Anthony Willy: The commoners

To the self-anointed  theorists that is those with an academic qualification in something of no practical use and generally lacking in life experience, the commoners are the deplorables. They cause the lips to curl in the councils of theorists, and the rent seekers sitting around the campfires of the tribalists. This group comprises those who are consumed with theories which balloon into crusades: The current poster children of group are global warming, the raucous denial that sexuality is fixed at birth, co governance and that there are different types of democracy. 

None of this would matter much were it not for the success this small group of people have had under the late government led by its Marxist idealogue in infiltrating their ideas into our most important institutions Government, business, the media and local government. In the result we have suffered a blatant attempt to upend our social institutions and way of life. Their efforts would have come close to fruition  had they depressed their sights and cast a look in the direction of the commoners. If they were aware of these “common people” at all, which is doubtful they might at least have remembered that for the 2023 election the deplorables would have a vote equal in value to their own, and one which has no fixed home. This arrogance has resulted in the demise of their party, probably for several terms and the election to office of three parties two of  whose leaders took the trouble to delve into what was the most pressing concern weighing  on the minds of this silent majority, and to make an effort to get to know them and understand their concerns. What motivates the commoners and what is important to their way of life makes for an interesting study far beyond the comprehension of the self-anointed. 

The word “common” is of ancient lineage in the English language and those bothering to explore its many uses will be surprised to learn that what it connotes  is at the very heart of who we are a society and what are our roots.  Above all as mentioned it describes the silent majority and the liniments of the way in which they conduct their lives. They are the people who work for a living and for whom to live off the unearned efforts of others is an anathema. They bring together families and if so blessed undertake the difficult task of raising children whom they care for educate and inculcate values of Honesty, hard work and concern for the less well off which are necessary to the flowering of a civilized society. They come from all walks of life from the Trade Union organiser to the brain surgeon. They are guided by values which as the name suggests are  “common” to all. These include:

Common sense. The term is apt. It describes the way in which commoners approach problems and circumstances which daily beset them. They will without any “expert knowledge” arrive at a solution or outcome which is sensible and one with which most other people confronted with the same problems will agree. Instinctively the commoner draws upon previous experience of related issues and some innate pathway to understanding. It passes unnoticed amoung the myriad daily social interactions which call for an answer but without it society would flounder and we would be left to the idiocy of the illuminati. Because  common sense requires a degree of life experience it is understandably not to be found in many of the young, which is of course why Labour/Greens want to lower the voting age. Those young who do possess it inherit it from their parents and wider family. Absent that benefit they must wait until they make their own mistakes and find their own solutions.

The Common touch. This is crucial in relating one to another. We are of course all different and look at events and ideas in different ways. It is the common touch which oils the wheels of society. Being able to meet with and talk to people with whom on the surface, because of lifestyle and experiences we have very little in common. It is the ability to set aside what we take to be our superior virtues and to make common cause with those from different backgrounds and life experiences and each learn from the other. Without this ability society reverts to  its historically closed caste structure with each living in their own silo and no ability to reach out to improve one’s condition, learn from others and help improve the life of others. The common touch is one of life’s most rewarding virtues. It broadens our horizon and adds to our knowledge of our lives and ourselves.

Common courtesy. Simple things like saying please and thank you, listening to the views of others in conversation, standing when a guest enters a room, stopping to let pedestrians cross a road. Such small gestures add greatly to the enjoyment of life for all concerned,  helping to ensure that relationships are carried on with a minimum of resentment and conflict.

A common language. This is crucial to the functioning and prosperity of any society. Unless we understand what others are saying we have no hope of  accommodating to those views. For better or worse our common language is English, and it has been for a very long time. It has the advantage of being widely understood around the world giving us a head start in relating to other cultures. This is of course anathema to the theorists, Marxists and the like and for the past six years there has been a concerted attempt to bastardise the language with the result that in many instances it is no longer commonly understood. 

Common cause. To make common cause with another is to band together to share likeminded ideas. To do so crosses divides as we saw from the number of town and city dwellers who turned out to support the farmers road shows protesting at government agricultural  policies which for the sake of a discredited theory could only result in damaging the ability of farmers to earn their livelihoods and that of the country.  Like the other elements of commonality, it is instinctive and no more than an exercise in common sense.”

The Common law both civil and criminal. It regulates the resolution of disputes and serves as a code of acceptable behaviour. It is common because it applies to all equally, is certain and knowable in advance. The latter is crucial because it enables people who are about to enter onto a course of conduct to know whether it or not it will meet societies expectations and if not what the consequences will be. It is appalling to record that the integrity of the common law under the auspices of the previous government is itself at risk from judges who in elevating primitive customs, which are at best a matter of fact not law to a place within the Common Law do not understand these simple propositions. Neither do they understand their oath of office which is to judge all persons “without fear or favour affection or ill will.”

