Comments on: Nat Green split

By: Coco

Coco — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:50:57 +0000

My my,

From an utter pig- to a â€˜gameplayer’…..?

“Instantly cute’

But can one play a game, if one doesn’t know the rules?

Not with chess they can’t!

By: Stupid stupid stupid at The Standard

Stupid stupid stupid at The Standard — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:51:18 +0000

[...] and Conservation Strategy and stop work on vehicle fuel efficiency standards” (hence the split with the Greens as first reported by Pundit). These are bizarre decisions. At a time when energy [...]

By: Reenita

Reenita — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:57:43 +0000

Nat Green split at The Standard http://bit.ly/2DPk0O

By: George D

George D — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:40:56 +0000

toad, the Greens don’t do well at elections for a number of reasons.

By: L

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:40:30 +0000

While the Greens might say they are beyond left and right the reality is that while their position might be their policy’s more often that not agree with a centre left position than a right wing one. A strong left requires a spectrum of views. Outlyers like the Alliance, esposing an Ideologically purer but there more unpopular view, parties like the Greens – inside parliament but providing fresh, new ideas and pulling a party like Labour to the left. Labour under MMP is not there as an ideological party but a pragmatic party. A party to walk the line between popular support and ideological purity and hopefully for the left falling enough on the populist side to retain power while not doing to much damage with it’s popularist policys.

By: toad

toad — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:31:52 +0000

I think the very next post by rocky highlights one of the differences – between Labour and the Greens.

The Greens have the internal democratic processes necessary to ensure its policy reflects the wishes of its membership and its caucus stays true to its principles.

Labour does not, and from time to time can act in a populist and unprincipled manner, as it did with its neoliberal economic agenda in the late 1980s and with the Foreshore and Seabed Act earlier this decade.

But I suppose populism and lack of principle are, um, popular – which helps explain why Labour has 43 MPs but the Greens only 9.

By: mickysavage

mickysavage — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:23:30 +0000

The last Labour Government did not alienate its support base. Part of the base got sucked in by the promise of “Labour lite” and “more of the same AND a tax cut”. They will return as time goes by.

The fourth Labour Government did pi*& its support base off and was threatened by oblivion. It did survive though.

Maori will return. That part of the electorate is very sophisticated and can see what is happening.

By: exbrethren

exbrethren — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:43:19 +0000

Think you might be a bit out on the music thing there. Thatcher came to power in 79, the corporate blandness of the mid to late 80s music was when the right wingers were at their apex. Unless you think early Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley are great music…..

By: felix

felix — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:50:30 +0000

You mean like ACT?

What do you mean?

You despise Labour and the Greens so why shouldn’t people just assume you’re trying to stir shit?

By: Music2Extreme

Music2Extreme — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:55 +0000

Nat Green split at The StandardGoogle Alerts – 80's music http://tinyurl.com/yat37u4

By: John Lostflame

John Lostflame — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:27:20 +0000

Nat Green split at The Standard http://bit.ly/2NN5Vt

By: Mac1

Mac1 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:57:22 +0000

Herodotus, there’s a reason why right wing governments inspire the librettists of the left.
Who was it said that the right win the wars but the left have the songs?
And again, I quote Scottish singer/songwriter Dick Gaughan who vowed never to leave Thatcherite Britain to tour whilst Maggie and her ilk was in power. Find and listen to his acclaimed album, “Handful of Earth,” of 1981.

Of this album Gaughan wrote,” A bit of background to the making of this album. Just before my breakdown, May 79, the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher had won the General Election with a majority in England but a minority in Scotland and Wales and we were saddled with the most extreme Rightwing Government of my lifetime. We had just had the Devolution Referendum debacle and people in Scotland, particularly on the Left, were reeling under the economic consequences of the Thatcher strategy for solving inflation by crashing the economy and creating mass unemployment.
What seemed to be required was to openly stand up and be counted. Although all my solo albums prior to this had included songs which reflected my political ideas, they had been more as chronicler than as protagonist. It was quite clearly time to stop reporting and start participating.”

By: Swampy

Swampy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:35:05 +0000

Would you rather
(a) support a Labour government that got elected, or
(b) support some other party that didn’t get into government and therefore any promise they make has no show.

By: Ari

Ari — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:41:38 +0000

I like the politics of the Alliance, but only in an academic sense, because they are never going to actually achieve anything. This would be a very good time to join Labour, advance those policies and be part of the renewal. In two years or less, we are going to have the chance to remove this dull, witless government. Don’t stand on the sidelines, leftrightout. Do something positive, make a difference. Join the fightback.

Indeed. If you’re too left for Labour, but don’t want in on the Greens, I strongly encourage you to work on Labour from within in order to get a better political consensus on the left. Sadly the Alliance is done for now, and the Progressives, as useful as some of their economics are, are stuck in a rut. Right now your pragmatic choices on the left are the Greens or Labour.

By: Ari

Ari — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:37:46 +0000

Well said, as always.