Yellow Peril by Tze Ming Mok

Somehow I think the split between the parties is more one of prefered service deliverers rather than the (re)mobilisation of class.

National is for the private sector and, watch for it, certain religious organisations - Labour is for the state and secular community groups. Neither is talking about the touchstone of class politics - the explicit redistribution of income and wealth to low income earners - and are rather talking in terms of particular needs.

In so far as class is salient to National's recent attempt at agenda-setting, National's ambition is the alieviation of the guilt of middle class voters - through appealing to middle class morality of self-help and charity - it is not as if the party seriously sees the working/post-working class as a problem per se.

Key is rather cleverly playing on the Kiwi psyche. The so-called "underclass" is the shadowy nemesis of our much-vaunted egalitarianism.

"Underclass" is unmeasurable, it eats away at our concept of Fair Go. He uses the typical straw men of sensational, horrifying crime stories to illustrate his flawed thesis.

When he attempts to provide a geographical locus for his claims, it turns out that the main identifiable problems are drunk teenagers smashing glass and harranging users of the local park.

Fucksakes ! Freed access to alchohol is a "benefit" of the market system. So are the concommitant problems.

The focus on "underclass" draws attention from the real issues facing ordinary Kiwis i.e. the shift of wealth from the middle and working class to the upper class - an artifact of the Rogernomics/Ruthanasia and an era that I suspect Key longs to replicate and progress.

Clever, but easily dismantled. Unlike Brash, Key appears to lack any kind of conviction. He looks like the product of the last National-sponsored focus group.

Finger on the pulse, but is the heart beating ?

I always thought that politicians were the underclass?

Yes, it would be more interesting if there was more time spent by these parties discussing how those families can get muesli bars in THEIR OWN CUPBOARDS than at their local school.

They can hardly talk about people giving up and becoming lazy or dependant on the state and then turning round and coming up with schemes which are potentially going to cause some individuals to think (got my cynical hat on here) "gee, now that the school is buying my kids lunch I can buy an extra lotto ticket, or start smoking again".

-In so far as class is salient to National's recent attempt at agenda-setting, National's ambition is the alieviation of the guilt of middle class voters - through appealing to middle class morality of self-help and charity

Never ceases to amaze me how people refer to National's policies as part of the great alleviation of white middle-class guilt. Over the past 20-odd years, Labour's taken that responsibility on so that it can gain the votes it lost through the declining numbers of wharfies and other state workers.
National voters feel pissed, disgruntled, and threatened; they don't feel guilt.

Is it just me or am I really the only one to notice that National MP Dr Jacqui Blue is the GP of Aroha's mother and nana, signifincant ne pas?

Isn't it odd that Lord John Key had never heard of McGehan Close, then visits there after making headlines from Wellington, to find an "at first hostile, then receptive [target brown] family, won over by his charm"? And what excellent luck to find a photogenic yound Maori girl to do a Kirk (and Maori boy at Waitangi) photo re-enactment with, and, a la Senator Foley, to act as a human shield to make sure protestors don't get too nasty while you visit. What a shame he didn't want to take his own kids with him to act as human shields. Guess the underclass are good for more than just keeping wages down and cleaning the mansion after all.

I don't think it's just that McGehan is close to Clark's electorate (though it's actually in Goff's) - it's that IT WAS A SET UP from the start.

I would love to see a reporter that doesn't just live off PR feeds go and door step Aroha's mum and ask her if she is willing to sign an affadavit stating that she had no prior contact with the National Party over this before Key "just happened to turn up and meet them". Me thinks she would blanche at the suggestion, especially if reminded of the penalties of making false sworn statements. I mean crikey, just how lazy are the corporate media?

I mean crikey, just how lazy are the corporate media?

Probably about as lazy as people who post comments on net forums that make wild accusations without any source material to back it up.

Yes Key probably turned up with the intention to find someone for a photo up, but the chances of it being a set up are so remote, about as remote as you, Riddley, being a young bo from a post-apocalyptic future posting through some kind of time portal.

The presence of Aroha had very little to with the intensity of protest at Waitangi Day. After all it wasn't just John Key that escaped mud slinging and egg throwing this year now was it? Even politicians that presided over a 21st century raupatu (that's you Aunty Helen) who turned up without so-called human sheilds didn't get much stick from protestors.

More rational reasons for the lack of aggression at Waitangi this year include:

John Key is not Don Brash (the lack of combover and absence of dog whistle are dead giveaways)

There were extensive discussions between police and protestors before the day
(Otago Daily Times, Feb. 7 2006)

Kaumatua, Kuia and other leaders from the area put out the word that they didn't want trouble:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=350&objectid=10421941
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=350&objectid=10422634 (see 'Hint of Protest)

There been a trend in the last 2 years for more celebration and less violence at Waitangi on Feb. 6
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=1500878&objectid=10422703

go and door step Aroha's mum

Are you advocating that people turn up on their doorstep and give them shit? I know you live in a post-Apocalptic future but that's not nice.

Did you like the book Manakura? I loved it, although it was some time ago.

Anyway, wanting source material is fair enough, my apologies for the sloppiness - here you go:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=0005CEA2-16F6-15C7-BBB983027AF1010E

And yes you are quite right to acknowledge there were other reasons for a more amicable atmophere this year, but i still stand by Aroha being used as insurance.