In January last year the NZCPR ran an article in which the author raised the issue of whether or not the present government is driven by a Marxist agenda. After the lapse of a year it is timely to revisit the topic.
Karl Marx was a nineteenth writer best known for his “Communist manifesto” written is 1848. His thesis was simple: the tension between the capitalist classes and the “workers” would ultimately result in a revolution in which the workers would triumph and private property would cease to exist. All property would become owned by the “State” and the market economy and democracy would be swept away. All power would vest in the “Communes” hence the name Communism. For those who wish to know more about Mr. Marx they will find he has a large following on Google. Like so many who espouse these views Marx was a hypocrite who chose to live most of his life in England enjoying the fruits of the market economy and all of the freedoms he set out to destroy. He is buried at the Highbury cemetery in London for disciples who wish to visit. It was not until 1917 that his ideas were espoused at a nation level by Vladimir Lenin and became the basis for the ensuing Russian Communist revolution, later taken up by the Chinese under Chairman Mao, and alive and well to this day in contemporary China.
Thirteen criteria were selected in the article and analysed leading to the conclusion: “Marxism is alive and well in New Zealand” but expressing the view: “None of this will succeed Prime Minister – overwhelmingly ordinary quiet New Zealanders will not surrender their freedoms and their democracy.” And borrowing from Oliver Cromwell’s words on the dissolution of the Long Parliament in 1653: “You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately. Depart I say and let us have done with you. In the name of God go.” Well, that advice was rejected and she continued in office although whether or not in power is a moot point given the malign but powerful influence of her Maori caucus, and continued with her policies. So let’s mark Karl’s homework.
We begin with the condition of New Zealand prior to the last election in which the Labour Party secured an outright majority in Parliament. Nothing, and nowhere is perfect but our country did enjoy advantages which are denied many countries, some geographical and historical others institutional and social. Geographically because of our isolation we have been spared the disruptive consequences of mass movements of peoples from less fortunate places placing intolerable strains on the institutions available in the havens they seek. Nowhere is this presently more evident than in the consequences of hundreds of thousands of African and Eastern European migrants crossing the English Channel and seeking a better life. Historically New Zealand as it presently exists was settled by European migrants bringing with them a system of government that quickly matured into a democracy while retaining the time-honoured stability of a constitutional Monarchy. Also accompanying this emigration was a legal system under which all are treated equally, and which ensures we do not suffer the evils of bribery, corruption, gangsterism, and social mayhem, so evident in other less fortunate societies. Accompanying these benefits are undreamed of technological advantages, which most commentators agree have resulted in the most prosperous societies known to history. Freedom of speech, thought, association, and movement, which are enshrined in statute, are taken for granted. A common language which allows for widespread social interaction both within New Zealand and with many countries overseas. A market economy which is built on, and inseparable from those freedoms and is the engine which not only drives our prosperity but ensures that millions of our people are gainfully employed utilising their talents give meaning to the old saw: “the dignity of labour.” All of which is protected and enhanced by a legal system which respects personal, contractual and property rights. A world class education system regularly putting New Zealand in the top five countries measured internationally. An absence of any sign of institutional racism – quite remarkable given the disparate ethnicities who have chosen to live here. These advantages are supported by social welfare and free medical treatment to all who needed them. Unsurprisingly this was accompanied by a live and let live attitude of those who became proud to call themselves New Zealanders. All of this was about to change by the coincidence of two seemingly unrelated events.
The first warning sign of things to come but entirely unrecognised was the election of Jacinda Ardern to our Parliament in 2008 as a Labour list member. At the time of her election M/s Ardern was the World President of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) which has the moto “All over the world to Change it.” It owes its origins to the “Young Communist International” founded in 1907 with Lenin’s blessing . The Russian revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai wrote of it at its founding:
A true and solid foundation for the new International can only be formed by Socialist youth. The youth, the bearers of the future; the youth who are not dependent on the past who expect everything from the future ….. the youth whose hearts are not corrupted with petit bourgeois feelings and whose thoughts cannot be led astray with the ideology of a past age …. the fresh brave revolutionary, self-sacrificing working class youth who push forward always forward.”
As social circumstances changed so this Communist inspiration bred a plethora of socialist youth groups one of which is the IUSY. The central philosophy of this movement remains the same: to discard the existing social norms and usher in the new, all the while paying lip service to promoting a “type” of democracy.
