My column for Waatea news this week was called ‘Privilege in an under privileged country‘ where I explored the anger generated by the St Bede’s rowing incident.
I wrote…
Such elitist privilege for an event that is firmly rooted in English class bigotry has sounded like nails on an egalitarian blackboard for those New Zealanders who aren’t benefiting from the Rock Star Economy.
Having the wealth to just buy the outcome one wants is an electric shock to working people and witnessing it gives vent to the chasm between the haves and the have nots in this country.
Today’s story about an Auckland property developer’s Lamborghini which was towed for illegally parking in a disabled space has provided a quote so privileged that it simply can not pass without comment.
When challenged for parking his car in a disabled parking space he said…
“I have a disabled brother,” he said. “Many cars get towed from that area so it is unfair that you are purposely victimising myself because of the calibre of my vehicle.”
…breathtaking isn’t it?
The yawning chasm between the self justifying privileged and the hungry embittered and bruised masses has never sounded so ugly.
I nearly flatlined with laughter and contempt as I read it in the NZH this morning. Could not believe he said that!
Having wads of cash does not stop someone being a total chump eh!
Must have got some behavior tips from our ‘privileged up’ Mr I can do what ever I want Presidolt DonKey
and arrogance training from his parlimonkarian cronies.
For a moment there I thought it was Mike Hokings’ car. It’s something he’d do and definitely say.
Quite frankly I think you would need to be a bit disabled to be even manage to get into the thing
Mr Hosking was gasping for a bit of air this morning, on 1ZB, between two promotions he did, one for Sky City of course, the “assembly of the poor” that built the Sky Tower, to “serve” the interests of Aucklanders, and one for a Fletcher Building and their home building business.
Mr Hosking is also a “poor” soul, of sorts, he is rather well off, gets paid and supported by the same ones supporting Key and Nats, but he has something missing, that is a SOUL and honesty.
Hence he is really poor, same as this Lamborghini driver, who appears to feel to “discriminated” against, we should start running a campaign for the poor soul rich, that “deserve” better, as they are the ones keeping us all employed and fed with their taxes, as they claim?!
The last bit was tongue in cheek, if you care.
Oh these poor and discriminated, the poor souls of Mammon, I’d say.
@ Mike in Auckland –
These types (Hoskingesque) are materially rich, but deficient in spiritual wealth, which really makes them poor.
The quoter raises a very good point
It would be a non-event in the media if a car was towed away from a disabled park. However as the member is a successful member of society who contributes greatly, the good ol Kiwi Tall Poppy Syndrome takes over and the media vilifies him.
It gets worse when it turns out he had genuine reason for being in the disabled park albeit one assumes he was not displaying the necessary paperwork at the time of the infringement.
The so called massive gap between rich and poor is nothing but a media driven myth based little of factual evidence. It is disappointing our media continues to run with these sorts of stories in an effort to sell papers. In reality these stories create hatred and division in our society.
Property developer “contributing greatly?”, a “genuine reason?”, I suggest that you listen to the BBC podcast of HardTalk with the “extremely” wealthy entrepreneur Nick Hanauer. Perhaps it may cause you to rethink the tribalist mindset in which you seam trapped.
We have guessed you ARE the real Matthew – that's why you have more -ve likes, than +ve. And it's not about prick envy, it's all about hatred of a-holes and neoliberal attacks and systematic dismantling of kiwi egalitarianism.
TRM – you’re right. The car shouldn’t have been towed.
It should have been crushed; compacted; melted down; and re-cycled into wheelchairs. Then shipped of to a Third World country where people with disabilities live in a way you can barely imagine.
Not that you care.
People like you never care.
Unless you’re suddenly impacted yourself. Then you expect support and empathy from everyone else.
Just be thankful you live in a civilised (mostly) society, instead of a dog-eat-dog jungle where arrogant wankers like that Lambo-owner have entitlement “issues” that would make a Russian Oligarch or American One Percenter blush with embarrassment.
Have a nice day.
Oh, by the way. As a right-winger, I guess you’d be hot on law’n’order and individual responsibility, eh?
Where is “Crusher Collins” when you need her?
I wonder, I wonder, what this is all about, maybe the crushing of cars was only meant to be exercised on the “poor” “boy racers”?
Indeed you might be correct, Mike. Certainly not for One Percenters with flash cars, or their in-training progeny miffed at missing sporting events…
Hi Matthew.
I agree with you about the sensationlist way in which the media tends to deal with issues these days. There is little of fact or substance indeed in most of what we read, hear and see in the so-called news. Like you, I don’t like the way we seem to be heading towards an ever-more polarised society in many ways.
I’m interested, though, in your claim that the claimed increasing gap between the rich and the poor is nothing more that a media construct in order to sell papers. All data and research I have come across to date seems to very much support the suggestion that this wealth gap is, indeed, widening, and at an accelerating rate. I would be very interested to read any data (facts) you have which might contradict this.
