Dear Leader loves you! Our cult of no personality

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john-key-smile-and-wave

The Cult of Dear Leader

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It was inevitable. The poll-rated ‘popularity’ of Prime Minister has evolved into a full-blown, carefully-choreographed, Cult of Personality the likes of which this country has never before seen.

The recent National Party conference focused on one man; John Key. The new catchphrase; “TeamKey“.

Everything was “TeamKey”. If you are not “TeamKey”, then obviously you are not “on-board the team”. It has a definite authoritarian, quasi-fascist ring to it.

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teamkey - 2014 national party conference - fascism - big brother -cult of personality - john key - national government (4)

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The visual effects surrounding Key became disturbingly familiar, as the Party unleashed an Orwellian-like publicity campaign reminiscent of  a Stalinist-style Personality Cult promotion of their leader;

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john key - joseph stalin - cult of personality (1)

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Team Key v.s. Team Stalin?

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Key and baby and stalin and baby

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Even the techniques seemed eerily familiar. Only the year was different- from 1984 to 2014;

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john key - Big Brother - cult of personality (2)

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The Great Leap Forward to a Brighter Future? Did Mao and Key have the same PR firm for their campaigns?

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brighter future great leap forward

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But this is the 21st Century. We don’t do tacky political posters any more. We iz more sophis-ti–katud…

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hoarding1

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For those who are  a tad long-sighted,  Party functionaries made absolutely certain that The Leader’s image could be seen from every vantage point, by every person. It certainly worked wonders for Big Brother’s re-election chances in 1984’s ‘Oceania’;

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team key - team big brother - video screens

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(If you’re going to do Cult of Personality, number one on the List To Do’s – phone Hire Quip for f*****g big telescreens.)

When the left began to refer to Key as “Dear Leader” soon after the 2008 General Election, it was meant as a spoof. We didn’t intend it to be a literal suggestion  for a future election campaign-strategy;

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teamkey - 2014 national party conference - fascism - big brother -cult of personality - john key - national government (7)

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Even the Party’s campaign slogan this year has a weird, pseudo-Soviet hint to it;

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New Zealand National Party Annual Conference

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What next,  Five Year Plans?!

Of course, no Cult of Personality is complete without the photogenic partner to complete the conflated image of sexual success with political power. It works equally well for despotic dictators as well as demagogic  democrats; for Team Key or Team Assad;

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team key vs team assad

 

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Having kids in publicity shots is always a handy bonus, to add the “family element” to any successful Cult of Personality. Above all, Teamkey must be seen as family – especially kid – friendly;

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team mussolini vs team key

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Will we soon be referring to Dear Leader Key as “Uncle John”? The kindly  Great Leader to whom we look for solutions how to increase our rice crop yields and produce more pig iron?

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John-Key-leather-chair-DimPost.wordpress.com_

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The Party will always show Great Leader relaxed. Never upset. That would reveal things to us proles, that the Party’s central committee would rather not have made public.

Things like attacking and under-mining worker’s rights; implementing mining in national parks and deep-sea drilling of our coast; rising child poverty, hunger,  and spreading incidences of Third World diseases; increasing wage-wealth inequality; 15,000 homeless people  in just Auckland alone; tax cuts for the rich, paid by the sale of state assets; increasing prescription fees which the poor could barely afford before; giving away taxpayers subsidies to charter schools, smelters, movie companies – while rape crisis centres had their funding cut (until election year rolled around) and closed down.

All these things must never be reflected in the Leader’s expression. He must be happy, casual, and supremely confident. Even when things are turning to sh*t for the rest of us.

This is Teamkey.

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john key smiles

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Certainly not this;

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John Key Liar

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In case anyone thinks that conflating our Dear Leader with the likes of Stalin, Assad, Mussolini, etc is outrageous and nonsensical – they are essentially correct.

But no more outrageous and nonsensical than the Cult of Personality that the National Party’s taxpayer funded strategists and media spin-doctors  are in the  process of creating around one man. Elevating one human being to such a position positively invites ridicule and comparisons with past larger-than-life political leaders.

There are other reasons why personality-driven politics should be anathema to our way of doing things;

1. The public becomes more cynical as our democratic system devolves into a superficial contest of personalities.

The United States is a prime example where personality-driven politics will lead us – low voter turn-out; venal, incompetant people elected to power; and the rise of extremist political factions such as the ‘Tea Party’.

