Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’?

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, April 12th, 2018 - 85 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, colonialism, discrimination, Propaganda, spin - Tags:

Taika Waititi believes that New Zealand is as “racist as fuck” and after listening to Duncan Garner and Mark Richardson on the subject, I am inclined to believe that there are at least some New Zealanders who are as “racist as fuck”.  A look at the Spinoff’s take on this situation provides numerous examples of how racist New Zealanders really are, all while pretending they’re not.

I think it is interesting that during his spiel, Garner attempts to draw attention to what he views as real racism – i.e. “that’s South Africa under apartheid”. In essence he is trying to negate Taika’s opinion that New Zealand is as “racist as fuck”.  Similar comparisons are made between relative and absolute poverty so that people can deny that poverty exists in our own context. In my opinion Garner is doing just that, he is denying racism exists in New Zealand by making comparisons with countries and circumstances that have more extreme and overt forms of racism than our own brand of racism.

Garner goes on to try to normalise racism when he states “If we’re honest with ourselves, we’re all a little bit racist”. What the fuck does that even mean? Does that mean that if we normalise racism by imbuing everyone with this quality, we can then be more overt with our racism or deny that racism is harmful because we’re all “a little bit racist”?

Both Garner and Richardson, while completely discounting Taika’s view point and experiences, both go on to label him. For example, “he’s too extreme, lighten up and change the record”, implying  that Taika is over reacting, and because he voiced his opinion he’s now ‘too extreme’ – or going on and on. I can’t help but feel this is Garner’s message to all Maori, “we’ve heard it all before, time to stop nagging aye”. A complete whitewash of Maori perspectives and experiences. If they’ve heard it all before, then clearly the message isn’t getting through! Of course, and not surprisingly Mark Richardson is less eloquent, using terms like ‘dickhead…nob…clown’ to describe Taika’s description of our racism. Naturally this type of labelling is designed to chastise the wayward native for his comments.

One doesn’t need to go far to see the impact of the systemic racism that plagues this country.  Can anyone believe that we’re still debating whether the indigenous language of this country should be compulsory in schools?   Or that teaching children about the land wars is up to individual schools?

Is New Zealand as racist as fuck? I believe it is, and I believe evidence of this can be gained by listening to the diatribe of people like Duncan Garner and Mark Richardson, reading comment sections in MSM and the negative statistic that plague Maori and other minority groups in New Zealand.  New Zealand’s racism is evident when Maori are constantly treated like the ‘other’ and Maori culture and language is viewed as an ‘add on’ rather than a normal part of our lives, for example Maori language week when schools, government departments businesses and NGOs, etc all decide to pay homage to tick their Tiriti cultural box.  So yes, I agree with Taika Waititi, New Zealand is as “racist as fuck”!

85 comments on “Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’? ”

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  1. David Mac 1
    12 April 2018 at 1:57 pm

    There is a degree of Richardson like jaw flapping ‘Some of my best mates are Maoris’ racist stylings but I think they’re part of a shrinking group.

    I think we have some insidious deep seated racist paradigms that feed the chooks like Richo.

    The crown is you and me, it is all of us. Our beaches, libraries schools, hospitals and police force. The bits of New Zealand that stay put when we have a government change. Each and every Maori is as much a part of the modern NZ crown as I am.

    Treaty settlements aren’t white people handing money to brown people. It’s us deciding we need to do this for us. Brother to brother.

    I think Kelvin Davis establishing a ministerial role in Crown vs Maori matters is fueling the insidious us vs them paradigms I speak of. I feel there should only be us and just as in any family, each of us has differing needs and dreams.

    • Koreropono 1.1
      12 April 2018 at 2:03 pm

      So what are you suggesting? That we get on with being ‘one people’?

      • Michelle 1.1.1
        17 April 2018 at 10:04 am

        We will never be one people and we never were. And why should we . I find too many NZders to be uneducated and hypocritical in this area they talk a lot about letting more foreigners into our country saying diversity is a good thing we should celebrate it but when it comes to anything Maori for example language and cultural beliefs too many kiwis tramp on it but they are quick to embrace other foreigners culture and language.

    • patricia bremner 1.2
      12 April 2018 at 5:18 pm

      David Mac that is asking Maori and Kelvin Davis to think as you do …crown and all!!
      Kelvin has kept his culture, done well in ours, and far from creating a divide he is a bridge between the cultures in how they interact.

      How well have you adapted to Maori culture and language? I know Kelvin leaves me in the dust LOL LOL I understand quite a lot of spoken Maori, but speaking? Not so good.

    • koreropono 1.3
      12 April 2018 at 5:23 pm

      Tena koe David Mac, what is the “insidious us vs them paradigm” that you speak of? And can you please explain how is the ministerial role of Crown/Māori Relations a problem?

