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notices and features - Date published:
6:00 pm, September 3rd, 2015 - 43 comments
Categories: Daily review -
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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I read the article by Chris Trotter about his take on the flag question where he advocates the tino rangatiratanga flag and gives his reasons for that view.
What interested me was the appalling racist and anti-Maori sentiments expressed by readers in the comments among the over 500 on view so far.
I will let you read them yourself if you are interested. It is one thing to disagree with Trotter’s choice, but quite another to display one’s blatant racism.
I only looked at the first page earlier and copied a few comments I found interesting. ( One of these comments is mine). I have not included the racist type of comments:
————-
* We should adopt the skull n crossbones
* I read this article thinking “here we go” but is actually a well written piece with some really good points. While I’m not convinced that this particular flag would be a good choice due to its links to protest, and possible disconnect to non-Maori NZers, this article did make me realise there is a lack of Maori imagery among the four options which is really disappointing. Although non-Maori myself, I still feel that as a NZer the Maori culture is part of my identity and would like it to be included in the flag that is to represent me (if we HAVE to change it).
* I was born under the current flag, and despite what anyone else says I’ll die under it too. This debate should never had taken place when there are more pressing priorities for the government to look into, especially given how much has been wasted thus far getting to this point
* More respect to Maori must be shown.
* the four new flags – they are terrible
* This whole uncalled-for flag change issue has been forced on the country and has been blatantly manipulated by Key and his government. An unnecessary divisive, distracting and expensive stunt. It is most certainly not the right time to change the flag. The time for that will be sometime in the future when there is a consistent (at least 60%) demand for change if indicated by various media polls. Besides, it is unjust, unfair and stupid not to include any Maori part of our nation’s history in any flag we choose. The cabinet has really given us only two options: (1) Fern or (2) a poor koru image. I will vote and rank 0,0,0,0 in the first referendum and will vote to retain the present flag in the second referendum.
* OK…lets all mass vote for the black and white Koru.
* Yeah, nah! Leave our current flag alone you clowns!
* keep the existing flag or give us laser kiwi !
* Ah, the irony. Recently we had an article about racism on the sports field in respect to the racial taunts and abuse meted out to Fijian Rugby player Sake Aca. Yet, reading the comments below, it would seem that people really can’t put two and two together. Such disrespect and disregard for the indigenous people of this country never ceases to amaze me; we can’t have a civil conversation about a flag that it representative of the tangata whenua of this country without people resorting to Maori being called separatists, cannibals (ianpee), dismissive of Maori as t as tangata whenua (DAUDI), or who simply take offence to being called ‘pakeha’ (even though it simply translates as ‘non-Maori). Take a good look at yourselves, because the majority of you making these comments do not reflect the type of people that we want in this country. You are not the type of people that I want my children to look up to; you are nasty, ignorant, oppressive and, at worst, racist
* I can scarcely believe that three of the four flags chosen by the Govt appointed panel are basically the same , what a farce !
* John Key is all about dividing us and having us bicker over a rag that means the same thing regardless while selling us up the tppa river.
* Nope, no fern in Tino Rangatiratanga. John Key wanted a fern on the flag. so we get 3 to choose from!
* Lets get real here guys – This flag referendum business is nothing but a smokescreen cover for the real issue: TPPA – Not for the whole “changing the flag means the treaty of Waitangi doesn’t matter” but for the fact that this will cripple our country with shady underhanded deals and overseas corporate buyouts of New Zealand resources. The question should not be “What flag do you like better” – it should be “Would you like to change the flag”
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/71655482/why-the-tino-rangatiratanga-flag-should-be-our-national-choice#comments
Re the picture you are using – She did not say that.
Its about as true as the Due Authority emails / post a lot are making at the moment.
http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/palineskimo.asp
Sound’s like something she’d say.
Perception is important here and this is what the public imagine of Sarah Palin.
“Sounds like some she’d say”…..But she didnt.
And here is a political blog spreading it further.
I agree. If she didn’t say it, then she should not be misquoted. That is nasty and unfair.
+100
This should be taken down
It’s a meme, FFS.
Satire is dead.
You obviously dont know a meme when you see it. A deliberate misquote made to look “authentic” for political gain is just bullshit.
Regardless “ups” to the mods who at least are reasonable enough to research themselves and change.
I know my memes. Here’s some more, just for you…
http://0.tqn.com/d/urbanlegends/1/S/L/b/1/palin-wonders-if-flight-370-flew-directly.jpg
http://www.imediaethics.org/wp-content/uploads/archive/B_Image_3900.JPG
…and you’ll love this one…
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8c/1d/cf/8c1dcfd4f75da2180202843e33edb7a9.jpg
My pick. I was convinced that this is something she would say. I will change the image but reserve judgment and do some more checking.