2. The media will love it. Personality politics will mesh perfectly with personality-driven media reporting.

In fact, it would be the perfect symbiotic relationship, with each feeding of the other.

3. How will this impact on our political leaders’ mental state? Love them or hate them, they are human, and a Cult of Personality will eventually lead to some very bad policy-drafting; decision-making; and laws, as they begin to believe their own hype.

It has happened to us once beforte. Robert Muldoon should serve as a salient reminder to us how one man’s unrestrained ego led this country to near-ruin.

It also invites  the very serious question; if the National Party are basing their re-election success on one individual – does that mean that they have no policy successes; no social or  economic gains, upon which to base any other style of campaign?

Perhaps the real question though – is a Cult of Personality compatible with the Kiwi group-psyche of self-effacement and not blowing one’s own trumpet? After all, it is said we are a nation of tall-poppy cutters.

If   National are not careful, #teamkey may simply become hash-teamkey.

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References

Kiwiblog: The Government targets

Radio NZ: Christchurch rape crisis centre closing

Taranaki Daily News:  Hungry kids eating pig slops

Fairfax media: Auckland’s hidden homeless

NZ Herald: Meds price hike: ‘Children will die’


 

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Team key - me myself  and me

Above image acknowledgment: Francis Owen/Lurch Left Memes

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= fs =

43 COMMENTS

  1. This is rather sad and desperate attempt to try and conflate NZ with authoritarian regimes. The disdain for democracy shown by the author of this piece is clear. As much as you dislike National and Key they are no where near the level of the ppeople that are being linked to. This reads like a crazy Tea Baggers rant against Barrack Obama.

    • Gosman

      Learn to read the entire post before spouting off.

      This section evidently slipped your meager attention:

      In case anyone thinks that conflating our Dear Leader with the likes of Stalin, Assad, Mussolini, etc is outrageous and nonsensical – they are essentially correct.

      But no more outrageous and nonsensical than the Cult of Personality that the National Party’s taxpayer funded strategists and media spin-doctors are in the process of creating around one man. Elevating one human being to such a position positively invites ridicule and comparisons with past larger-than-life political leaders.

      • And Gosman:

        Look up the meaning of the word “DEMOCRACY” in the dictionary. Or better still, in a dictionary, if you know where to find one!

    • C’mon Gossie you can drop the ‘voice of reason’ act, read Frank’s post carefully and your concerns are answered by the author.

      “Disdain for democracy”? That is more Dear Leader territory and definitely the NZ Herald approach with their recent attempted stitch up of David Cunliffe and backside covering since, which was investigated in great detail by Frank Macskasy.

    • Read the 10 steps to Fascism link (Naomi Klein ??) I put up a week ago and it makes this article NO WAY NEAR as ‘wrong’ as you suggest.
      Where are Nationals policies and where is the discussion about why cutting grants to the needy so tax cuts can be given to the ‘rich’ makes sense, and then we HAVE to sell and asset sales to make the books LOOK balanced (which JK LIED about doing……on two separate occasions years apart. !!!).
      This is becoming a cult style election campaign (by National) and that runs DANGEROUSLY close to an easy slip into a Fascist state.
      Read your history !!!

      • Sorry for the typo’s, my i/net link is playing up (weather and cell-data link???) and my access to the edit facilities keeps dropping.
        Hopefully my point has been understood.

    • Gosman, when I was at High School, our teachers taught us one critical thing before answering test papers (especially School Certificate and UE); Read the Question carefully.

      You’ve seen what you wanted to see, not what I’ve written.

      In doing so, you’ve totally avoided (as usual) the point of my piece – that National is engaging in a cult of personality, because when push-comes-to-shove, they have nothing else upon which to base an election campaign.

      So many of National’s (especially Key’s) promises have failed to materialise, it’s hard to know where to start.

      A cult of personality is the fallback position when a party or ideology has nothing else to go on.

      • “…because when push-comes-to-shove, they have nothing else upon which to base an election campaign.”

        OK, so let’s address that, because you are quite wrong.

        We have the lowest crime rates in many years. We have one of the highest growth rates in the OECD. We are enjoying a period of relative price stability, and low interest rates. The country has come through the GFC with both it’s welfare system and it’s international financial reputation intact.