To become the “world President” of any organisation, particularly one as extensive and revolutionary as this requires absolute belief in its principles and methods. It also requires considerable personal talents in persuading the members that you are the person to lead them to the new Nirvana. This requires eschewing all “petty bourgeois feelings” and the “ideologies of a past age.” In New Zealand in 2008 those feelings embraced, Parliamentary democracy, our personal freedoms, and the market economy. Clearly M/s Ardern had all of the necessary qualities of personality and conviction to seek to impose those aims on our society aptly demonstrated as they are on the video of her Presidential address to a 2009 IUSY meeting in Hungary. It is an impressive performance – none of the simpering kindness which we have become so used to over the past two years in dealing with the Wuhan flu and the Mosque attack. It is a stirring address which brings the members, to their feet on a number of occasions, and referring to them throughout as “Comrades” – a term routinely in use in Communist dictatorships.
The extent of her political talents soon became apparent on our much smaller stage by her promotion through the Party ranks from a humble list member to Leader of the Labour party within 8 years and leading her party in contesting the twenty seventeen election. In that election Labour secured sufficient votes to become a force to be reckoned with. National secured the most votes but insufficient to govern without the support of another party. Labour and the Greens were out of the question and that left only New Zealand First, who in an exercise in petty vengeance relating to the exposure of Winston Peters’ alleged welfare overpayments and his long-standing feuds with some senior National Party Members of Parliament cast its lot with Labour. Although this attracted widespread disgust at the time in hindsight the political alliance caused few ripples on the surface of New Zealand politics and resulted in no major initiatives undermining the social and political status quo. Attempts by Labour’s already powerful Maori Labour caucus to push for unearned benefits were quickly shut down by Mr. Peters who if nothing else believes in the democratic equality of all New Zealanders. Unknown to its coalition partner however Labour was working behind the scenes on policies which would dramatically alter the face of New Zealand society should it secure a governing majority. In particular, in 2019, a group of Auckland University academics were commissioned to prepare and release the report called He Puapua, which means a “break” and is therefore wholly consistent with the aims of the IUSY. The report deals with the place of Maoris in the governmental and power structures of the New Zealand economy and the body politic relying on the United National Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is inconceivable that this work was commissioned without the full knowledge and backing of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. So explosive are the proposals contained in this report that the Labour Party found it necessary to hide its existence from New Zealand First upon whom it relied to continue in government – surely an act of unprecedented political deceit.
It is of course perfectly open to the Prime Minister to hold whatever political and social views she wishes – it is part of the freedoms we enjoy. What she cannot do is offer her Party for election with nary a mention of such views which belong only in a Communist dictatorship. That is what she did leaving the voting public in complete ignorance of her true beliefs and the changes she intended to make our way of life. These have been achieved by the well honed Marxist technique known as “Entryism.” The Marxists recognised early that because armed insurrection is almost impossible in a mature democracy they needed a better way. The method chosen is to infiltrate many institutions which form part of a liberal democracy and gradually subvert the principles and purposes of the institution until it becomes a mouthpiece for Marxist ideology. That said if the political cycle had continued in its usual way without serious interruption none of this would have mattered greatly but it did not. By the time of the two thousand and twenty election the Wuhan virus had become established in New Zealand and the Government either panicked or in an exercise of cynical social gerrymandering began its unprecedented assaults on the fundamental freedoms of all New Zealanders. Employing best military tactics these assaults were on a number of fronts and included: Locking people up in their homes although they had committed no offence known to the criminal law. Requiring all citizens to be injected with the DNA altering substances incorrectly labelled “vaccines” leading people to think they were getting a dose of covid much like a flu vaccine, but unlike that valuable medical intervention, it did not reduce the risk the patient from contracting the virus or passing it on. Forcing those who refused this untried “medication” the basic right to continue in gainful employment or attend any social events. Even those employees who had received the injections were encouraged to work from home thereby depriving them of the social benefits of workplace interaction. Closing schools and sports and social activities: we are only now reaping the malign consequences in terms of the erosions of parental control, child health, discipline problems (ram raids anyone) and school attendances. Forcing citizens to wear masks – depriving them of the most basic right of the normal social interaction of reading the faces of others. All of which accompanied a subtext that anybody not conforming ran the risk of imminent death.
Unsurprisingly this created blind panic in otherwise sensible people and a Leeming-like social conformity . Accompanying this was the elevation of the status of the “sneak” – a well-honed communist necessity. These are the most reviled people in any free society, but this government endowed them with the accolade of “socially responsible citizens” doing their duty to save lives. Erich Honecker who masterminded the place of the informer in East Germany would be proud of the result.
