Today's Topics:
1. France, Union Communiste Libertaire AL #302 -
Consprationnisme, Conspiracy: the gangrene of the social movement
(fr, it, pt)[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. US, MACC is holding the February Organizing Assembly 2/23,
Sunday at 2PM - 4PM at 1882 Woodbine Street, Ridgewood (ca)
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Women's Initiative Against Patriarchy: Call for convocation
to assemble blocks on March 8, 2020 by Jellyfish APO [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Greece, Thessaloniki Freedom Initiative: NTUA intervenes in
colors at the Metropolis of Thessaloniki [VIDEO] [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. el miliciano cnt-ait chiclana: CNT-AIT, Albacete:
Libertarian Days. "Life in self-management" (ca, it, pt) [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. anarkismo.net: NZ Election: Money, Power and Kiwi
Non-Exceptionalism by Pink Panther - AWSM (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
The presence not only on social networks but also in gatherings and demonstrations of groups or individuals who fuel ideological confusion
is detrimental to our struggles. By instrumentalizing fears and hatred for their political or personal benefit, they invisibilize people in
struggle and participate in the reactionary counter-offensive. ---- The remarkable presence of different personalities and political
organizations who have made lies, misinformation and manipulation their business is not a new phenomenon, it seems to have grown since the
movement of yellow vests. This is particularly the case for the Asselineau UPR. The followers of Dieudonné and Soral also often figure
prominently among the conspiracy parasites who do their anti-Semitic butter on the back of social misery and ignorance of the history of the
workers' movement. These reactionary fringes represent only a minority, but we see that their ideas are often relayed and accepted as
legitimate. Among the "useful idiots", Etienne Chouard has long been acclaimed by certain leaders and activists of rebellious France and
Juan Branco, another personality claiming to be from the left, has repeatedly distinguished himself by the spread of conspiracy theories and
a certain connivance with the far right.
Let there be no mistake: the presence of the extreme right in the midst of struggles never has an emancipatory aim. Far-right ideologies
always rest on a desire for rigid hierarchy. The far right is never against repression: it is only opposed to not holding the whip. The aim
of the confusionist strategy is to encourage a break between members of the social movement who are naive enough to believe the
manipulators, and those who know how to recognize the guardian who is still hiding behind certain so-called "dissidents". Confusionism is
generally characterized by a questioning of materialist analyzes of systems of oppression, and an obsession with an "identity policyPopular.
Confusionists love to criticize critical ideologies for ignoring class, but what they call "class" is at best only a disguise or a purely
cosmetic national identity, from which they do not hesitate to exclude all those and those who do not correspond to a fantasized collection
of white men mainly united ideologically by their racism and their sexism.
Blurring social markers
Confusionism fantasizes about a few decision-makers who would be able to manipulate the masses by an immense scheme. It has the consequence
of blurring the social and economic markers that characterize oppressions and the tools for analyzing them, preferring simplistic theories
denying social history. Confusionism, by distorting the critical analyzes of dominions to reduce them to simplistic cause-and-effect
relationships, facilitates the acceptance of far-right ideas and instrumentalizes legitimate distrust of the institutions and people who run
them. These different networks and small groups ultimately have similar effects: they make social demands inaudible, weaken them or simply
ignore them.
One of the means most often used against the confusionists is physical or verbal confrontation. If this tactic may have paid off vis-à-vis
openly fascist groups during the sequence of yellow vests, we can question the effectiveness of the confused who rarely use political
violence on the street. Frontal opposition to people seen as non-violent by those who ignore or do not perceive the dangerousness of their
speech can win them sympathy or even support.
Designate the reactionaries
Tackling these discourses is not only a question of presence in processions. This response must also be implemented in all our struggles,
clearly designating them as reactionary and serving the interests of the oppressors. Deconstructions of their theories such as those
proposed by the La Horde collective can thus be mobilized. It is also by activating in a process of recognition of the intersectionality of
oppressions that we can deconstruct their propaganda. Like any far-right discourse, it is based on the encouragement to take a stand
against: against feminism, against anti-racism, against LGBTI struggles, against the social movement, against the people whom these
movements defend and those who animate them.