        The reality is that on most measures this Govt. has been competent managers of NZ inc, and that is reflected in their poll ratings.

        • Ok, let’s let’s address your usual bullshit, Anonymous ACT Supporter Intrinsicvalue;

          “We have the lowest crime rates in many years. ”

          Which now seems to have been manipulated by cuts to Police and Justice Dept funding? Plus a ‘word’ in someone’s ear to redice the number of prosecutions by the Police?

          “We have one of the highest growth rates in the OECD.”

          Yes. Predicated on a housing boom in Auckland; a city destroyed by two massive earthquakes; and shipping dairy products and raw logs to China. Something even the Nats couldn’t (?) f**k up.

          “We are enjoying a period of relative price stability…”

          Coming out of a recession caused by the global financial crisis? How could we not have “relative price stability”?!

          But will till interest rates hit 7% to 8%. Then we’ll see an end to that “relative price stability”.

          “… and low interest rates.”

          You must be a slow learner.

          As has been pointed out to you on numerous occassions, but you seem too dense to understand, interest rates are dictated by the RBNZ, not governments. When mortgage rates hot 7% to 8%, you’ll be the first one to copy and paste and re-use this fact.

          “The country has come through the GFC with both it’s welfare system and it’s international financial reputation intact.”

          Rubbish.

          The Nats have under-mined the welfare system by making it harder for people to access the system. And once enrolled, the hoops they’re put through is something that only right-wing fanatics like you would approve.

          With the demonisation of welfare recipients and state intrusion in their lives, National’s track record has been vindictive and manipulative.

          As for our ” international financial reputation” – yes, the previous Labour government did leave our economy in fine shape to weather the GFC and recession.

          As John Key pointed out not too long ago;

          “The level of public debt in New Zealand was $8 billion when National came into office in 2008. It’s now $53 billion, and it’s forecast to rise to $72 billion in 2016. Without selling minority shares in five companies, it would rise to $78 billion. Our total investment liabilities, which cover both public and private liabilities, are $150 billion – one of the worst in the world because of the high levels of private debt in New Zealand.”

          http://www.national.org.nz/mixed-ownership.aspx

          http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nLphWzbp25wJ:www.national.org.nz/facebook_mixedownership/new/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz

          You are essentially repeating the same gibberish you’ve been posting since you first appeared on this blogsite.

          • I wish I had as much energy as you do to reply to the utter rubbish Gasman and IntrinsicBullshit spout on this site on literally a daily basis. Reading their posts is draining and demoralising to say the least. And somehow they even get “up” votes.

            • It’s not that difficult, Nitrium. Their bullshit is the same so my responses are pretty much the same as well. The lack of originality on their part is very handy… 😉

    • No where in that did I read that we are the next Syria or even the Soviet Union.

      But you cant deny the fact that Key is being marketed just like any other despot of the last 100 years either real or fictional and you’ve got to ask why that is!

      If you doubt that read the latest or at least a very recent North and South magazine. Its the main article, 10 glossy pages dedicated to John Key. Its lay out is simple, lead in with a smiling woman kissing Key, then smiling photos of peasants, the kind that North and South stereotype as Labour, Green or NZ First voters accompanied by bold headlines or bold sub headlines such as;

      “He can talk to the bloody unemployed” (note the attempt at working class language) ” and very disadvantaged people and they don’t regard him as stuck up. He’s just a natural good joker” (more North and South interpretation on working class speak)

      Or another sub headline;

      “Highest pay out ever, boom times, dead right, Times are good, the lands still worth a lot of money”.

      The article is designed, quite obviously, to be picked up in a cafe as I did and to skim over the article but for the reader not to miss the message which is John Key is a once in a life time saviour and yet an ordinary kiwi bloke who has steered us through tough times. Even the masses love and trust him, so get out and vote for him or in the very least don’t vote at all.

      No mention that I saw of the debt racked up under National or that its Auckland’s housing market that is giving the economy “growth” but not the kind that most people will ever benefit from and one denies other Kiwi’s a home much less and affordable one, or that Christchurch’s misfortune is another major economic driver or the dishonesty or the lack of any idea policy wise etc, etc, etc, nothing!

