Last Sunday, under a clear blue sky, allegedly 5% of Wellington’s population mindlessly marched down Lambton Quay, chanting nonsense about racism. 95% found better things to do, hardly a difficult task. In Auckland 0.3% of the city’s population bowled bawling down Queen Street. Nine times as many went to Eden Park for the rugby.
This mindless miniscule minority mimicking was misinterpreted in a dying Dominion Post editorial as a significant social upheaval. It’s not. Rather, it’s the look at me collective behaviour, of recent years, whether Me-Too, the 1%, or whatever, of aping anything which happens abroad.
Over lunch with a university Professor a week ago, she lamented about the extraordinary ignorance she now encounters with today’s young. They’re unfamiliar with everyday terminology, with geography, politics or whatever; all a consequence of their obsession with social media.
The subject arose when we expressed amazement at the National Party’s Deputy Leader Nikki Kaye’s reprimanding Paul Goldsmith. This it will be recalled after Goldsmith, the highly competent shadow Finance Minister, suggested Jacinda should stick to the knitting, following her ill-considered and untypical criticism of the Warehouse chain for making commercial decisions. Plainly Kaye was unfamiliar with that age-old expression and misinterpreted it as sexist. Only the previous evening in a meeting with my company’s executives the term had been used after a discussion about a strategy change. After a debate we’d agreed to stick to the knitting.
I wonder if future historians might describe the current era as an Age of Ignorance.
Politically this is a highly exploitive situation. The left will automatically align themselves with protest grievance creators, as is their nature. That will bring into play another expression today’s young are doubtless unfamiliar with, namely; “the silent majority”. Politicians game to speak out against contrived protests will attract that silent majority’s empathy and be rewarded in the voting booth. It’s why, appalling though he is and regardless of polls, Trump will probably be re-elected.
13 Comments
They’re ignorant alright. But it’s worse than that – they have a *culture* of ignorance.
Think of how kids learn nothing wordly at school (though we never really do, imo)… then go home to a climate where watching anything but netflix makes you a weirdo.
The cure is to give kids free time at school to look and think and explore, and have interesting conversations with interesting people, and learn not to form conclusions on face-value. That won’t happen until we create the free time, and until the focus is simply about interest as opposed to scoring points on a test. One of the best things schools *could* do is compensate, to a degree, for the poverty of an intellectually redundant home. Instead I believe they lock it in.
Trump will undoubtedly get re-elected.
This government couldn’t even cast on the stitches necessary to stick to its knitting.
I do recall the Country Joe and the Fish Fixing to Die anti Vietnam war song at Woodstock, that seems pertinent: “What are we fighting for? Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn!”
What a load of rubbish… A clear blue sky? In Wellington? In June? Plainly delusional…
When a chap gets sacked for posting “All lives matter” you know you’ve entered clown world, the Twilight Zone or something. Trump is a breath of sanity by comparison.
David I understand your point but Trump is more a breath of “inanity” than sanity.
Your truth is more ” what you see is what you get ”
A self-promoting , narcissistic bully !
Unfortunately the only people in the world that can’t see that are himself and his hardcore base of supporters that are so disenfranchised , their only strength , they draw from him.
That’s a powerful combination.
He could win again !
Indeed there are numerous highly positioned whackos very happy indeed to play the puppet master to the masses of lunatics keen to support the latest infantile rage. And I mean rage literally with a herd like look of stark raving madness in the rolling eyes of the marching hordes. Sad days indeed and perhaps we will be heading to a French style revolution when the approaching dark storm of recession bites … look out Bob
Here is some advice for bloggers and commentators alike.
As you proof read your words of wisdom.
Turn the situation on its head.
You are the reader and not the writer.
Ask yourself.
Am I impressed ?
Am I even remotely interested in this persons point of view ?
Is this adding anything at all ‘meaningful’ to the current situation ?
Will these words bring about change ?
Who will benefit from these words ?
Perhaps the social warrior “O”fence-taker trend is that the democratic free market is evil and linked to racism, therefore we protest against any establishment. Oh really,…take a look at history the silent majority will always be looking for their next best investment and don’t care what colour you are.
You can rant and stomp all you like spoilt brats, somebody has to do the work. Somebody will be looking to work smarter with in the boundary of our laws. White light is made from all colours.
Some of us may be waiting for the pendulum to swing the other way. I’m watching the energy stocks, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
ha ha so there.
A while back we had politicians harping on about developing a “ knowledge economy”. Given the level of stupidity of citizens this never happened. We have to listen to the drivel of stupid politicians because stupid people have the right to vote.
Fortunately agree with everything said. I also believe the treaty of waitangi should be put in a draw and we all should be treated as New Zealanders. We obey the same rules have the same opportunities and make what we can of our own lives.
Greasing the axles on my ‘rent a tumbril’ fleet ‘as we speak’ Pedro and before you ask, yes, the verticle slides on the Madame ‘G’ replicas have already been lubed. In the meantime, a quick search for the Scandinavian research that concluded IQ in recent generations had done an abrupt about turn and headed for the back door at a canter (3 points per generation from recall) revealed research in France and Germany had come to much the same conclusion. Sperm count in today’s youth appears to be heading downhill quicker than their IQ and Covid19 racial selectivity appears to have booted evolution’s generally relaxed pace into touch. Interesting times just around the corner as the leaders and intelligentsia of the future grapple with the problem of which trees provide the most comfortable sleeping platforms.