      And when you say there should only be ‘us’, which part of ‘us’ do you think we should encourage and keep and which part of ‘us’ should we discard because it’s too contentious?

      • David Mac 1.3.1
        13 April 2018 at 8:20 pm

        Hi Korero, I see the Crown/Maori relations thing as a problem because I feel they are one and the same. When Queen Victoria was calling the shots from Great Britain, I get it.

        These days Maori are a crucial and systemic component of ‘The Crown.’ We couldn’t do without them. These days the Crown is a Maori nurse, policewoman and teacher.

        I think the minister for Maori/Crown relations should be the Minister for NZ family disputes.

        • koreropono 1.3.1.1
          14 April 2018 at 8:16 am

          Interesting thinking, so do you think that the partnership aspect of te Tiriti, should be removed, because according to te Tiriti, the crown and Maori are two distinct entities. Yet, if the partnership guarantee in te Tiriti is breached by the crown, what recourse do Maori have? Maori are not the crown and vice versa, to think otherwise is a bit like promoting assimilation and colonialism in my view. There is not an equal relationship between Maori and the Crown. It is a pity that statistically speaking the Maori nurse, policewoman or teacher you speak of are vastly and disproportionately under represented, so even that analogy is flawed.

          • David Mac 1.3.1.1.1
            14 April 2018 at 10:46 am

            The treaty is a deal between Maori and the British Crown.

            We are no longer a British colony and the term ‘The Crown’ has evolved to imply the parts of New Zealand that belong to all of us. It is my personal opinion that this Maori vs The Crown thing is ill founded and divisive. Any taxpayer is a part of what we now refer to as the Crown.

            I’m not suggesting that there shouldn’t be avenues for folk to air their individual or collective concerns, far from it.

            • koreropono 1.3.1.1.1.1
              14 April 2018 at 10:36 pm

              It is just as well Maori have a document called te Tiriti o Waitangi that shows that Maori are distinct from the crown (or what ever else interpretation you want to put on it) and that document shows that Maori did not cede their sovereignty (like many Tauiwi like to believe they did) to the crown (or any other entity you choose to make up). Te Tiriti has not been honoured and the numerous legislative tools used by the crown to annihilate Maori, on every level, all require redress, we know that the available redress is minuscule in comparison to the harm caused to Maori. That harm is ongoing through systemic racism and has caused inter generational trauma. As colonisation and Tiriti breaches are ongoing, there needs to be a point these issues are rectified to stop the ongoing abuses. It is not a “Maori vs the Crown thing”, that is your assumption, your interpretation. This is really about finding ways to ensure te Tiriti is honoured and that Maori enjoy the Tino rangatiratanga promised them. This is about recovering their economic base and healing from the trauma inflicted. If having a minister for Crown/Maori relationships, is in some small part recognition and steps toward honouring the partnership promised then what is the problem with that? It is only divisive for you because of how you perceive and interpret it, and I suggest that your perception lacks any real understanding of te Tiriti, its history and the historical and current impact of colonisation and institutional racism on the Tangata Whenua.

            • Michelle 1.3.1.1.1.2
              17 April 2018 at 10:25 am

              We are no longer a british colony but we fly the union jack we bend over backwards for the English royals and we just got back from the commonwealth games. And I noticed the national government have just said we should and need to stand by our allies.
              I find david macs view to be a typical pakeha view another common view is we didn’t sign the TOW so why should we pay for something that happened 150 odd years ago. Well how do you think the crown got most of the maori peoples land. It was through the pen (legislation) cause they couldn’t defeat our people in war so they passed laws so they could confiscate it. Don’t we still use English common law in our country and if we go back before we go forward we will see what race of people benefitted the most in this country who got the most from the welfare state for example who got the jobs, who got the best houses. And the businesses were also racist I’m talking about the banks that’s why we had to get maori affairs homes the banks wouldn’t lend to many of our people and they couldn’t get money to buy homes for their families.
              The same reason why we still need maori services today because our people were being willfully neglected by mainstream services and they still are.

  2. JohnSelway 2
    12 April 2018 at 2:07 pm

    In my experience* NZ has kinda felt less racist and more blind to its racial sensitivities.
    In general people might say and do things without thinking about the consequences but will admit “Hey, that could be construed as kind of racist” if they were sat down to think about it.
    I guess what I am saying as instead of being implicitly racist we are just kind of a bit stupid about it at times.

    *Other users experiences may vary. Consult own experiences for further information

    • David Mac 2.1
      12 April 2018 at 2:14 pm

      I think you’re right John, trying hard to not be misunderstood as racist seems to open my mouth up wide enough for my foot.

      Fortunately it’s where our hearts are at that counts.