Most importantly it produced the priceless political boon of persuading a large number of voters that the Labour government and in particular the canard that the Prime Minister had through these previously undreamed-of draconian interventions saved the lives of millions of New Zealanders. It is not over – yet waiting in the wings is the aptly named Kraken sub virus (you know the monster that arose from the deep and killed everybody it could lay hands on).
That harvest of panic and fear was garnered in the two thousand and twenty general election giving Labour an outright majority to govern for the next three years, something which had been hitherto thought impossible under our MMP system of voting – a system imposed on post war German and Italy to prevent the rise of another dictator, be it Mussolini or Hitler or Stalin. Well, that didn’t work in laissez faire New Zealand. Probably this alone would not have mattered if the Party had been led by one of its more mainstream politicians; Andrew Little or David Parker for example – somebody imbued with a life experience conducive to preserving the benefits of our hitherto lucky country and our democratic traditions. This labour Party was not so led. On the day that the writs were returned the Party was led by somebody with a distinguished history as a proven follower of Marxist philosophy. To compound the threat to our democracy and settled way of life, waiting in the wings was a Maori caucus representing powerful Maori Tribes made wealthy beyond dreams of avarice all at the taxpayers’ expense, seeking to enhance their already substantial economic handouts and ready for more.
These are the unique advantages enjoyed by our latter-day Marxists and Maori activists who now infect the halls of political power. Astonishingly in two short years they have proved up to the challenge and what was “nascent” (I use the English word not being aware of any confected Maori word of the same meaning) a year ago is now an established fact and the destruction of our settled way of life is well advanced.
We can now mark Karl’s homework in eroding the formidable list of advantages which we formally enjoyed.
Geographical remoteness
Sadly Karl fails on this geography being what it is but he has had a parting shot by ensuring that net migration into New Zealand has been kept to a bare minimum. This is having two consequences; a shortage of people to maintain and enhance our economy and increasing the relative importance of those, often with a smidgin of gene makeup who wish to call themselves “indigenous,” but more of that later. He gets a bare five .
Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy
Assaults on these institutions has been the poster child of the Karl’s lot over the past two years. The public has been bludgeoned with incessant claims that our Government should be shared between Maoris and the other 85% of the population. This is said to arise out of the signing of the document at Waitangi in 1840. In Orwellian antics which would leave Joseph Goebbels gasping in admiration this document is paraded as the basis for almost any claim for all manner of preferments – social, political, and financial – by those who assert some Maori ancestry. The blindingly obvious fact is that the plain wording of the three short clauses of this document entered into in good faith as a means of bringing peace to the warring tribes and settled governance to these islands have been cynically distorted beyond all recognition. One hundred and eighty two years after the agreement was concluded with the undreamed of social change that has occurred in that time and the massive increase in wealth of all New Zealanders regardless of ethnicity which has accompanied it, up pops a small group comprised of the greedy, the ignorant and the malign wanting to take over the government of New Zealand and control its economy. This by the descendants of those people who a few years before the meeting at Waitangi had asserted tribal sovereignty over these Islands, yet a few year later in 1840 surrendered that Sovereignty to The British Crown. But in a truly Orwellian corruption of the historically documented facts they now assert – encouraged by the Government – that at a minimum these Maori Tribes should share the governance of New Zealand with the rest of New Zealanders. As an interim measure out the window goes our democratically elected Parliament and in its place something resembling the structure of 5 waters lately rushed through Parliament on the eve of its annual adjournment. This supported by the He Puapua expectation that people of Maori ethnicity will resume governance and ownership of “their country” so callously stolen from them by the “evil colonists” as the ultimate goal. But here Karl scores a zero. I mentioned above that this group is partly comprised of the “ignorant” and when it comes to constitutional matters they are deeply so. Given the provisions of the Constitution Act 1986 and s. 10 of the Electoral Act 1993 which work in harmony in protecting our democracy it is impossible without repealing the seventy five percent entrenched provisions of the Electoral Act for any minority group to alter the composition of our Parliament, and in particular the way in which its members are elected. Of course, Karl did have a flirtation with “entrenchment” in the context of the 5 waters legislation but in doing so he was forced to concede that statutory entrenchment is confined only to the protection of our democracy not its destruction. The poor chap must be left very confused, but he has given it a good go. A word of caution though Karl’s lot have several months in which to attempt to repeal the entrenched provision of the Electoral Act and substitute Maori governance. Our hope is that those few good people who occupy the Labour front bench would quail at this assault on democracy and force an early election which would destroy the Labour Party for the foreseeable future. So bad luck Karl zero it remains, and our Constitutional Monarch is safe in his counting House for the time being.
