Young Zealanders – Rebels WITH a cause.

August 14, 2014

Good message. (Especially the last bit.)

The response from the likes of John Key, Matthew Hooton, Claire Robinson, David Farrar, Duncan Garner, Patrick Gower, that psychopath, Cameron Slater, certain Labour MPs, et al, illustrates very clearly that the Establishment Political/Media complex is not reacting to the swelling success of the Mana-Internet Movement very well. The rise of Mana-Internet is a direct challenge to orthodox, established political and media groups, not seen since the 1960s and 1970s.

In those two decades, the stressors which caused upheaval in our society, from the the youth, was sparked by a horrendous war in Vietnam.

The stressors these days are economic, social, and alienation.

But far from being long-haired hippies who are “tuning in, turning on, and dropping out” – the rebellion that is beginning to burst to the surface of society is more like “tuning in, turning on, and going online“. The young have a focal point for their dissatisfaction, and they have seized the day.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Make no mistake – National’s (and some Labour) careerist politicians; their tax-payer funded party strategists9 (hullo Jason Ede!); and fellow travellers in the media (hullo John Armstrong) and blogosphere are staining their y-fronts and panties;

Greg Boyed ‏- Broadcaster

“Watching Laila Harre making excuses and explain away Dotcom’s antics looks more and more like Joan Baez fronting Kraftwerk #dotcom”

Clayton Cosgrove – Labour MP

“…that New Zealand’s Prime Minister of any political persuasion should not be told to F off.

Political leaders who incite that, namely Dotcom, and political leaders who condone that, namely Laila Harre, have no place in our politics.”

David Cunliffe – Labour Leader

“I think it’s unacceptable. There’s no place for that in New Zealand politics.”

Kelvin Davis – Labour MP

“Sorta ironic that in 1914 Mata Hari was a German agent, and in 2014 there’s Laila. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Hari”

Guyon Espiner – Radio NZ Morning Report co-Host

“…you’ve put it out as an advertisement for your party. So it isn’t just a rock concert at that point is it? It’s an ad for the Mana Party and for the Internet-Mana Party and it is a rant of swear words and offence against the leader of another party.”

“What? Yelling at the Prime Minister?”

“But isn’t that rather patronising to say that young people’s expression of politics is to swear at the Prime Minister? I mean isn’t that rather patronising?”

“No, no, I don’t need to ask that question at all. I’ll decide the questions to ask!”

“YOU guys have to take responsibility for this because YOU put it out as an advertisement for YOUR party.”

“So that’s what you want to encourage young people to do? To express themselves in politics in this way, by swearing at the Prime Minister?”

“And encouraged by Kim Dotcom, holding a mask of a cartoon of the Prime Minister, while a whole crowd chanted ‘Ef John Key”, and you think that that’s a good thing? That’s, that’s, just [a] nice youth expression of political views is it?”

“Can we expect to see more of this from the Internet Mana Party?”

Duncan Garner – RadioLive

“This Internet-Mana party alliance is a sham and a rort, but MMP allows for it – which is the worst bit.

I’ve seen nothing like it in the history of NZ politics. It is far less transparent than the dodgy electorate seat deals National has done over the years. New Zealanders have every right to be outraged.

[…]

It now includes pulling out his cheque-book and paying for a political party and buying people off – so he can keep his sorry backside out of the clink.

It’s as simple as that: he’s paying big money so he doesn’t turn into some sort of dribbling mess behind bars – some reports suggest he’s pumped $4m into setting up this party. So how much is he paying his people?

I asked new leader Laila Harré yesterday, she said she wasn’t sure yet. But money between the two will change hands at some stage, she’s clear on that.

She will be paid for this role. Is this the New Zealand way? I would argue no way. It’s grubby isn’t it? You only get paid once you get elected don’t you?”

Duncan Garner – RadioLive

“So, the Prime Minister said you’re backed by a sugar daddy – Kim Dotcom. So what? Many people will actually agree with him. It’s not really wrong. Is it?

To take offence is to be far too thin-skinned. Harden up, shake it off, but – best of all – just ignore it.

The truth is the Mana-Internet Party is backed by a German billionaire on the run from the authorities. It is what it is: he’s paying you and he’s paying for the party to exist. If he goes, the party goes.”

Phil Goff – Labour MP

“I am also opposed to anyone buying a political party and buying influence by splashing out $3 million as Dotcom proposes. National allowed him to buy permanent residence in New Zealand. Now he thinks he can buy the political system.

Appointing Laila Harré is a good disguise for why he is putting the money in but most people will see that. As the old saying goes ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’. Our political system ought not be allowed to become the plaything of the very rich. A good reason why state funding of political parties ought to be considered.”

Patrick Gower – TV3

“Hone & Dotcom’s grubby deal. Hone, Kim & Laila wrecking MMP/diminishing mana of Maori seats- it is a disgrace.”

