Old rich white man complains about another group receiving privilege

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, February 25th, 2016 - 84 comments
Categories: Media, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

don-brash-wailers

Don Brash is in the news again complaining that a certain sector of our society may be receiving some sort of privilege. He is claiming that the decision not to prosecute Josie Butler for throwing a fake penis at Steven Joyce is because she is a young Maori woman.

From Stuff:

She regarded it as a joke, [but] I don’t think it is a joke throwing something at a minister…

“Had it been a brick, hopefully she would have been prosecuted, the fact it was a sex toy apparently doesn’t warrant prosecution.”

He had heard suggestions that Butler’s race and gender may have played a role in the police decision.

“The cynic says that [Butler] was not charged because she was a woman, or perhaps because she was Maori – I don’t know, that’s the cynical reaction – whereas the guy who threw the brown stuff at Gerry Brownlee was a male Pakeha.

“Whether there’s anything in that, I don’t know, but I’ve heard that comment voiced by a number of people.”

Holy shifting goalposts. If it had been a brick or a molotov cocktail or a grenade then I am certain that she would have been charged. But it was a fake penis that did nothing more than squeak slightly when it hit Joyce.

The police have a discretion not to charge.  The trifling nature of the incident and Ms Butler’s youth and previous good character were relevant considerations.  And Joyce does not appear to be too traumatised by what has happened.

This case is entirely different to the Christchurch assault on Brownlee which was more distressing for him.

And the claim of privilege is ironic coming from someone like Brash. Maybe he is more concerned that it is being shared around rather than it exists.

84 comments on “Old rich white man complains about another group receiving privilege ”

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  1. aerobubble 1
    25 February 2016 at 11:27 am

    She regarded it as a joke, defence lawyer contended what? a bit of banter mylord.
    How is Brash served by a strawman like that? Anyway when did Maori women get so good at throwing? Should Brash be worried more about that?

  2. Sirenia 2
    25 February 2016 at 11:39 am

    Some of the people behind his Iwi/Kiwi campaign and Orewa speech are behind the Change the Flag propaganda. So perhaps Brash now thinks he and his opinions are still relevant.

  3. weka 3
    25 February 2016 at 12:15 pm

    I would have thought her being Māori made her more likely to be arrested.

    It wasn’t a joke Don, it was a political protest. Remember?

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/content/dam/images/news/2015/05/08/don-brash-hit-by-mud-at-waitangi.jpg.

    • Grindlebottom 3.1
      25 February 2016 at 3:41 pm

      I would have thought her being Māori made her more likely to be arrested.

      Good point.

    • Amanda Atkinson 3.2
      26 February 2016 at 3:13 pm

      People pick and choose on this one, does my head in. It’s a non issue. Tony Veitch would have ended up in the clink if he was Maori, no question. To counter that, Hone Harawira, would have been turfed out of government and torn a new one if he was white, and said “Black Moth** F***ers” … it goes both ways. Yes, i can already climbing in and saying that’s apples and oranges. My point is only that sometimes it helps, sometimes it hinders being, white, maori, woman, young, old, rich, poor. Assuming that she it more or less likely to be arrested because she is Maori, was stupid by Don Brash, and stupid by you because it’s irrelevant. We can’t make sweeping generalizations either way, because it is irrefutable, that there are countless examples of both.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.2.1
        26 February 2016 at 3:26 pm

        We could believe that if we were completely ignorant of the laws of probability. Fortunately, we aren’t.

        Weka is quite right.

      • weka 3.2.2
        26 February 2016 at 4:14 pm

        I’m not making a sweeping generalisation, I commented on a well-known fact, that Māori are over-represented in the Justice System. Plus what OAB said re probability.

        “To counter that, Hone Harawira, would have been turfed out of government and torn a new one if he was white, and said “Black Moth** F***ers””

        How ironic. Brash practiced overt, intentional racism as leader of the opposition (Kiwi/Iwi billboards), and that cost him his job. Not because racism in NZ yields that reaction, but because of politics. If being racist cost politicians their job in this country Brash would have been fired by his party at the time. But he wasn’t, because we’re still a racist country.