      What this North and South article did was give me some insight into what it must be like to live in North Korea and to pick up any publication praising their Dear Leader without question.

      And the similarity between us and North Korea is that those in power have to cover over the ever growing cracks in their administration with smeared on bullshit.

      • It’s embarrasing because you could take any popular leader of any political party – right and left – in any mature constitutional democracy and write almost precisely the same article. Even then this is a bit of a strain.

        For example, “The Great Leap Forward to a Brighter Future? Did Mao and Key have the same PR firm for their campaigns?”

        So what do the slogans have in common? Well they refer positively to the future and, well, that’s it.

        • Liam Hehir says:
          July 9, 2014 at 5:12 pm

          It’s embarrasing because you could take any popular leader of any political party – right and left – in any mature constitutional democracy and write almost precisely the same article. Even then this is a bit of a strain.

          Maybe, Liam, in a mature democracy, political cults of personality would be ridiculed if they were ever attempted.

          • Okay, so do portraits of Michael Joseph Savage count as being a cult of personality? What about a close confidante of David Cunliffe – and guest blogger here – adopting that same name as a moniker?

            If not, why not?

  2. “In case anyone thinks that conflating our Dear Leader with the likes of Stalin, Assad, Mussolini, etc is outrageous and nonsensical – they are essentially correct.”

    Why (is is outrageous and nonsensical)?

    – When Team Assad and Team Mussolini came along, people thought they were wonderful. Many thought Frank Bainimarama was wonderful too, and other little malignant narcissits that cane to incrementally dismantle democratic processes and institutions until they were all gone.

    – What ekshully are we relying on here that Team Key isn’t a budding little despot, other than ‘faith’, ‘trust’, a dysfunctional media and weasel words to date?

    – Key’s already shown he’s prepared to break all the rules he doesn’t particularly like (public service appointments, cronyism throughout, excessive use of urgency in parlyarmunt)

    – and of course the right’s defender trolls are out on deck as quick as they can to protect dear leader to protest too loudly – he already has excessive numbers of minders and traveling enterage in order to look egotistically ‘presidential’. Now we have his volunteer media minders ready to jump on everything they can find on social media.

    (How VERY dare you Frank! Just not cricket! If I had my way I’d put you in the bloody army to show you some discipline! /sarc)

  3. True observation! His greasy image is all they’ve got to cover up the imploding evidence of corruption that the NatAct government reeks of. Playing to the greed in their followers–however badly the country, it’s future economics, and environment are impacted–with a lap-dancing banker.

  4. Same strategies maybe, but one could never confuse the totally different ultimate aims. Can’t see it making much of a difference to the outcome of the election.

  5. Of course it’s all completely Orwellian.

    There is no ‘better, brighter future’ -well not for the ignorant masses; the 0.1% at the top will do well in the short term, until global Ponzi economics comes crashing to the ground (rather likely later this year, judging by the massive disparities in exchange rates, trade balances, and sovereign debts etc., but definitely by 2016). By then the ignorant masses will have voted for further enslavement. After all, ‘war is peace’, ‘ignorance is strength’ and ‘freedom is slavery’.

    A bit further down the track comes collapse of the industrialised food system and a little later collapse of the global systems that make life on Earth possible. However, Shonkey and his band of rogues are not concerned about any of that.

    • And we all know how well it’s turned out for Ireland. Far out. Thanks for the article, unreal.

  6. Although this is good for a superficial laugh, it ignores the fact that all the examples are used by politicians worldwide – the loyal, trophy-esque partner pulled out to smile and wave, perhaps with kids in tow, holding and kissing babies… it’s a good parody of politics in general but the angst is misplaced by solely targeting National as if they are the only ones doing this.

    That said, the one insightful thing which stands out is when the author notes how a ‘personality-driven’ politics will fit hand in glove into a ‘politician as celebrity’ media. What I would give to see media covering issues of policy and analysis of the effects that policies have had rather than political news seeming like the celebrity gossip pages…..

  7. Well if the Nats are going to run a personality cult campaign around their Dear Leader they should expect a large degree of mocking.

    Really, what else were they expecting? For everyone to bow down at Dear Leader’s feet???

