Why aren’t we allowed to hate our enemies?

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Working people have the right to hate our enemies.

I got my first lesson in life on this issue when I was studying British history at school and came home with some comment about the British Prime Minister during World War 2 Winston Churchill being a great war hero. I was soon put right by my mum who was brought up as a miners daughter in Blackball on the West Coast. She knew that Churchill was a despicable enemy of humanity who got tossed out of government the first chance the British people got in 1945 – before the war had even ended. His crimes were many and varied – smashing the UK miners in 1926, prosecuting colonial wars in the Middle East, resisting any progressive welfare laws to protect the weak and vulnerable (does he remind you of anyone?). My mum hated Churchill with a passion and she had a right to do so.

There are a few people from history I also despise with a passion. They are not the awful historical figures like Hitler who I haven’t had any personal experience with but the ones I have lived with over the last 4 decades of conscious political activity. I despise these people because they are directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings in unnecessary wars. I despise them because they have removed health and safety regulations in the mining and timber industries in New Zealand and are directly responsible for killing amd maiming hundreds of hard working kiwis. I hate them because they introduced economic and social policies that in the 1990s produced an economic and social catastrophe in New Zealand (and many other countries in the world, including the UK and USA).

I lived in South Auckland during these years and saw a deliberately engineered depression hit that community. Official unemployment rates in my community hit 15% or more. For Maori and Pacific people official unemployment hit 30%. For South Auckland this was no recession – this was the equivalent to the unemployment levels of the Great Depression. I saw friends and families lives being wrecked. I saw kids commit suicide. I saw anger and frustration and demoralisation turn into crime, violence, drug and alcohol abuse. And I saw the capitalist politicians who imposed the policies that created this wreckage (Labour and National) go on to lead “respectable” lives. One of the worst of these scum was Ruth Richardson – National’s finance minister from the early 90s and subsequent founder of the Act Party. Rather than living a despised and isolated existence she continues to be fawned upon by the establishment and given lucrative directorships – including by the last Labour Government which left her on the Reserve Bank Board.

The same is true for Margaret Thatcher – UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. I am of Irish descent so my mum taught me a few truths about British imperialism in Ireland. In the 1980s I was witness to the frozen grin on Thatcher’s face as she watched the 10 hunger strikers die one by one. She presided over this vicious little war in an area and population not much bigger than Auckland that saw 3500 killed, 47,000 injured, and thousands imprisoned without trial. She was also a friend of the South African apartheid regime and denounced Nelson Mandela as a terrorist. She was a friend of the Pinochet military dictatorship in Chile that saw thousands of workers and students slaughtered. She (along with US President Ronald Reagan) refused to even criticise the French government for its act of terrorism in New Zealand when they blew up the Rainbow Warrior and killed Fernando Pereira the photographer on board.

I will continue to hate these people until my dying day. As they each pass away I will open another bottle of champagne to celebrate their passing – just as I would expect some of my enemies to do here when I go. I would far prefer they do that than have them shedding fake tears or making hypocritical speeches in remembrance.

The establishment and their press get all offended when we don’t bow down to their view of the world and celebrate their heroes. But I would like you all to compare how they reported the passing of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez just a few weeks ago and then compare that to the coverage of Thatcher. Chavez’s was a life genuinely worth celebrating as he had radically reduced poverty for the vast majority in his country and introduced free health care and education. He had more elections in his time in power than virtually any other country yet the establishment press continued to dismiss him as a dictator – even after his death.

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Thatcher in the UK, Reagan in the USA, Roger Douglas & Ruth Richardson in New Zealand presided over policies in the 1980s and 1990s that have left the big majority of people today no better off in real terms (in fact worse off for many) than when they came to power. That is actually the first time in the last 200 years that there has been no significant improvement in working peoples living standards for a whole generation. There is nothing to celebrate in that achievement.

