Wednesday, March 16, 2022

The difference the protest made

Many still credit the Labour government with its life-saving approach to Covid in 2020. But from the outset it was only ever another form of Me-Too. Labour was very quick to jump on board with whatever other countries were doing (even though our physical circumstances were markedly different) with a national hard lock-down, wage subsidies, printing money and border closure. The government justified it by saying that's what everybody else is doing.  It was copycat policy.

They then continued the application of orthodoxy on the domestic populace mandating vaccinations, passports and scanning. Everybody else is doing it and so will you. 

But why is that ever a sound reason to do something? 

To rub salt into the wound New Zealand continues this smug conceit that it is somehow world-leading. An innovator. Progressive and liberal.

While the private sector might have some claims, the government certainly doesn't.

Talking to a friend yesterday, his indifference to Ardern has mushroomed into a visceral loathing. His bristling is palpable. He is sick of being treated like a child, talked to as if he is an idiot. His words.

And when you think about it, living under Ardern has been like being back at school. Where most teachers preached conformity for your own good, or for the greater good, or for the sake of the school community.

Yet anyone who spent a moment reflecting knew that ultimately, you are on your own. You make your own way in the world. You love and look after friends and family, as they do you. But we are each an island. A self-contained intellectual entity.

A Chinese writer sent a letter to the Leighton Smith podcast. She described how in her country actions are only ever in service to the state, for the greater good and so, except for your parents, nobody actually cares about you as an individual.

Collectivist Ardern made this reality sickeningly clear when after imploring kindness and compassion from every one of her team of 5 million she vilified and ostracized and lied about those who gathered at parliament to ask her to end the mandates (a word the Chinese correspondent described as being very familiar to her country folk).

But the spark of human individuality cannot be suppressed indefinitely. Like the lad who mentioned the naked emperor's actual state. Or the exceedingly brave Russian broadcaster who momentarily yelled to the tv cameras that it's all propaganda.

Maybe, just maybe, the silver lining from the last two bewildering and stultifying years will be a re-emergence of individual independence - freedom of action, freedom of thought and freedom from fools.

OK. The last wish is unrealistic but at the very least, foolish ideas and their consequences might once more be debated openly without group-think silencing detractors.

A woman who liked Trump gave her reason as: "He says things I can only think."

I don't have an opinion on Trump. In the same way it irks me that people think our Prime Minister is wonderful when they don't have to live under her leadership, what do I know about America?

But I do have an opinion about the woman. No-one should feel unsafe or unable to express their thoughts. That is what New Zealand had become. That place.

Until the protest. A catalyst. A real event which forced itself into everyone's foreground and couldn't be avoided. Without bidding, a number of people just came out and said to me, I support the protestors. Which opened a floodgate of pent-up frustration and eager conversation.

Having nailed their colours, people will not unnail them. The protestors did make everyone braver. The aftermath isn't about deciding who is right and who is wrong. It's about more people saying what they think. And in doing so finding they are not as isolated as they thought they were. Or as stupid as they had been made to believe.

There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that the parliamentary protest will prove the point of no return for this government.  It exposed Ardern in a way no other event could have.

Her exposure wasn't unique though. Every party agreed to treat the protestors with utter disdain. Our oppositional parliament presented a barricade as unified as the one composed of riot shields and pepper-spraying police.

For me personally that was the big reveal. The lasting impact. For years I've resisted those hackneyed phrases, "Politicians? They're all as bad as each other." "Don't vote. It only encourages them!"

In that moment, the protest also provided a damning demonstration of the truth of these slogans.

9 comments:

Zoe Black said...

Well said.

I have regularly compared the PM to a kindergarten teacher in conversations with others.

pdm said...

`And when you think about it, living under Ardern has been like being back at school. Where most teachers preached conformity for your own good, or for the greater good, or for the sake of the school community.'

Conformity equals everyone wearing a blue mask - no home made ones allowed.

BlokeInAShed said...

Couldn't agree more.

