Let’s be clear, John Key’s sudden desire to change the flag is a diversion. He does not want to talk about inequality, he wants to distract the nation by some nonsense discussion on the flag.
Yawn.
With all due respect to the Prime Minister, NZ has far larger issues to discuss than changing the bloody flag. 270 000 children in poverty demands our attention. Growing inequality demands our attention. Warping the next generation with massive student debt demands our attention. Greening the economy demands our attention. Repealing mass surveillance laws demands our attention. Housing affordability demands our attention. Honouring the treaty demands our attention. Private prisons demands our attention. Stopping corporate welfare demands our attention. Stopping the pollution of our country via intensive over farming demands our attention.
Changing the flag does not demand our attention.
Based on the corporate welfare John Key loves to indulge in, this would be the new NZ flag…
Bingo Martyn. You have hit the nail on the head. When the going gets tough, let’s discuss changing the flag! Pathetic.
Ha ha love the “corporate” alternative. Quite appropriate.
Follow the money
For sometime now corporate New Zealand has been funding a campaign to change the flag.
Why? Because of the Union Jack in the corner.
It seems that some of our Asian trading partners are uneasy at the presence of this symbol of British Imperialism on our National identifier. Their worries are that despite all the trade deals and friendly nation status agreements, there is a still some sort of white anglo saxon colonial link to the fading imperial British Superpower on the other side of the world.
To allay these fears our craven business leaders want it gone.
Their motives are not patriotic, in fact they are the opposite of patriotic, they want to sell New Zealand down the the river to the highest bidder.
Their religion is money, they would sell their own mother to make a quick buck.
The fact of the matter is that despite all its failings the current New Zealand flag has a history.
We need to understand that history.
And British Imperialism is part of that history, for good or ill. To change the flag for some sort of slick corporate brand is to drag a veil over that history.
And, So What? If it is almost the same as the Australian Flag there are historical reasons for that too. (and many other countries national flags that are similar to each other).
Maori signed a treaty with the Crown identified by the Union Jack. Maori did not sign a treaty with with a bunch of advertising executives identified with a corporate logo.
We have yet to fully come to an understanding of the history of the imperial colonial subjugation of this country and fully understand it, to ditch it for some new unknown corporate colonial subjugation.
Vote down the change of flag. Vote it down massively.
What a load of crap Jenny. Any evidence for these claims?
“Anachronistic” this is one of the accusations that the corporate hucksters behind wanting a change level at the current flag.
Yet John Key their hero and cheer leader is hosting a Royal Tour of the country in an election year to bolster his image.
How anachronistic is that?
Isn’t there some sort of contradiction here?
Well no
John Key and his ilk want to retain all the symbolic trappings that glorify a ruling global elite that we must all bow and scrape to, because him and his corporate mates see themselves as part of that elite.
What about the name of the country New Zealand. Surely there was never a bigger anachronism?
Named by a dutch explorer who briefly visited and barely touched foot on shore. Who never conversed or interacted with the Tangata Whenua. With absolutely no links to this country. its history or its people, or even its colonial subjugation.
But John Key is adamant that a change in the name of the country is not up for discussion.
Why?
For two reasons:
1/ The front runner would be Aotearoa the Maori Name for this land.
2/ The right wing corporate elite selling out the country under the TPPA and other sell out deals don’t think their deals will be threatened by that bit of colonial anachronism “New Zealand” it is a name that speaks of (white) Europe but not of British Imperialism.
There is some history that John Key and his mates are happy to gloss over and some they want to retain.
Who gave them the right?
Let’s dump him and his referendum in a massive majority.
“But John Key is adamant that a change in the name of the country is not up for discussion.”
When has John Key ever discussed changing the name of New Zealand?
P.S. I also like its colours.
I couldn’t agree more. All of a sudden DonKey and his braying pack of mules think that referendums are NOT a waste of money and WILL be listened to. Well well, and for such an earth shatteringly important business. Not only that, it sounds like him and the rest of the national disgrace are going to be the ones to choose it.!!! I don’t think so. I barely think of DonKey as a proper kiwi even though he has that appalling provincial accent. Yet another reason to vote the nasty wankers OUT.
John Key should have to raise the requisite 300,000 thousand names on a petition before he can have his referendum.
New Keyland?
Yeah, Nah.