THEIR STRENGTH: IGNORANCE
Demonstrating that oppressions are not the result of a "plan" by the ruling elites, but rather the consequences of collectively accepted
systems would diminish their appeal. And if we do not argue with the fascists or those who serve them soup, we must not abandon those who
risk being manipulated by these ideas. It is up to us to put into practice our principles of popular education, to tell the story of our
social movement, to defend our analyzes and our actions by the materialism which has made and still makes the relevance of our revolutionary
current !
The UCL anti-fascist commission
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Conspirationnisme-la-gangrene-du-mouvement-social
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Message: 2
We encourage all MACC participants, GA attendees, etc. to join us. ---- The Metropolitan Anarchist Coordinating Council (MACC) will be
holding an organizing assembly this weekat Woodbine, 1882 Woodbine St. in Ridgewood. Please attend and invite your friends and comrades.
Organizing assemblies are open to all of those who have participated in MACC working groups or general assemblies. We encourage everyone
involved to come out - they are an excellent place to plug-in to broader MACC strategy, organizing, and administration. If you can't arrive
on time, feel free to come late. ---- The organizing assembly is MACC's primary decision making body and deals with the nuts and bolts of
MACC as an organization and its infrastructure. These assemblies are a forum where we explore and attempt to address the wider needs of MACC
and the anarchist movement in NYC. We also use these meetings to set the agenda and the tone for general assemblies ("GAs" ), and to check
in with working groups.
The next General Assembly will be on Friday, March 13th at Verso Books. There will be an orientation at 6:30pm and the assembly will begin
at 7:00pm.
Thanks and we hope to see you there!
Support MACC Projects
Please consider making a donation to MACC or pledging to our bail fund. We appreciate the support!
Join a Working Group
Both the Organizing Assembly and General Assembly are great places to get involved with new and ongoing working groups. You can see a list
of groups on our wiki. Come to a meeting or email us to learn more.
Free David Campbell
Defend and Support Our Imprisoned Anti-fascist Comrade
Donate using PayPal to the David Campbell support fund! All donations go to David's commissary as well as sending mail and other
communication costs.
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Message: 3
Call for assembly to set up block on March 8th -- Monday 24/2 at 9:00 pm in the self-managed 'on-the-face' space (87 Patras) ---- March 8th:
Day of Resistance and Race! ----March 8th was established in 1910 to commemorate the women's races. The regime's establishment of such a day
seeks to unleash every militant claim, every historical legacy and collective memory that can inspire and promote the struggle for women's
emancipation. A struggle that the sovereignty is constantly trying to put forward as a "demand for equality in the management of power".
Attempting to integrate the various movements and altering their characteristics is a standard practice of domination to assimilate any
resistance effort and reduce its radicality. For us, March 8th is a day of resistance and struggle and not a "celebration" for women, which
in fact all it does is confirm and reproduce the imposed gender roles.
Patriarchy is one of the foundations of the world of power and a key element of its social reproduction. As women, in addition to the
exploitation and oppression imposed on us as a whole, we also experience oppression in the field of gendered segregation, as yet another
form of oppression stemming from the structure of the dominant system. At a time of sharpening the offensive of the state and the bosses,
the main pillars of the constitution of the world of power attempt to convey the dissolution of state, capitalist, and patriarchal ways of
organizing society. As the crisis deepens, the attack we receive in all areas is intensifying. Contemporary manifestations of patriarchy
intensify with it.
Dozens of rapes and murders, particular working conditions for women, layoffs, slavery and forced prostitution, daily violence against
migrant women, anti-abortion campaigns against the self-determination of women, humiliation and further assault in repressive operations,
homophobic and sexist attacks, physical violence, as well as harassment and threats by the occupation army stationed in the Exarchia area to
students, working But also those who live and struggle in the region, soon make up the contemporary reality.
