Posts by Paul Williams
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Funny, that.
Sacha, what I meant was that a discussion about the claim for or against the "h" doesn't have to become a discussion about colonial history. I thought, possibly wrongly, that conseismal was going to argue the argument for the "h" was somehow discredited because Maori weren't really first peoples... I'd hoped to head that off...
I did review this thread but might have missed it, could someone tell me why the non Maori position is defined solely by a survey of Whanganui residents?
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Why does Gio apparently wish us to believe that Maori ever had something called 'sovereign rights'?
Not to be overly legalistic about it, but the 1835 Declaration of Independence is a good place to start, no?
Perhaps you've got another take on it? Maybe the professional historians and jurists too. But I'm of the view that progressive polynesian/Maori populations arrived, settled and worked this land sufficient to justify any reasonable application of the term "soveriegn". Moreover, to argue otherwise is not helpful in this discussion.
Now having played Giovanni's corner, I'm going to aggravate him by saying I thought the email that started this thread very mild. My dealings with Laws, years old, confirm he's the worst kind of reactionary thug and baiting him is fair and reasonable.
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What purpose would another university-based punishment serve, in this instance?
Agreed. The university should not attempt to extend whatever authorised powers it might have over students qua students to cover their activities as citizens, unruly or otherwise.
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During the campaign Obama himself traced it back to kindergarten, when he was encouraged to share his toys with the other children.
Maestro, I seek permission to use this epithet regularly and with attribution.
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I have a deep, deep love for this piece on the rally: White America's Inconvenience Tantrum, Part IV: The 9/12 Project—Building a Bridge to Nowhere with Fractions of Sense. It is long, analytical, righteously peeved, and hilarious. With photos.
That's a brilliant piece, entirely worthy of reading in full... thanks Danielle.
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Actually, the whole "First Four Ships" is old-boy propaganda, based on the Wakefield settlement: there were many other Brit imports around
long before they arrived.Ships, I meant ships.
Sorry. I lived in Christchurch for a year, can't recall how many times I was asked about my connections or which school I went too... De La Salle, Mangere... didn't seem to open doors....
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Almost three-quarters of students who left decile 9 and 10 secondary schools in 2004 transitioned into tertiary education, compared with 52 percent of school leavers who left decile 1 and 2 secondary schools.
Yup, still a strong socioeconomic effect.
B'sides, isn't everyone who goes to Otago a JAFA? And isn't everyone who goes to Canterbury from the first four fleets?
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__but referring to these students as white, rich and privileged__
Er, because that's what a large majority of them are ?
[and]
I went back to university a few years ago and the harsh reality is that most are from good, solid, middle-class backgrounds and either went to private schools or upper-decile state schools.
Unless something's changed in the last seven years, it's still generally true that access to university is strongly correlated to socioeconomic status/background. Lower socioeconomic status individuals, particularly kids, don't go on to university since they don't complete school. When they do engage in post-compulsory education and training, they generally enrol at a polytechnic (doing sub-degree qualifications) or in industry training. This is true in Australia and most OECD countries also.
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I'm perennially late to the debate... but I agree Russell's original points and want to like to echo the comments above that:
I think you’re being too generous, there are still protesters, and most protesters I know have to have self-discipline and a commitment to the larger issues.
My experience with OUSA organised events is that they're extremely well organised and disciplined (UCSA too but this wasn't them right?), protests particularly so.
Earlier this year the Courts found in favour of students who were mistreated by the Police in 1997 (at Parliament and because of a stupid decision by the Speaker, Doug Kidd) at an NZUSA/VUWSA event. From memory, in1994/5 there were no arrests at WSU protests, NZUSA or constituent association events either (I could be wrong on this last part).
The behaviour of this bunch taints all students and pisses me right off as it plays into the hands of those that think universities are one large tax-payer funded piss-up.
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Well Graeme, you've got your wish, the Nat's support the Bill and so here we go again... I can't help but think this is a really boring repeat of Steel's cameo... this issue attracts truly lacklustre parliamentary advocates.