Random Play by Graham Reid

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Random Play: Racial’s coming home . . . to roost

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  • Tom Semmens,

    *sigh*

    Hitler and the NSDAP got 33% in the 1932 election that resulted in his being appointed Chancellor in January 1933. He then used the Reichstag fire in February 1933 to get the senile Hindenburg to effectively suspend the constitution.

    Hitler probably didn't enjoy the "majority support" of Germans until sometime around the reoccupation of the Rhineland, and he probably wasn't even hugely popular until after the victory over the Anglo-French in 1940.

    It is ann important point, because the often quoted canard that Hitler was "democratically elected" is frequently used as the launching point for all sorts of arguments that are flawed in the first principle.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    The more startling moments of Laws on Campbell Live make sense (for a certain value of sense) if you assume he had an outburst about the lapdog media planned and realised the interview was ending.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    My Mum (60ish) really wants a T shirt that says "Michael Laws is a whanker".

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    No one is actually going to be hurt by the name correction, although Laws would have us believe there will be rioting in the streets when the good folks get really riled up.

    I believe Canterbury ENSOC can help him with that. They're looking for a place to go next year.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Tom - Majority support and democratically elected are not necessarily the same thing. cf Bush, GW; Banks, J.



    Loving the new edit option, BTW.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Laws is the biggest thing the Geographic Board have got going for it.

    A nation that may otherwise have thought “Why bother?” is now right behind the change.

    The concept that a referendum should decide a place name is a banal one. I bet a referendum to change the name of a town / city / province to “Hillary” would be a resounding success in most places around NZ at the moment.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Jeremy Andrew - I agree. But the whole "Hitler was democratically elected" thing is usually a preface to some negative comment about democracy based on that flawed obervation.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    "During its 31st session, in New Zealand on June 27, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved a change in the entry for the remains of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

    The previous name, “Auschwitz Concentration Camp,” has been changed to “'Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Nazi German Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945).”

    http://en.auschwitz.org.pl/m/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=8

    Who would have thought.

    Maybe we make Whanganui a world heritage site or apply for a Unesco World City of Literature or something as a consolation prize for adding the 'h'

    Isnt Dunedin home of the Undie 500 the ancient Gaelic name for Edinburgh. Pehaps the Scots might want their name back

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Hitler probably didn't enjoy the "majority support" of Germans until sometime around the reoccupation of the Rhineland, and he probably wasn't even hugely popular until after the victory over the Anglo-French in 1940.

    This is an area I really want to get to grips with in detail sometime. I do a lot of WW2 military history reading, and there are many passing mentions of the tensions between the army officer class and nazi party military and officials, tensions between the German civilian population and nazi officialdom, etc. But these are never really mentioned except in passing.

    When reading 'Berlin: the downfall', I was quite astonished to learn that there were a small number of German communists in Berlin ready to welcome the Red Army with their party cards (the NKVD had anfairly nasty surprise waiting for them, but....)

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Maybe we make Whanganui a world heritage site or apply for a Unesco World City of Literature or something as a consolation prize for adding the 'h'

    Sounds like a retread of the shonky 80s pipe dream to turn W(h)anganui into a kind of low-budget HQ for the Olympic movement - hyped at the time by the now largely forgotten De Coubertin institute. A quick Google reveals that Laws is the only one who seems to remember, and he ain't going there.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Isnt Dunedin home of the Undie 500 the ancient Gaelic name for Edinburgh. Pehaps the Scots might want their name back

    Best answer I've had

    Dun-Edin = fort-hill

    Edin-Burgh = hill-town(castle?)

    People will tell you all sorts of things, mind.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Paul Henry is tipped to host Close Up. Can you imagine how bad Henry interviewing Mr Laws would be?

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Have we the first nominee for word of the year?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    isn't "racist" but "ray-schist"

    Ha -- you obviously missed the referendum where Laws voted that he'd always pronounced it that way. So don't attempt to 'shut down' his democratic rights, Graham. 'Cause that makes you, like, just as bad as Hitler.

    By the way, and to change the subject slightly, I've noticed that the occasional paragraph break in (most of) your posts is a single line rather than a double line -- which makes it a little weird to read. I have no idea why this should happen. Is it just my browser? It doesn't seem to happen on any of the other PA blogs.

    Just thought I'd mention it.

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    Maybe a World City of Literature title for W(h)anganui was aiming too high.

    Maybe a' Fashion Week' instead...oops didnt they just ban certain types of fashion?

    World City of Literature it is then.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Then there was the rise of those banshee feminists who demanded equal pay for equal work and many right-thinking people -- women among them -- thought that that was not only outrageous but would destroy the family unit and bankrupt the country.

    Pay equity hasn't happened yet. Banshee feminists (and unionists) are still demanding parity 110 years after women won the vote. At parliament grounds this morning a group of women dressed as 1890s suffragists staged a pay equi-tea complete with cake with 12% slice missing. May even feature in the mainstream media.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Ha -- you obviously missed the referendum where Laws voted that he'd always pronounced it that way.

    And note his extended lesson on the correct phrasing of 'foul swoop'. He was most insistent that 'foul' is the right word. Lhaws' agenda is becoming clear - a whole new language, one word at a time.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    shouldn't that be "fowl swoop"? Cue "chickens come home to roost" wisecracks.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I was fascinated by the way that he suddenly seemed to get all 'indigenous' on TV last night, claiming it was an attack on the 'mana' of the people of Wanganui.

    Does he normally put on pretensions of cultural sensitivity, or was it just his cunning ploy to 'undercut the Murrys'?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Epic Foul

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    I was fascinated by the way that he suddenly seemed to get all 'indigenous' on TV last night, claiming it was an attack on the 'mana' of the people of Wanganui.

    Does he normally put on pretensions of cultural sensitivity, or was it just his cunning ploy to 'undercut the Murrys'?

    It's related to his notion of brown institutional racism (via the Geographic Board) against whites. Laws is one of those who is big on the idea that a separate Pakeha culture has developed here over the past 170 or so years -- distinct from both Maori culture and British culture of the early 19th century, and distinct from biculturalism too (doesn't leave much). In that sense, an accidental and innocent misspelling of Wanganui in the 1840s or 1850s has developed into a separate Pakeha tradition as though it is actually an English language word, which it kind of is. In the same way that Otago is an English language word and Otakou isn't.

    Personally, I'm sympathetic to that idea and think they should go for an official dual spelling: Wanganui/Whanganui. As they should also do Christchurch/Otautahi and so on. The mail will still get there either way.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    As always, lots of new music, articles, reviews and so on posted at Elsewhere.

    What, no Big Star box set review?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Readers may also enjoy:

    Friday Gold: An email exchange with Michael Laws

    Don't say we don't bring you the hits.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Laws is one of those who is big on the idea that a separate Pakeha culture has developed here over the past 170 or so years -- distinct from both Maori culture and British culture of the early 19th century, and distinct from biculturalism too (doesn't leave much).

    That's so..dull. Even if such a culture really existed, I don't think I'd want to be part of it.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    It's called Christchurch isn't it?

    (sorry: just anticipating the responses from elsewhere ...)

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

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