      • koreropono 2.1.1
        12 April 2018 at 5:34 pm

        My heart embraces a truly non racist society and some times I feel the need to kinda educate people who don’t understand the more covert forms of racism that Maori experience everyday, whether they like it or not…racism kinda sucks.

    • koreropono 2.2
      12 April 2018 at 5:32 pm

      JohnSelway, in my experience NZ has kinda felt more racist, or perhaps my growing education helps me to understand the more insidious forms of racism that Maori experience everyday. It is sad that being “kind of a bit stupid” is used as an excuse for accidental racism. It’s kinda like being accidentally sexist, or accidentally violent, or kinda misogynistic, but not really you know, cause apparently “we’re all a bit racist” and if it is kinda accidental racism then it is kinda okay.

      • JanM 2.2.1
        12 April 2018 at 5:55 pm

        +100%

      • JohnSelway 2.2.2
        12 April 2018 at 9:17 pm

        *Other users experiences may vary. Consult own experiences for further information

        • koreropono 2.2.2.1
          12 April 2018 at 9:32 pm

          JohnSelway that’s kind of a cop out and it is a “kind of bit stupid” to ignore accidental racism and say it is kind of okay cause it was kind of accidental cause we are kind of a bit stupid, but hey that’s my experience thus far.

          • JohnSelway 2.2.2.1.1
            12 April 2018 at 10:23 pm

            I didn’t say it was OK – I only meant I very really see it as malicious and accidental insensitivey which would be probably make the person who did so embarrassed with themselves if made aware what it was they’d done.

            I didn’t say it was OK and individual results may vary

    • reason 2.3
      13 April 2018 at 9:36 am

      The thing with racism, is it does not have “users” John Selway …. it has recipients and perpetrators.

      Those who are the Victims of it ….and those who Benefit from it.

      Nationals recent past behavior has been to try and stoke the racism in NZ …. for cynical political ends …. ie, the iwi / Kiwi electioneering attack on Helen Clarke.

      “I’ll use three striking examples of propaganda from the book. The first, and the whole reason I got going in the first place, was the National Party leader Don Brash’s first major speech, which was the 2004 Orewa Rotary Club speech on so-called ‘race-based privilege’. In Chapter 5 of my book, you can read the strategy discussions that led up to that speech, which had nothing to do with the supposedly urgent issues of race relations and everything to do with trying to score a poll lift for the recently elected leader.” http://www.nickyhager.info/propaganda-then-and-now-notes-of-a-lecture-at-auckland-museum-on-wednesday-2-may-2007/

      The other thing with racism …. is it brings all the other bigotry, discriminations and defects of our mental social psyche along with it….

      eg , prejudice against young people … religious intolerance … contempt for the poor etc.

      New Zealand is racist …. just not as ‘ exceptional’ as some.

  3. Booker 3
    12 April 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Newshub isn’t exactly my go-to source for news but I thought this commentary by Kanoa Lloyd was on the money: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2018/04/kanoa-lloyd-taika-waititi-isn-t-sabotaging-new-zealand-he-s-trying-to-help-fix-it.html

    • bwaghorn 3.1
      12 April 2018 at 3:46 pm

      The problem I had with Kanoas take is she basically said that only whites a racist which is bus.
      Taika s thing about place names is the sort of stuff that turns off people . kiwis of every colour mash words from other races languages.
      Having said that yes there is a shit of racism but each generation seems to be more colour blind . probably because of the Taikas of the world and globalization

      • McFlock 3.1.1
        12 April 2018 at 4:18 pm

        I took it as that if you haven’t experienced racism in NZ you’re probably white.

        Other peoples might discriminate against each other, but that requires a power imbalance to be able to do. An imbalance that pakeha are statistically much less likely to be on the wrong side of.

        As for the names thing, Waititi was talking about the refusal to pronounce names correctly, not just inadvertant mispronunciation. Like the freaking uproar over Whanganui, or Radio Hauraki taking ages to figure out its name.

        And as he says, most of the time they can pronounce “camembert” properly…

        • Barfly 3.1.1.1
          12 April 2018 at 5:57 pm

          So when I was sitting overnight in Wellington Central Railway Station waiting for a bus to Auckland (the local trains didn’t start early enough to get it) and a dozen Mongrel Mob members wandered in and said “FUCK OFF HONKY”

          …am I the racist because I’m white?

          I had other shit like this happen in my youth a number of times being threatened and being physically attacked on occasion SO yeah New Zealand is as racist as fuck…IMHO

          • McFlock 3.1.1.1.1
            12 April 2018 at 6:06 pm

            Well, if you believe you’ve experienced racism and that NZ is racist as fuck, why do you think this subthread refers to you?

            Lloyd simply pointed out that people indignantly saying that NZ has no racism because they haven’t experienced it are most likely able to say that because they’re in the group that’s usually benefitting from the racism.