22 COMMENTS

  1. Is it any wonder John Key wants GCSB to spy on Kiwis? Questioning the status quo/MSM-Associated press bullshit, doesn’t go down well with dear leader and co. Pretty much every union leader or activist during Maggie’s reign had their own MI6 file…

  2. Evil prevails when good men do nothing.

    Unfortunately, evil prevails whatever good men do. The evil empire has now achieved near-total dominance over most of the planet, and the empire is too strong for anyone one or any group of people to bring it down. Anyone who attempts to interfere with the wealth transfer system is incarcerated or murdered -legally, course, since the law is geared to protecting the rich from the poor.

    We must look forward to images of ordinary people in so-called developed nations being mowed down by ‘security’ forces, as the elites continue their programme of looting and polluting, transferring an inordinate portion of the ever-shrinking cake from the poor and middle classes to themselves.

    Only after there have been a series of mass killings in the streets may the security forces switch side and turn on their paymasters. It has always been so in hierarchical societies governed by psychotic sociopaths.

    The good news is, the system is collapsing. The bad news is, we have to pass through peak mayhem before any kind of transition to sane living arrangements can be established. And the other bad news is it will be too late because self-reinforcing and mutually reinforcing positive climate feedbacks that enforced corporate capitalism (fascism) encourages are in the process of making the Earth uninhabitable for humans.

    • The bad news is, we have to pass through peak mayhem before any kind of transition to sane living arrangements can be established.

      We don’t have to but we probably will.

      And the other bad news is it will be too late because self-reinforcing and mutually reinforcing positive climate feedbacks that enforced corporate capitalism (fascism) encourages are in the process of making the Earth uninhabitable for humans.

      That will probably be the PEak Mayhem we have to travel through first. After that it will be easy to tell people that capitalism and capitalists are evil.

      • Good luck with that. I’d suggest you will have an uphill struggle unless there is ready a viable alternative I existence that is more attractive. It would help if you got this up and running now rather than later. Of course you will have people like me actively working against it.

        • Aww Gosman, we’ll just close down blogs and no one will notice that you’re actively working against us.

  3. Great post. The left needs its balls back.

    “I will continue to hate these people until my dying day. As they each pass away I will open another bottle of champagne to celebrate their passing – just as I would expect some of my enemies to do here when I go. I would far prefer they do that than have them shedding fake tears or making hypocritical speeches in remembrance.”

    Meanwhile: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1304/S00120/labour-pays-respect-to-margaret-thatcher.htm

  4. Thatcher in the UK, Reagan in the USA, Roger Douglas & Ruth Richardson in New Zealand presided over policies in the 1980s and 1990s that have left the big majority of people today no better off in real terms (in fact worse off for many) than when they came to power. That is actually the first time in the last 200 years that there has been no significant improvement in working peoples living standards for a whole generation. There is nothing to celebrate in that achievement.

    How damn true this statement is.

    Everybody is at least 30 to 40% worse of now than if things had stayed the same.

    • Would you say that we have political parties forming governments that propagate minority policies, that is, policies that satisfy the major financial benefactors at the expense of the majority of the people? What policies, do you think, voting parents of the emerging poverty affected generation need? If their voices could be heard by the current government or aspiring political parties, what would they demand?
      I say, “demand”, because, is it not the responsibility of the state to care for the nations inhabitants? At least, should it not provide a safe and economically secure environment for parents to raise their children or, the members of households, to share in the opportunities for peace and prosperity all year round?

  5. Wouldn’t we be better to hate the evil people do rather than to hate the people who do it ?

    After all, we’d hate the evil just as much if someone else had done it.

    The problem with hate is it just makes US bitter and resentful.

    Better to follow Joe Hill: “Don’t mourn. Organize”.

  6. Yes, we both would be better off. Follow the Teachers rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. And,”love one another as I have loved you.” (Jesus Christ – the author of life). Timing is critical for a more happier and profitable outcome.

