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Sunday, June 14, 2020

Henry Armstrong: The Great New Zealand Dichotomy


Contemporary New Zealand is an extremely unsettling, somewhat sad, place to live in the 21st century. It is full of absolute  contradictions; has a political system which vigorously pursues  ethnic difference yet claims “we are one” or, “a team of five million”; where one’s individual, personal and social identity is far more important politically, than  any concept of unanimity-except for the sporting All Blacks rugby team. Prime Minister Ardern’s earnest exhortations at her daily COVID19 briefings that “we are all in this together” is absolute nonsense and verges on dishonesty.

In reality, New Zealand is well on the way to becoming a seriously divided nation endorsing overt ethnic separatism and social division. How can the PM claim such gushing unanimity when she and her government overtly act to the contrary?

Such exhortations contrast spectacularly with the reality that New Zealand in fact is far from united; has contradictory provisions for some and not others; and where identity politics reign supreme.

In short, New Zealand is not “a Great Democracy”, more like “a Great Dichotomy”. A dichotomy is defined as “a separation between two things that are opposed or different’ (Oxford).

Or, we could talk about double standards and contradictions.

Let’s look at a few examples:

COVID19 Alert level 2 allowed for gatherings of up to 100 people at a time. Yet Queens Birthday weekend saw thousands of “protesters” cruising down Queen Street, Auckland chanting “black lives matter” in support of far away USA. So much for social distancing. And where were our police? In loudspeaker vans urging protesters to observe social distancing? Not a chance. They, as is now their custom, stood aside and used their “discretion”. Our Prime Minister, having urged and exhorted New Zealanders to observe the level 2 rules, expressed her “disappointment”. Oh dear!  And, nobody amongst the organisers is to be prosecuted? Rules for some but not for others?

Similar outcomes were very evident during Alert level 3 when a number of tangi were held, when group numbers were specified at 10 people, but  hundreds attended and our police again “used their discretion”. The Finance Minister expressed his “disappointment”. Oh dear! And again, nobody was prosecuted for breaching the Alert level 3 rules. Rules for some but not for others?

Some  ethnic communities established illegal roadblocks, apprehending travellers and requiring them to provide information on their travel and intentions. Again, our police “used their discretion”. And yet again, nobody will be prosecuted as a result. Whilst one can empathise with any community advocating for protection, to act totally illegally and be exempt from any legal consequences, makes a mockery of Ardern’s claim of unanimity-the “team of five million”.

 Actually, she should have been honest with the majority New Zealand public and claimed a team of “four and a half million”. Many of the other half million clearly did their own thing with no regard for the government-imposed  “rules”.

Numbers of New Zealand citizens are stranded at overseas locations, unable to return to New Zealand because the Ardern government  closed our borders. Sad, yes, especially when some of our citizens were prevented from returning for funerals of loved ones. Then, out of the blue, the borders have been opened to allow a US film crew to arrive to film “Avatar”. This crew comes from Los Angeles in the USA, one of the real hotspots of COVID19 in the US. Our borders are closed, yet open too!

We were urged to stay at home, by our Prime Minister. Next thing, her Minister of Health decides to ignore the restrictions imposed by his leader and go off mountain biking, beach walking and moving house. So much for restrictions. And what an example of leadership.
But  more serious dichotomies were already in place well before COCID19 arrived.

New Zealand is a multi-cultural nation with some 120 different nationalities, a poignant point made by our exalted leader in the tragic aftermath of the Christchurch mosque atrocities.

But we are officially bi-cultural. That is, officially, there are only two cultures in New Zealand- Maori and everyone else, called “manuhiri” or “visitors”, even though many of our families have been here for six or more generations. So we are both bi-cultural and multi-cultural at the same time!

The official sanction and promotion of separatism and identity politics in New Zealand makes a mockery of our Prime Minister’s claims that we are “a team of five million” and that “we are all in this together”. Bunkum! Balderdash! Humbug!

COVID19 testing was denied various groups of vulnerable citizens, some in rest homes, others in hospitals, yet was freely available on street corners and in supermarket carparks. Why?