            • Barfly 3.1.1.1.1.1
              12 April 2018 at 6:15 pm

              The subthread is about “white” racism or would you like to pretend it’s not?

              Do you think Taika Waititi was referring to Maori racism towards non Maori (yeah right)

              Benefitting? Yeah stuff you I m old I’m poor my health is “Donald Ducked”
              oh btw I’m white – not seeing many bloody benefits here.

              • McFlock …
                12 April 2018 at 6:32 pm

                The subthread, and post, is about who experiences racism. Not about who perpetrates it.

                Here’s what Lloyd opened up her piece with:

                If you don’t think that New Zealand is a racist country, I’m happy for you. I’m happy that you’ve never had to navigate your way through the world wearing a skin that isn’t white.

                That doesn’t say that only white people can be racists. It says that only white people can live in this country and been oblivious to the racism in it. It doesn’t say that all white people are oblivious. It says that all oblivious people are white.

                And yeah, you take a look at the prison, health, and socioeconomic stats and tell me that most racism isn’t with white people in the position of power.

                But in answer to your concerns: #notallwhitepeople 🙄

                • Barfly …
                  12 April 2018 at 6:49 pm

                  “wearing a skin that isn’t white.”

                  ” It says that all oblivious people are white.”

                  So the people who threatened me and attacked me weren’t “oblivious” in your world view?

                  So they were consciously hating on me because I m the wrong skin colour ? Not sure how this is ok is your world.

                  I guess it takes all sorts

                  • McFlock …
                    12 April 2018 at 6:59 pm

                    Oh, I’m sure they’d also experienced more than their fair share of racism. Which is probably a significant reason they were in a gang in the first place.

                    And no, it’s not ok. But then neither are your reading comprehension skills, because you’re still responding to shit that nobody actually said or wrote.

                    • Barfly …
                      12 April 2018 at 7:13 pm

                      “Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’? ”

                      That’s the title of the article.

                      “Oh, I’m sure they’d also experienced more than their fair share of racism. Which is probably a significant reason they were in a gang in the first place.”

                      So that makes their racism to me fine and dandy in your view.

                      “And no, it’s not ok. But then neither are your reading comprehension skills, because you’re still responding to shit that nobody actually said or wrote.”

                      So what the title of this article again?

                      It’s pretty obvious (well to me ) that your view is brown = good white = bad. Bit racist isn’t it?

                    • McFlock …
                      12 April 2018 at 7:45 pm

                      Indeed the title does ask whether NZ is racist as fuck. You believe it is. So what’s your argument with Waititi and Lloyd again?

                      So that makes their racism to me fine and dandy in your view.

                      Feel free to point out where I wrote that. Somewhere other than your imagination.

                      It’s pretty obvious (well to me ) that your view is brown = good white = bad. Bit racist isn’t it?

                      Am I the one reducing quite a complex and subtle discussion to “brown = good white = bad”?

                      Let’s take it slowly:
                      Racism requires an exercise of power over another person: intimidation, discrimination, denial of service, whatever.

                      Therefore the people most but not exclusively likely to experience racism are those people in groups with the least power. If you have no power to deny service or whatever, you can’t exercise power over others.

                      The flipside being that those who are the least likely to experience racism are the ones most likely to have power in society.

                      None of that precludes people who are slightly higher up the power ladder being racist to people below.

                      Now, if you want to read that as “brown = good white = bad”, go ahead, but I suspect illiteracy would be a bigger problem for you than racism.

                    • Barfly …
                      12 April 2018 at 8:20 pm

                      ” But then neither are your reading comprehension skills, ”

                      ” illiteracy would be a bigger problem for you than racism.”

                      You love your insults don’t you?

                      Funnily enough I’ve never been physically assaulted by illiteracy (or literacy for that matter) but I have been threatened and assaulted by racist( I presume- white guy in the wrong place) Maori males

                    • McFlock …
                      12 April 2018 at 9:10 pm

                      I like insults more than I like people making up what my “view” is, that’s for darn sure.

                    • mikes …
                      12 April 2018 at 11:36 pm

                      “Racism requires an exercise of power over another person”

                      Where does that info come from? You don’t need to be in a majority or in a position of power to be racist

                    • McFlock …
                      13 April 2018 at 12:14 am

                      Really?

                      How can you discriminate against someone if you don’t have the power to discriminate?
                      How can you insult someone if you don’t have the power to speak freely?

                      You show me a case of anyone being racist, anywhere, and I reckon that’s going to be someone in a position of relative power and privilege (at least temporarily). Seriously, I’m having difficulty thinking of any racist act I’ve seen, or heard of, or read of, that doesn’t involve power in some way.

                    • mikes …
                      13 April 2018 at 12:40 am

                      “Really?”