      • Believe it or not the Bible is still the world’s best selling book. But you can borrow one from your local library. If you haven’t read it, it is not just a vital book about good or God-fearing people; there are a number of “evil” doers, too. The reader will come to the conclusion that good does eventually win the battles of life. Whether those “battles” be by the sword, famine, depression, oppression, or pestilense, the goodies and the badies ultimately get their reward from a just God.

        For a modern parable have a read of Dallin H. Oaks talk: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/11/successful-living-of-gospel-principles. That is: “the parable of the bushy-tailed squirrel, the tree, and the dog, which illustrates my concern:”

        There are several examples from history of the attempts for peace and prosperity that came from the desire of people living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On a large scale, these are: the City of Enoch: “Pearl of Great Price”, Moses Chapter 7, namely; 18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

        19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.

        20 And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord: Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto Enoch: Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed.

        Genesis mentions that Enoch “walked” with God. (Genesis 5:21-24). Can you imagine what kind of person or people would be able to “walk with God” today?

        Well, a group of faithful followers called “Nephites” did just that for about 200 years following the visit and teachings of Jesus Christ. 4 Nephi: 2 “And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.

        3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.” 4 Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, is only one chapter, and near the end of the 200 years pride, apostasy and wickedness, brought about the destruction of this once happy people.

        It may seem that “all good things come to an end”, and therefore, is the effort worthwhile? YES!! Near the end the persistent evil doers will get their miserable rewards and the enduring goodies, their most happy rewards. This is justice and mercy!

        These ancient historical events or records are worth studying to advise the readers on what course of life to take today.

  7. She (along with US President Ronald Reagan) refused to even criticise the French government for its act of terrorism in New Zealand when they blew up the Rainbow Warrior and killed Fernando Pereira the photographer on board.

    – And said nothing as the French consequently sabotaged our produce in French ports by refusing to handle it. She then had the hypercritical gall to criticise NZ for putting our own market interests first and continuing to trade with Iran during and after the US hostage crisis.

  8. ”I am of Irish descent so my mum taught me a few truths about British imperialism in Ireland. In the 1980s I was witness to the frozen grin on Thatcher’s face as she watched the 12 hunger strikers die one by one”

    I’m of Irish descent too and fortunately my mother taught me to count..there were only ”10 brave men” (to quote a famous republican song).There’s plenty of evidence on the web that after the first 3 died that the Brits were prepared to accept the PIRA/INLA demands but Sinn Fein leadership believed (correctly) that it was a propaganda coup in upcoming Free State elections that they had candidates running in to continue the fast.

  9. I am of Irish descent too Mike
    Co Monaghan..
    The only problem with hate is the energy it saps from us & all around us
    Much like fear & suspicion
    I have met many peers who hate their real and ‘perceived’ enemies
    Thatcher was an expert in getting people to ‘hate’ other people.
    In the end I left the UK willingly all that hatred was so toxic
    I understand every reason you give above for hating.
    Hatred did not stop the Thatcher, Richardson Shipley Blair policies or legacies nor will it the Cameron or Key policies.
    The Irish woman who said this inspired me greatly. I stopped hating even though I can still get angry.
    .
    ‘I believe that hope for the future depends on each of us taking nonviolence into our hearts and minds and developing new and imaginative structures which are nonviolent and life-giving for all. Some people will argue that this is too idealistic.
    I believe it is very realistic. I am convinced that humanity is fast evolving to this higher consciousness.
    (Mairead Maguire)
    Critical thinking needed in 2013 not radical thinking though.. Have realised since heady radical thinking days, is a phrase that has been bastardised & hijacked so much by deliberately manipulated inferences that subvert all messages & silence the messengers..
    A pretext that radicals will always use hate as a basis for also using illegal violence or aggression?
    Another excuse for more state violence and repression.
    In the UK at least, this premis ahead of her funeral, will now potentially be used to predict pre=criminally leading to pre-empted detentions?

    If they plagiarise that here too,Presumably in Nact’ eyes it will be seen as THE one policy to solve the homeless, jobless, welfare reliance, dissident voices, crime statistics in one law change?
    I hope it isnt.
    See you on April 27th.