        Harawira on the other hand was making a casual, reactive comment in a personal email that might have been personal bigotry, but wasn’t racism in the way being discussed in this thread. You might want to think that black and white are exact and entire opposites, but they’re not. There’s no symmetry in racism or systemic prejudice in general.

  4. Smilin 4
    25 February 2016 at 1:10 pm

    Dont the police normally ask the victim if they want to press charges except in cases where the police have a mandate to charge which can range from internal policy in the police or in the case of Nicky Hager “a threat to national security” I say tongue in check or in KDC case US bullying to have him extradited
    I mean there are so many areas in police operation that are subject to the discretion of the police to act that Don Brash and his early electioneering on behalf of National is a bit limp given how for the elections are away here but being the strategist he is the more he can tie the PM to the US show the better he hopes it will be for Keyster to achieve his one over Helen Clarke
    F U KEY hope you get hit by a golf ball and you become a complete vegetable so that I dont have to waste anymore of my good sense having to listen or see any more of your BS

    • Tarquin 4.1
      25 February 2016 at 1:20 pm

      You are a very sad individual. I hope you get the help you clearly need.

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 4.1.1
        25 February 2016 at 1:57 pm

        F U KEY hope you get hit by a golf ball and you become a complete vegetable so that I dont have to waste anymore of my good sense having to listen or see any more of your BS

        And there you have it. The compassionate left.

        • vto 4.1.1.1
          25 February 2016 at 2:12 pm

          Heshe is not “left” you foolish gorm…

          heshe is one of your own

          • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 4.1.1.1.1
            25 February 2016 at 2:53 pm

            Are you sure, vto?

            Have a look back at Smilin’s comments and see if you stand by that opinion.

            • mickysavage 4.1.1.1.1.1
              25 February 2016 at 3:09 pm

              Gee gormless. The left and the right all have extremists. I am sure that you get annoyed when you get compared to Hitler. Please up the quality.

              • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
                25 February 2016 at 3:18 pm

                I only seem to run into crazies from the left lately. Must be the circles I move in.

                And the policy for blaming Farrar for the crazies on his site might have to be re-visited.

                • vto …
                  25 February 2016 at 3:21 pm

                  it is definitely the circle you go in

                  • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
                    25 February 2016 at 3:34 pm

                    I am sure that you get annoyed when you get compared to Hitler.

                    LPrent! Look! Look! Godwinning!

                • swordfish …
                  25 February 2016 at 6:48 pm

                  I should stick all this on your new piss-taking site if I was you, Gormy. Add a few little erudite bon mots here and there to jazz it up a bit, eyebrow arched with intended irony … and basically share a wee smug chuckle with your Tory boarding school chums while simultaneously getting it all out of your system. You Young Nats don’t ‘arf get up to some larks during your Summer Half-Hols.

        • tinfoilhat 4.1.1.2
          25 February 2016 at 2:13 pm

          This site and the commenters/comments on it are no more fully representative of ‘the left’ than the equivalent blogs are fully representative of ‘the right’.

          I would hope that most of the general public, irrespective of their voting intentions, would be as put off by such comments regardless of whom they were directed at.

        • weka 4.1.1.3
          25 February 2016 at 2:47 pm

          “And there you have it. The compassionate left.”

          And there you have it. The socially inept and stupid right.

          See how that works? But, hey, I think lots of people here would be happy to take you as the spokesperson for the right. Your peers probably won’t appreciate it though.

        • You_Fool 4.1.1.4
          25 February 2016 at 3:33 pm

          its good to know that we can blame all the right on the actions of a few too then 🙂 No complaining about generalisations or that people designated as “right” aren’t really right or anything silly like that…

        • aidan 4.1.1.5
          26 February 2016 at 10:51 am

          i believe that is what is most commonly known as “venting”. ie i expect that smillin must feel kinda frustrated and angry that our country has been taken over by the smilin ass and his crew and we have to contend with a compliant media peddling clickbait.. i mean come on! surely they are not alone in that!

          • Expat 4.1.1.5.1
            26 February 2016 at 4:35 pm

            aidan

            Good on you for putting some balance into the argument, it does help to understand the causes, and you could argue that, from what you say, there was some just cause, but violence doesn’t solve anything either.

      • Anno1701 4.1.2
        25 February 2016 at 2:10 pm

        “Tarquin”

        I really hope thats your real name ,

        cos you couldnt make that s#*t up if it is !