                      Yes really. There’s no modifier that I can find in any definition of racism which requires a power imbalance. Anybody can be racist.

                    • McFlock …
                      13 April 2018 at 12:53 am

                      Should be pretty simple to give an example then.

                  • reason …
                    13 April 2018 at 9:51 am

                    Barfly … the amount of violence in a society reflects the amount of anger.

                    Happy people are not usually violent.

                    Anger, just like gang numbers are a symptom … a symptom of whats happened / happening to people in our society.

                    Whats your emotional response if you think your being treated unfairly or looked down upon … honestly? …

        • bwaghorn 3.1.1.2
          13 April 2018 at 8:03 am

          i’ve experienced a bit of it and i’m white and i’ve known one or two maori chaps who say shit things about indian and asian people , i sorry but maori don’t get the high ground on this ,
          i supported the h in whanganui but you do realise in the local maori speech in whanganui the wh is not spoken as a f sound

          • McFlock 3.1.1.2.1
            13 April 2018 at 1:15 pm

            Literally nobody said Maori have the high ground.

            The only contentious thing people said seems to be that if you haven’t experienced or observed racism in NZ, your skin tone is relatively pale.

            Which is simply another way of saying that pretty much all non-white people in NZ have experienced racism, but some white people think racism doesn’t exist in NZ because they haven’t experienced it themselves.

            • Macdougall 3.1.1.2.1.1
              19 April 2018 at 12:44 pm

              I totally agree with you McFlock. Kiwis are very uncomfortable with the notion that they are racist. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t acknowledge the problem in the first place. The cartoon above that was published in the mainstream NZ media is a good example. While Australia has its share of rednecks in the suburbs there is no way that cartoon would have been published in Australia. Instituitions and government agencies are 20-30 years ahead of NZ on this issue. Now, I know this must seem incredulous to a lot of Kiwis but it’s true. The Aboriginal flag is flown from public buildings every day. Imagine for a second if it was suggested that the Tino Rangatiratanga flag be flown alongside the NZ flag from all public buildings in NZ. I suspect the reaction would be similar to the suggestion that te Reo be compulsorily taught in all primary schools. Why are Kiwis happy to embrace singing their national anthem in te Reo but don’t want the language taught in schools? Why do Pakeha New Zealanders expect Maori to learn English but they don’t want to learn te Reo? Just sayin.

      • mauī 3.1.2
        12 April 2018 at 4:22 pm

        Let’s say you were mistakenly called by the name “cwighorn” at least once everyday by someone. If you know that’s not how your name is said, you would probably get pissed off about having to constantly correct people all the time, or you might just resign yourself that noone could get your name right and go along with it. The disappointment would hang around nonetheless. Maybe some Māori feel something similar everyday too?

        • bwaghorn 3.1.2.1
          13 April 2018 at 8:10 am

          i’ve met fallas who have definataly given up trying to get us whites to get there name right and either mumble it or shorten it or take a white name , it’s a shame .
          to them i say be proud of your name say it clearly and fukim if they cant be bothered its there problem not yours

    • bwaghorn 3.2
      12 April 2018 at 3:47 pm

      The problem I had with Kanoas take is she basically said that only whites a racist which is bs.
      Taika s thing about place names is the sort of stuff that turns off people . kiwis of every colour mash words from other races languages.
      Having said that yes there is a shit of racism but each generation seems to be more colour blind . probably because of the Taikas of the world and globalization

      • koreropono 3.2.1
        12 April 2018 at 5:57 pm

        bwagon I think Taika’s comment is taken too literally, that was just one example that people are clinging to so they can down grade Taika’s point. He also said “[t]here’s still profiling when it comes to Polynesians. It’s not even a colour thing – like, ‘Oh, there’s a black person.’ It’s, ‘If you’re Poly then you’re getting profiled”

        However, given NZ/Aotearoa is founded on a bicultural partnership between Tauiwi and Maori, I would have thought it important that we speak the language properly after 168 years in that partnership but hey who am I to insist that we try to push the issue, especially given all the English language training I got in school, whilst te reo Maori was ignored. I am sorry that ‘sort of stuff…turns people off’, I just don’t understand why or what it turns them off from?

        • bwaghorn 3.2.1.1
          13 April 2018 at 7:58 am

          do you insist on maori speaking the queens english ? the maori chaps i’ve worked with in farm and forestry sure don’t , doesn’t bother me one bit .
          the point i’m trying to make is fight the battles that truly matter , like profiling ,
          instead of nit picking about us lip lazy honkies

          • Korero Pono 3.2.1.1.1
            13 April 2018 at 9:09 am

            You assume this thread is just about language, it’s not. Racism in all its forms needs addressed, not just profiling or language. Language however is a large component, along with teaching the history of te Tiriti and the subsequent mechanisms used to assimilate Maori and take their land. If those things are taught, there would be less animosity directed at Maori when it comes to settlements and improve Tauiwi understanding of the foundations of systemic racism in Aotearoa. Being a ‘lip lazy’ honky is your descriptor, not mine, and speaks more about your mentality than anything else.

