SEE WHAT HAPPENS when you allow yourself to be convinced that your principles are self-evident and universal? When all evidence to the contrary is simply pushed to one side and dismissed as aberrant or insignificant?
See what happens when you give up on the prospect of ever persuading Southern Whites to abandon Jim Crow? When your fear of the Klan overwhelms your determination to change the hearts and minds of your neighbours. When you turn, instead, to the civil rights lawyers and begin the long, painful ascent through state and federal, courts. When, in 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States overturns its earlier validation of “separate but equal” schools, hospitals, public washrooms, busses and trains for Blacks and Whites, and tells the Topeka Board of Education that segregated education is in breach of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. When US Marshall’s and federalised National Guardsmen are required to enforce the Court’s ruling. When all that Southern Whites see are the ghosts of the Union soldiers who occupied the defeated Confederacy at the end of the Civil War.
Even then, we didn’t learn.
See what happens when Dr Martin Luther King’s extraordinary strategy of non-violence sears the consciences of not only the liberal North, but also the racist South, setting in motion a national change of heart, only to be condemned as too slow and insufficiently radical by his younger followers? When the ghettos erupt in violence, looting and arson. When the heavily-armed Black Panther Party scares the skin-deep liberalism out of White America. When the FBI’s COINTEL programme is unleashed upon the Civil Rights Movement. When the final passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 seals the fate of the Democratic Party in the South and sets the Republican Party on its racist “Southern Strategy”. When James Earl Ray guns down Dr King in Memphis.
Even then, we didn’t learn.
See what happens when the Supreme Court upholds a woman’s right to abortion? When seven (out of nine) unelected judges, strike down state laws that, for better or for worse, reflect the values and beliefs of the electors and their representatives in those states. When the opportunity offered to the Republican Party to drive a wedge between the “secular-humanist elites” of the big cities on both coasts, and the “God-fearing” working-class communities of the much smaller towns and cities of the “flyover” states, is simply too good to pass up. When the arguments between the “Pro-Life” and the “Pro-Choice” movements divide not only men, but women as well. When religious belief and political ideology find themselves on a collision course.
Even then, we didn’t learn.
See what happens when a charismatic conservative, Phyllis Schlafly, attracts more and more conservative/religious women to her cause, and powerful men shower her Eagle Forum with advice and money? When all the easy, liberal states are safely included in the feminists’ “Yes” column, but the hard ones in the South and the Mid-West show no signs of following suit. When the clock is running down on your Equal Rights Amendment, which had sailed so effortlessly through the Democratic Party-controlled Congress, but which now seems certain to fall victim to the United States’ arcane federal constitution. When – yet again – the clear will of the majority is about to be thwarted.
Even then, we didn’t learn.
See what happens when you tell White men, already alienated by the claims and counter-claims of the Black civil rights, women’s liberation, and anti-Vietnam War movements, that the liberals are coming for their guns? When centuries-old family traditions of hunting in the forests and mountains of America, and of acquiring the marksmanship needed to bring down game animals, is presented as some sort of political sickness. When the stark reality of a criminal fraternity accustomed to carrying and using handguns has rendered it only prudent for ordinary citizens to similarly arm themselves. When the social and economic conditions that unhinge the most damaged members of American society are routinely ignored, and their bloody rampages are, instead, blamed on the ready availability of firearms. When trust and confidence in the political process has reached such a low point that many Americans feel it necessary to arm themselves against their own government.
Even then, we didn’t learn.
See what happens to a nation when the core values that once encouraged its citizens to refer to themselves as “We, the People”, fracture and are rearranged into antagonistic belief systems? When long-established economic, sexual and racial hierarchies are challenged by those expected to endure their subordinate status in perpetuity? When the rights enjoyed by the privileged few are claimed by the disenfranchised many? When, in short, the purpose and distribution of social, economic and political power are subjected to unrelenting questioning – and there is no agreement as to the answers.
It is only then we learn that the rights we seek are never given. If we cannot summon sufficient strength to take them, and hold them, then we must resign ourselves to living without them.
See what happens when the word “democracy” doesn’t appear anywhere in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States
shh, also We the People is followed by ‘All Men are created Equal’ and women and the fruit of their labour were property to said equal men who are also people.
‘all men are created equal’
but only if you happen to be a rich white slave holding landowner
Is this some thinly veiled call for war?
Aux armes mes citoyens!
well that’s what rightard civil war fetishists get all tingly in the trouser dept about isn’t it straight?
from what I can gather extremists on all sides get excited about the idea of some sort of cleansing civil war
so long as they don’t have to do the fighting
Adolf Hitler: “When diplomacy ends, War begins.” But that was a quote with guile, which is bent wisdom.
