Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
the average voter is rather selfish and pretty gullible
that line is a regular feature at The Standard and is frankly beneath you, sir.
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Differing desires between party and supporters is a presumption in Paul Buchanan's marxist analysis of the Greens' positioning.
The Green march to the centre leaves those who believe in the essence of class conflict in capitalism (and its cousin, class compromise) devoid of electoral alternatives. Specifically, there is no longer a competitive Left option that challenges the fundamental logics of the contemporary New Zealand socio-economic system. Instead, there are only accommodationists of various centrist stripes, the Greens now being one of them. They may challenge along the margins of the dominant project, but they do not question the fundamentals. Despite the presence of Leftists and anti-imperialist/corporate rhetoric in the Mana Party, it appears to be more personality-driven and ideologically incoherent than a proper class-based party. That means that there is no genuine, politically viable alternative to the Left-centrist logic.
In effect, what is good for the Green Party leadership and organization is not good for those at the grassroots who want a legitimate Left parliamentary alternative that is electorally viable and committed to questioning the status quo. In order for the Greens to have remained as such they would have had to eschew the temptation of centrism and accept their role as a minor party on the ideological margins that speaks truth to power rather than be a contender for power as given. That would have meant keeping to a more “militant,” or “activist” line that did not deviate from the foundational principles of the Party.
I'd say he's overstating how many grassroots supporters believe in the same things as he does. Or Sue Bradford would be a Greens leader rather than complaining from outside about the party "dobbing in" billboard activists.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
A member of a party is on a track, however small, to one day be in a position of power.
I doubt most local volunteers quietly expect to be cabinet ministers one day.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
it was very clever
the results would suggest otherwise, surely.
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Muse: Linky Love, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
She turns into a vampire
if I gave a crap, that would count as a spoiler, no?
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
OK. I wonder if anyone has analysed who those two groups are now. I suspect it has evolved rather a lot in the last decade.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Steve Barnes,
If they ever support National on supply and confidence they will upset a great deal of their grass roots support
As noted many times here, it's those grassroots members who get to sign off on the Greens' arrangements with other parties, not some elite cabal as in many of the other parties.
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Gordon Campbell says handwringing hacktivist Jolyon White has his ego to blame.
By hubristically going onto RNZ to brag about his actions, White had made it inevitable that his identity – and affiliations – would eventually become publically known. With less than a fortnight to polling day Norman had no option but to try and pre-empt any revelations that might carry over into the final week.
As an aside, Campbell also notes that White is employed by the Anglican Bishop overseeing the part demolition of Christchurch Cathedral.
Further down, Campbell has more about minimum wage evidence. I do wish someoine would tell him it's better to post three separate articles than one unrelated long piece that's harder to link to. I guess print sensibilities die hard in some older journos.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Rob Stowell,
But we cannot, of course, be held responsible for the actions of anyone and everyone who joins the party.
That's not how politics works.
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Legal Beagle: Infrequently asked questions, in reply to BenWilson,
Unless the system were also changed to give voters power to re-rank lists.