            • bwaghorn 3.2.1.1.1.1
              13 April 2018 at 4:51 pm

              i agree there is animosity around the treaty but you must realise that if most kiwis on some level didn’t understand that the settlements have been both right and needed then they would not have happened in a democratic country.

              also keep in mind i didn’t sign a treaty some long dead fallas did , but i’m willing to let it be even though it was deeply flawed because it had two versions.

  4. SPC 4
    12 April 2018 at 3:01 pm

    I’ll reference a Behavioural Science Unit of the FBI worldwide study back in the 1980’s – where they noted a connection between (higher levels of) crime and ethnic identity where this was of an underclass. And add that where ethnic identity is associated with being of an underclass there will be a “race” profiling issue (whether amongst individuals or institutions).

    This speaks to identity and group association and impacts on the community (separation by class/property value in location) and party politics of the nation.

  5. JanM 5
    12 April 2018 at 3:13 pm

    Yes (in answer to Booker) – Kanoa’s contribution is great, isn’t it- thank goodness we do have the odd intelligent journalist/presenter in our country.
    And as for the rot spouted by the likes of Garner and Richardson – that’s what you get when you give semi-educated twerps jobs like they have in the belief that they will appeal to ‘the average bloke’. On that basis, we most certainly are not only racist but ignorant as well!

    • tc 5.1
      12 April 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Sad thing is they do appeal to many kiwis because of that casual blokey racism.

      On the few occasions I catch Richardson on TGGW he’s doing an A grade job at low brow rants pitched at his target audience with whoever co-hosts providing faux concern.

      It’s all about ratings not respect in an evironment with SFA standards being enforced.

      • JanM 5.1.1
        12 April 2018 at 4:27 pm

        The worst of it is that this reinforces ignorant prejudices – I can’t quite come to grips somehow that we actually pay people vast sums to talk ill-informed tripe which is the knowledge equivalent of Coca Cola and MacDonalds – it actually does harm.

  6. Stunned Mullet 6
    12 April 2018 at 3:32 pm

    Define ‘fuck’

  7. trey 7
    12 April 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Ae, I tautoko Taika and your good self

  8. jimekus 8
    12 April 2018 at 4:18 pm

    One man’s history is another man’s lie

  9. Stuart Munro 9
    12 April 2018 at 4:50 pm

    These things are relative. As cultures go NZ is relatively permeable. I imagine a few folk think that if mispronunciation of place names is Taika’s go to example it’s not that big an issue.

    I’m more concerned by differences in mortality or incarceration rates that demonstrate significant systemic unfairness – as recently as 1980 male Maori life expectancy was 50, and although that has improved it’s still nothing to boast of.

    That said, broad brush accusations of racism may generate more heat than light – specifics on the other hand can be addressed. Racism will always be with us – the harm that springs from it can be minimized however.

    Stove makes a lot of sense on it https://archive.org/details/RacialAndOtherAntagonisms

  10. Ed 10
    12 April 2018 at 5:29 pm

    I really try to ignore Garner and Richardson.
    Vile people whose job it is to foster hatred and division.

  11. timeforacupoftea 11
    12 April 2018 at 6:07 pm

    I have only heard racism in Dunedin against Pom’s.
    Pretty good for 65 years.
    My kids ( I Must ask them now 30y+) have never said anything to me that they have heard racists comments.
    Maybe if comments on race were said it went in one ear and out the other.

    I had one Chinese and one Maori kid in my class through 1950’s 1960’s and I never thought they were any different to me, who is parts of many races.

    Is this mainly a North Island problem ?
    Whats with people who race profile ?
    Are racists just very bad people or are they sex pests as well.
    We know the prisons have a high percentage of mental problems, I can only imagine that the prison population would lash out on most of these unhealthy problems.

    However I have seen heaps of bulling.

    • JanM 11.1
      12 April 2018 at 6:22 pm

      It is definitely more of an issue in the north. When I was a student in the 60s I was standing on a cab rank in K Rd one evening. The taxi driver (Maori) insisted I come with the ride he was picking up because he didn’t feel comfortable leaving me on my own at night. After he had dropped off his fare he told me he was swapping over to his own taxi – did I mind – no – so we went to his place, I helped do the paper work and off we went to where I was staying. As he drove he expressed the opinion that I couldn’t possibly be a North Islander because I wouldn’t have trusted him as a Maori. I was seriously shocked – and he was right – I came from Dunedin!