As for us, as struggling women, we are not terrified because we are not alone. Against patriarchy and all forms of oppression imposed by the
system, we respond by stepping up self-organized and anti-institutional action. We keep the flame of past struggles alive and continue
collectively from below for the liberation struggles of the future. We along with thousands of protesters took to the streets last 6
toDecember, we along with struggling in Chile, our rebel comrades in Chiapas, the revolutionary guerrilla in Rotzava, resisting the women in
Turkey and around the world.
Today more than ever, we seek to intensify the struggle for women's emancipation, the struggle for the freedom of all against any power
relationship imposed upon us. Recognizing that freedom is neither granted nor granted, but conquered through the struggles of the exploited
and oppressed themselves, we choose to organize and collectivize - as women and as anarchists - and to fight together, with the workers, the
unemployed. students, students, LGBTQI people, to unite our voices and actions against our daily forces around the world, keeping the vision
of a society of equality, dignity, freedom and solidarity alive.
NO IMPLICATION FOR THE WORLD OF PATRIARCHY, STATE AND CAPITALISM
INTERNATIONAL AND CLASSICAL WOMEN'S GAMES FOR HANDLING AND FREEDOM, LIFE AND DIGNITY
Women's Initiative Against Patriarchy
enantiastinpatriarxia@gmail.com
Contact: Every Tuesday 19: 00-22: 00 in the Self-Managed On-premises Room (87 Patreos Street)
https://ipposd.wordpress.com/
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Message: 4
What can the Prespa Agreement, the "illegal immigration", and the "demographic" have in common? First of all, the theme of the event, "We
did not agree", which was organized by 22 Christian unions in Vellidio, was blessed by the Holy See of Thessaloniki at the Thessaloniki
Convention Center. ---- The above axes constitute the basic ideological agenda of the conservative and far-right arc. At present, this
agenda is being promoted by government, church, religious and sectarian groups, fascist organizations and bourgeois right and far right
parties. From the education minister's proclamations of "national consciousness" to school and compulsory churches, the deprivation of basic
human "civil rights" from refugees and immigrants, to the blessings of the Holy Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, the dark-skinned decisions of
Ierados abortion, the targeting of women who choose it, the state, and the church go hand in hand to promote conservatism and outrage in
society.
The Prespa deal initially pushed all this far-right tackle to the "foam" of the public sphere. It united the ND opposition at the time with
archbishops, patriotic unions and fascist raids. The latter occupied public space and space, cultivated hatred for our neighboring peoples,
and attacked social spaces and occupations. Their demand to have the first say in the name of another nation-state. The Greek state, close
to this logic, has been trying for decades to extend its sovereignty to the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean. So the SYRIZA government
has come to this agreement with the blessings of the EU, which wants to integrate the Republic of Northern Macedonia into its bosom and
NATO, expanding its sphere of influence in the Balkans. Nationalism on both sides of the border got on top. In Greece, the church played a
key role (not that it would not), reminding its followers to march, chartering coaches for nationalist festivals, and reproducing daily
national cries of pride.
The far-right crowns continue on the refugee-migration issue. Yet another issue in which the new government has failed to satisfy its
far-right public despite all its efforts daily. The church is not just indifferent to living conditions, everyday accidents, and suicides in
desperate detention centers. This would simply confirm her selective philanthropic action, which comes as no surprise to the exclusion of
"all-religionists". But he doesn't stay there. Citing the "Islamization of the homeland" of all sorts, clergymen and religious leaders are
calling for a pogrom against refugees and immigrants. They call them poachers, people who have already accepted the violence of the most
powerful states on the planet, either through military imperialist intervention, either by expanding the economic power of the great powers.