Will Rogers on diplomacy: Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
So back to consideration of war then? Can we try persuasion?:
“Persuasion is not a science but an art.” — William Bernbach (Our educational establishments have been instructed to concentrate on science, rather than humanities and arts, Could this be a wrong direction.)
Make war smell bad? Rotting bodies come from rotten minds? :
Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it. Patrick Süskind
https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/power-of-persuasion.html
Advance the wisdom of practical goodness?:
“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
― Nelson Mandela
“We require from buildings two kinds of goodness: first, the doing their practical duty well: then that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it. — John Ruskin
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. H. L. Mencken
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/h_l_mencken_101109?src=t_practical
Mark Twain the practical cynic about the USA ,,, and other?:
It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.
Mark Twain
A recipe that might work for the use of goodness. I think it needs some careful trimming:
“ The Paradoxical Commandments
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”
― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/goodness
Listening to US commentators is frightening – basically – if it’s not written down in an 18th Century document then it isn’t a legal right for US citizens. Following from abortion is equal marriage, the right to privacy and presumably the right to vote – none of which are in “the constitution”. The US is becoming a theocracy.
See what happens when a fake empathy queen moves all the homeless Maori to Rotorua, out of the way, then leaves them to fend for themselves.
slobbery dan and that is relevant to the issue in hand exactly how?
Absolutely no way at all. Slobber Dan is not doing well as a troll on this site, and could well expect to be axed very soon.
Oh the humanity!!!
Censorship?
That aged well. Today’s news is all about Rotorua homeless and the racist policy that it is. Perhaps Slobber is more clued up than you think gag.
the fact that NZs incompetent administrative class are incompetent is kinda self evident mudflap
The administrative class?
The Labour Government incompetent self evident.
bob if you don’t know what ‘the administrative class’ is just say so.
When the United States was founded, religious faith was a given. The constitution was only secular because it was intended to allow freedom of religion without regard to denominations, of which there were many. In recent years militant secularists have been on the rise, and they have unreasonably laid claim to the constitution as a secular manifesto. However an equal number of Americans, black, white and Latino, remain attached to the religious values which made America great (and which have no material connection to one Donald Trump). Whenever the secular left has challenged those ideas head on – as in republican Spain, the Soviet Union and east European socialist states – it has ultimately failed.
The fault lines were there from the very beginning. A secular capitalist order with more wisdom than the current neo-liberal manifestation would have trod around those lines with care and circumspection lest the earth open up beneath its feet and draw it into the abyss. Unfortunately the Labour/Green coalition currently predominant in New Zealand politics suffers from the same secular hubris and will meet a similar fate.
The inevitable civil war is the result.
Inshallah
Nah there will be no civil war until the day comes when people run out of food to eat. We’re by and large still to happy consuming goodies to want to risk it all
“See what happens when you tell White men, already alienated by the claims and counter-claims of the Black civil rights, women’s liberation, and anti-Vietnam War movements, that the liberals are coming for their guns? When centuries-old family traditions of hunting in the forests and mountains of America, and of acquiring the marksmanship needed to bring down game animals, is presented as some sort of political sickness. When the stark reality of a criminal fraternity accustomed to carrying and using handguns has rendered it only prudent for ordinary citizens to similarly arm themselves. When the social and economic conditions that unhinge the most damaged members of American society are routinely ignored, and their bloody rampages are, instead, blamed on the ready availability of firearms. When trust and confidence in the political process has reached such a low point that many Americans feel it necessary to arm themselves against their own government.”
Thanks for writing that, when we ignore & fail to treat the causes, sticking on Band-Aids to cover up the symptoms, we only make the underlying sickness worse.
awwww does ikkle dicky want hisss bang bang
The intelligence level of your comments always astounds me, such a well reasoned arguments and never an attempt at an ad hominem attack.
I have all the firearms I want already if you’re interested, I just want to protect what I have & not give away my rights for the illusion of security.
Yup it was an infantile response.
yea james but it obviously hit home….jobs a gud un.
If that was a “hit” job, I think you must be suffering from barrel creep as you generally miss & just look like an idiot. Perhaps you need a bolt action keyboard to improve your accuracy?
The illusion you already embrace, that by having fire arms you are somehow safe.
Or the illusion that a rifle, even a assault rifle is some defense against drones, smart bombs or tanks that the government has a monopoly on.
Or the illusion that you are right at the expense of everyone else? And that your opinion is the only rational one?
All illusions mate.