        • Tarquin 4.1.2.1
          25 February 2016 at 2:56 pm

          What’s wrong with Tarquin? The original was apparently a Roman king, in my case I think my parents smoked a few too many. By the way, +100 tinfoil hat. Wishing damage to people is unnecessary and brings everyone down.

          • Anno1701 4.1.2.1.1
            25 February 2016 at 3:19 pm

            ” in my case I think my parents smoked a few too many”

            fair enough

            you dont have any siblings called Tristan or felicity do you ?

            • Tarquin 4.1.2.1.1.1
              25 February 2016 at 4:13 pm

              Sorry to disappoint but one out of it name was enough. Not enough money in the family to afford names like that anyway. I did have a dog called Rupert if that’s any help.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.2
      25 February 2016 at 3:03 pm

      F U KEY hope you get hit by a golf ball and you become a complete vegetable

      That really isn’t necessary.

  5. Anno1701 5
    25 February 2016 at 1:24 pm

    it was an inflatable squeaky toy..

    had it been a real sex toy it would have done some real damage (looking at the size of it)

    those things are (ahem) hard and heavy !

  6. Lanthanide 6
    25 February 2016 at 1:56 pm

    Josie did (and does) not regard it as a joke. She regards it as legitimate protest against a treaty that the New Zealand public have not been able to have a proper informed debate on.

  7. vto 7
    25 February 2016 at 2:14 pm

    Yeah, get the f%#king old white men, especially the rich ones ….

    what have they ever done for us? Eh?

    Other than create, for better or worse, pretty much all of what constitutes NZ today….

    doh

    • Anno1701 7.1
      25 February 2016 at 2:16 pm

      “Other than create, for better or worse, pretty much all of what constitutes NZ today….”

      you mean the working classes who ACTUALLY built NZ dont you ?

      • BM 7.1.1
        25 February 2016 at 2:22 pm

        The people who created NZ were the individuals who came up with the ideas and plans.

        The working class were just the tools to get stuff built.

        • McFlock 7.1.1.1
          25 February 2016 at 2:30 pm

          lol

          If that were true, the dreamers would treat their “tools” much better than they do.

        • Anno1701 7.1.1.2
          25 February 2016 at 2:32 pm

          “were just the tools”

          it appears im going to have to defer to your loooong experience of being a tool

        • weka 7.1.1.3
          25 February 2016 at 2:49 pm

          “The people who created NZ were the individuals who came up with the ideas and plans.”

          And obviously none of those were women or Māori either.

          • BM 7.1.1.3.1
            25 February 2016 at 3:01 pm

            Probably not.
            But that was just the way society operated back then.

            Apparently there’s quite a few more Women involved in engineering these days, no where near the sausage fest it used to be.

            https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=percentage+of+female+engineers+in+the+world

            • weka 7.1.1.3.1.1
              25 February 2016 at 3:05 pm

              “Probably not.”

              I’ll take that as meaning you don’t know.

              “But that was just the way society operated back then.”

              No, it wasn’t. That’s how the rich white men have told history. It’s not what actually happened.

              Christ, even you should have heard of Kate Sheppard. For everyone famous Māori or woman there are untold you haven’t heard of because the people writing history didn’t tell their stories or people like you were raised to think them unimportant.

              edit, just seen your edit re engineers. Did engineers write the Treaty? You have an odd idea of what created NZ if you think it was all down to blokes with that kind of skill set.

              • BM …
                25 February 2016 at 3:10 pm

                Right, you’re looking at built meaning, built NZ society.

                I was looking at built meaning, built dams, railways,roads,buildings etc.

              • vto …
                25 February 2016 at 3:16 pm

                How can that be weka?

                We are constantly told that white men had the positions of power. That white men created the institutions. That white men occupied all the professions.

                What gives?

                They either did, or they didn’t

                • maui …
                  25 February 2016 at 3:45 pm

                  Why should weka waste their time answering someone who discounts women at every turn.

                • weka …
                  25 February 2016 at 4:49 pm

                  “They either did, or they didn’t”

                  False binaries are a tool of the patriarchy. It suits those in power to tell the story as if Maori and women had no power or influence or creativity. But it’s not true, and you appear to still, after all this time, not understand what institutional power is and how it privileges people differently.

