried the hatchet with Jim Anderton, who had quit Labour a decade earlier in disgust.

    Anderton goes way back with Clark, and behind the scenes was likely never really estranged from her politically. The strong network ties he'd built over time with Labour figures such as Clark's academic mentor, the late Professor Bob Chapman, proved way more enduring than his commitment to his later Southern allies and Alliance followers, who found themselves summarily dumped on his return to his "roots". There were plenty who found voting for Anderton's Chch mayoralty campaign against the godawful Bob Parker akin to swallowing a dead rat.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    National's PR team are top notch, they even have you believing Labour are useless and whining about them

    yes Steve I'm that easily fooled. If only we could all have your smarts.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Roll up, roll up! Scoff a dancing turd or down a dead rat! If 'e can, Canterbury can't. ..

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Blunt disagreement with the Salmond proposition at Te Standard.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Roll up, roll up! Scoff a dancing turd or down a dead rat! If 'e can, Canterbury can't. ..

    Heh!
    BTW Anderton's dumped Alliance colleagues aren't without effective political skills. It was a group drawn from these disaffected that mounted the legal challenge that brought about Bob Parker's first significant setback as Mayor, with the humiliating defeat of his move to jack City Housing rentals up by 25%,

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    McCarten has gone quiet lately. But when he split it felt like Anderton had run out of kudos and was running on ego.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • chris, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Roll up, roll up!

    Quite coincidentally I've found myself adorned in a very similar waistcoat this evening.

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Shortly before the move to Sydenham Anderton appeared in a photo in the Herald with a newly installed industrial robot at his Auckland engineering works. The thing was being used to weld supermarket trolleys. Anderton admitted to a certain angst about its effect on jobs, while explaining that circumstances compelled businesses like his to automate. As a businessman he's probably been more successful than most of his free market opponents.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    McCarten has gone quiet lately. But when he split it felt like Anderton had run out of kudos and was running on ego.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    That’s a two way street, not helped by this sort of thing.

    Was that from before or after Labour rejected Green approaches to work closer during the last election campaign?

    To be fair, it was a bit more than "approaches to work closer", it was a bid to commit to an campaign coalition that had limited strategic appeal for Labour – a story Russel Norman gave to the press after Labour declined.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    One challenge for a lot of people on the left (ironically, those in the Anderton/Pagani sub-corpuscle, mostly) is to recognise that automation could be a benefit for workers if the resulting gains were appropriately directed. At least he must have been paying the workers enough that the machine was a cheaper option.

    Many jobs that can be automated aren’t, because a minimum wage worker is cheaper than a machine – why do we have stop-go people in NZ when portable traffic lights have existed for over thirty years?

    Graeber has things to say on this.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    a story Russel Norman gave to the press

    yes, that part was not impressive

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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