I don’t have firearms for protection, that is not considered a suitable reason for ownership in NZ, and even if I was legally allowed to carry a sidearm, I wouldn’t. I don’t feel threatened, even when walking through our neighborhood alone at night, I generally feel safe wherever I am. To have access to a firearm in a tense situation often creates more problems than it solves, guns are a very poor tool for de-escalating conflicts.
Civilian ownership of firearms protects democracy by their existence, not by actual confrontation. That is why most dictatorships seek to remove that power from the people, before cementing in their power in place. A disarmed population is always vulnerable to the whims of a dictator or hostile Government, just ask the Jewish People of post 1933 Germany.
The power of the French Resistance was not in confronting the powerful Wehrmacht on the open battlefield, but working together in secret, in the shadows or while their enemies slept. That is the power of the people at work.
We all live with our illusions, yours’ is probably that the Government and their agents exist to protect you, your family and your interests. That may be largely true for me, probably not for you. Own your illusions but remember what happens to sheep.
dicky the nazis actually loosened firearms laws
RESEARCH not memes.
indeed most party organisations had at least small arms
and the idea that the holocaust would have been prevented by arms ownership…ask the jews from the warsaw ghetto uprising, though it does have to be said they took a few nazi bastards with them
the problem with rightard fake talking points is that they’re fake.
when reason fails as in your case dicky only ridicule is left.
they’re called assault rifles not defence rifles…
why does your ‘concern’ that other law abiding gun owners are not left defenceless encompass military semi-autos
Unfortunately your reason failed a long time ago & logic has no effect on you. Assault rifles are only available on C-cat and were never banned.
You are amusing & useful though.
Did you want a proper assault rifle? Here’s one for only $6999…
https://www.guncity.com/308-mas-g3-a4-retractable-stock-378087
You then have to admit. Americans are pretty thick, ay?
Maybe Kim Jung un of North Korea is right when he says America is the blight on the face of the world and needs to be wiped off?
Who knows? The Americans don’t that’s for sure.
Lil ole NZ needs to burn the bridge with the US and let that Titanic monster go down by itself.
It certainly doesn’t seem like the right time to increase our involvement with the American empire’s offensive military alliances, and its foul ‘culture’. Much less to legitimate American occupational bases in the Pacific like Ryukyu and Hawaii that deserve liberation.
American occupational bases in Hawaii?
Have been reading a few of your comments now John White and pretty clear you are nuttier than squirrel shit.
Couldn’t agree more JW. USA is a cess pit, absolutely no morals at all, just money and power. Thankfully the USA is losing this power as is evident in their proxy war with Russia. Like the Korona the Ukraine conflict is showing the USA/NATO is actually nowhere as strong as everyone thinks. Russia is kicking their arse.
Chris, I cant help wondering if we wouldnt be here at all (and we are all here at this moment, pretty much across the entire western world) if we hadnt hit rapid technological growth combined with global capitalism.
We live in a world where people are exposed to everything via technology but are actually able to achieve a tiny fraction of what we aspire to because all the money is going into the pockets of the very few.
Small wonder we are divided. Through poverty and identitarianism, we are divided into more and more groups.
Without political leadership and some grown ups at the top who can see the big picture, there is only one way it can end and that is violence and strife. Throw in a major recession and food shortages and watch cities around the globe light up. And
Interesting comments again Fantail . .
Fantail Good points
‘We live in a world where people are exposed to everything via technology but are actually able to achieve a tiny fraction of what we aspire to because all the money is going into the pockets of the very few.
Small wonder we are divided. Through poverty and identitarianism, we are divided into more and more groups.’
Listen to “Louise Perry – how the sexual revolution has ruined dating, family life, households, sex and friendships” on Spotify (Modern Wisdom)
Very good content. A traditional left wing woman with some seemingly conservative takes on what has gone wrong with society
She will probably be labelled a neo nazi now
One of the takeaways from the podcast was that a Harvey Weinstein would have been normal in Roman times. It was Christianity that put a stop to that (according to Ms Perry, who is not a Christian)
If Harvey Weinstein existed in any time period he would still be a pig of a man.
That is very very sad, but probably true.
US and the UK are destroying themselves with right ring ideology and appalling legal judges.
Meanwhile the right stays in power or got in power because voters are being turned off by the alternative left anti middle/working class ideology, via woke, neoliberalism, identity politics and globalism.
Money, donations, religion and corporates should be independent from schools because it is becoming the thick teaching the thick.
