Anzac Day

15 comments on “Anzac Day ”

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1. Wayne 1

   26 April 2017 at 3:52 pm

   Since the soldiers represented the totality of New Zealand, drawn from all socio-economic classes, I reckon the results of the elections of the 1950’s through to say the 1980’s pretty accurately represented what they (the soldiers) wanted.

   A very large number of them were “Robs mob,” and of course Rob was one of them, having served in Italy with Jack Marshall. In fact they were the only two WW2 soldiers who became Prime Minister, which in retrospect is quite surprising, given how many served.

   It is quite different to the US which has had 7 Presidents who served in WW2, starting with Eisenhower, ending with George Bush. Dole was the last WW2 candidate to stand (against Clinton in 1996).

   In New Zealand it was the children of the WW2 vets who were the dominant force (and perhaps still are) in voting in the governments of 1984 onward.
   • adam 1.1

     26 April 2017 at 4:44 pm

     Are you suggesting that the voting in 43, 46 and 49 had no soldiers vote?

     Also most historian agree that when national agreed to not mess with the social welfare and other reforms of the first labour government, they won the election.

     Do agree it was surprising so few vets became PM.
   • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2

     26 April 2017 at 5:24 pm

     I’d be a lot more confident in our ability to remember them if you and the serving troops who contributed to Hit and Run had been listened to instead of shoved under the mat.
   • mickysavage 1.3

     26 April 2017 at 5:31 pm

     I don’t recall Rob’s mob accepting that there should be widespread child poverty basically because post 1950s there was not really any.

     And everyone disagreed with neo liberalism being introduced in the 1980s and 1990s as Jim Bolger recently acknowledged.
     • KJT 1.3.1

       26 April 2017 at 5:58 pm

       Whatever Rob’s faults, and I voted Labour at that time, he, at least wanted the best for New Zealand.
       Instead of cynically selling us out to the highest bidder.

       Don’t forget how Labour lost to National, despite more votes, due to gerrymandering of rural and urban seats.

       It is a pity we do not get to vote for policy, not politicians.
       • WILD KATIPO 1.3.1.1

         26 April 2017 at 8:26 pm

         Great post. I’ve often wondered the same when many of those ANZAC ceremony’s are held ,… and then I look at all those things mentioned and think of young men having their guts blown out in World War One , Two , Korea etc …

         And the returned servicemen who campaigned for the egalitarian NZ many of us grew up in , … only to see post 1984 how much of that was all reversed.

         To me it has been a mockery of the sacrifices those people made.

         In fact , … its an insult.

         And it makes me feel quite ashamed just how easily it was all just shoved aside .
       • WILD KATIPO 1.3.1.2

         26 April 2017 at 8:29 pm

         Muldoon was in agreement with the generally accepted Keynesian economic system / welfare state , he was the last in that line to be PM before neo liberalism was introduced. In some ways now he would be more in line with left Labour and the Greens – in spirit ,- at least.
     • KJT 1.3.2

       26 April 2017 at 6:01 pm

       Wasn’t it Douglas who later said, “we had to introduce reforms quickly before everyone realised” they had been Rogered.
   • KJT 1.4

     26 April 2017 at 5:53 pm

     Not like we had any choice e in the direction both parties were taking. Eh Wayne?

     I am surprised you do not have the grace to be ashamed of yourselves?
2. Keith 2

   26 April 2017 at 4:25 pm

   I will never assume what those who went to war thought, many were conscripted so their presence was because they had to be there.

   But sure as anything I am utterly over the bullshit Anzac spirit label quoted by the likes of that rich boy twit Turnbill and other dickhead politicians in respect of NZ and Aussie.

   By my observations any closeness ceased to exist when that politicians politician John Howard decided to walk away from our common immigration agreement and block New Zealanders from rights Australians have here.

   Now they export Australian generated criminals back to NZ if there is a hint they were born here and in general arrogantly treat us like shit, just like the US treats Mexico.

   The Anzacs were a group of men whose lives were not valued by the toffs and boot licking politicians of the day who sent them more than likely to their early deaths with total disregard to prop up a way of life for the elite that by then was on borrowed time anyway.

   I am over the hypocrisy!
3. greywarshark 3

   26 April 2017 at 7:08 pm

   What got me was Winston Peters putting peace promoters and anti-war campaigners in the wrong. Presenting them as insensitive. He said something like they were blaming the soldiers for going to war at a time when their relatives had gathered to remember them. Cruddy little sucker-up he is. Sometimes I can quite like him but underneath his principles are…..Well if you don’t like those, I have others.
4. esoteric pineapples 4

   27 April 2017 at 8:58 am

   I tend to think to think of ANZAC Day as a celebration of white nationalism these days
   • Instauration 4.1

     27 April 2017 at 7:50 pm

     Yes, and a bit of Darwin Awards when Gallipoli is considered.
     They were volunteers, conscription was subsequent.
     The choices we make; outcomes, and the benefit to the greater good ..
     Thank you, won’t forget.
5. philj 5

   27 April 2017 at 10:30 am

   Thank you for the links KJT. They are informative and worth reading.
6. Smilin 6

   30 April 2017 at 11:05 pm

   Yes you left nothing out a good call mate
   Whats it going to take to get our nation back to working for nz or is it gone down the neo liberal gurgler forever
   On the road to what we all know and should fear
   A country as congested as britain but with a lot less available land and the rest stripped by the multinationals or whoever we owe the most to

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