  8. Hey Frank, thanks for this post. Seeing the way many of their MPs are fleeting in and out of South Auckland for the pacific vote, when guys like Minto, Harawaira and Sio (to name a few) have devoted their lives to low income areas, is quite sickening. I come to only one conclusion that should we have another term of this government, truth will always prevail. Nobody will be able to hide from the public, the consequences of side deals like the TPPA, TISA, OBR and the inadequate policies addressing climate change. Why? B/c the effects will be quite prominent, with higher unemployment, more poverty, less resources available to those who need it ….. and at the end of the day… nobody likes being made a fool. Especially the poor…. Revolution much?

  9. I recall the last time I was in NZ at election time (2008) – National’s hoardings, regardless of electorate and candidate, all had Key’s image beside the candidates image. Even then, the message was clear – You weren’t voting for (X candidate) – You were voting for Key.

    Well, I wasn’t, but you get my point.

  10. Frank:

    Excellent essay – I loved it – especially the concluding section.

    But I can only give you 9.999 out of 10 for it.

    Thats ‘cos you forgot to mention this year’s NP local candidate posters – you know – the ones we saw on TV News last night where the locally-standing candidate is shown on one half of the poster. And you-know-who, of course, is shown on the other half of the poster – with the same cheezy grin as we seem to have to endure on all the NP* publicity stuff this year.

    p.s.
    *NP – this is short for National Party.
    And no, its not short for NaPpies, (as in “JUVENILE”)!

  11. I wonder if this is the reason for resent ‘Jonh says one thing, Bill says another’ incedents (Mr Key starting to believe his own hype, which should be a worry).

  12. I laugh when media calls him “the most popular prime minister of all time”
    What they fail to say is, the first prime minister of the technology age, where we now have a booming social media society that was previously never around.

    I think David Lange, or Helen Clark would have been the most beloved prime ministers of all time. Even Nats get nostolgic for Helen.

    • I would go further back and say the likes of Norman Kirk could be considered the most popular. You can’t really put numbers on it, though, because there was a time when politics was more about values and policy than personality…

  13. I thought this bit was a bit unfair, Frank: “Of course, no Cult of Personality is complete without the photogenic partner to complete the conflated image of sexual success with political power.”

    I really can’t see how Bronagh is particularly photogenic – in fact she is pretty average as far as looks go. I have no idea about any other qualities she may have, and I think we should probably leave her alone. I don’t think she’s a trophy wife at all, and wish both of them a long and happy relationship, as far from the public eye as possible.

    I remember that Big Norm was admired by many and people were devoted to him in a similar way to how the Nactoids are devoted to Key. The difference is that people loved Kirk because of who he was and what he did. Key is a hollow shell, a special effect, and the whole thing is manufactured by the media. I expect them to do the same with Simon Bridges once Key has gone.

  14. First, I don’t think Bronagh Key should be indirectly compared to Bashar’s wife Asma by photo proximity. That is not fair and you should remove it!
    Second. I looked through John Key’s speech to the National Party Conference as reported by the Herald. Key didn’t even acknowledge that anything in this country was less than perfect. This speech could well have been written for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s with a few minor alterations to fit it to New Zealand conditions. It is so funny that the MSM try to describe Labour’s election campaign as presidential-style when National’s couldn’t be more American presidential-style if they tried.
    Teamkey is a joke, there is no team involved, it is just Key. Just like Russian politics – how many Russian politicians do we know apart from Putin – none because they are nobodies. Just like National here – it isn’t a party anymore – it is just an appreciation society for John Key. If Key was honest (yeah right) then the National Party candidates would be listed as “John Key’s National Party” on the ballot paper. Jim Anderton did this as “Jim Anderton’s Progressive Party” in previous elections. At least he was honest about it.

    • Ovicula & Mike – interesting points re Bronagh.

      The main reason I included the image was that she has been part of National’s campaign by having her on-stage with Key. In that context, she became part of the “teamkey” strategy. Having said that, using images of politician’s partners is not something I’ll be doing regularly as I prefer focusing on politicians and their comments, and parties and their policies.

  15. Personality cults are ultimately cruel. When the public abandon Key, as they will, they won’t merely be declining his policy offerings, but judging that the man himself is fundamentally lacking. Better to have more statesmanlike politicians who understand that personality cults are a truly desperate folly. It’s also a poor tactic to run against DC – Key has been diminished by years of professional insincerity – there’s not much person left to like.

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