This then all adds up to commoners deciding what is the best way of living their lives without impinging on others to do the same. They do not need and will not accept such brutal government interference so dramatically on display during the virus hysteria. They do not need endless radio advertising paid for with their money telling them what to put on their faces when the sun shines, or to go and get their mental health checked. They are experienced  adults and to the extent children need this sort of advice the parent or one who shares the above values will see they get it. Farmers do not need self-appointed and ignorant  theorists  in Wellington telling them how to manage their land  which they must do sensitively in the best interests of themselves and the environment if they are to stay in business.  Commoners do not welcome being told that if Maori people have poor health outcomes, then it is the somebody else’s fault. This and so much more has  flourished under the previous government. The theorists and the bludgers are blind to these simple truths and in capturing the Labour caucus  they  have cost the party dear. 

Importantly the late government failed to understand that being a commoner does not mean always voting for the same political party. As we saw at the year 2000 election many traditional conservatives, for what ever reason (subsequently bitterly regretted) voted for the Labour Party. Similarly in the case of the Helen Clark years.  She must have enjoyed the support of many commoners. Whereas the Key governments must have attracted the votes from those who traditionally voted for other parties. None of this is of concern. It is an accepted ingredient of the democratic process by which the commoners make rational decisions based on common sense and their life experience and illustrates how well Democracy has been working in New Zealand for the past 150 years. The cardinal sin of the Ardern government and its  successor puppet  was to attempt to destabilise these social norms and replace them with a form of tribal Marxism, insulting the intelligence of the commoners with meaningless slogans such as “co governance” and “democracy has many forms.” What is so offensive about these bland assertions is that must have been offered with malice afore thought. There must have been somebody in the government bureaucracy who understood that the  the Greek “demos” meant: “the common people of an ancient Greek state” and that such is the origin of the word democracy. Somebody must have been aware that the development of the notion of democracy in more modern times from Magna Carta to the present day is the gradual rejection of the notion of a society ruled  by divine right or an aristocracy and the emergence of government of the people by the people for the people.” Although this is to be found in the American Constitution it was the handiwork of the English settlers who had emigrated away from the aristocratic strictures of rule in England to a new way of life in the 13 Colonies. In their arrogance and ignorance, the previous government in promoting the destruction of our democracy were blind to the lessons of history and the consequences  which would surely accompany their actions. The outcome has been as entirely predictable if less bloody as it was in 1640 when Charles 1 decided to substitute rule by divine right for rule by the Commons in Parliament. The commoners led by Oliver Cromwell rebelled, Charles lost his head and Parliament survived. This is what is so unprecedented about the intentions of the past government over the last 6 years. They thought that with lies and half-truths and by promoting a spurious rendering of a contract signed between the Crown and some Maori Chiefs in 1840 they could demolish a form of government which has been 2000 years in the making, and which is fundamental to the soul of the Commoners.

To their credit The ACT Party and New Zealand First instinctively understood this and campaigned on a policy of ending  spurious maorification, and the Treaty industry which now  infects every corner of our society; education, language, our hitherto democratic institutions, our health system, naming rights on public buildings etc. I have not the slightest doubt that the ACT New Zealand First initiative has the support of the Commoners who while understanding that traditionally National governments are good at balancing the books are also aware they end to avoid anything as contentious as these crucial issues. Indeed they appear to be heavily influenced in their negotiations in forming a government by the blackmail treats of the likes of Willy Jackson and his ilk that there will be civil unrest if there is any attempt to solve these problems. As a friend, a family man with all the qualities of a commoner and  with a lifetimes involvement in commerce put it to me “Mr Luxon hasn’t worked out that keeping the peace means conceding to racism and the demands of the activists  for more will continue to grow. He hasn’t worked out that the important reason the Labour Government was decimated in the last election was because their policies were racists and divisive . He hasn’t worked out that the reason National didn’t win in a landslide was his lack of decisiveness on issues of race and democracy”. I fervently hope he is wrong, something we expect to find out this week if National has learned the lesson. If not God Defend New Zealand and the common people.

Anthony Willy is a Barrister and Solicitor, who served as a Judge on four Courts: District, Environment, Tax and Valuation. He is a former Lecturer in Law at Canterbury University. He presently acts as an Arbitrator, a Commercial mediator, a Resource Management Act Commissioner, and is a Director of several companies.