Tom Johnson: No denying race relations problem

Tom Johnson

As I was personally responsible for inviting former Hawke's Bay Labour MP Dr Bill Sutton to the Hobson's Pledge meeting on Tuesday night and I was the guilty party chairing the question and answer session who asked for the questions and any comments to be brief, to the point as any lengthy "political" orations would be cut off. Some clarification is warranted.

My use of the term political was unfortunate because it was obviously interpreted by Bill Sutton literally. From experience with Q & A sessions there is a need to limit those with a propensity to talk too long when there is the limited time available and a large number of people taking part.

It should be stressed Hobson's Pledge is not a political party, but rather a movement focused on changing attitudes on race relations issues by making New Zealanders feel entitled to the freedom of speech that's being denied them by political and academic activists, PC propaganda and peer pressure. The "No Denying Race Relations Problem" headline in the "Talking Point" article, which also stated "It is not going to be fixed by turning our backs on it" are points I would agree with Bill Sutton on.

Hobson's Pledge members believe in the preservation of democracy, and equality within the law for all citizens. This involves a say in the direction and future of our country, irrespective of race, religious belief, cultural values, sexual orientation, or age. Without this equality which acknowledges a respect for individual's rights, democracy and freedom become a sham. To deal with deteriorating race relations however we need to know its causes.

For the last forty years the politics of identity has focused on the rights of minority groups, often at the expense of majority views and collective rights. Political correctness has insidiously aided and abetted identity politics because it is a form of cognitive control or put simply "brainwashing" to modify and control behaviour through thought control.

As a non-Maori I assess two factors as being major contributors to declining race relations. Firstly spineless successive government actions from Matiu Rata creation of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975, to Geoffrey Palmer extending claims to be heard back to 1840 in 1985, to the Key administrations plethora of legislative changes, were all done without any agreement from the electorate to avoid the "Hikoi from Hell".

The tragedy is that truth becomes the casualty of political ineptness. The second factor has been a constantly changing racial landscape where the demands from a Maori hierarchy have changed from land grievances, to supposed Treaty Rights, to indigenous rights, but always with an underlying demand for control of resources. This is how it is perceived by many non-Maori who are fed up with the "Gravy Train" industry that has evolved from the constant demands.

For forty years, Maori have successfully used Italian communist Antonio Gramsci's political ideology of cultural hegemony to advance their separatist agenda. Culture with its rites and rituals is used to gradually change the thinking of the populace whilst government institutions, particularly education and health are infiltrated with the ethnic fundamentalist views. Historical revisionism has changed historical facts, though not available for observation today, from empirically verifiable truth to fantasy. Interpretation of the Treaty is a good example where a simple document supported by recorded fact has been challenged by contemporary interpretation that is not. It is completely Orwellian that Separatists can interpret Hobson's "Hi Iwi tahi tatou", 'Now we are One' as Now we are Two.

The path we are on is creating an apartheid state in law which in turn will divide our society and create injustice, unequal citizenship, bitterness and anger. New Zealand will become a divided, undemocratic state. This is the concern of the 200 people who attended the meeting on Tuesday.

As James Perloff wrote "Truth is a lonely warrior" in politics, but as proven already this year with the Brexit result and the American elections the bulk of the population are not driven by neoliberalism, are not fools, and finally will rebel against untruths, if they are not be able to exercise their democratic rights by voting on key issues.

Politicians should be wary as what happens overseas usually happens here.

Tom Johnson is retired, but does management consultancy on leadership and organisational culture issues. He has a PhD in Management with a special focus on organisational culture and change management.