New Zealand prides itself on freedom of speech, but at least two of our universities and one Council have denied speakers the opportunity to address audiences because the universities and Council did not agree with what these speakers might say. Freedom of speech, but not of what is spoken?

Then there is the issue of enforced acculturation. This term refers to a dominant culture imposing it’s norms and values on minority cultures. But not in New Zealand! The reverse is the case.

New Zealanders are now required to include minority cultural values into everyday activities, including mainstream education and even science, including the prestigious Royal Society of New Zealand.

The names of government departments  mysteriously changed overnight from predominantly English with a Maori sub-title, to  predominantly  Maori  with a small English subtitle, if you can actually read it. We now have to try and guess what agency we are dealing with, unless one is fluent in te Reo Maori. But obviously this move is to accord te Reo Maori a prominence over the bulk of New Zealanders whose cultural identity is not Maori, and whose language is English. But this, of course acknowledges and deals with the evils of colonisation, doesn’t it?

Then there is a raft of dichotomous bills before our parliament or which will be the subject of referenda in September. Some are already law.

Capital Punishment for murderers and terrorists in New Zealand is not acceptable to this government, yet it happily now condones the termination of life up until birth and totally supports the End of Life Choice Bill which will allow medically- assisted  euthanasia . The additional dichotomy here is that medical practitioners, who  take a pledge to do all they can to save lives, will now be required to terminate them. Surely, “All Lives Matter”, not just some?

New Zealanders have spent tens of millions of dollars condemning tobacco smokers (you know, that filthy habit), yet will soon vote to decriminalise marijuana. So we must not  smoke tobacco but we will be able to smoke “pot”, which according to my grandchildren, is a gateway drug. Next stop “P” or methamphetamine?

On that subject it is unlawful to manufacture “P” or other drugs in a state house, yet the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor stated that smoking drugs in state houses does not present a risk to other occupants, such as children. In other words, smoke it but don’t make it?

New Zealand recently banned the mention of Jesus Christ in parliamentary prayers, yet officially promotes and condones  karakia (prayers in  te Reo Maori) and blessings by various Maori elders on all state occasions, in courthouses and university graduation ceremonies, even overseas embassies. Which deity is being invoked here?

To challenge these invocations would apparently “cause offence” yet it appears to be quite acceptable for our government to cause offence to other cultures, particularly Western European culture. One council even condemned crosses on Easter hot cross buns for fear of offending members of the Muslim community.

Youth suicide is an appalling tragedy, yet elder suicide, if the End of Life Choice Bill is passed, will be welcomed by many. But hold on, do not ALL lives matter? Or, only some lives matter?

Child adoption by potentially loving foster parents is no longer acceptable, but forcing children into state care or violent family environments is quite OK.

Our Human Rights Act and Bill of Rights Act make it unlawful to discriminate on ethnic, religious, etc grounds. However, there is a qualifier, if  the activity qualifies as “affirmative action”, aka positive discrimination. Whatever title is accorded an action, discrimination is discrimination.  Ethnic preference, now a  priority  for entry into medical school and priority access to elective surgery, is quite acceptable. However, only some ethnicities qualify. Our Asian and South Asian (Indian) ethnic groups and definable others, do not qualify. The same Acts condemn any form of coercion, but our universities require staff to incorporate minority cultural values (including spiritual aspects) into all aspects of university life, using a range of coercive techniques ranging from peer pressure to significant employment penalties if one is non-compliant. Imagine a university lecturer challenging or opposing such impositions? Goodbye career?

To parody a minority culture is abhorrent. To parody Western culture is “satire” or “opinion”.

Finally our politics. What is more important, policies or personal popularity? Obviously we seek policies that enhance our values and way of life? Not if you believe the opinion polls which, in the words of one commentator, puts the popularity of our Prime Minister ahead of Jesus Christ. Seems I recall a certain liner on which someone had written - “even God cannot sink this ship”. Guess what? And on it’s maiden voyage, too. But what are the Ardern government’s policies? If they have any, they have been confined to the backroom in favour of Ardern’s continuous media adulation. For Ardern to claim victory over COVID19 as due to her leadership, is disingenuous, if not outright dishonest.

