Posts by George Darroch
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And Street has health. Did she do anything in foreign affairs? Serious question, as someone who follows foreign affairs I’m not sure what she actually did.
She’s up against Ryall, who has so far proved very competent at pushing a quiet agenda without resistance. She’ll also have to save ACC [with Andrew Little], against a whole Government pushing for folding the work account into private insurers. I really hope she’s capable.
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And the allocation of portfolios (pdf). A huge lift for Adern (as Russell notes) and a big step for Sio.
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This seems to get to the heart of why “Left” is a controversial word. If it’s defined by not having the power to effect change, then it would seem that the Labour Party can only be Left when they’re in opposition.
Actually, I thought it was fairly clear, and not much disputed: seeking to reform the structures of society such that those who are disadvantaged are given a position much closer to equality. The degree to which a party or government aims at that equality (sometimes to the cost of other values) defines how left they are. Red Guards - absolutely left. Alliance, circa 1991 - fairly left. Labour, circa 2008-2011 - somewhat so.
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So, everyone, I would regard it as a Really Fucking Big Christmas Favour if you could all just show good grace to each other.
Yeah, thanks Russell. Sincerely.
But you describing Damian as hiding “under the blankets” (like a big sook or something?) was just the last thing I needed to see after explaining I was feeling tired and stressed and asking everyone to show good grace. C’mon.
Quite. Don’t be a dick. Or extend good grace. Or something.
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The alternative theory is that Labour aren’t really all that Left
Labour's leftness seems to be one of those working assumptions. It's easy to find evidence that they are. Yet it's also easy to find evidence against, large gaps in which there is little to distinguish either way, and lethargy when it comes to implementing real or rhetorical stated goals. In the last decade I've been challenged quite vocally when trying to untangle this mess. Only in the last year have such criticisms been received without challenge by Labour insiders, and it is this realisation that many hope will guide their reformation from within. However, the Obama-like emptiness of the Labour leadership selection is the most recent iteration of a process that spans at least the last decade (and previous ones, but I'm happy to leave those to history for present purposes).
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Embargo, nek minnit...
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Having just read through all of the comments by Damian, Russell, and Giovanni, I can say that the only pointed comment directed personally was the one in which he brought in Damian's class interests. The rest were consistently on topic, wide-ranging, thought out and interesting.
I'll also rescind my above edit. Discussion about class has been policed here, because (consistent) rejoinders to swerves away from acknowledging its structural conditions have been characterised as aggressive and 'dickish', because they are consistently directed towards the person making the claims. Giovanni is a sharp writer, but not a malicious one.
I'm disappointed.
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Or indeed that unemployment, not knowing where the next dollar is going to come from, housing so bad it causes sickness, or food insecurity (not having enough food at least some of the time) did not affect New Zealand.
I’m out. Of this thread. Last one out please turn off the lights.
I’m in, rather belatedly. But I seem to think that what Giovanni has raised is indeed important; there is a huge ideological void in public discourse in New Zealand, and it is that way because decisions have been made that foreclose that discussion.* The area of things that are outside acceptable discourse is huge, but it includes meaningful discussion about differentiations in class and how the structure of society produces such outcomes, and how these affect race in New Zealand.
I’m always struck by the fact that when I step off a plane from Australia, into my hometown of Mangere, the person cleaning the toilet will be Samoan or Tongan. Our Mexicans. It’s so normal that it passes without comment almost the rest of the time, even when I live in South Auckland.
*edit: not, I must add, by the moderator of this discussion. I refer to the content of our television, newspapers, and radio, and those who are considered to be acceptable spokespeople for the issues and society.
**further edit: reading back through the thread, may comment further.
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At best I find the #whitewhine and #firstworldproblems tags arrogant – the rest if the world seen through a Discovery Channel or tourist experience filter, or at worst b̶o̶r̶d̶e̶r̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ racist
Quite. As though people in villages and cities around the world did not fall in love, experience bad service, or buy the wrong paint. It's not all starving and breeding in those other places.
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nek munnited surely?
;- /Pruhnunseeayshuyn.