John remembers his underclass, briefly

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, February 12th, 2010 - 15 comments
Categories: john key, poverty, spin - Tags:

I haven't forgotten you guys. I've even still got the t-shirt somewhere

The other day I wrote:

I reckon we probably will see a passing reference to the ‘underclass’ for appearance’s sake [in John Key’s statement to Parliament] but I’m just as sure that his government will continue to fail the most vulnerable members of our society.

Well whatdaya know? There it is:

I have said it before, and I’ll say again today: I worry that there are signs of an emerging underclass in New Zealand.

The irony being that he hasn’t said it in years and he didn’t say it now. This sentence only appears in the long version of his speech, not the one he read. And, of course, Key presented no policy to help the people he labels underclass, just GST hikes to make them worse off.

Yay for me I guess. But, man, doesn’t it suck that you can predict the worst of this government and consistently be proven correct?

15 comments on “John remembers his underclass, briefly ”

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  1. tc 1
    12 February 2010 at 11:06 am

    Yes Eddie of course he worries just like he does about equity, the environment, education, welfare etc etc

    However in true Corpratocracy/ Homer style….” just beacuse I don’t care doesn’t mean I dont worry or understand…” Lunch everyone before Basher Benne and gez get there and hoover all the smoked salmon and oysters.

  2. TightyRighty 2
    12 February 2010 at 11:19 am

    is that a gangway i see Mr Key on? i wonder if he diverted a ferry carrying 100 constituents on it to make this photo shoot?

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/02/a_diverting_tale.html

    • TightyRighty 2.1
      12 February 2010 at 11:20 am

      i keep forgetting to remove my weblink. the joke is tired now. sorry, hate to make you moderate for being forgetful as opposed to trollish

  3. Nick 3
    12 February 2010 at 11:29 am

    There are no signs of an emerging underclass at all.

    It’s already in full flight.

  4. vto 4
    12 February 2010 at 11:40 am

    I guess an underclass is a natural development in balance to the emerging overclass.

    • Clarke 4.1
      12 February 2010 at 11:47 am

      I know I keep quoting Galbraith, but he seems particularly relevant at the moment:

      “Today the signature of modern […] capitalism is neither benign competition, nor class struggle, nor an inclusive middle-class utopia. Instead, predation has become the dominant feature-a system wherein the rich have come to feast on the decaying systems built for the middle class. The predatory class is not the whole of the wealth; it may be opposed by many others of similar wealth. But it is the defining feature, the leading force. And its agents are in full control of the government under which we live.

      “For in a predatory regime, nothing is done for public reasons. Indeed, the men in charge do not recognize that “public purposes” exist. They have friends, and enemies, and as for the rest-we’re the prey…

  5. BLiP 5
    12 February 2010 at 11:55 am

    The actions of this government indicate that the only concern John Key has is that the underclass is not growing fast enough.

  6. pollywog 6
    12 February 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Get rich or die tryin

    Nature selects for the greedy. To be rich is to have evolved beyond the need to work to survive. It is advantageous to oneself and ones own kind to be selfish. Survival of the fittest now means survival of the richest with the firm establishment of the predatory overclass emerging as a potent signifier of evolution in action…

    http://pollywannacracka.blogspot.com/2010/02/get-rich-or-die-tryin.html

    Chur for the jandal pic 🙂

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