The reader may conclude that many of these dichotomies are simply modern-day choices or options and to have a contra opinion is simply freedom of speech-perhaps true democracy?
Once upon a time in New Zealand,  true human values were genuinely treasured and not traded for personalised, political, popularity. Sadly, no longer. If I could, I would choose to live somewhere else-but then, the separatists would have won. Bugger them!

Henry Armstrong is retired, follows politics, and writes.

16 comments:

Ray S said...

Wow. Here we have the thoughts of the majority of our population. Not many of us dare to put our thoughts in print for fear of condemnation and labeling racist or worse. You did however overlooked the insidious indocronation practiced in our schools and universities. As you mentioned, the renaming of government agencies is further evidence of indocronation on a public scale. Well writen, let us know when you find that other place to live, could spark a mass exodus.

Anonymous said...

Quite simply the truth. This country is now a precocious school girl.

Mike L. said...

Those comments are true but do not go far enough. A major problem exists with our Main Stream Media, which has been captured by the left. The Maorification of Television New Zealand is evident every evening, with repeated references to Aotearoa and the frequent use of Maori words. The print press appears to be staffed by juvenile "reporters" who have been brainwashed in a Communist education system, with total support for a Global Warming scam for which no scientific proof exists and the words of such people as David Attenborough and Al Gore are accepted as proof. Support for "Saint Cindy" and "Saint Greta" appears to be compulsory. Our only consolation is that mush of this nonsensical rubbish will perish with the death of the print press, which is fast approaching. And all of this apparently to support a supposed 16% of the population, most of whom have far less than 50% Maori blood!

















Jenna said...

The race based policies need to go! Get rid of the 40% quota for medical school,the free fees for maori nursing and teaching students and also the preferential entry into hospitals. This New Zealand, not Aotearoa. I worry for NZ ..we are in a sad way because of all these pro Maori legislations. Very divisive policies.

Ross Baker. said...

TIME OUR POLITICIANS WOKE UP TO FACT NOT FICTION

For far too long our politicians have been brainwashed into thinking Maori are a special race of people, and so they were in 1839, but in 1840 over 75,000 of their tangata Maori ancestors decided to give up their governments to the Queen and become British Subjects with the same rights as the people of England, under one flag and one law, which was endorsed in 1860 by the largest gathering of chiefs at the Kohimarama Conference since the Treaty was signed in 1840.

A FACT THAT CANNOT BE DENIED!
At some time many of the tangata Maori people decided to became one person with a person from another race and produce a child of both races who was now a New Zealand Citizen, no longer a tangata Maori or person of another race, but a New Zealand Citizen of both races. Fact!

This was in most case out of love between the two people/races at some time that cannot be denied. Fact!

It is extremely wrong to force this child to become some special race of person when in fact he/she, is the result in most cases of love between two races. Fact!

Why destroy this young person’s life by trying to take away half their ancestry when they should be celebrating both their ancestors who made them?

It was two people who made this person of mixed race, so let them be proud of who they are and live a happy life as a proud New Zealander!

Tangata Maori had the choice, but it’s a fact, it cannot be changed now, they are no longer the race that signed the Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, they are New Zealand Citizens with varying degrees of tangata Maori ancestry who should be allowed to be proud of both their ancestry, but now New Zealand Citizens under one flag and one law.

Remember, many of their ancestors shook hands with Lt. Governor Hobson at Waitangi on the 6th February in 1840 with the words below, plus 3 hearty cheers from the whole gathering.

“He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people” – New Zealanders!
Think about it before you destroy another child’s life wondering who they really are when they should be proud to be a New Zealand Citizen.
The tangata Maori chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi did not give today’s Maori the right to be, “In partnership with the Crown” or a Waitangi Tribunal or Ministry of Maori Crown Relation’s, that breaches the Treaty of Waitangi that over 500 tangata Maori chiefs agreed to become British subjects, “With the same rights as the people of England’. If they made a child of mixed race, then that child becomes a New Zealand citizen, not some special person that has special rights over all other New Zealand Citizens.