    .

    .

  10. NZ is adopting its own form of fascism now, and it comes through the back-door, being “promoted” by such mean spirited, biased, contemptous and arrogant “experts” employed by state agencies like the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income.

    They have since 2007 been employing a Principal Health Advisor by the name of Dr David Bratt, who lashes out at sick and disabled beneficiaries, treating them as if they are malingerers rather than truly sick and unable to work.

    “Work sets you free” is his catch-cry, and no matter what exposure and criticism gets thrown at him, his employer is apparently quite happy with him and his services, which includes giving “presentations” containing untrue, “pseudo scientific” and bizarre claims. He compared benefit dependence to drug dependence, and that being on the benefit is as unhealthy as smoking 10 packets of cigarettes a day.

    He and his other regional advisors on health and disability are succeeding in also influencing medical practitioners and other health professionals, above all so-called “designated doctors”, who adopt his “lectures” and “messages” to at least some degree. Even the Auckland City Mission have their doctors in their medical centre use his radical approach, to push people off benefits and into work, no matter what health issues they may present with.

    See this for yourselves:
    http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/uploads/file/Calder%20Centre/Sickness%20Benefit%20explanation.pdf

    http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf

    http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/2012/Fri_DaVinci_1400_Bratt_Medical%20Certificates%20are%20Clinical%20Instruments%20too%20-%20June%202012.pdf
    (see pages 3, 16 and 33)

    So perhaps pull out the next bottle of champagne once Dr Bratt will head to the hereafter, or perhpaps once a minister or CEO in charge of WINZ actually sacks the prick!

  11. There may be something in the old argument that welfare saps the will – of both givers and recipients.

    In simple terms; it was brought in to abate misery; and to protect the haves from the want to have too’s. And it never grew beyond.

    Same with trade unions. They taught those providing skills and knowledge and muscle how to bargain for fairer returns, then dismally failed to show ‘working class’ people other routes to using those skills even more productively for the good of themselves and those about them. They left them to swim with the sharks – as neo-liberal as those on the other side of the table.

    Some places, some people, didn’t stop with simply providing subsistence, yet they seem few and far between: Mondragon and Ricardo Semler’s model, for example. Still under development – and still operating in tough times.

    The introduction of better social care for people was a stop gap. And we’re spending more time, money, ingenuity on covering ‘new problems’, installing unexpected consequences, and moralising over people who use their ingenuity to extract as much good from a failing source as they can, than we are on going to the next step, or several, to lift the most of people into seeing more possibles than any single or collective of politicians ever can or ever will.

    The Thatchers and Douglases and so forth: they don’t know what to do. They truly don’t. They only know their own ways. So they do very hateful things to people not like them.

    Hating burns away the energy we need to move along, unfortunately. They’re still stealing our best, even when dead.

    One way would be to hold people anywhere as able to work things out among themselves and to stifle incipient tyranny. Get on with the messy experimenting with new ways and understandings.

    Nothing new can come from obsolete systems and stop gaps except to throw out more ‘strong people’ with tiny visions of what’s possible for the few, not the many.

  12. Bloody great rant Mike.I loved it & wish I could have expressed my feelings at the time so well.I was camping when I heard inn an isolated spot so heard late.I jumped up & down hollering & laughing,”She’s dead the bastard.Thatchers dead!”
    I told everyone they should throw her body to the pigs.It was a spontaneous outburst of anger at the talk of a state funeral.And hatred too.For all the reasons you give so rightly.And she was cold with it Mike.Cold & without compassion.What a shite
    I’m sorry people misunderstand your hatred & your expression of it.Even Christ got angry.There is such a thing as righteous indignation & it needs to be expressed.And no one who knows you & the work you have done all your life could ever accuse you of allowing your hatred to poison your life or your work.
    Fraternally lad.Good on you.Keep saying what needs saying
    David Colbourn

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