They call them "rapists" and "terrorists" refugees and immigrants coming to our country, of course indifferent that absolutely nothing and
no reality underpins their perception (a perception we are laughing at) derives solely from their xenophobic and racist feelings. ), which
makes them the perpetrators of daily racist attacks. After all, they have what they want. The influence on the policies of the Greek state
and its continuous increase. indifferent of course that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of any support for their perception
(which we are laughing at derives solely from their xenophobic and racist feelings), which makes them morally instigated by daily racist
attacks. After all, they have what they want. The influence on the policies of the Greek state and its continuous increase. indifferent of
course that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of any support for their perception (which we are laughing at derives solely from
their xenophobic and racist feelings), which makes them morally instigated by daily racist attacks. After all, they have what they want. The
influence on the policies of the Greek state and its continuous increase.
And while one might imagine the situation of previous years with the church having an idea of who would come into the country or being
called a neighboring state it was already inconceivably comical for a supposed secular state, in recent months we have been seeing the
church again in the spotlight, this time with her point of view on birth control and women's bodies! For months now, the self-evident right
of every woman to decide for herself her body and her life has been trying to get her body back on track, with anti-abortion posters popping
up in Athens and recently in Thessaloniki, events explaining that if we are not willing to put our bodies in the service of the reproduction
of the nation we are "killers", Athens subway ads based on absolutely fake science, but no scientific evidence, emotionally blackmailing us
to "let our unborn child live", campaigns by non-existent Christian associations that we are subsidized by about the demographic "problem",
doctors and nurses trying to change our minds when we turn to them to guide us on how to exercise our right to abortion "The television air
women sharing to have an abortion. And all this while rape and murders have become a daily occurrence, it is the victims who end up being
tried both in the courtrooms and in the television windows and leaflets, while the perpetrators are portrayed as being "seduced by their
love for the victim". At the beginning of February, the Holy Synod, which is probably not very interested in science, biology and other such
"secondary" (!), Characterized the fetus as "human" and abortion as "murder": "The Holy Synod received Her appearance on the subject of
abortion and based on the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church of Christ expresses her theological position on the
fetus as a complete and incomplete human being since her arrest and therefore considers abolish the will as murder and not to accept. "
Archbishops, priests and Christian associations that have as much to do with pregnancy and maternity as with humanity and solidarity, that
is, absolutely no one, want to ban abortion.
Let us now go to the "Holy" Metropolis of Thessaloniki, in particular its Metropolitan Anthimos. Let's take a look at some recent events:
* In March 2012 (and then twice more in the same year) a 7-year-old boy is raped in the Papacy "Foundation". The rape is concealed by the
Foundation's administration and the report of the responsible social worker is buried, until a few months after the child is raped again and
taken to hospital, where his physical condition immediately reveals to the doctors what has happened and the case is opened. A total of 6
members of Papafio's administration, including its director and its president, Metropolitan Anthimos, are accused of covering up the rape of
a 7-year-old child. Of course, they are acquitted after a deliberation by the Thessaloniki Council. An indication of the metropolis's
unpredictable vulgarity is the announcement it issued, with the signature of the metropolitan himself,
* In June 2014, the Metropolitan characterizes the Thessaloniki Pride as "Feeling and Challenging", inaugurating hateful vigilance in
various churches in Thessaloniki.
* In March 2015, a televised broadcast turned homosexuality into a "deadly sin," stating: "This to our faith, hagiographically, is a deadly
sin. It is written in the Bible, it cannot talk. " He went on to say about Thessaloniki Pride: "to bring me this product out to parade many
times and even barefoot within my own province, spiritually I mean mine, and to go through the churches as they please and not I let them go
because I said it would be a breakdown. That is what I do not tolerate. " He also informed us that in a secular state it is assumed "There
can be no public persons who confess that they are atheists."