Burger King schools have a lot to answer for, and not just obesity. (Don’t tell NZ – or it will be their next private partnership with schools, to ‘solve’ truancy!)
https://www.edweek.org/education/turning-lives-around-is-the-goal-of-burger-king-school-partnerships/1992/04 Yeah Right.
what the heck it is a radical left who are doing the most aggressive damage these days they even have backing of multi national corporations
Any examples where a socialist government in the west is doing aggressive damage (what ever that means), because I’m calling B.S on your statement.
The only left wing governments I see are actually trying to help the people who voted them into power, by trying to stop the insanity of the greedy and the ideological pure.
examples straight not just ideological rhetoric please…
and while your at it why don’t you have a go at naming a working neo-lib freemarket economy…just for shits and giggles.
Look at the damage being caused by Govs pushing identity politics and CRT, look at ideological changes being forced even here in NZ with no public mandate: they are causing so much societal division.
And which left Gov’s are having any success? Left or right Gov doesn’t seem to matter as the rich keeping on getting richer, even here in NZ stats back it up.
To keep viewing the world on some right wing/left wing angle is out dated and out if touch, it’s more like rich v poor
so no working neo-lib economies then straight….well who’da thunk
and a fairly lame attempt at distraction.
Not sure these left government policies ‘helped’ the people.
Tony Blair’s 3rd way (labour) and support for an illegal war in Iraq and harassment of those who said there were no weapons of mass destruction. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/16/david-kelly-death-10-years-on
Democrats’ civil war over free trade
https://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/democrats-free-trade-bill-117066
Green Party members revolt over water bottling decision
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104668519/green-party-members-revolt-over-water-bottling-decision
Greens fall short on waterways protection
https://www.localmatters.co.nz/environment/greens-fall-short-on-waterways-protection/
In tertiary education, the Fourth Labour Government introduced charges equalling 10 percent of tuition costs,
Introduced GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Corporatising State owned enterprises such as the Post Office, Telecom and Air New Zealand to be more like private businesses. Some of these were later privatised
Disestablishing the NZ Forest Service and sold the forests
Privatised state assets, such as New Zealand Steel
I totally agree Ignatius.
The good old “we the people” is getting a good old workout.
“Supreme court sides with high school coach who led on-field prayers.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/supreme-court-joe-kennedy-high-school-football-coach-school-prayer-case/
Today I saw the comment, “If coach Kennedy were named coach Akbar and he had brought a prayer blanket to the 50 yard line to pray after a game, I’ve got a 4501(k)* that says this illegitimate Christofascist SCOTUS rules 6-3 against him.”
“We the people” as defined by who has the power to define who “We the people” are and what they’re going to get and be allowed to do.
*4501(k) = pension plan
I guess sales of white sheets and matching pillowcases are going through the roof on Amazon’s website!
Is that image from Norman Rockwell,? Not banksy is it.
It does look like Rockwell but Rockwell was earlier?
Rochwellesque at the very least . .
It is Rockwell – good spotting.
Rockwell has a certain style that brings out the human in me. I like the one of the hung jury – do you know it? One beskirted female stubbornly sticking to her decision against the others in a jury which must be unanimous. Priceless character poses. Are you a fan of his – I know someone who may be putting up a book of his on TradeMe soon.
“Perhaps, if you weren’t so busy regarding my shortcomings, you’d find that I do possess redeeming
qualities, discreet as they may be.
I notice when the sky is blue. I smile down at children. I laugh at any innocent attempt at humor. I quietly carry the burdens of others as though they were my own. And I say ‘I’m sorry’ when you don’t. I am not without fault, but I am not without goodness either.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, and Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
A case for looking at someone and deciding if they are a good human What would you say about your good qualities and not so?
Chris, until you realise
1. that the constitution, was formed by white men who owned land and slaves (and did not see women as legal persons) and of a design to ensure that they controlled appointment to SCOTUS via control of the Senate and thus the immigrant worker of the urban centres could vote for HOUSE or POTUS as they chose – but this democratic form was subject to their higher power (which they associate with being a Christian dominionism nation of God).
NOTE – if this challenged the filibuster would be used to sustain the power of the Senate against the House and even POTUS (as it was in 2016 to block Garland).
2. that the gun symbolises power to the American (War of Independence), to support or to depose their government (and in the south, this is related to Jim Crow laws and states rights for white people and their God identity).
Then talk of struggle to realise rights is Mr Magoo like. Their revolution is incomplete and those who want a modern democracy will have to secede (NE USA and West Coast USA).
the only flaw with the ‘bring down tyrannny’ stance is the USARMY would wipe out an army of US GRAVEY SEALS in 10 minutes flat.