It would appear to give an accurate insight into a life filled with emotional highs and lows that few of us mere mortals experience.
I find myself in two minds as to whether the prejudiced view I had of Ali’s public persona has been softened by the dramatic revelations of child abuse and public denigration that often goes with the job. Perhaps l will read the book in order to find out more.
What it has done is convince me to think seriously about writing my own memoir about experiences living in a totally different world although one where similarly, life at the coalface determines who we are and what we have become.
However, Ali Mau’s life experiences couldn’t be more different from my own.
I grew up in rural New Zealand as a member of a loving middle class family, enjoyed a happy childhood including moderate achievement at school before embarking on a career in farming which, for the latter part, has been spent in low decile communities dominated by folk claiming Maori heritage.
It should come as no surprise that many people reading this will identify with my upbringing and career path as quite similar to their own and completely different to the one so well described in Ali Mau’s book.
For that reason alone, those of us still living here in the heartland of rural New Zealand can be grateful.
There is something about rural living that has the capacity to supply all our needs (emotional and financial) without too much input from ourselves.
I’m not saying life in the “sticks” is easy - for many it is a constant battle just trying to survive but the quality of life is the thing that sustains us rather than the attractions only available in the big towns and cities.
And it must be said that living in remote areas like the East Coast doesn’t make you or your family immune from the bad influences of the fast lane.
Drugs, child abuse and dysfunctional families are just as much part of rural communities as they are in the big smoke - often worse.
But it is the small town connections that are the key to survival for people like us.
There is a bond that transcends individual needs to the extent that few are left behind.
It is a responsibility for the welfare of others that we all happily bear.
I have spent the last 45 years working and sharing with the local people who have accepted me and my family as one of their own.
This embracing of another culture by people from different backgrounds is much more difficult to achieve in the big metropolitan areas.
However, while acknowledging the things that bind us, we must also respond to the things that divide us and this is true wherever we live or whatever our status on the social ladder.
My lifetime of contributing to local projects in low decile communities (often in leadership roles) has taught me a number of valuable lessons.
The first one is that Maoridom has and probably always will operate pretty much based on tribal influences where establishing unity is difficult when radicals with selfish agenda are too often controlling the narrative.
What you see on TV each night, where political cabals made up of individuals who claim to speak for all Maori are hogging the limelight with tales of suffering that bear little relationship to the truth, gives a false impression of Maori needs and aspirations common amongst the average folk who live together in harmony elsewhere in the country.
This deliberate play for the hearts and minds of all Kiwis is based on a false premise that Maori are unified in their quest for self determination.
For example, if you base your opinions solely on the protest Hikoi and demonstrations across the country against the Treaty Principles Bill, you might be persuaded to think this proposed legislation is the most divisive political tactic in recent history.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, where I live, locals are well aware of the facts behind the Treaty and what it says and means. They just want to get on with their own lives using the equal opportunities available to achieve their own aspirational goals - just like the rest of us.
Unfortunately, it is the woke leadership of the current government that allows this masquerading charade to continue unabated.
As a result we are in danger of loosing out to a bunch of radical extremists who have an exaggerated opinion of their own self worth and an agenda that sees no place for the bulk of average, hard working, decent folk who are being used purely to make up the numbers.
It is an outrage and something that needs to be cauterised before the blood letting destroys us all.
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
14 comments:
Clive. I commend you on your comments about living in the best country on earth.
However your unfounded, unbalanced accusations once again let your article down....
I already pointed out to you all the great things Luxons government has achieved in 18 short months, a list you said you largely agreed with.
I also drew your attention to the coalition agreements forbidding race based policy.
I pointed out the most privileged of all Maori activist's list of grievances against the Luxon Government's actions to rid us of the Clark / Adern Maori favourtism smoke bomb, sent up to distract voters from the billions of unaccounted for spending which provided absolutely no benefit for us..... although someone benefitted from that spending.
But you continue with a onesided diatribe complete with a dose of name calling.
How about some balance?
You could start with tne coalition agreement to ban race based policies, and perhaps mention the 9 year time frame Luxon is factoring in to his enormous and difficult change program, and the many factors Luxon will be considering when prioritizing the changes his government is working on.
Who knows, A smidgen of research and balance may provide you and your readers with positivity and optimism for the greatest country in the world.