* In December 2015, during his service at the Church of Our Lady of the Right and on the occasion of discussing the covenant of
cohabitation, the Metropolitan stated: "When has there been such a 2015 phenomenon of man and woman marrying women? But also want the right
to have foreign children, to raise them, and to tell them what? Not even animals have such sentiments ... Sir Ellison. "
* In March 2016, following the lgbtqia + community and the atheists, immigrants and refugees, people who were forced to leave their homes
chased by war or destitution, were to receive Christian love in our metropolis. In a radio broadcast, the Thessaloniki metropolitan states:
"I am opposed to hosting different immigrants. Inside the city of Thessaloniki, for whatever reason, I personally, as a bishop and spokesman
for a local church that has a 2,000-year history, would not want to settle down, because we do not know exactly what will follow... "
* A few months later, in July 2016, a large-scale police operation took place to evacuate 3 housing squads in Thessaloniki, including the
occupation of the Orphanage in Ano Toumpa. It had been sued by the owner of the building, that is, the Metropolis of Thessaloniki. Within
hours of the evacuation the orphanage building had been demolished: only then would the poplar be able to finally build the lucrative
5-storey mansion he wanted, in place of the small two-storey building that was a living solidarity community.
* In September 2017, in response to a question about whether the Church would marry a couple in which either of them had a sex correction,
she responded: of natural evolution. These are a little naughty things. "
* While interviewing a gender-based radio show next month, he commented: "It's a kind of illness let's say ..."
* In December 2017, the Metropolitan was again confronted with the "law" for the management of the "Orthodox Foundation for Education and
Culture", which - once the title was deluded - despite its name, had hotel-related activities. The president of the Foundation's Board of
Directors, Metropolitan Anthimos, had "forgotten" to declare income and VAT worth 460,000 euros in 2004 and 2005. This "foundation" was
abolished in 2005 following a decision by the Holy Synod and the proposal of Metropolitan Anthimos only. to be replaced by another equally
"benevolent": the "Educational and Cultural Institution of the Holy Metropolitan Saint Gregory Palamas". The Chairman of the Board of
Directors is again the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki and in his ranks operates exactly the same hotel unit (!).
* In November 2018, during our operation, we were left with all the unbelievable darkness by claiming that there are no other planets beyond
the earth (!). Specifically he said: "Do not listen to what they say about what they say, what they saw[...]things that are incomprehensible
in the skies above the other planets. There is no other planet in the whole universe in the sky than this planet we inhabit and this is the
earth, "referring to a" scientist "whose name he did not hold (!) Who found him on the road and said (!) ) that everything is a lie based on
the "conclusions of some young scientists" who - of course - have not yet exposed, but other scientific sources like 40 years ago in a
foreign capital in Europe that gathered in the skies to see amazing things but ... saw nothing .
* After all this, in July 2019, in secret, and without any announcement, the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos was proclaimed an
Honorary Doctor of the Department of Pastoral and Social Theology of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. and
to all of us, women, lgbtqia + people, immigrants, refugees, whom the metropolitan, full of "Christian love", has at times said we are
"surpassing" in "his" periphery.
All this, from the point of view of the church as a whole and of each metropolis in particular, is perfectly reasonable. They want to go
back in time, enforce darkness, they want to broaden their sphere of control. They try not to lose ground as their doctrine is stripped
every day for a while, to form a highly conservative society, proud and pure of its faith and origin.
HE WILL NOT GO THROUGH. It now comes with the intervention of the church in our lives and our bodies. It is time to spoil it! It is time to
block their attempt to impose darkness and nationalism, to finally claim the self-evident, the self-determination of our bodies, the
ownership of ourselves, our freedom.
For all the above reasons in general, and to shout that our bodies belong to us and not to the "nation" or the church in particular, that we
are not matrices to make new Greeks, that the right to abortion will not be condemned again no matter how much the dark circles want it,
that it is time for the church to finally turn around, onthe morning of Wednesday 19 February 2020 we intervened in the building of the
Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, casting colors on the building and the busts of the former Metropolitan and flying little tricks.