Kind regards
Simon
I live in Onehunga, just a stone throw down from Royal Oak and the bit further up north electorate called “Epsom”. Since Key and Nats took over in 2008 I have witnessed first hand, the continuous increase of “flash” SUVs, of Beamers, of Mercs and other vehicles on the road between Newmarket, Remuera, and some other suburbs, just like one of the wealthiest in the country, Epsom.
I have repeatedly travelled by bus, as I tend to use public transport, and care about the planet, and gone from Remmers to GI and other places. What I observe is different “worlds” in this country, like people living on different planets.
The ones in Epsom and so seem to be doing very well, thank you, they have newest vehicles, go on overseas trips, do their expensive homes up, but just down the road a bit, it is a totally different story, and people are struggling, to just get enough food on the table, and pay the rent or mortgage off.
John Key and his lot have succeeded in dividing this country to degrees never witnessed before, it is even worse than under Douglas and Prebble and Richardson now. Go up north, go to Hawke’s Bay, the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Whanganui, go to South Auckland, and some parts even on the South Island. And you see poverty, neglect, despair, and total hopelessness.
The gains of the Queen Street farmers, of the small elite investor brigade, of the ones still running some successful business and being in elite technical and other jobs, they are one gains of a small part of society.
Many others, especially in the middle class, are desperately trying to keep up with the Jones’, to pay their ways, to afford their housing, and to even afford sending their kids to school, so they get an average education.
This country is so sold out, destroyed in its spirit, it is a crime, a real serious crime to the society as a whole, as division is no solution, and will cause endless, costly damage for generations to pay back and fix again.
John Key and his mercenary lot are responsible for this, and I know of many on benefits, living in constant anxiety, to just hope they can survive another week, without harassment by WINZ.
Shame on this country, shame on this government, shame on John Key and Nats, I think it is really overdue we get a change of direction.
I met a client recently who works in one of the prestigious car yards. Business is good. They like to maintain good customer service so that their clients continue to upgrade to brand new luxury cars every year. I guess it saves you from having to get a WOF.
http://www.oxfam.org.nz/news/richest-10-kiwis-control-more-wealth-remaining-90
Really?
Do you live on Planet Key, do you???
He only stated that he had a disabled brother. Nowhere in any of the reports did it state that he was transporting his brother at that particular time. He justified himself by saying that he was only a few minutes…except the mall were paging him for 30 mins, and this was not the first time he had parked in that particular disabled parking space. He deserves the coverage he got in the media as he is a serial offender…maybe the shaming may make him stop and think “No, better not” next time.
@ The Real Mathew ( Have you been accused of being a fake one ? )
You’re an idiot .
One is reminded of Aaron Gilmore’s epithet
“Don’t you know who I am?”
Says it all really and as pithy as I can make it.
A normal person would have been both apologetic and guilty.
It is apparent the one thing most definitely severely disabled is this ethical awareness.
Apart from the heinous crime against the girl, I actually enjoyed this story from Sydney:
Kings Cross nightclub owner’s son jailed for five years for rape
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/67534273/Kings-Cross-nightclub-owners-son-jailed-for-five-years-for-rape
Because it illustrates a case of a very privileged young man committing a horrible crime on a young girl, and his parents, the mayor other privileged people try to have his name suppressed, that prison will be too “onerous” for him compared the other people. But non of it washed with the judge, he got 5 years. He was heading for a CEO type role, but now his reputation is in tatters. I suspect this case is the exception, normally the privileged can weasel their way out of these things with power and money
Elliot Turner was another ‘privileged’ a-hole, son of a wealthy jeweller who strangled his model NZ girlfriend, Emily Longley…
Another privileged a-hole
…his privileged parents even tried to cover for him.
Geez…..do I have to rewrite the whole ‘I’m an asshole ‘ song yet again for the benefit of these assholes?…
Ok I wont…except for one refrain…
Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces ,
While handicapped people make handicapped faces ,
I’m an asshole
( He’s an asshole , what an asshole )
I’m an asshole .
( He’s an asshole , such an asshole )
What wouldn’t have surprised me is: If the vehicle’s owner had “borrowed” his brother’s disabled parking card…
Bloody sexy car though . If I’d seen it parked there like that I’d a probably tried to shag it .
When Mr Wonderful parked it there , he was in fact deliberately inviting a stoush . He’d a known well beforehand the reaction and is using that to incite derision .
Why ? Because he could . That’s his erection right there . Power . Vroom , vroom aye Big Boy ?
Seeing Mr Wonderful and his penis extension parked on a disabled persons car park is a chilling example of what we mentally healthy Kiwis are up against .
Can I ask a question ? How come it’s not been pelted with eggs ? Scratched up ? Where were all you real men out there that let Mr Wonderful walk away from that ? Is he spending a day with a person in a wheel chair to see how easy it fucking isn’t ?
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