Will use the Maurice superman one instead the authenticity of which cannot be doubted.
Or this one from today. One of the most harrowing heartbreaking of images that I have ever seen.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CN7gtRMWgAAhqUF.jpg
And this:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CN7clbaVEAA8sq-.jpg
If that’s a dead human, can you please put a warning with the link.
Sorry, can not edit now.
(Those pictures have been on TV around the world today)
thanks Clem. I don’t watch TV news (unless I have to) 🙂
Thanks Clem.
I am avoiding the images of dead kids because it is just too depressing. Those images ought to decide the issue instantly. No wonder Key is backing down. It is a shame that he is doing so not because of the justice or the humanity of the situation but because the focus group results have kicked in.
Ain’t nothing quite like a Palin word salad.
Things like that: it must change. Things must change for our government. Look at it. It isn’t too big to fail. It’s too big to succeed. It’s too big to succeed, so we can afford no retreads, or nothing will change. With the same people and same policies that got us into the status quo—another that word, status quo, and it stands for man, the middle-class everyday Americans are really getting taken for a ride. That’s status quo. And GOP leaders, by the way—you know, the man can only ride you when your back is bent.
For cat lovers (to anyone at all):
I like it
Phil Quin – Tony Blair’s man-on-the-ground in New Zealand, the Right-faction agent provocateur who aspires to be a downunder version of Blairite henchman, Peter Mandelson – has just had an Opinion Piece on Little and Labour published in The Herald.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11506237
One of his claims is that: “Labour, under Andrew Little, has barely moved in the polls since last year’s historic drubbing.”
Reality:
2014 Election:
Lab 25%
Opinion Polls over last couple of months:
Lab 32%, 32%, 31%, 27%, 31%
So, with one exception, 6 to 7 points higher
Come on, Phil, you can do better than this. You know you can.
what’s that about? Would rather lose the next election than have Labour move left?
Yep, for Phil and other Blairites (both local and British), it seems the traditional social democratic left are the real political enemy. Not so much behind-the-scenes white-anting as loud, explicit, full-frontal attacks until they get their way. Their viciousness towards Corbyn has been something to behold.
Here’s Phil Quin on Corbyn a few days ago (twitter):
and
(Note: need to click on the dates of those tweets to get Phil’s wonderfully sober and thoughtful contribution)
Quin is full of revenge (not that Labour has done anything to him, he’s done it to himself) and will be attacking Labour at every level right up to the 2017 election.
Yep and why the Herald would give Phil column inches to say something that is clearly not true puzzles me.
Phil Quin supports:
TPPA
Unpaid internsips
War, war, war
Hardly Labour principles.
Probably the only reason why he hasnt joined National is that it is less LGBTQI friendly. Anther thing he berates Labour about.
+1
I signed this
Where is the link for that petition?
https://www.labour.org.nz/six-months-paid-parental-leave
Thanks, weka.
I signed that but what I’d really like to see is one year paid for both parents.
me too
I know in the scheme of things it’s a first world problem but it shows the complete dumbing down of things by TV3 when they replace Kevin McLeod’s newest series with the Simpsons with no notice even though it was advertised in the listener and it appears there were more episodes to come. Not that I don’t like the Simpsons.
This is why I don’t watch broadcast TV anymore. It’s not just the lower quality in programming, it’s the utter contempt that they treat their viewers with by removing programmes mid series with no explanation.
Which McLeod series was it?
Kevin McLeod Escapes to the Wild. Not so much a design/building programme. More a travelling to the ends of the earth to see people living in remote places. Mostly Brits.
the small spaces one is interesting
TV is a great example of the dictatorship that is capitalism. You don’t get the choice that the RWNJs say you get as you only get to watch what the Big Wigs have told you you can watch.
That’s one of the reasons I don’t watch television any more. The lack of interest in their audience and so just drop an advertised program without having an announcement about it even. Then they have so many nasty competitive-game-reality shows. Shoving people off so they can have a winner who fits into twiisted economic theory of overwhelming self interest.
The blatant distaste for older people, only up to 39 or 45 years are worthwhile to them as advertising fodder. TV audiences are just units on a sort of war gaming board shuffled here and there by the master players. Stuff them.
+1
TV3 have popped a fuse – not just the campbell live debacle, but stuff like you’ve just mentioned. They’ve lost a shedload of their best journos and I suspect that this has been reflected in other departments, like scheduling. But hey, paul henry’s well paid.
I’m not sure they’ll survive receivership this time.
Stopped watching it after they made the polecat decision to remove Campbell Live.
The boycott is working.
They did a good piece on “story” last night about the refugee crisis last night,so all is not lost.
really? Maybe there’s hope.
Our household has stopped watching TV3 as well, and for the same reason. We are finding there’s nothing that we miss, really.