DOWN THE HANDS FROM OUR BODIES
AGAINST BLOCKADE AND NATIONALISM, WHEN
OUR BODIES ARE COMING, THERE WILL BE NO NATION'S REPRODUCTIVE MACHINES WHO THEREFORE
FREE MOVEMENT FOR EVERYONE
ALWAYS TO RACIST PARTICIPATIONS WHICH OURSELVES TO OPEN CLASS SOLIDARITY AND MISCELLANEOUS RESPONSE
THIS STEP BACK FROM THE SELF-CONDUCT OF OUR BODIES
Thessaloniki Freedom Initiative (member of the Anarchist Federation)
Email:lib_thess@hotmail.com
Blog: libertasalonica.wordpress.com
https://libertasalonica.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/
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Message: 5
Since the Trade Union of Various Trades of Albacete of the CNT-AIT has been organized for this coming March, a Libertarian Conference: Life
in self-management to address the issue of housing, in which we will have the assistance of several organizations such as Okupa Cádiz House
in Barcelona, a building occupied by homeless people; and the Tenant Union of Gran Canaria. ---- Saturday, March 7: ---- 18:00 hrs.- Talk:
The struggle for housing in Barcelona. In charge of Casa Okupa Cádiz. ---- Saturday, March 14: ---- 18:30 hrs.- Talk: The struggle for
housing in Gran Canarias. In charge of the Tenant Union of Gran Canaria. ---- Sunday March 28: ---- 6:00 pm.- Round Table: Approaches and
possibilities for the organization of the struggle for housing in Albacete.
Time has shown that neither the State nor private capitalism wants to solve a problem as important for the working class as this.
What do we have left then? Should we rush into the streets to wait to die on the sidewalk? Should we bust to work accumulating the crumbs
that our exploiters want to give us? Should the working class resort to the capital that we ourselves generate, and that the banks and the
owners tear us out so that we are granted loans that condemn us for life to a debt? Or should we simply hand over our homes to the working
class exploiters, while marching to unemployment or continuing to maintain their capitalist exploitation? Should we beg in institutional
charity for a solution to the problems that the capitalist system itself generates for its own benefit?
No, none of this works for us, nor does it work, nor do we want it, because we want a life without authority, we want to be able to work
without having to endure misery and theft, we want to be able to develop as people without being pushed into despair. Just as the capitalist
exploitation of the property steals the fruit of our work and we are required to pay for it.
In short: we want Anarchist Communism, and self-management, which in the field of housing can only be resolved by the association of the
working class, direct action, mutual support and solidarity, aimed at the expropriation of housing, to socialization and collective and
municipal management from the neighborhood assemblies, with the unique and direct participation of the working class.
With such aspirations, the Trade Unions of Albacete of the CNT-AIT will begin to organize the fight, starting from a few days for the
self-management of housing, all this to achieve develop the struggle for housing in Albacete, and consequently, the Extension of this to
everywhere. It is time that a Single Union for the Defense of Housing and Tenant that defends our class interests comes to light.
http://elmilicianocnt-aitchiclana.blogspot.com/2020/02/cnt-ait-albacete-jornadas-libertarias.html
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Message: 6
NZ politicians are embroiled in a financial scandal during an election year. ---- Just when it seemed the 2020 General Election (scheduled
for September) was shaping up to be another yawnfest both National (traditionally one of the main parties of government, currently in
opposition) and New Zealand First (a minor Right-Wing populist party now in the coalition government) have found themselves embroiled in a
scandal that could upset the political landscape, or at least the outcome of the election itself. ---- The scandal that threatens to take
down long-term political zombie Winston Peters and his New Zealand First vehicle does not directly involve the main government party,
Labour. However, the latest polls mean that the parties Prime Minister Ardern needs to form a coalition government with, may not get back
into Parliament. The Colmar Brunton Poll has the Greens at 5 percent and NZ First at 3 percent. Labour polled 41 percent. National polled at
46 percent. Unless New Zealand First, ACT[a very small purist free-market party]and the Maori Party win electorate seats, National will also
have problems forming a coalition government. Under New Zealand's Mixed Member Proportional representation system a party must win either 5
percent of the party votes or an electorate seat to gain representation in Parliament.
So what is this scandal?