From a human perspective, I found Ali’s memoir to be a harrowing & unfortunately very relatable read. What I don’t understand is how someone who has been abused & treated as a disposable commodity, can support racism, or, could have ever supported inhuman & morally & ethically reprehensible Covid policies.
I also don’t understand how any self-proclaimed feminist & champion of the ‘me too’ movement can support men’s feelings, disorders, fetishes & perversions over women & girls’ sex-based human rights.
In my experience, abuse made me allergic to BS & injustice.
In hers, it appeared to make her enable it - yet she somehow wants to be thanked? I don’t get it.
As for the author - not sure how you managed to segue from Ali’s memoir to recounting your own very A typical experience of a NZ male of your generation. Sure, it’s interesting, but to include it after commenting on Ali’s review is garish.
Thank you Clive. A lot of us can easily relate to your story and our own contributions to a better society - thank you for doing that for your rural community. Possibly easier in a smaller community where people still tend to come together for public functions and know each other better. It's so good for the soul.
People like yourself need to be acknowledged and gratitude expressed.
A lot of people supported Covid policies, if not on this site. Sounds as if she's pro-trans, which is unsurprising in someone who's been abused for her sexual choices.
Don’t see how comparing my up-bringing with Alison Mau’s is such a bad look. How could my childhood be described as “crudely bright?”
Most people would see it as mundanely normal.
That was my point - they are as different as chalk and cheese and that is why l am who l have become and she likewise. We are both the product of the environment in which we spent our younger years.
It happened.
Get off the grass Mark!
As you rightly point out - l have acknowledged the good things that Luxon has done since becoming PM .
But the balance you keep referring to is actually lacking in your own responses to me which portray you as a sycophantic supporter of virtually every thing Luxon has achieved while omitting the elephant in the room that will determine the outcome in the next General election.
I have often said - it isn’t what Luxon has done that will save us from the radical invasion that permeates much of our governing system. It is what he should have done and still might do that will save us from ourselves.
l’m simply pointing out how we live on a knife edge and sooner or later someone will have to be responsible for changing the way we do things.
At the moment, l have little faith that Luxon is that person - but we’ll see.
Enough said.
Of the locals who apparently respect Clive, it woud be interesting to know which way they submitted on the Treaty Bill.
You beat me to it Cive. My initial thought on reading Mark's comment was that he had cut and pasted, in error, a comment he made to some other article.
Where is the name calling ? Where is the bias? In fact where is the mention of the Government at all?
To Mark, if Luxon and the Government are doing so well why are they floundering in the polls. Given how useless the Labour/Greens/TMP are the combined Government polling should well ahead --10-15 points at least.
Hi Clive, why is it the Luxon detractors can't supply facts and references?
Where (besides answering my comments) have you written about the many good things the Luxon lead government has already achieved?
Where have you written about the need for large organisation change managers to consider many factors when setting out the prioritization and timing of tasks within the program?
Where have you written about the rejection of race based policy in the coalition agreement?
Where have you pondered publicly why Seymour didn't make the TOWP a bottom line? Seymour often says it is the most important legislation for nz so why did he allow the bill to be postponed?
where have you written about the enormity of the challenge the Clark Ardern axis left behind and the large swathes of money and time it will take to fix the problems?
Why do the Luxon detractors always resort to name calling, aren't they clever enough to come up with referenced facts, and reasoned arguments?
And last but not least, why don't the 'Luxon bad' bandwagon riders ever have a better solution to present?
Anyone suggesting an octogenarian who has not achieved a single good thing in his almost half a century of tax payer funded employment, is either bonkers or untruthful.
Anon 2:54 possibly aka MH - we do have a " better solution " , simply return NZ into a proper democracy - tomorrow would not be soon enough.
Not when Luxon possibly gets around to it - now, it's urgent.
Ross in answer to your questions.....
I challenged Clive in the past on his unbalanced, unreferenced, incorrect Luxon abuse.... hence the copy and paste from a previous comment.
Despite agreeing with the difficult positive changes Luxon's team have achieved in dire circumstances, Clive writes another unreferenced, unbalanced Luxon article.
Here is an example of Clive's 'mention of the government' and the bias.... "Unfortunately, it is the woke leadership of the current government that allows this masquerading charade to continue unabated".