  12. Chuck 12
    12 April 2018 at 6:09 pm

    “I just don’t understand why or what it turns them off from?”

    koreropono of course, te reo is important to you and many others, however like most things in life whats important to someone may not be to another.

    Over time as generations come and go, we may have the majority of NZ’ers speaking te reo.

    As an example in my extended family about half identify as Maori. None can speak fluent to reo, nor do they have a desire to do so.

    • koreropono 12.1
      12 April 2018 at 6:20 pm

      Kia ora chuck, yes te reo is important to me and many others, and I agree like most things in life what’s important to someone may not be to another…you know like English, which is compulsory in schools, clearly some people view English as more important than te reo. Despite a Tiriti partnership, it is clear that some things are deemed more important than others, Maori is the ‘add on’ the extra, whilst English is the compulsory.

      As an example, in my extended family about half identify as pakeha or tauiwi, none speak fluent English, nor do they have a desire to do so. Yet they are forced to!

      • Chuck 12.1.1
        12 April 2018 at 6:38 pm

        “As an example, in my extended family about half identify as pakeha or tauiwi, none speak fluent English, nor do they have a desire to do so. Yet they are forced to!”

        Good point koreropono! about being forced to speak English.

        When I was at school I never took the opportunity to learn other languages, and yes te reo was one of the languages offered when I was in school (early 1980’s). I regret not taking the opportunity.

      • red-blooded 12.1.2
        12 April 2018 at 9:07 pm

        Actually, koreropono, English isn’t compulsory in school – either English or Māori is compulsory until the end of Y11. That’s been the situation for some 20+ years, brought about by the kura kaupapa movement and other strides in Māori medium education.

        I agree that NZ is a racist society. We’re just starting to get over the idea that Māoritangi is “other” and that ordinary people are white, everyone else is a bit different, not quite like “us”. Explicit racism, like racial insults, is less and less acceptable, but that’s the easy stuff. It’s still true that Māori and Pasifica people die younger, are more likely to go to prison and are less likely to do well in our education system. There’s lots of work going on to try and address each of these issues, but we can’t deny that they are issues and simply labelling them as class issues ignores the fact that having certain racial groups over-represented amongst the disadvantaged is a sure sign of ingrained racism.

        Besides, I think pakeha people lecturing Māori people about what racism is and telling them they’re wrong to think that their lives have been affected by it is like the various men who at different times in my life have tried to explain to me what real feminism is and point out that there’s no real patriarchy operating in NZ.

        How about we do a bit of listening? Maybe a bit of self-examination rather than self-justification?

        • koreropono 12.1.2.1
          12 April 2018 at 9:28 pm

          Red-blooded, thanks for your information. However, when you say “Either English or Māori is compulsory until the end of Y11” I assume you mean Māori is compulsory in full immersion kura kaupapa schools?

          I am not sure which of your comments are aimed at me specifically or generally aimed at others on this thread. Perhaps you could clarify so I do not jump to conclusions and I can answer to comments that are aimed specifically at me.

    • timeforacupoftea 12.2
      12 April 2018 at 6:36 pm

      In our family we have a tiny bit of Maori and none of us speak Maori.
      None of our family long for our past but prefer the future.

      Speaking for myself most Maori and English words I make a hash of.
      I was useless at English not great at spelling and just say what I see in a word.
      Yep ! I get heaps but really its ( their there ) problem not mine.

      Everyone for themselves though, what ever floats your boat.

  13. SPC 13
    12 April 2018 at 6:23 pm

    The example of New Zealand Pakeha not pronouncing Maori names accurately has to be, in part, a joke about our inability to pronounce any word with vowels in it properly.

    • Obtrectator 13.1
      12 April 2018 at 7:39 pm

      ” …. our inability to pronounce any word with vowels in it properly”

      Or consonants either (‘t’ for instance being too often slurred to ‘d’, even by our current and previous Prime Ministers).

      • Anne 13.1.1
        12 April 2018 at 9:30 pm

        Talking of poor speaking habits by PMs… it’s time somebody told our current PM it is “anything” not “anythink”. I cringe every time I hear her say it.

  14. Gabby 14
    12 April 2018 at 7:56 pm

    It’s just possible that Taika got asked about glue inhalation because he was a weird little bugger.

  15. R.P McMurphy 15
    12 April 2018 at 10:14 pm

    In New Zealand Maori are the “other” and perceived to be upholders of subsistence labour norms and therefore an obstruction to the white trash who would prefer to occupy that niche solely by themselves.

  16. mikes 16
    13 April 2018 at 12:50 am

    I think NZ, like any country has it’s share of racism. But I reckon we are a lot less racist in our views than many other countries I’ve visited. I posted the stats map linked to below on daily review a few days ago, but that daily review was already a coupla days old so it may have been missed. I think it shows a few interesting things, one of the main ones being that it seems countries who have immigrants from all over the world appear to hold less racist views than those with little immigration, which makes sense really.