Under the electoral laws any political party donations that are at least $15,000 must be made public so the everyone knows who is
bankrolling them. To evade this legal requirement it has been alleged that in this case the two Directors of Conrad Properties and other
entities owned by these Directors donated a total of $55,000 in four payments to the New Zealand First Foundation so they could avoid the
public disclosure requirements of the Electoral Act. (Radio New Zealand, February 18th, 2020) The Electoral Commission, which oversees all
matters relating to elections and enforcing the Electoral Act, including political party donations, views the failure to disclose these
donations as a breach of the public disclosure provisions of the Act. However, this is not the only reason why there is such a frenzy.
The problem stems from the claim many of the donors, including the two directors from Conrad Properties, were using their 2017 election
campaign donations as leverage to press NZ First MPs' to make changes to the Overseas Investments Amendment Act 2018 that would personally
benefit these directors and other donors in the housing sector. No matter how much Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters resorts to the
standard Trump tactic of accusing journalists of fabricating news stories and smearing his reputation (Winston Peters' message to his
supporters dated February 18th) the reality is that many voters will see this as cronyism at best and corruption at worst.
Such donations also raised eyebrows among some former New Zealand First members who wondered how a political party that was supposed to be
on the bones of its arse (according to Doug Woolerton, one of the two trustees who oversaw the running of the Foundation) was suddenly able
to afford a campaign bus for Peter's campaign in his (failed) electoral campaign for the Northland seat in 2017.
Even more intriguing was that David Carter, the National MP for Northland since 2017, had also been approached by these donors because he
was on the select committee that was hearing submissions on the Overseas Investments Amendment Bill. This is nothing unusual in NZ politics:
people personally approaching a Member of Parliament to discuss legislation is commonplace even in this day in age. However, in the context
of their donations to the New Zealand First Foundation, this meeting has struck some people as highly suspect. Carter himself claimed that
he was surprised to learn that the directors of Conrad Properties had donated money to the NZ First Foundation.
This problem of wealthy people donating large sums of money to a political party but avoiding the disclosure laws by donating it in smaller
sums has also come to haunt the National Party. This came particularly after it was revealed that an unnamed wealthy Chinese businessman
made two donations of $100,000 in 2017 and $100,050 in 2018 to National without this amount being disclosed. (Newshub, February 18th) This
case has resulted in four people being prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office. Three of the four people being prosecuted are being charged
over deceptive practices in trying to cover up these donations according to the Auckland District Court. The fourth is being charged with
the same charges relating to the other three but is also being charged with misleading SFO investigators.
These people are expected to appear in court on February 25th. On February 19th, Newshub released their names. They are Zhang Yikun, the
businessman who donated $100,00 to the National Party; Colin Zheng, Zhang's business partner and perspective National Party candidate;
Hengjia Zheng and JamiLee Ross, the already scandal-soaked MP for Botany. As expected Simon Bridges, the leader of the National Party,
denied knowing anything about these donations in a media interview he gave on February 18th.
Despite these scandals Ardern has displayed what at first sight is a surprising lack of decisiveness. The same person who had no qualms
about immediately banning military style weapons and generally plays on her own supposed dynamism, has taken a hands off approach to the
scandals impacting her coalition partner. When she was interviewed by RadioNZ on February 17th, she said: "Indeed, I'm the Prime Minister, I
run the government. I do not run three separate parties, so I don't think it's unfair or unreasonable to say that these are matters for New
Zealand First, not for me."
According to a RadioNZ website article dated the same day, she was quoted thus: "It is not conduct I've been engaged in. No, I don't see
these things as being explicit to the Cabinet manual, which is the conduct of how we run the government...". "He[Peters]maintains the role
he needs to maintain appropriately as Minister of Foreign Affairs. You're asking questions of him as leader of a political party ... these
are matters for him...". "It is ultimately an MMP environment, it will have separate political parties, they are in charge of their own
conduct as party and party leaders. "These aren't matters that I have any responsibility for. I'm the leader of the Labour Party, I had
nothing to do with this and I'm not going to stand here and explain it or defend it because it's not for me." "I cannot run both a
government and three political parties."