A common language
A common language is one of the great unifying elements in any society. We have been fortunate in New Zealand enjoying the use of English which is the most widely spoken language on the planet. This gives us the unique advantage of not only being able to understand and communicate with each other in business and socially but with others throughout the Anglophone world and beyond. It is for this reason that the language was early embraced by former Maori speakers and sooner or later all migrants to this country who wish to participate in our prosperity and society. Of course, it goes without saying that native language speakers are free to use whatever means they like in communicating with their own people, and that includes the Maori language. What it does not mean is that the Government can as a matter of public policy force the use of the Maori language on the unwilling, yet this is becoming widespread from its use in schools, state funded television, to giving Maori names to institutions and services that did not exist in these Islands in pre European times – and doing this with confected Maori names for wholly European concepts often arriving a descriptions which are meaningless. There are so many instances that space permits a mention of only a few. My favourite is the renaming of the New Zealand Transport Agency – a government entity which deals in the construction and maintenance of roads which did not exist her in 1840 – and calling it “Waka Kotahi.“ Apparently the term means “one vessel” and is meant to convey the meaning of “travelling together.” Quite what that has to do with building and maintain roads is not clear. Motor vehicle becomes moto ka (I am not sure what the Maori for motor cycle or heavy tuck is). The venerable institution of The Saint John’s Ambulance is to become “Hato Hone.” Most of us recognise the “Hone” bit from our Billy T James days but “Hato” apparently means “Saint” but as pre 1840 Maoris didn’t venerate any Saints it is another confected term. Embarrassingly the change is being made so that this hitherto independent private charitable organisation can better communicate with the citizens of “Aotearoa” – no mention of New Zealand. Then there is reading of the weather forecasts on television, something which is important to most New Zealanders. Mostly the information is in English but inexplicably the reader from time-to-time breaks into a patter which is meaningless to most watchers, and we are left wondering if we have missed something important. Fortunately, one can turn off the sound and look at the words and pictures on the screen which are all that is needed. A disturbing feature of this peddling of faux Maori is that not only is it now common to any government activity, but is being introduced in an underhand way to any enterprise which is part privately funded but also relies on a tax payer hand outs and there is evidence that if the promoters wish to retain the benefit of the taxpayer’s largess, they are required to give their activity a Maori name. By any standards this is a corrupt use of taxpayers’ money – indeed it may amount to blackmail but that doesn’t trouble the conscience of this government one jot. So, Karl well done. It’s early days yet but you have established the pattern for the loss of our common language and the bastardisation of English. Eight out of ten.
The Media
Early on in any serious Marxist revolution the state needs to seize control of the media. Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba etc are current examples of state media control. It is anathema to any centrally controlled dictatorship that the public be entitled to voice their opinions on any matter touching state control – or think for themselves. This requires the media outlets to spin only the government line and failure to do so results in unhappy outcomes. Probably the best current example of this aspect of state control is the “information” emerging from the Russian hierarchy concerning the Ukraine invasion. If the lies weren’t so serious (certainly for the dozen or so Oligarchs who can’t manage the stairs or open windows) it would be hilarious reading – what could double as a current draft of a new George Orwell novel. Facts are what I say they are is Putin’s playbook and the same can be said for the Chinese Communist Party’s inventions concerning the status of Taiwan. None of this would be possible in a state such as New Zealand enjoying a free and independent media. But we do not. Faced with the prospect of the imminent demise of the Stuff publications (bought by the present proprietors for one dollar) for the simple reason not enough people buy its products, the Government took the opportunity to significantly interfere with the freedom of our print media by offering large sums of taxpayers’ money to continue the life of these near defunct publications. The quid pro quo is they must restrict their future offerings to “responsible journalism.” This means that on at least three crucial issues affecting our way of life – criticism of the government, the maorification of our society, and global warming – it is deemed “irresponsible” to publish any material which deviates from what the government seeks to achieve. Any media outlet which has taken its share of the thirty pieces of taxpayer silver and departs from the Government playbook will be required to reimburse the government, with the real prospect in some cases of looming bankruptcy. Indeed, erring on the side of caution, as you would expect these publications rarely print anything faintly critical on any of these topics. So well done Karl. Not perfect but a useful foundation on which can be built ever more restrictive media measures. Six out of ten old chap.