                  When women didn’t have the vote they obviously were at a disadvantage politically. But that didn’t render them mute. Men might have tried to silence them in different ways including via institutional power, but women still had voices and used them where they could. That’s how they eventually got the vote. But the fact of those voices in no way means that white men didn’t have power they refused to share with others. Do you get the difference?

                  • vto …
                    25 February 2016 at 5:09 pm

                    You are never going to answer the question weka so I am just going to leave it

                    fuck the old white men eh

                    that is the consistent vibe

                    I just thought that they may be credited for some good, but even that is too hard

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      25 February 2016 at 5:13 pm

                      Weka just gave you a big hint. A false binary might pretend that people are wholly evil or wholly good.

                      Perhaps you can quote the part where she said white men are wholly evil.

                      You really need to let go of that shit: only I am wholly evil 😈

                    • weka …
                      25 February 2016 at 8:55 pm

                      “You are never going to answer the question weka so I am just going to leave it”

                      Vto, you asked,

                      How can that be weka?

                      We are constantly told that white men had the positions of power. That white men created the institutions. That white men occupied all the professions.

                      What gives?

                      They either did, or they didn’t

                      I answered that. Why are you saying I’m never going to answer the question?

                      fuck the old white men eh

                      that is the consistent vibe

                      Only in your head. My father is an old white man (and upper middle class) and I don’t think badly of him for that. Likewise many older white well off men I have known.

                      Your struggle with this is based on your own thoughts and beliefs not mine. No-one is condemning old white men.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke …
                    25 February 2016 at 5:09 pm

                    +1

                    Tao te Ching chapter 2: “when good is valued, evil has been learned…in this way, life and death are abstracted from growth…”

                    False binaries 🙂

      • vto 7.1.2
        25 February 2016 at 2:25 pm

        Yes them too of course. Indeed absolutely.

        But you know, it is not possible to blame all the negatives on old white men without also attributing the positives.

        Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

        Go the old white men I say!!!

        • weka 7.1.2.1
          25 February 2016 at 2:52 pm

          “Do the positives outweigh the negatives?”

          Who gets to decide?

          Who gets to even frame the question in that way as opposed to other ways of understanding and valuing things?

          Victors write history to suit themselves, that’s why Brash is being held accountable. Not because all rich, older white men are to blame or are wrong, but because they have had privilges that everyone else hasn’t and they have their own set of accountability just like everyone else does.

          • vto 7.1.2.1.1
            25 February 2016 at 3:13 pm

            But do the positives in what constitutes NZ today outweigh the negatives weka?

            Give us your personal view – at least that would be a starting point, rather than avoiding by trying to pull apart each teency strand of the thread.

            My personal view is that the positives in our society, relative to other societies, outweigh the negatives.

            Go the old white men!

            • weka 7.1.2.1.1.1
              25 February 2016 at 4:51 pm

              can you please give me some examples of the positives and negatives, I’m not exactly sure what you are referring to.

  8. Ben 8
    25 February 2016 at 2:25 pm

    So you have to be a middle-aged, median wage earning, mixed-race eunuch to be able to voice a complaint?

    • Puddleglum 8.1
      25 February 2016 at 9:43 pm

      No. Exhibit A = Don Brash.

      Nevertheless, when your ‘complaint’ involves spreading the notion that a member of two groups objectively known to be disadvantaged in the criminal justice system has supposedly been privileged by the Police then you shouldn’t expect everyone’s heads to nod in reverential unison at the ‘wisdom’ of your insight.

      And, when you throw the ‘unjustified privileged treatment’ stone (based on group membership) you can expect to have similar stones thrown right back at you – especially if you’re a member of a group that, objectively, is sitting in a figurative glass house of privilege when it comes to institutionalised cultural, economic and ideological power.

      It’s like hearing Dame Jenny Shipley decry New Zealanders’ attachment to the relics of the colonial past as she did on a recent ‘Sunday’ programme on RNZ. Her ‘glass house’ Damehood – from which she deigned to criticise other New Zealanders’ sentiments – is a virtual Crystal Palace (home of The Great Exhibition) of colonialist hypocrisy.

      Give us all a break.