Bomber you’ve missed the cow off the flag.
Fonterra………….. a company with a country, with annoying people that complain when it further degrades the country’s ecosystem. …………………..But boy it makes a lot of money for a select few in NZ and even more for the foreign money (printed out of thin air, and charging interest !!!!).
A cow’s backside doing its business would make a great flag design.
That is so funny I thought about a cow on the flag also, or maybe a cow poo with a few flies buzzing around with PURE N.Z written along the bottom. Dick Frizzell really wants the flag design job but he is grossly over rated and his designs are awful on the Radio N.Z website. Don’t worry he trashed every good artist in this country in his( half pissed )rant of a book called About The Picture unless they came from Elam when he worked there. No Dick flag please!
There are two reasons behind this idea.
1. A distraction, as Bomber pointed out.
2. A get out the vote drive. It’s straight from the US Republican Party ballot initiative playbook. In a close election, put a controversial (read: right-wing rabble-rousing) issue up for a referendum that will bring out the middle-aged and elderly white voters (who critically might otherwise not bother to vote) to vote in the referendum.
They will then overwhelmingly vote for the conservative parties in the election conveniently held on the same day. Even if the referendum fails, if the Tories win the election then the referendum has served its purpose.
Suffice to say that it is a crude manipulation of democracy, and should be ridiculed from the start. We don’t need this tactic used in NZ.
What’s wrong with a get out to vote drive? Are you saying you’d rather people who don’t vote the way you want not to vote?
You speak of crude manipulations of democracy yet are are worried about a measure which would get people out to vote because it might not swing your way.
You can’t have it both ways. Having a democracy means having to put up with people you don’t agree with.
So, the recent referendum to retain our assets was a waste of money but this isn’t, according to the upstart dictatorial traitor.
I don’t think all this nonsense is necessarily solely focussed on diverting attention from significant problems plaguing the country during an election year, with these underhanded creeps who knows what they’re capable of, perhaps in progress scheming to do away with more of our sovereignty and offering a pathetic flag in compensation, duping and pandering to the negative passions and prejudices of the gullible in this country while most of us ultimately suffer as a consequence.
This country as it is and where it is going, currently doesn’t have anything to be proud of with major societal concerns that are exacerbated and existence denied. Is this to be celebrated with a new national symbol?
At least with our current flag, for a significant portion of its existence it flew over a nation which was fairer and dignified than it currently is and likely becoming. At least many served under it in a war against fascism as opposed to a new flag proposed by someone with whose government we see some fascist-like policies rear their head.
I suspect if there is a new flag we’ll see no elements of Maori design on it. A unique culture that we should all celebrate, something symbolic of unity as the document that defined this nation – I suspect isn’t appreciated, which says a lot about the level of maturity of this nation.
The upstart dictatorial traitor favours a silver fern. Silver ferns may come in handy when higher prices and lower incomes render toilet paper a luxury for many here in future. Perhaps a dollar sign superimposed over a swastika will be a fitting design. At least it could be credited with being honest of the situation and direction of this country propelled by the malicious liars guiding it.
I agree there should be a new flag in future, now is definitely not the time, we deserve a new flag once we finally mature as a nation as opposed to the fractured land continually inhibited by negative colonial-era attitudes. Then will be a time when we can be proud to symbolise it with a new flag. Whether we were here since time immemorial, many generations or recently – we shouldn’t be living like foreigners in our own country, exploited and degraded by a new wave of colonialism of big money – reject the trifle offerings of the traitors selling as out.
If we are branded with a new flag with the current dismal direction this country is going, it deserves only a one finger salute and should be printed on toilet paper, tissues and doormats as the corporate gimmick it is.
I suggest we start a campaign called “Jack Off!” to remove the Union Jack from the NZ Flag
We could have some kind of mass debate over the issue.
Maybe John Key is trying to claim New Zealand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEx5G-GOS1k&feature=player_embedded
I think Labour and the Greens would do well to not give this debate any oxygen as it is designed to engender argument and rile the conservatives against liberal parties. In other words, it is baiting the opposition.
[…] is total avoidance of discussing inequality. We’ve seen it with the desire to suddenly start debating a new flag, we’ve seen it with the manufactured outrage over Cunliffe supposedly misleading the nation […]
Comments are closed.