Why labelling Little as a ‘Unionist’ is a joke and how he beats Key in 2017

23
1

Andrew-Little

The line being used to attack Andrew Little as a ‘Unionist’ is just an absurd joke, and it comes from people who clearly don’t understand the modern NZ Union movement.

Andrew ran the EPM Bloody U, they are easily one of the most conservative Unions in the entire country. They are so tinder dry that they make the PSA look like a clown college. The EPMU doesn’t storm the barricades, they knock politely and ask for a committee meeting in a months time.

Little isn’t dogmatic, he’s pragmatic. To a fault.

It’s fucking ludicrous to point to his running of a drought dry Union as evidence that he’s some sort of commie ideologue when this Government are implementing ideological reforms against empirically based research in Welfare, Education, the Environment, Housing and the Economy. It’s evidence of how far to the right the centre has been pulled by 30 years of neoliberalism when an arch-conservative Union can be seen as communism when hard right free market brainfarts are being implemented monthly.

The line that Little only got in by the Unions is childish – we all knew the voting mechanics going into this race, it’s hardly a secret that Little was going to gain most support from that sector, whining about how he won is what losers and the self-interested do. Having a Party led by a multi-millionaire currency trader bitching about the Unions selecting Little is just too rich.

If you are deluded enough to think the EPMU are revolutionary, you don’t know the meaning of the word revolutionary.

What the Left need to appreciate is that after 6 years of corrupted mainstream media dirty politics, a vast chunk of muddle Nu Zilind love John Key. They electorally rewarded Key despite dirty politics and mass surveillance lies. Kiwi’s don’t respect intelligence, they respect confidence, that’s why Key is “Khomfortable” all the time. He’s “Khomfortable” because that shows confidence, he’s so laid back he’s horizontal. This shtick plays wonders with the sleepy hobbit anti-intellectualism that ferments below the surface of civil society. Little’s comfort in this own skin is the x-factor that will appeal to muddle Nu Zilind. Those who are intellectually intimidated by soy lattes will rally to Little’s Labour.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Just keep it stupid simple.

And for the Left? What the hell are they going to do? Labour can reposition to the centre to flirt with muddle Nu Zilind and the Left either accept it or don’t vote. With the Greens galloping to the centre so that they too can one day work with National, the Left either suck it up or lump it.

Little can beat Key because he resonates with the same anti-intellectual streaks that run the width and breadth of NZ.

2017 won’t be a great victory for progressives, it’ll just be a slightly less awful management team.

23 COMMENTS

  1. Not that I am disagreeing with your analysis. However, my attitude is so what if Little is a former Unionist. How is that less worthy than being a business person or lawyer? It’s really a side issue as opposed to the real issue which is what direction Labour is going to follow in the next term. Which you have alluded to.

    • He is a lawyer of course. Look the right wing media are going to bash Little with his union past, that is a given.

      • What, like the left wing, this blog in particular, which keeps bashing Key as a money trader at every turn? Hypocritical much?

  2. Im sorry I don’t understand how you came to the conclusion that Little and his background promotes anti-intellectualism or how Little is a step backwards in promoting a strong civil society. I just don’t see how that connection can be made.

    Equally I don’t understand how you thought Robertson was a step forward. Robertson who is basically just another third way, neolib, blairite apologist. Every time you hear robertson talk he is talking about third way policies which in my opinion is not the kind of agenda needed in New Zealand today. Also Robertson does not represent the new intellectuals. He represents the key ideas which constituted the Clark Era. There is nothing new about Robertson (or youthful for that matter).

    Robertson was also one of the key players in undermining David Cunliffe (DC you admitted was a key progressive force). Robertson who discussed the importance of culling party members who do not fall in line.

    I would prefer a union representative over Robertson who just epitomises the new managerial class.

    • 1 – I didn’t say Little promotes anti-intellectualism, I said his self confidence will appeal to muddle Nu Zilind where anti-intellectualism has a deep streak.
      2 – Please quote word for word where I said Robertson was a step forward.

  3. Maybe the EPMU have been so ineffectual because the ERA2000 is not much different to the ECA1991?
    Maybe Little has first hand knowledge of how ‘good faith bargaining’ is utter bullshit?
    Maybe representing the working poor has given Little perspective on the lives of min wage – more so than most of the wonks in Labour who’ve never had a wage under 50K?
    Maybe the major left-wing blogs should start writing about which policies will ignite the party’s base and convince the centre?
    Maybe negative blog posts from the left will force Little to chase the centre through same-old policies?
    Maybe now is not the time to be framing Little in a negative light.

    So many maybes…

  4. Yes , he will win in 2017 because Andrew little has done such a good job connecting with middle New Zealand in New Plymouth!or are you suggesting that those voters are just red-neck morons so corrupted by John Key’s confidence that they didnt vote for Andrew Little depsite his brilliance ?

  5. Mother Theresa’s love child promising a universal basic income and super at 55 would be hard pressed to win a provincial seat for Labour at the moment. Electorate seats are the FPP leftover gloss on the MMP party vote reality that torys take comfort in.

    Andrew Little looks a leftie to the msm because societal political perspective has changed so much. Social justice intelligence also in this country has gone backwards if the public reaction to Roger Sutton’s “G string Fridays” etc is anything to go by.

    Little if he survives needs to influence his party to play better with others, no more blanking the Greens or shafting Mana; and Mana, Greens and the marxist left have to keep advancing true left policies and community activism outside of parliament.

  6. Kiwi’s don’t respect intelligence, they respect confidence

    Exactly – any expression of doubt or uncertainty spooks the flightless bird. It will, however, respond brightly to crass stupidity delivered with a blend of awshucks humility, bravado and authority (especially if imported). The occasional spot of mongrel goes down a treat as well.