Sort of related.
A while back I donated a small amount to the Canadian effort via GiveSendGo.
The email below came in from them last night

Update: Freedom Convoy Trucker Funds
The Canadian government has criminalized the receiving of funds from the Freedom Convoy 2022 campaign and now are trying to seize the funds to redistribute. In order to protect our Givers and the intended purposes of their gifts, funds not already transferred to the recipients from the 'Freedom Trucker Convoy' campaign will be refunded automatically, no refund requests necessary. Additional information will be posted shortly.
Thank you for your patience.


What does the average Canadian think of that?
Would the average Kiwi know anything about this ?
I don't get my news from any mainstream source anymore so I have no idea how it was covered (but I can guess)

Rick said...

"Collectivist Ardern made this reality sickeningly clear when after imploring kindness and compassion from every one of her team of 5 million she vilified and ostracized and lied about those who gathered at parliament to ask her to end the mandates"

As Mrs Giles was saying today along these lines: Ardern turned from being the great protector of minorities because they were minorities to rejecting the Revolt because they were only a "minority."

Please take a look at today's AHNZ post about the Peasants' Revolt. I've discovered some ominous parallels...

http://ahnz.anarkiwi.co.nz/2022-the-peasants-revolt/

Brendan McNeill said...

Hi Lindsay

Thank you for your ‘longer form’ post, it expressed very well the shift that is taking place in New Zealand and the influence the Protest has had upon the public’s mood. I listened to a podcast featuring Rodney Hide recently where he described a Protest as something you do for a few hours and then go home. He said what happened in Wellington was more like a Revolution. This is why it has rattled the foundations of the what passes for civl society.

It was a revolution simply because they refused the polite option, and instead chose to live out their social displacement on the PM’s front lawn. I suspect she didn’t realise the full implications of what was happening at first, and only as the reality became apparent did she insist the Police ‘enforce the law’. The latter point being somewhat moot.

Thanks to Rick for the Anarkiwi post, which I see is along similar lines.

The problem for the PM and also for Luxon, is their arrogance was on full public display for all to see. Many people at some level thought, ‘that’s probably how they feel about me as well’. I cannot recall any single act that more significantly undermined people’s confidence in their Parliamentarians. All this at a time when our trust in authority is already at an all time low.

I see in today’s Stuff there is an article describing those who disagree with the Governments policy on mandates, and forced vaccination, so called ‘anti-vexer’s’, as being cultists. Just imagine replacing the word ‘anti-vaxer in the article with the word ‘Muslim’ and imagine the outrage. But hey, these days it’s OK for the Mainstream Media to ‘other’ and to vilify those who don’t worship at the Governments feet.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Brendan,

See also from Rodney:

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/the-protestors-have-won

Ben Waimata said...

I believe the protest was a huge turning point in NZ. It brought together people who previously had often kept quiet about the direction NZ is heading for fear of 'causing offence'. It also renewed our faith in the kiwi spirit to stand up for what is right instead of our usual habit of keeping quiet. Maybe it's the people I socialise with but I can say with full honesty every single person I discussed the protest issue with was on the side of the protesters. The fact that 120MPs sat inside and refused to engage was shocking, and a clear indication that for the first time in MMP a brand new party may well stand a good chance of getting significant support.

Brendan McNeill said...

Another interesting day protesting against the mandates and vaccine pass outside of our local Library.

We were reminded again that many people have paid a high price living out their conviction to refuse the Pfizer product. One young lady I guess in her early 20's approached us to see if we wanted anything from the Supermarket? As it happened we had plenty of coffee and even some cheese scones, but we started talking. She had a scholarship to begin her Bio Chemistry PhD at Otago University, but refusing to be vaccinated meant that not only could she not start her PhD, but she lost her scholarship as well. She was a thoughtful, considered, cheerful and brave young woman.

We had others who were vaccinated come up to us and enthusiastically support out stand - we always get support, but this level of enthusiasm was new. Of course the detractors we have with us always. :-)

To reprise Winston Churchill "never never never give up".

The Slippery Slope said...

"Yet anyone who spent a moment reflecting knew that ultimately, you are on your own. You make your own way in the world. You love and look after friends and family, as they do you. But we are each an island. A self-contained intellectual entity."

THIS is what we should be teaching kids.

After the initial policy statement is the 20 pages of exclusion for the government department set up, at your cost, to deny you.