Mists of Truth and Narrative and Power

The Standard points to our greatest dislike of the blogging scene, and the media in general. In changing his position just because it is National delivering the policy on the Electoral Finance Act, David Farrar of Kiwiblog is showing his adherence to battlelines, to a party over principles. To power.

This can be seen across the blogosphere now that National are in power, with hypocritical crowing from Right-wing bloggers - Cactus Kate, Roarprawn - knowing that they personally benefit from the big business mentality of the National-Act - screw democracy, screw any ambition other than money-making - and they screw up their own avowed principles (such as Roarprawn's "hate on political corruption"). This is sad. And you won't see it here, because no NZ party is really moving in a direction Fantail would like to see. The parties don't understand the question our country is facing - because we haven't asked it of them properly.

What is that question, you ask? It's a good question. It's simple, but obscure. I'll tell ya later. And you won't hear the media asking it, not on our behalf because they lack the self-awarness and clarity to see how they hinder democracy, instead of aiding it. They are arbiters and gatekeepers, like the three monkeys. Deaf. Dumb. Blind.

As with John Key's follow-up performance after Letterman. I can't find a mainstream report on it, but apparently he walked out on Iranian president Ahmedinajad's speech to the UN - following the coat-tails of the uS and UK, like a good pup.

This is a worrying sign. He personally could benefit greatly from listening to the leaders of countries 20 times our size, facing threats that make "Oh, KiwiRail is losing money" look absolutely infantile. His political pedigree isn't impressive, but the answer is not to play "follow the leader". Stay in your seat. Listen. Learn. That's what you're there for. Ask questions. Think for yourself - don't just follow the cool kids around.

I wonder what he thought of the Swiss leader's comments regarding the G20 elite, who met alongside the General Assembly in Pittsburgh. That is, the biggest national economies in the world, and those who are too strategically important to ignore and aren't upstarts that the US wants to bomb back into their place. We're never going to make either hit list, so we should listen to Switzerland's concern that the UN, much less the General Assembly (the most democratic body in the world) is being made ever more redundant by these swaggering elites.

It would be nice if we could stop the rot hang on to some principles - show some real ambition - rather than always spreading our legs for the money.

Link to UN General Debate