Here is a Prime Minister stating that serious accusations being made against a key member of her Cabinet are nothing more than an internal
NZ First matter that should be left to them to sort out! These accusations threaten to undermine the image of the system she supports and
all she can say is that it's not her concern?! The key to this is probably that once you cut through the smooth PR-generated rhetoric, media
hype, advertising and spin, Labour exists as a vehicle that seeks power. That's what it is for, plain and simple. NZ First is a populist
party that specialises in the lowest common denominators of politics such as xenophobia. Since NZ First had sufficient support during the
last election to be a serious junior partner, Labour could not alienate them. Though, given their shared nationalism and the anti-Chinese
xenophobia Labour stoked up on the housing issue at the time, there isn't a completely different outlook between them anyway. More
importantly,they shared a pursuit for power that was ultimately more motivating than any technical, policy differences or supposed matters
of principle. That being the case, it's hardly surprising really that Ardern is soft pedalling the current scandal.
Ardern is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Winston Peters is a spiteful man and there is no doubt that if she kicked him
out of Cabinet she will have to call an early election as he is unlikely to support her on supply and confidence motions. The Labour-led
government will be in serious trouble if the poll results prove to be accurate or, worse, the tendency of the Greens to perform worse in
elections than the polls holds true, if an early election is called. If she condemns him and kicks him out of Cabinet she will face an
election where the chances are she won't be able to form a coalition government. If she washes her hands of the situation she shows herself
to be a moral coward which will almost certainly cost the Labour Party dearly in the election. The only thing that could save her election
chances is if Jami-Lee Ross (who is admittedly now an ex-National MP) and Colin Zheng are found guilty of the charges laid against them.
This will seriously dent National's credibility among many swing and undecided voters.
At least she bothered to say something. The Greens have been noteworthy for having nothing whatsoever to say on these scandals. Considering
how vocal the Greens have been in the past about holding other political parties to account, this is interesting. Now they have seats at the
big table, its not really in their interests to mess with things in a way that might jeopodise their cut of the pie. They would seem to
prefer waiting it out, pointing to the puny policy successes they've squeezed out of Labour and hoping for the best. Politically they've got
nowhere to go except to tail behind Labour as the bigger dog anyway.
There is often the lazy and smug assumption in this country that ‘we' are somehow an exception to the way things work elsewhere. To
Anarchists, the scandals that have rocked National and New Zealand First have merely confirmed that this country is not immune to the
influence of business elites donating large amounts of money in exchange for favours or, dare I suggest it, buying their way into
Parliament. It's noteworthy that it's not a crime for wealthy donors to pay out $15,000 or more to a political party, just a crime for
political parties not to reveal who made such donations. Just like in failed states such as the U.S.A, wealthy people are buying influence
here by offering large donations to political parties they think will be most receptive to their lobbying.
None of this comes as a surprise to us. State-based ‘democracy' has always been founded upon a link between money and power. You simply
can't obtain power under the current system without raising a lot of money for advertising, meetings, social media promotions, lunches and
all sorts of stuff. Wealthy elites influencing the politicians who pass laws that benefit them financially is really just an extreme
manifestation of what passes for normal.
The politicians and, by extension, the state itself does not exist primarily to serve the people. It is set up to ensure that the elites
within each country or region are able to keep their wealth, privileges and power. As the anarchist activist Lucy Parsons put it a long time
ago "Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth". Even in the countries that historically some Marxists are
fond of calling "deformed workers countries" or "Socialist" the brute reality has been that the state only serves to keep bureaucratic,
rather than wealthy, elites entrenched in power.
There are many reasons why Anarchists seek to eradicate the state but the key reason is that without the state these elites would not exist.
Without the state there are no laws, no police, no military and no bureaucracies to create, entrench and protect these elites from the
workers and everybody else they have bribed, exploited, lied to and terrorised. Attention to the current scandals and this year's election,
should serve to prove that while the scale may differ from elsewhere, this country is no different from any other in that regard.
Related Link: https://awsm.nz/?p=4695
https://www.anarkismo.net/article/31760
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