    Obviously it’s just one map with a small data set, etc, but interesting nonetheless.

    It shows that NZ, along with Australia, most of the Western democracies and South American countries, are the least racist countries. The most racist are in the middle East, parts of Africa, India, the rest of Asia and Russia

    http://viralscape.com/world-maps/greatest-and-lowest-racial-tolerance-by-country/

  17. Gosman 17
    13 April 2018 at 2:23 am

    Nobody has actually defined what “Racist as fuck” means yet.

    Racism exists everywhere but because it does it does not mean everywhere is “racist as fuck”

  18. cleangreen 18
    13 April 2018 at 7:49 am

    If you got involved with Maori culture as I did as a white man you would embrace far more sensitivities and goodness in the culture.

    We are very gifted to have Maori as a partner in our lives and should welcome this collective culture as our environment and future is safer just having the strong Maori link to the earth and water being kept far purer than would have been left otherwise without having Maori involvement.

    Regarding Duncan Garner;

    Duncan Garner was this morning on the AM show’ viciously attacking labour’s newly released Energy Policy, while at the same time was seeming to be supporting National’s abysmal past policy again, and not following up with labour’s Phil Twyford asking Judith Collins when will national begin to plan to turn off the oil tap, then when Garner had the chance to drill Collins he failed repeatedly without asking national Judith Collins “when will National stop oil drilling in NZ” – a sorry sight there.

  19. Al 19
    13 April 2018 at 8:19 am

    Yeah I also think NZ is a really racist country. The level of racism varies but is omnipresent here. I think racism (much of it covert and ‘swept under the carpet’) has been a major instrument of attempting to maintain Pakeha hegemony and marginalising any divergent cultural perspectives since Pakeha first came to Aotearoa. This is most evident with the Don Brash “we are all one” mantra which suggests that we are all human and just need to get on with it. This, of course, overlooks the massive violence and trauma imposed on indigenous and other cultural minority groups in this country since Pakeha first arrived. The same racism that Maori have endured has also been piled on Pasifika people and more recently Asian people who have settled here. Don’t get me started about the intergenerational trauma that Maori carry today from past abuse which is partially (at least) responsible for many of the negative statistics applied to Maori today. Sure, Dr Brash might suggest we are all one, but is was not Pakeha that had their economic base stolen from under them, then were expected to “just get on with it”!

  20. Xanjo 20
    13 April 2018 at 11:24 am

    See if you can finish the children’s rhyme we all learned as kids….
    Eeny, meeny, miney, mo……..

  21. Cold Hard Truth 21
    13 April 2018 at 11:45 am

    Take racism and replace it with imperialism and you are probably closer to the bones of what made NZ what it is. Same for Australia, UK, France and others. Just look at whats going on in Syria and the attitude towards nations like China and Russia.

  22. Cinny 22
    13 April 2018 at 3:16 pm

    Yes it is racist.

    I didn’t realise it was as bad until I lived in the North Island, one of my besties is Samoan, when we would go out clubbing was when I would notice racism or if we were pulled over by the police and she was driving. Or if she came down to the South Island on holiday with me.

    But she taught me a valuable lesson about how it feels.

    One night she suggested that we go clubbing in South Auckland, I must note that I always felt safe with her, we would look after each other, so the thought of going out in South Auckland was not scary knowing my awesome friend would be there. But it’s not until you are the only white girl at the club that you notice how it must feel to be the only brown girl at the club. People stare. It makes one feel super uncomfortable.

    What I have taught my girls is not to describe someone by their skin colour, rather by their hair, eyes, clothes they are wearing, their behaviour etc.

    Love our diverse country, it’s up to us to remove racism, how we teach and show the next generations on how to behave and how not to pigeonhole is paramount.
    For example when referring to the RSE workers in our region, we describe them as happy, smiley etc, because they are (make eye contact with them and they always give you a huge grin), worries what colour they are, it’s their smiles and laughter we see and remember.

    It’s not just racism here, it’s pure ignorance. One time was out with a friend in Blenheim who had recently shaved off her glorious locks, we are walking down the street at night and a car went past, some guys were hollering out the window…. ew you dirty lesbians etc. I guess if you are a chick with short hair in Blenheim you are gay, far out the ignorance is primitive dark ages.

    Time for NZ to grow the fuck up.
    And time for some people (garner, richardson and others) to shut the fuck up.

  23. R.P McMurphy 23
    15 April 2018 at 8:51 pm

    racism is an objectional norm that is sustained by the fallacy of division. i.e if one person in a race is this then all others of this race are like this.

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