Patrick Gower – TV3

“Lalia Harré – you make me feel sick by how you are rorting MMP http://www.3news.co.nz/Opinion-Hone-and-Dotcoms-grubby-deal/tabid/1382/articleID/346334/Default.aspx#ixzz334vE4jKO … Same goes for your pals Hone, Dotcom, Minto and Sykes.”

Chris Hipkins – Labour MP

“Will the small parties promising to splash around taxpayer cash be held to account the same as the two big parties? Won’t hold my breath..”

Chris Hipkins – Labour MP

“Getting a bunch of people drunk and getting them to chant abuse isn’t political leadership. It’s thuggery and megalomania intertwined.”

Matthew Hooton – Right wing Commentator

“Feels a bit like a Munich Beer Hall in the 1920s?”

Shackleford Hurtmore – Twitter

“It was the Internet Party. They were actually chanting “FAQ John Key”.”

John Key – Prime Minister (Acting)

“I think New Zealanders will call it themselves. They’ll make their own decision about whether they want someone in the political system that does this sort of stuff.

I think the students are just part of a pawn about what this guy’s doing. But I just think New Zealanders will just sort of say that’s not the way we do politics in New Zealand, it may be the way that Kim Dotcom wants to do things.”

Stuart Nash – Labour MP

“@chrishipkins v dangerous when megalomania meets disaffected. Totally irresponsible behaviour & no place for it in NZ politics – or society”

Claire Robinson – ‘Political marketing specialist‘

“Laila Harre was expressing such indignation about John Key’s ‘sugar-daddy’ comment and the need for respect in the political debate, and at the same time you have Kim Dotcom posting a video inciting hate speech, in effect, among a crowd of young people.

It is sinking to such a low, and completely at odds with what she’s trying to do, exposing yet again the enormous disconnect between Kim Dotcom’s hatred for John Key and the way that she wants to campaign.

You could not imagine her standing up there and getting people to say ‘f**k John Key. That is not what she’s about.”

Tracey Watkins – Dominion Post,

“Recent displays of crowds chanting “f… John Key” and his effigy being burnt could either be put down to youthful hijinks or something more sinister. “

Conclusion…

In 2011, around a million New Zealanders did not vote because they saw no reason to. Especially young people. They saw nothing (or very little) in any of the established political parties that was of direct interest to them.

What they did see, generally, was a bunch of older generation New Zealanders – their parent’s generation – fighting over what resources we have left; screwing up the environment; not listening; and mostly making everything (eg, housing, university education, medicine, etc) as diabolically expensive as they could get away with.

Now they have a reason. They are pissed off. And they will vent their anger irrespective of quasi-parental admonishments from media commentators and political “scientists”.

In fact, Mr Key, Mr Davis, Mr Garner, Mr Cosgrove, Mr Armstrong, Mr Gower, Mr Farrar, Mr Goff, Mr Hipkins, Mr Espiner, Ms Robinson, Mr Nash, Ms Watkins, et al, if you stand in their way, you can expect to be told to fuck off in no uncertain terms as well.

Isn’t it interesting that when the rich and powerful bankroll right-wing parties into power, the media and commentariat barely blink. For them, it’s business as usual. It is the Establishment asserting it’s primacy and ensuring that the status quo (with minor fiddling around the edges) is maintained.

But as the NZ Herald’s own right wing commentators, John Armstrong, cleverly pointed out,

“For once, such a cheque was being written for a party on the left rather than one from the right…

[…]

… When was the last time a party of the left had that kind of money to throw around in an election? “

That is what angers National and right wing commentators – that we now have a level-playing ground.

As for the so-called “Left” – in this case, Labour – well, they are also justifiably mightily angry because,

Dotcom didn’t send the cheque their way, as did Glenn Owen who donated $500,000 to the Labour Party prior to the 2005 election,
The “missing million” – especially the young ones – have found their voice, but are not using it for the traditional institutions on the Left or the Right. Labour and National have largely been left behind; made irrelevent to young people by the older generation’s own actions.

Well, we wanted young New Zealanders to engage.

I believe that is precisely what they are doing.

Engaging.

On their terms.

All the bluster; all the self-righteous anger; all the finger-wagging at ‘bad’ language; all the sanctimonious, pontificating on “proper behaviour” by politicians, media commentators, right wing bloggers, political ‘scientists’, et al – doesn’t that just go down ‘so well’ with young people who are in a rebellious mood?

Really folks, the more you rail against the young, the more you will sound like your own parents.

Remember?

References

Twitter: Kim Dotcom

Twitter: Greg Boyed

TVNZ News: NZ politics gets dirty in lead up to election

TV3 News: Dotcom labelled a ‘thug’ by Labour MP

Twitter: Kelvin Davis

Radio NZ: Guyon Espiner (interviewing Laila Harré)

RadioLive: Duncan Garner: Party for sale – Internet-Mana is a sham and a rort

RadioLive: Duncan Garner: Harden up Laila Harré!

Facebook: Phil Goff