tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post6957602792231584410..comments2024-03-26T10:03:51.827+13:00Comments on Karl du Fresne: Perhaps they should listen rather than sneerKarl du Fresnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05054853925940134404noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-83558478202368725922019-06-02T16:13:27.589+12:002019-06-02T16:13:27.589+12:00The actual danger to democracy is anti populism as...The actual danger to democracy is anti populism as was written about recently by Brendan O'Neill in Spiked On-Line:https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/05/03/the-dangers-of-anti-populism/Graham Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09303030213704094398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-57339249770230333932019-06-02T10:30:39.176+12:002019-06-02T10:30:39.176+12:00Prior to the last election, Labour were languishin...Prior to the last election, Labour were languishing somewhere in the 20s in terms of percentage popularity (opinion polls). They swapped out their leader, and with no change in policies, their popularity increased by about 50%, almost overnight. The only reason I can see for this was a populist view that we needed a shiny leader, a celebrity politician.<br /><br />They can’t have it both ways. Dismissing “populist” policies when it is the same populist perceptions that got them into power in the first place.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14766000926301211715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-50314652538777737662019-06-01T13:00:28.779+12:002019-06-01T13:00:28.779+12:00Karl
I appreciate your contribution to the cultur...Karl<br /><br />I appreciate your contribution to the cultural and political conversation that's taking place in New Zealand. <br /><br />Well actually that's not entirely correct. We are not yet having a conversation. While our MSM remains content to engage in the promotion of stereotypes, and dismissive commentary about the views held by 'populists' we are (at best) simply talking past each other. <br /><br />It is no small surprise to me that you are able to have articles published in Stuff. I suspect the quality of your writing makes them difficult to reject without engaging in deliberate and conscious bias. Maybe there is hope yet.<br /><br />I have long been impressed with the UK conservative commentator Douglas Murray, who has the ability and desire to pursue truth, and ask questions of ourselves that are difficult or socially unacceptable. Murray's contribution is further enhanced by his ability to nuance his answers, and not simply to repeat the expected boilerplate. <br /><br />The following clip shows him speaking in Jerusalem to a conservative audience, and is worth the time. I might add Murray is a gay atheist, which makes his approach to culture and politics all the more unique.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/embed/QPbne14ZkCo?autoplay=1<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Brendan McNeillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02741263914308842497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-56192054114445117112019-05-31T17:19:52.347+12:002019-05-31T17:19:52.347+12:00Words - and their changing meanings. In the norma...Words - and their changing meanings. In the normal development of languages words very often change for no specific reason. But that wasn't what Lewis Carroll meant. <br /><br />"When I use a word", Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less". "The question is", said Alice "whether you can make words mean so many different things?". "The question is", said Humpy Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all".Andy Espersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04198871648612112081noreply@blogger.com