Posts by Steve Parks
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Not sure how my comment on rugby is a straw man, or racist.
Well, I didn't think so :-) more an observation of fact.
Kerry, it was an observation of a fact that Tze Ming wouldn’t have disagreed with; it’s just not relevant to the point supposedly being refuted. The point was rugby, along with many other examples of things very important in our conception of ourselves, was not invented here, by Pakeha - it was imported. (And just FTR, I didn't say anything about it being racist, that was another poster.)
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More seriously, most of us adopt and try to respect the Maori additions that make a unique New Zealand language.
That’s a pretty flimsy rebuttal: it’s still English, and we still use it to communicate with other, non-NZ, English speakers. We didn’t invent the language.
If this is 'New Zealand' ethnicity, it is a placeholder for 'New Zealand European/Pakeha ethnicity' - and I'll never be one of them (especially the dairy products and meringue bit).
If in doubt, set up a straw man and knock it down.How is it a straw man? You haven’t been asked again for your citizenship or nationality, you have been asked for your ethnicity. Put ‘New Zealander’ down if you want - as far as I know there’s no law against writing nonsense answers if they’re in good faith, but it’s still a nonsense answer.
Was the English language invented in New Zealand? Was rugby?
Maori and pacific island populations a mainstay of our rugby.Now, that is a straw man.
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Kyle,
I agree referendums can be useful where parliament wants guidance, as you say.But those wouldn't be citizens initiated, they would be more like the one we had on the electoral system.
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That's great - but... any old small town could be near forest, beaches, mountain views etc. I agree with what Robyn said earlier: let's not pretend cities aren't cities.
Not near the city, in the city, in Vancouver anyway.But you said (my emphasis): “Vancouver is a very nice place to be (even the CBD) but mostly for things that are not the city at all - forest, beaches, mountain views”.
In as much as those things are in the city, they are part of the city, not “not the city”, if you see what I mean. That photo is beautiful, but the city - all the big buildings etc - is definitely part of the beauty.
By filling up the waterfront with exciting bars, cafes, restaurants, public art and seats, it's definitely acknowledging that this isn't one of those isolated windswept beaches with a craggy pohutukawa; it's an urban harbourside area with concrete and lots and lots of people.
But those urban, harbourside bars, cafes and restaurants are hugely enhanced by green spaces - the public art and seats are best enjoyed if there is some provision made for parks and playgrounds. Keeping children happy in the CBD - plus keeping the inhabitants fit and active - should be two of the main objectives of any urban planner.Agreed.
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But I don't know well enough what it means, and I'm not keen that any ethnic group should be forced to be indentified by someone else's label.
A good response to this is this post by Tze Ming on PA ages ago.Yeah, that was a good blog, James. I agree with Tse Ming Mok on that one.
Logan said a page or so back:
I feel no tie to Europe. I identify myself as a person of New Zealand - as a place, not as a nation. I am a product of the culture …
But, the culture you are a product of is massively influenced by European culture. As Tse Ming said in that post:
I've also had to point out, however, that Pakeha were made out of Europeans.
I mean, hello, this is English we're using here. Was the English language invented in New Zealand? Was rugby? Were lamb roasts, cattle and sheep farming, eating copious amounts of dairy products, and gathering with your family at Christmas around a pinus radiata? Where do meringues come from, and why did anyone care about Anna Pavlova to start with? Who forged this postcolonial nation by fighting fascists in Europe? Um... not my family. If this is 'New Zealand' ethnicity, it is a placeholder for 'New Zealand European/Pakeha ethnicity' - and I'll never be one of them (especially the dairy products and meringue bit).
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But without someone running a proper campaign that has a significant number spoil their ballots - at least 6 figures. A few thousand more or less writing "this is stupid" on their ballots isn't going to raise an eyebrow, let alone affect the world.
You could be right. On the other hand, the more costly CIRs we have with low turn outs and a relatively high proportion of invalid votes (that high proportion indicating it was a deliberate protest action) just might help prompt parliament to change the CIR system or dump it.
I made a commitment to not vote in CIRs, or to cast a spoiled vote if I did, unless it was an issue I felt could go either way and was really, really important, and the result was clearly going to make a policy difference. Those criteria don't seem to have been met in this case.
I'm slightly appalled that no-one has mentioned the moral obligation to vote.
There isn't one.
However, I do agree with the gist of some of what you say - such as it being better in this case to deliberately cast an invalid vote than not to vote at all.
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I hope you are wrong too, but you are more likely to be right if too many ballots are thrown away or spolied...
I'm worried there might be more CIRs if people are seen to support the process.
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Sacha, didn't they have both options? I can't recall. Certainly I think they should have had both as tick box options: Pakeha, or NZ European.
I prefer NZ European to just putting New Zealander, for reasons I may go into if I get drunk enough. I have no problem with Pakeha either, though.
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Watching Campbell Live by any chance, Craig?
You're correct that the main reason CIRs are a bad idea is that they're bad democracy. But still: bad, waste of time ideas that cost quite a lot are naturally more concerning than bad ideas that waste time but little else.
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Vancouver is a very nice place to be (even the CBD) but mostly for things that are not the city at all - forest, beaches, mountain views (with snow the Lions really do look like Lions).
That's great - but... any old small town could be near forest, beaches, mountain views etc. I agree with what Robyn said earlier: let's not pretend cities aren't cities.
My take on the whole waterfront development is that New Zealanders don't like to acknowledge there are cities in this country. The national image is an aerial shot of the Southern Alps or Milford Sound. We forget about urban areas (witness the resistence to the new Auckland city promos).
And when we do build new things, we try to evoke the "traditional" New Zealand things. Britomart has a Kauri grove, ponga, large illuminated photos of native bush and metal tree sculptures. It's as if it's totally embarassed to be a modern urban transport centre and is trying to disguise itself as a pre-European forest.
By filling up the waterfront with exciting bars, cafes, restaurants, public art and seats, it's definitely acknowledging that this isn't one of those isolated windswept beaches with a craggy pohutukawa; it's an urban harbourside area with concrete and lots and lots of people.
Amen.
(None of which is to criticise Vancouver; I haven't been there. Just sayin' is all.)
PS. Loved Amsterdam when I was their recently. One of my favourite cities.