Monday, August 04, 2008

Avoiding the real issue

This is a post from Whale Oil Beef Hooked;

Here is another photo of some protestors at the National Party Conference. They are ACT supporters protesting because National isn’t rightwing enough.

So you walk down the street and you have ACT supporters protesting that National isn’t right wing enough and Labour supporters protesting that National is too right wing.

Numpties the lot of them.

Have those ACT-oids considered that National has in fact done them a favour by moving to the centre and giving them breathing room. The latest Roy Morgan Poll sould suggest that this is the case.

And here was me thinking that ACT supporters were supposed to be smart. Let me tell you it isn’t smart to piss off your potential coalition partners, it isn’t smart to criticise National for making room after they almost nailed your ass in the last election because of the move to the right.

Contrast that with the Maori party who go home each week and get on with being effective advocates for their constituency that elected them instead of poking borax at your mates.
.
For starters, Whale Oil, the Nats are not my 'mates'. I came from a Labour background but realised, somewhere along the way, that the state was making every problem it touched worse. Sometimes not immediately, but always in the long run.

So I rejected leftist ideology. Now, to my deep dismay, National are picking up most of what Labour has delivered during the last 9 years. Fundamentally the party has given no indication it understands or will do anything about what are the root causes of the dysfunction that deepens and widens in this country.

I'm not interested in licking National's bootstraps for political gain. Then I would be guilty of doing exactly what they have done in respect of Labour.

Our group was pointing out was that National have sold out on their stated principles of individual freedom, private enterprise and competition, and personal responsibility. The Nats and their supporters do not have an adequate response to this criticism so instead they turn the issue into one about political expediency, and those dumb 'ACT-oids' not staying in their place wagging their tails in gratitude.

Frankly I do not know how they have the gall to don the mantle of intellectual and moral superiority when NZ has never before witnessed so many political flip-flops and contradictions over such a short space of time.

And what better way to communicate to the public that ACT is very different from National than to protest at their conference?

6 comments:

KG said...

"Our group was pointing out was that National have sold out on their stated principles of individual freedom, private enterprise and competition, and personal responsibility."
Exactly.

Anonymous said...

If National actually stood for what they claim to in their founding priciples they should be indistingisable from Libertarianz....;-)

Anonymous said...

Our protest was to make the point that New Zealand needs a change of direction, not just a change of government. With National playing 'Me Too', not only on Labour policy, but Labour party ideology, New Zealand requiring a change of direction is the pertinant point. ACT does not believe National's sold out ideals are the best way for NZ to head and will not follow the leader on flip flop, doff cap thank you Ma'am, please Sir can I have some more.

It seems those on whale oil missed the point.

Neo-Girl

Anonymous said...


And what better way to communicate to the public that ACT is very different from National than to protest at their conference?


Or come the f**k on?

Are you a serious political party hoping for 10% of the vote and 3-4 cabinet seats? Or are you a bunch of Vic students having a jerk-off?

I'm sorry - but grow up.

Not a 20-point plan that might make a difference - as you say yourselves - in 10 years. But a 3 point plan that will make a difference NOW - before Christmas - and that National will implement whether it wants to or not.

Even Winston and Dunne can do that?

Why can't act?

Peter Cresswell said...

Does growing up mean selling out, Anonymous?

But what are you selling out for?

National doesn't even have one point that will make teh slightest bit of difference, or is honestly intended. They're neither moral or practical.

Good on you, Lindsay and your colleagues, for your public protest. Bravo. :-)

Anonymous said...

Does growing up mean selling out, Anonymous?

It means getting and keeping power rather than pissing into the wind.

It means picking two or three things that will make a real difference to NZ by this time next year, and them making them happen!

And in the long term, it means changing NZ so that socialism, unions, the public service, and a Labour or Green government is never again possible.