  7. Perhaps the only way we can pull back a bit leftish is to run a reverse of 1984 -install candidates and MP’s who profess to be right leaning ideologues, then, when they get into power, pull off the covers and drag the country screaming and bitching in a swing back to what used to be, the centre (but is now regarded as hard left – real hard left is totally unimaginable to most of the muppetts out there).

    • This is good thinking but I’m going for the John Key approach. The first term just keep things going the way they were with a few minor tweaks, then the second term rush through lots of stuff under urgency so no one can keep up, while also making incremental changes to how you describe what you’re doing and then if you get a third term just go all out hard left!

      Just remember to keep insisting you’re actually right wing and above all else, keep smiling!

  8. It’s quite interesting to observe the current rhetoric. “Unions. Ew yuck.” Supposedly, everyone’s against unions. This is EXACTLY the ideology and discourse that has been implanted by those who wield economic power. However, we need to re-focus a few definitions.

    I follow the simple definition that the working class means all those only have their labour to offer (and cannot, for example, start a business because they lack the ownership of land or capital). There is no middle-class, according to this defintion. And it seems right: we need to convince New Zealanders that unions are on our side and employers are not. The so-called middle class is affected by more-or-less the same issues of the lower class, albeit do not suffer to that extent. This includes rising costs of living without the proportionate increases or share in pay that we have earned. It also includes working more, longer hours for less pay. Jobs are becoming increasingly casualised and insecure. The National Party will soon be after your holiday pay after attacking your tea breaks and rights to collective bargaining. The government brands the country as a low-wage economy, and is proud of it. Whilst us workers are creating growth for the country, we are not getting rewarded for what we have earned whilst our bosses continue to pocket the dough produced from our labour. Structurally, growth does not trickle down – so the growth the country is making from our labour does not get rewarded.

    Little may not shake or stir anything. But I have hope that because he understands unions and the labour movement, he would be able to convey a change in the current rhetoric. John Key has succeeded in creating an us v them mentality (ordinary New Zealanders v the loony left who exist outside of the current paradigm)… and now it’s time to switch this. Why? Because it makes no sense for the country to get behind National considering that National does not work for New Zealanders… it works for the Warner Bros, it works for companies like Solid Energy, it works for the Motion Picture Association of America and it’s quite firmly in America’s pocket.

    Unions represent our interests. The Nats don’t.

  9. Given you were so completely wrong about everything in the last election what makes you think you have any clout in anything about…, well, anything.

  10. Ya don’t get me ,I’m part of the union , ya don’t get me I’m part of the union,

    Ya don’t get me I’m part of the union , til the day I die , -til the day I die!!!

    Well its early days and a lot can happen in three years,…of course there will be speculation but they haven’t even really settled on a deputy yet.

    And Im not so sure if its anti intellectualism….we are dealing with some pretty basic, fundamental and serious problems confronting a very significant sector of society now,….

    35 years of neo liberal ripping off of wages wouldn’t be a bad place to start if it put the shits right up those camps in both Labour and National.

    I say give Little a chance….only then will we see the guys mettle.

    And I’m in a hurry like anyone else who wanted fairness back in society..however…if this guy can scratch together a situation whereby the foundations of some of the more obnoxious tenets of neo liberalism are collapsed…I’m happy with that.

    Weve suffered 35 years of this neo liberal garbage so far…I’m sure another 3 years we can at least give to see what happens. Patience required . Unfortunately.

    He will have the weight on his shoulders to prove himself-and Labour – lets hope he comes up with the goods.

  11. Look at Nationals strategy. How do you sneak in otherwise unwanted right wing philosophy? They did not select some ardent cold right wing leader to front it did they? Instead they went for a polished illusionist/actor like Key to pretend otherwise. He was and is one of them but comes with a light hearted, harmless, slightly eccentric rich bastard, rugby, beers and barby image. The schmuck image has endured nicely.

    His visit to McGehan Close back in 2007 using 12 year old Aroha Ireland as a stage prop looked all caring but as it transpired it was nothing but a cruel stunt. And it wouldn’t surprise me if that also assisted the then budding PM to conduct a quick property valuation of this area. Plenty of prime real estate in them state house filled hills and maybe that’s where the plan to sell off of state housing came from.

    I don’t think any hardcore right winger would have choked on their champagne thinking this guy leading the National Party was some lefty sap because they all knew who Key was and what he was really about and giving a shit about some losers in some state house was nowhere near his or their agenda. It was the ultimate trojan horse strategy.

    And that is exactly what Labour must do. There is no point electing a Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong type to be pure as the driven snow left because Labour will never ever be reelected. If Little doesn’t scare the horses in opposition and they win in 2017 they can adopt Nationals Trojan horse model for the left in government! And I hope they do.

    • I don’t think any hardcore right winger would have choked on their champagne thinking this guy leading the National Party was some lefty sap because they all knew who Key was and what he was really about and giving a shit about some losers in some state house was nowhere near his or their agenda. It was the ultimate trojan horse strategy.

      Indeed, the illusion further reinforced by accusations from ACT et al on how National was really Labour Lite.

  12. The gift that Labour has that favours them, is not its leader but the ruling corporations third term,that Kiwi!s historically under M.M.P.shun for a forth term.

    Little, is not my cup of tea, he comes across gormless and Neo Liberal light.Yet it is early days, lets see how he shapes up in the coming months and if the poles do not rise,he will be tossed into the shark infested caucuses mercy..

  13. its really good that we have a Labour leader who knows what doing the hard yards mean and spineless John mite get more of a shock than he thinks from Andrew when he starts trying his usually in the house
    And lets face it Nicky Hager is good at blowing the bullshit news away
    and Key might just move on now hes getting offers from overseas and work his way back to his masters in the US and Eu for a debrief

Comments are closed.