It must also be remembered on 3 May 1841 the Treaty of Waitangi was superseded by Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter/Letters Patent that set up our political, legal and justice systems under one flag and one law, irrespective of race, colour or creed. Fact!

If a Politician has not got the “Guts” to tell it how it is, then they should not be in Parliament!

Ross Baker, Researcher, One New Zealand Foundation Inc. © 13/6/2020 (Black Friday)!


Anonymous said...

Sadly spot-on.

Do you see any current political party as being a consistent and logical voice against these types of blinkered biases?

Mervyn said...

That place to live could be CHOP formerly CHAZ it pretty much embodies all of Arderns policies unfettered by male white privelege.
CHOP could be a model for Nth Auckland and all our Universities shift there.

CTH said...

Excellent summary of the New Zealand of 2020's ...fare well the 'old NZ' as it is forever 'lost in rain and cloud'.

Don said...

No mention of what is at the heart of this dichotomy: the Treaty. A spurious and confused pair of documents that were nullified by the New Zealand Wars when one of the parties to the 'contract" broke it by rebellion against the Crown. Resurrected in the late 20th Century by activists and used to commit continuing fraud against taxpayers in general. The politicians seeking the Maori vote keep it alive while fear of being labelled racist allows most of the majority to be carried along by the worst rort the country has suffered so far.

Rod Kane said...

That was extremely well written and covered off many of the things which have been riling me for years. I am especially pleased that finally someone brought up the name changing to Te Reo. This is not just departmental and place names however, every day and night our news readers and commentators bombard us with it. I am sick to the death of it. Today we had two policeman shot and one killed in our area. Will we see a Police Lives Matter march or does that just not fit the politically correct agenda..?

bob simmonds said...

One of my forefathers according to my whakapapa was one of the first white boys born in New Plymouth and a few years ago I sat on my sofa and cried for the loss of my daughter and a few days ago I sat on the same sofa and listened to talk back radio and cried for the loss of my country, pre 1975 New Zealand

Mary-Ann said...

I totally agree with Henry Armstrong we are all new zealanders and one law for all should be applied. I myself have encountered preferential treatment. I am a European descendant registered nurse
Did my degree here in nz
I had to pay fully for the 3 years yet Maori students could apply for special grants and get it paid for.
I couldn't as I was not maori or even part maori. If this is not racial discrimination I dont know what is.
Furthermore there are no full blooded maoris anymore as far as I know.
So we are all part of one country which is new Zealand. One country one law unfortunately it's not but which government would be brave enough to stand up and make the changes needed?

Rob said...

Is there any Political Party in NZ that agrees with all you have said? If so I reckon they could easily get 50% of the vote and become our next government.

Lee Baker said...

Well placed commentary except people keep on bringing in Euthanasia. Look around people. Do you want to exist like that.

Russ said...

I'll say this til the cows come home - there is only one way forward and that is to change the political system - bring back FPP to allow independent-minded New Zealanders the opportunity to be elected to Parliament as Independents.
THE DECLARATION of INDEPENDENTS - “One opinion is as good as another and the opinion favoured by the majority wins”.

100 Electorates 1 FPP-Elected Prime Minister 100 FPP-Elected M.P.’s

101 Elected Members of Parliament

Unknown said...

I think you've encapsulated what a lot of os sense.
The scary thing is that while we are distracted by Covid, thanks to the nauseating "announcements", forces are shaping NZ at a rate almost beyond our comprehension. Apart from the spiralling debt, the most galling is the push to put water care under one body. Mahuta has indicated that she will force compliance with this scheme, taking OUR assets at a fraction of their value
It sets up a controlling body that could be very easily transferred to another, probably Maori based.
Time to call the Adhearn Government out with the sneaky way they do business.