HYPOCRISY OR HUMAN?

The hypocrisy of the left when it comes to personal gain, never surprises me.

The latest spectacular example is news that Britain’s Guardian newspaper is paying its editor, thanks to a massive 42% pay rise, a NZ$1m annual salary.

Like Stuff here, the daily Guardian newspaper’s free on-line issue makes pleas for donations from its readers. Last year this yielded The Guardian circa NZ$150m with over a million on-line readers pledging £1 per month and another half million making one-off payments.

All of that despite the newspaper having a base support from its owner, the tax exempt Scott Trust, which has a circa NZ$3billion investment fund used solely to fund the newspaper.

Over the last year The Guardian has campaigned against huge CEO salaries, citing many examples, albeit mostly less than NZ$1m p.a.

It has additionally campaigned against huge CEO salary increments although none quoted were as high as the Guardian editor’s 42%.

It’s also campaigned against tax-exempt trusts. All of this in the light of the editor’s massive salary, screams hypocrisy.

But I’ve lived a long life and while now happy to stay out of the public-arena, that hasn’t always been the case.

In particular, I’ve witnessed numerous examples of purported socialists, unionists and the like, confronted by an unexpected financial opportunity, abruptly abandon their previous collectivism and go for it. And why not? Given the option of living in Remuera or South Auckland, rationality makes this an easy decision.
I exempt the mid 1980s Labour hierarchy so many of whom became hard right wingers and abandoned their former socialist beliefs.

They were not hypocrites but instead the opposite. They had watched in miserable opposition Muldoon steal their thunder by applying their beliefs and had seen the devastating consequences. So to their credit they turned to the economic logic of the market economy. They were accused by the die-hard Labour rump of hypocrisy although, as said, they were the opposite, namely men of integrity with the courage to accept their life-long faith was wrong.

That said, there’s no doubt the Guardian’s editor is on face value a screaming hypocrite, her massive pay increase and salary being precisely what she has presided over with her newspaper’s attacking articles in the Guardian.

But then again, perhaps she is in fact a true market believer and has recognised the sizeable commercial opportunity in disgruntled envy ridden school-teachers and public servants loser mice, all on relatively low incomes which due to their personal character weakness they trade off for job security.

So she produces a product, just as do hamburger joints and the like, catering to their prejudices and thus profits greatly. Everyone is happy.

NOTE: The above comments refers to the daily Guardian newspaper. The paper also owns The Guardian Weekly which I recommend subscribing to as it contains excellent articles on a wide range of issues with no political leaning.