deliberately difficult

The left in this country (and around the world) have a real problem and that is the game has changed and the right aren't playing by the 'rules' anymore. The right have learned the lessons (get the power) and now use many tactics that are not only anathema to the left but they literally cannot be countered by normal means.

We have seen the dirty politics with the use of nasty right bloggers to do the character assassinations of those who counter the political right's agenda - but that is almost old news now - it still goes on but it has all become a lot more subtle.

We have fake news. We have repeated repetition of lies and misinformation (any Open Mike should do the trick - even when PROVEN to be lies the right just keep chucking it back up, day in day out - this confuses the gullible and makes left sites unreadable as any left counter just gets ignored and a new lie or an old one is reposted). We have poisoning the well (any cv comment - this shuts down any meaningful discussion from the left). The left really struggle to combat these techniques. It isn't that we aren't nasty enough, or don't recognise them, or we pretend it will all work out - no!

It is simply because those techniques are designed to be very, very hard to combat. Deliberately.

And the left is not the right and to lower to the depths needed to combat the right with the right tactics destroys the ethos of being left. 

What is the point of winning if you become like those you have beaten? 

What is the point of letting those you oppose win because you cannot fight them the way they need to be fought?

There are no easy answers or solutions - but the left must analyse this, the left must know what the problem actually is before solutions are used. Understanding the problem = 90%, solution = 10%.

This is a 2017 issue just like it was last year. And if it isn't sorted we will get more trumps and more slaters and more colonial vipers.

The left and its suite of ideals and morals and ethos has everything to lose, the people who need a strong left have everything to lose, those disadvantaged in society and those affected by bigotry and inequality have everything to lose.

We must not lose.

we know you will know

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya has just tabled a report at the UN. I haven't read it yet but reports show that he highlights the "extreme disadvantage" of maori in this country. All of the maori party spin and brand-key lies and disinformation cannot hide the truth of the shame of this country. Maori are the indigenous people of this land and maori are disadvantaged. The promise of the maori party was around this disgrace not the bullshit spin being spun. The answer is simple - tino rangatiratanga. Protests at the fake sporting event. Pressure and marches to show that we will not go from our land.

Stuff

The Special Rapporteur cannot help but note the extreme disadvantage in the social and economic conditions of Maori people in comparison to the rest of New Zealand society," the UN report says. "This disadvantage, which manifests itself across a range of indicators, including education, health, and income, is certainly detrimental to Maori people's ability to act in partnership with the Crown, as contemplated under the Treaty of Waitangi. "The Special Rapporteur notes that this disadvantage especially manifests itself among Maori people living in urban areas." Anaya notes that "regrettably" New Zealand continues to incarcerate Maori at a high rate. He said Maori made up 51 per cent of the prison population despite making up only 15 per cent of the total population. "In addition to the negative impacts on individual incarcerated individuals and their families, high incarceration rates have a potentially significant impact on Maori political participation, as the New Zealand electoral law specifies that citizens who have been sentenced and imprisoned lose their voting rights," the report says.

Reality hurts for those who pretend not to see - but reality is everyday life for those who are within it. No one who can think is unaware of these statistics and what they mean. It is time to wake up - it is time to deal with why this is happening.

spits of reign

The latest Household Labour Force Survey figures show unemployment has risen. yes we know about the global recession and financial stack of cards but what has happened to the initiatives to generate meaningful employment options for people. Cycleway? job summits? This government blames the unemployed for being unemployed and they are going to let the 'market' sort it out and that will put many more people into that status - that is how their system works. It is based on inequality.

No Right Turn

The Household Labour Force Survey is out, and it shows that unemployment has spiked again to 6.8%. 158,000 people are now out of work - an increase of 53,000 since National took office. In addition, an extra 92,000 have given up and left the labour force, while we have an extra 31,000 long-term unemployed.

I latest breakdown of the figures show that

The figures showed the rate of unemployment for those aged 15-19 was more than 25 percent, that Maori unemployment was 15.5 percent and Pacific Islanders unemployment was 13.5 percent.

Have no illusions - things are going to get a lot worse with the gnats in for another 3 years. Lew at Kiwipolitico tells it like it is and it is very scary. Labour are toast. The Greens are struggling with cutthrough but at least provide some opposition. The maori party have different priorities. What to do?

Communities and people together is the only answer. We may or may not be able to stop or slow them down (we will try though) but we must strengthen our connections and bonds. Every storm passes and when it does, the destruction becomes apparent. The tears can flow and then we rebuild together, as communities.