      Personally, one of the aspects of Brash’s comments I found most objectionable was the way he tried to disown the view that the decision was based on the protestor’s gender and ethnicity – “I’ve heard that comment voiced by a number of people“.

      Does he agree with the comment he has heard voiced? If he does why didn’t he present it as his opinion? If he didn’t then why on earth did he bring it up in the first place?

      Simply echoing that claim then figuratively shrugging his shoulders and saying “I don’t know“?

      Cowardly stuff.

      Or utterly disingenuous.

  9. Expat 9
    25 February 2016 at 2:33 pm

    Reminds me of a piece in the Herald I read about Sir Roger Douglas, who wrote in the opinion column, justifying his (and his families) expenditure to travel to the Rugby World Cup ($12500 from memory).

    The final comment was, “working NZ’ers are only there to service the rich”.

    I searched the Herald to link the story, but they seem to have removed it, probably to controversial.

  10. One Anonymous Bloke 10
    25 February 2016 at 4:19 pm

    In other news, research results demonstrate the link between corned beef and a rare form of brain atrophy, although other authors blame toxoplasmic parasitism and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    • Expat 10.1
      26 February 2016 at 1:31 pm

      OAB

      You don’t actually give much credit to the “other authors”, as “toxoplasmic parasitism” does not exist, “brain atrophy” also has links to old age, excess alcohol, boredom…………

      • One Anonymous Bloke 10.1.1
        26 February 2016 at 3:01 pm

        Toxoplasmosis most certainly exists, and is most certainly caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. However, my disagnosis was for comic effect only, though it does rely on the audience’s knowledge of Brash’s diet.

        • Expat 10.1.1.1
          26 February 2016 at 3:34 pm

          Your right, “Toxoplasmosis parasitism” does exist, but I didn’t know he had a cat, I did see the humor, which is why replied and added a few other indications for brain atrophy.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 10.1.1.1.1
            26 February 2016 at 4:05 pm

            Tii Gondii manipulates rats to make them easier prey for cats. Is it too big a stretch to imagine that it manipulates humans (who’ve come into contact with soil, or undercooked meat, or vegetables, and yes, cats) into eating junk and believing the things Don Brash believes?

            This anonymous bloke doesn’t think so 🙂

            • Expat 10.1.1.1.1.1
              26 February 2016 at 4:17 pm

              It appears that Don Brash is not the only one to have developed the same symptoms and causes you describe, Sir Roger must have a cat as well.

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                26 February 2016 at 4:20 pm

                The question is, has Gareth Morgan ever come into contact with soil or vegetables? Obviously cats can be ruled out.

  11. Ian 11
    25 February 2016 at 9:15 pm

    She assaulted a minister of the crown and should have been arrested and charged with assault. Don Brash is totally correct.

    • Puddleglum 11.1
      25 February 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Was he “totally correct” in promoting the speculation that she wasn’t arrested because of her gender and ethnicity?

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2
      26 February 2016 at 1:15 am

      No, he’s just an arsehole who’s looking at things in black and white rather than the True Colour of life. Shouldn’t be surprised by that as he’s obviously out to destroy all life on Earth.

      I don’t recall when Don Brash and others of the National Party broke the law with their actions with the Exclusive Brethren Don Brash calling for him and the rest to be charged with the crime immediately and without leniency.

      Seems that Don Brash is very selective in who he thinks the law should be applied to and how.

  12. Liberal Realist 12
    25 February 2016 at 9:45 pm

    Brash just painted himself as a target for the next one!

  13. Lloyd 13
    26 February 2016 at 12:03 am

    Don Brash is just jealous.

    Bet he has never had a young women do anything with a sex toy to him

  14. Jay 14
    26 February 2016 at 8:58 am

    Whether he’s right about why she wasn’t charged I don’t know, but police certainly had a policy of warning Maori traffic offenders (in South Auckland), and also of giving pre-charge warnings to Maori for fairly minor offending regardless of their criminal history, when other ethnicities aren’t eligible if they have criminal history.

    This is all an attempt to try and even up the stats. So I know that the police do make decisions to charge at least in part based on whether you’re Maori or not, believe it or not as you like.

  15. repateet 15
    26 February 2016 at 7:11 pm

    “Ill-thrown prick draws comment from silly prick?”