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Unity Through Division

Entry 2375, on 2024-11-18 at 19:13:00 (Rating 4, Politics)

Summary

Countries with strong unity are typically more functional, while those with diverse communities often face more conflict. Many leaders promote unity but support policies that create division, such as granting certain groups special privileges. Although these privileges aim to aid disadvantaged groups, true equality is better achieved through equal opportunities for all. In New Zealand, there's a current debate over privileges given to the indigenous Maori, with some advocating for equal rights rather than special treatment. A protest is ongoing against the proposed "Treaty Principles Bill," which seeks to ensure equal rights. Critics of the bill argue it promotes division, yet many citizens support it. Media coverage reflects bias, and the resistance to necessary changes hinders progress toward unity.

Full Text

The most functional countries around the world tend to be those with the greatest unity. Any country with multiple communities within it, whether those are based on race, religion, or history, will almost inevitably encounter more conflict than others. This should be obvious, which is why so many political leaders and parties emphasise unity as a message.

But the problem is that many of these same people preaching unity want to implement policies which emphasise division. For example, they might want to give certain groups special privileges that others don't get. People are very attuned to their societal and economic position relative to others, so this sort of action will inevitably breed resentment and division.

I do have to say that in many cases these special privileges exist because of genuine concern for groups which are seen as having some degree of disadvantage, but the answer to that problem is to make sure everyone can exist on an equal level, not to give some an unfair advantage.

Currently, here in New Zealand, we have a major social issue where special privileges handed out to the indigenous people, Maori, are partly being reduced by the government, and one party, Act, wants to implement a law making all citizens equal, instead of there being a pile of special privileges for Maori.

Before I go any further, here is a partial list of those privileges: Maori focused schools, special Maori content in the education curriculum, Maori-only education scholarships, Maori-only housing projects, Maori-only health initiatives, Maori-only welfare initiatives, Maori-only prisoner programmes, Maori-only positions on government agencies, Maori-only consultation rights under the Resource Management Act, Maori-only co-management of parks, rivers, lakes, and the coastline, Maori-only ownership rights to the foreshore and seabed, a special Maori Authority tax rate of 17.5 percent, a special Maori-only exemption to allow blood relatives to qualify for charitable status, Maori language funding, Maori radio and TV, Maori-only seats on local councils, Maori-only appointments onto local government committees, Maori-only local government statutory boards, Maori-only local government advisory committees, Maori seats in Parliament.

Because they don't want to give these up (and who can blame them) there is a major protest march, which is likely to last more than a week (yeah, I haven't heard how they got all that time off work, but I have some theories) and finish in the capital city, Wellington, to confront the government.

Now I've got to say, these people seem like a bunch of radical nutters. That is harsh, and probably not true in every case, but in general they are incoherent, irrational, inconsistent, and deliberately obscure.

Nominally, the march is about the "Treaty Principles Bill" which is the action I mentioned above that Act are recommending to give everyone the same rights, but everyone knows that there isn't sufficient support in parliament to get that through to law, and it will be ineffective, so why have a major protest about it?

It seems to me that it is just Maori throwing their weight around and giving a warning that they will not give up those privileges easily. It's a warning to any politician in the future who wants to pursue a similar aim. They will not accept it, they will not debate it, all they will do is act like a bunch of children who don't get what they demand.

And I think there is good reason to think that this protest has been primarily organised by the Maori Party. Yes, that's the same party who prefer to rip up documents, jump around making threatening gestures, shout a lot, and disrupt the usual processes of government. OK, we all know that government is never particularly inspiring even when it is working perfectly, but this just makes everything a lot worse.

The opponents of the Treaty Principles Bill claim it is divisive, but I cannot see how a proposal to give everyone equal rights can increase division. Several surveys have shown substantial support for the Bill, which indicates to me that the majority of New Zealanders feel the current arrangements are unfair. We are already divided. Giving everyone the same rights seems like more a way to increase unity, although it would take a while for some people to accept the change.

Unfortunately, many in the media are indulging in the usual biased reporting on this issue, and there are reports of media people, funded by the taxpayer, actually joining the march for short periods of time. And the current video of the young Maori activist MP ripping up the bill and prancing around with her friends, like some sort of savage from 200 years ago, has gone viral and is being held as an inspiring example of resistance by some. But I suspect the majority just look at it and laugh at us again.

Sometimes hard decisions need to be made to make genuine progress. There will be a lot of whining and complaining to start with, but eventually there will be acceptance, because you can't get unity through division.

Comment 1 (7779) by Anonymous on 2024-11-19 at 12:55:17:

But it is divisive. Did we have protests before this bill was created? Nothing then, but now we have them. Isn't that division caused by this bill?

Comment 2 (7780) by OJB on 2024-11-19 at 14:51:28:

I think the problem is, that in every political situation, there is a group of people making a lot of noise and we assume they represent the dominant opinion. But that generally isn't true. Look at all the anti-Trump "noise" in the US, yet Trump won with a dominant performance. Superficially it looked like Kamala Harris had massive support, but the "quiet majority" had the final say.

It's the same with the marchers. They are making a lot of noise, but polls indicate the majority of New Zealanders support the Bill. Why? Because they feel the current situation, where Maori get a lot of special privileges, is unfair and divides the country.

So, don't let a noisy minority disguise the opinion of the majority. We are already divided; the Bill just gives us a chance to become less so.

Comment 3 (7781) by Ralph on 2024-11-20 at 12:12:36:

Excellent well presented, no emotion, just facts.

Comment 4 (7782) by EK on 2024-11-21 at 12:55:36:

I wouldn't have phrased it quite the same way, but basically I do agree. In Europe they are worried about the emergence of so-called “parallel societies”, i.e. cultural minority groups leading separate social lives with their own rules; and there goes social cohesion. Here NZ seems to want to constitutionally entrench such an entity.

Comment 5 (7783) by OJB on 2024-11-21 at 14:37:20:

Yes, it is very much an "us and them" situation; a problem in various different forms around the world. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm hoping a change in attitude regarding woke-ism might lead to more decisions being based on rationality rather than emotion. Probably being far too optimistic!

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