I pointed Clive to the coalition agreements which state "The Coalition Government will work to improve outcomes for all New Zealanders, and will not advance policies that seek to ascribe different rights and responsibilities to New Zealanders on the basis of their race or ancestry."
Clive doesn't mention this coalition commitment once in his article... why not?
The coalition are doing extremely well in the polls considering the long and deep.recession they had to manufacture to rid us of the Clark / Ardern / Robertson / Orr axis of evil inflationary disaster.
Luxons team's delivery and poll results will keep building to the election. It will be a Whitewash!
In the mean time, it will be nice to read balanced articles.
Oh come on k Mark
I write opinion pieces which are just that - opinion pieces !
I don’t need to be lectured by you or anyone else as to what constitutes good journalism.
If l write rubbish or make statements that are challengeable then the readers will tell me so in no uncertain terms.
That’s what this blog is all about - an opportunity to discuss the issues of the day that concern us all.
I don’t know of any requirement that would exclude an exchange of opinions that are respectful but confined to the subject manner.
If you decide that we should all abide by your own self imposed recipe for respectful debate then you expect too much.
I have promised to stick to the rules decided by the moderator - is it too much to ask that you do the same.
That way we can all share opinions that will hopefully influence the politicians to get it right.
We need to keep them focused on what is at stake here.
If all they get is chapter and verse of things they want to hear, there is no need to change anything - overconfidence is a ticket to the wilderness.
Nobody wants this coalition to succeed more than me but l believe the best way to help them do that is to keep pointing out the areas where they are vulnerable.
If they won’t listen to us (their own supporters) then they are doomed.
To consistently succeed during difficult periods they need to be constantly told about the areas they need to improve.
They don’t need to be constantly told how good they are.
Success in politics comes from a regular, critical examination of what the priority objectives should be. Anything less is a betrayal of those who support you.
Clive, all I ask for is balance.
I never said the press shouldn't perform their vital role of exposing real, evidenced government shortcomings. "woke leadership of the current government that allows this masquerading charade to continue unabated" is an emotive opinion, not a balanced argument/conclusion, backed up by referenced facts..
The issue with you and the rest of the despicably, nakedly left leaning NZ media, is you are using your opinions to report Luxons government doing something you don't agree with whilst ignoring:
- the excellent management structures and disciplines Luxon has put in place,
- the mostly extraordinary management team Luxon plucked from obscurity. There are a few exceptions but Luxon is hampered by the hand he is dealt by voters, e.g., how is Judith Collins a minister? she can't answer one question on the Manawanui debacle.
- the extraordinary mess the Clark Ardern axis of evil left behind. To stay with the theme, The Manawanui's Clark/Ardern axis' DEI enforced personnel failures cost the Luxon Government / taxpayers a cool $140 million.
- the commitment by the Luxon government to solve many of NZs multi-generational hitherto conveniently ignored societal disasters: infrastructure, gangs, NZs wallet raiding monopolies and oligopolies, etc.
The problem with the media's self interested, biased, opinions is you have influence on voters, most of whom do not understand the enormity of Luxon's task, his excellent managerial planning and transparent reporting against plans, the skill, dedication, and extraordinary amount of work required for the many successes of the Luxon government.
It is your job to let your readers know both sides of the story so they can make an informed choice in 18 months!
So come on Clive, how about a balanced article on:
= the many great Luxon government achievements,
= the need for Luxon to prioritize and manage an enormous 9 year change program and why that means some solutions take longer than others,
= why interim stop gap solutions are employed (e.g., the coalition agreement to stop race based policies) whilst long term enduring solutions are developed and implemented,
= the requirement for Luxon to use his 9 years to devise and implement large and complex solutions, made more complex by the need to build in safeguards to prevent the next Clark advised axis of evil from reversing the solutions to free up tax money to continue the labour hierarchy self enrichment.
Failure to provide balance unfortunately lumps you with the media bankrupting Maiki Sherman and Jenna Lynch.
Come on MH. Its time to get off the floor where you are prostrating yourself, licking our PMs shoes. The PM is only human and he makes mistakes like we all do. As Clive pointed out, a good leader wants to be told when he may be making mistakes. He doesn't need any more yes-men around him
Post a Comment