Education
Fact based historically correct and scientifically defensible education is crucial of course to the preservation and improvement of any free society. The alternative is to use the opportunity presented by impressionable young minds to further the policies of the government. In doing so it is helpful if the flow of time-tested teaching can be significantly interrupted (thank you Wuhan) to make way for the government line. This is evident in New Zealand in the teaching of history and of science. History in New Zealand formerly comprised the story of the tribal inhabitants and that of those who settled here. The former suffers from the problem of no alphabet and therefore no written record of what actually occurred. So called pe European history in these Islands is blighted by notions of what ancestors remembered happened and is passed on to later generations. The fallibility of the human memory is so well known that there was (may be still is) a provision in the Summary Proceedings Act warning Judges to exercise great care in accepting the uncorroborated evidence of witness recollections. Yet that has become the flawed way in which Maori history is taught in schools. The theme is to paint the settlers as greedy colonists who trampled on the rights of the “indigenous people,” stole their land and their language, and rendered them third class citizens. This exercise in dishonesty and bare faced lies is breath-taking in its scope but is now the centre piece of the history curriculum in our schools. Those designing these half-truths and lies know full well that if you distort a nation’s story the people are cut off from their knowledge and traditions. They are then blank paper on which the government can write what pleases – its dishonest playbook. As to science, the public is treated to the canard that the pre European inhabitants enjoyed sophisticated scientific knowledge. Even the engineering schools and the disaster which is the merged Polytechnics have a course teaching the benefits of pre-European engineering principles. Ten out of ten Karl you knew what was important and what would do the most long-term damage to a society.
The Rule of law common to all citizens
This priceless benefit guarded by our Courts and the legal profession and enjoyed by all New Zealanders for the past one hundred and eighty years which treated all citizens equally and subject to the same laws is under threat. Lawyers are only as good as their teaching and the example set by their professional elders. Both are under being undermined. Teaching and studying law was a dry business filled with learning precedents set by earlier courts, and interpretation of statutes and subordinate legislation. There was no room for personal views and prejudices either at the bar or on the bench. Lawyers were not social crusaders – their task is more humble. They find the facts and they research the relevant legal principles. From this the court lawyer constructs an argument on behalf of the client and the judge produces a judgment which converts an argument into a binding decision. It seems that is no longer the accepted way of training lawyers. They are now being launched as social crusaders whose task is to right the wrongs of the past and wherever possible to import Maori customs into the law. This would not be so serious if it weren’t for the fact that within a few short years these social warriors will be sitting as judges deciding and applying the law. Indeed, it has already occurred at the highest level in our Courts. Three crusading judges in our Supreme Court with only the most limited knowledge of the common law have decided that pre eighteen forty Maori customs are now part of the common law of New Zealand and cannot be amended or added to with the result that the law is no longer common to all or knowable in advance. So well done Karl your teachings are well on the way to destroying one of the pillars of a free and democratic society. Eight out of ten.
Private Property
Private ownership of property has been inviolate in the anglosphere since time in memorial and can be lost only by operation of the common law. This is the foundation of our market economy and our political freedoms. It is no coincidence that Lenin in applying Karl’s principles first destroyed private ownership, vesting all property in the State. Mao Te Sung did the same after the success of his revolution. But this is twenty twenty-three in an anglophone country which has by adoption enjoyed private property rights for hundreds of years, surely that would be an insuperable hurdle for Karl. Well no. The Labour Maori caucus supplied a solution in the form of spurious ”Treaty claims” that Maoris for example had always owned fresh water, realising of course that whoever owns the water controls the economy. The Government acted on this fraudulent claim, contrary to the existing law that nobody can own natural water, and forced through legislation which by a serious of opaque and spurious steps has vested control of not only of fresh water and the attendant infrastructure, but also geothermal steam and the waters surrounding our coasts in a few Maori tribal entities. This, as Willie Jackson boasted gives them a stranglehold on all economic activity in New Zealand and adopting best Marxist practice this is achieved without any mention of paying compensation to the existing owners of that infrastructure – ignoring the Public Works Act 1981 as if it did not exist. Like all the best totalitarian legislation this is accompanied by its handmaiden, bare faced lies (inadequate infrastructure is killing people being the favoured ploy) from the Prime Minister down through the ranks. Similar forces are at work concerning the conservation estate which Mr Jackson crows is, and has always been owned by Maori interests. Karl realises that these and other initiatives such as the Foreshore and Seabed cases currently before the High Court are huge breaches in the sanctity of private property. So, a success. Seven out of ten.
Conclusion
There we have it. The country stands on the abyss of a Marxist inspired racially divided future and four more years of this government will be all it takes to realise that dream. Indeed, it is worse than Marx could have engineered. Jacinda’s lot have married Marxist principles to a social blueprint which accords privileges and status to Maori interests not available to the other eighty five percent of the population thereby fracturing what were our hitherto harmonious race relations. This is the bitter harvest which the incoming government will be required to jettison. Let’s pray they are up to the task.