Comments on Philosophy, et cetera: New Zealand Day

I totally agree with you regarding having to "sell...

2005-02-24T12:33:55.646-05:00

I totally agree with you regarding having to "sell your soul to the devil" on issues of cultural sensitivity. I’m sick of my colleagues on the left pandering to “political correctness” –I hate that phrase-. Socialism, either libertarian or good old fashioned statism is about creating common ground where everyone can make the most of their lives, regardless of wealth, gender or race.

I’ve been away from NZ for five years now and from the outside looking in NZ looks so provincial and backwards in its intellectual development. And I don’t mean some back-country farmer; I mean city dwelling leftwing educated people.

Yeah, I guess that's a possible alternative. But ...

2004-10-31T23:02:01.186-05:00

Yeah, I guess that's a possible alternative. But why won't changing Waitangi Day work?

Presumably the extremists won't be too happy about it, and would continue to protest and such. But I think that the framing effects of the change would really count against them.

I mean, protesting on "Waitangi Day" is understandable, given the backward-looking nature of that holiday. But if it were changed to "New Zealand Day", with a progressive (in the temporal as well as political sense) and integrative focus... well then, anyone protesting that would just plain look bad.

So the extremists would lose face and support, and hopefully we'd get the vast majority of Maori on our side instead, taking a much more positive attitude towards our country and our future together.

Now what would be so bad about that?

Posted by Richard

Why not have a new New Zealand Day, that is just i...

2004-10-31T20:39:43.746-05:00

Why not have a new New Zealand Day, that is just integrative in its genesis and intent? Trying to change Waitangi Day into something it's not isn't going to do anyone any good. It won't work.

A new public holiday is needed sometime in the long gap between Queen's Birthday and Labour Day - there must be a significant date of some sort we can hang a New Zealand Day off.

Posted by Jordan