Why I'm starting a blog

I'm starting a blog to explore the new New Zealand. The emerging majority diversity coalition of C21st New Zealand.  I want to explore fresh ideas with new energy and optimism.

The 2005 General Election exposed a divided New Zealand, but that division isn’t between rural and urban New Zealand. New Zealand is divided between the old New Zealand and the new New Zealand.

The old New Zealand still has an emotive connection to “Mother England” and old military alliances. The old New Zealand was a country where there was a strong expectation that as soon as you left school women should marry a man, and have children. The old New Zealand was a time when people could (and did) go to prison for being homosexual.

The new New Zealand is different. The new New Zealand is tolerant and respectful of all people. The new New Zealanders are the growing majority of people in our country today who are confident, innovative, and proud of New Zealand and it’s values of diversity, fairness, independence, and tolerance. The new New Zealand recognises we are a multi-cultural Pacific nation with a valued indigenous culture. The new New Zealand recognises the important role of arts, culture, heritage and the environment. The new New Zealand is the emerging majority diversity coalition of C21st New Zealand.

This blog seeks to explore aspects of the old versus new New Zealand.

It will be a mixture of personal observations, articles, commentary on current events, and my own life story as a child of the 1980s: a child of the revolution.

The ideas might sometimes seem a little 'out there'. Sometimes I'll get things wrong. But I'm not afraid to fail.

Comments

[jnzed]

Looking forward to it... :)

[Mark]

That is the most simplistic, generalised post I have read with regard to the Election result. I am 32 and voted National. I have friends in their mid 20s to early 30s (male and female) - all except one voted National. I'm afraid that your "old" New Zealand is going to be around for a lot longer than you think. I suggest you extricate yourself from your cloistered lifestyle and realise that it is not as cut and dried as you think.

[exocet]

Ah, the arrogance of the left.

If you didn't vote labour, you are part of 'old New Zealand' (Old Zealand?) and are some sort of crusty old foegy redneck hick, who should be placed in a museum for more enlightened 'progressive' people (such as yourself of course) to gawk at.

[trout]

thats bloody ridiculous. I'm 25, maori, national voter; this old/new new zealand distinction is stupid. It's a a childish view and characterises the bigotry and ignorance of many commentators I've read lately.

[Greg Stephens]

You can still be young and part of the 'old' New Zealand. It is a cultural mindset, nothing to do with age.

Kia kaha Tony, I look forward to reading more :-)

[Pitt]

Precisely, Greg.

Mr. Milne, welcome to the blogosphere. I have found your thoughts so far very stimulating. Indeed, you have made this Tory see red too, or rather, blue. My response can be read here, FYI:
http://homethronealtar.blogspot.com/2005/10/i-see-red-too.html

[Matthew M]

As Tony says, this notion of good ol' New Zealand the way it used to be came out of divisive campaigning during the recent election, with the regressive ideals of the right. Thank God National lost, because I want a forward-thinking New Zealand too.

[Redbaiter]

Gawd, never ceases to amaze me how leftist zealots rant on about being "tolerant"..

Tolerant of anyone who dislikes socialism? Tolerant of anybody who isn't a pro Maori racist? Tolerant of anyone from the ACT party? Tolerant of anyone who likes and admires George Bush? Tolerant of anyone who challenges their currently ascendant politically correct social ideas?? Tolerant of anyone who supports the Iraq war? Tolerant of anyone who labels Fidel Castro a totalitarian murder? What crap.. the whole idea of socialism is to demonise and marginalise any citizen who doesn't concur with their facile Marxist utopian view of society.. and that is exactly the strategy Tony is using when he writes his childlike crap about "old" and "new".. and perhaps his real intolerance is hinted at in the name of his blog..

[A.J. Chesswas]

I'd like to know how transforming NZ into some sort of relativist Athens or Babylon is forward thinking. Civilisation and Christianisation are the hallmarks of progress. Anarchy and paganism are backwards and primitive ideas. To move towards these things in the name of economic progress is a step backwards. It was done thousands of years ago and crashed and burned. "No-one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matt 6:24).

If you want an understanding of what it means to be new I suggest you refer to the author of life. Rev 21:5.

[Tony Milne]

Wow, people are commenting on my blog!

Just a point. I never said Labour represented the new New Zealand and National represented the old New Zealand. It would be an arrogant and wrong to make such an assertion. Nor did I say that young people represent the new New Zealand and older people represent the old New Zealand. That would also be incorrect.

[Greg Stephens]

AJ - don't qoute The Bible to make a point. You will get destroyed in philosophy if you do. It just doesn't work on athiests such as myself.
Furthermore, your arguments are wacked even without that. Paganism lead to major advances in technology, so to did Christianity. Now science and tolerance are providing the leap forward. So, by your logic, we should give up Christianity and continue the progress of the enlightenment.

[Anna]

"The ideas might sometimes seem a little 'out there'. Sometimes I'll get things wrong. But I'm not afraid to fail."

For 'new' New Zealand...that was *really* lame. Sounds like old New Zealand pretending to be new to me...

[Aj]

"You cannot serve both God and money"

Mmmmm. A problem for so many so called 'christians' already...

[A.J. Chesswas]

Greg, quoting the Bible is about illustrating points, not making them. If you even pretend to make a point you will be destroyed in philosophy. Have you not heard of relativism? Post-struucturalism? the limits of science and the human brain in determining objective knowledge?

Oops, sorry, didn't mean to destroy you ;)

[Exocet]

You said: "Just a point. I never said Labour represented the new New Zealand and National represented the old New Zealand. It would be an arrogant and wrong to make such an assertion. Nor did I say that young people represent the new New Zealand and older people represent the old New Zealand. That would also be incorrect."

What then was your point?.

Are the good people of the Rakaia electorate (most of whom didn't vote for you) part of 'New' New Zealand (to which all virtue is assigned) or evil 'old' New Zealand?

Enquiring minds want to know!

[Pitt]

Come, come, Exocet, be charitable. The 10,000 Labour people in Rakaia are surely Newbies, as opposed to the 20,000 decrepit farmers who voted for Mr. Connell. And those Pacific Island Christians, old Labour activists, Savageites and beneficiaries. Just chafing at the bit, the lot of them, for Civil Unions, Prostitution, abortion and the other products of Mr. Milne's liberal vision.

[Tony Milne]

It was our best result for Labour in Rakaia since 1984 and our best MMP result there...

[trout]

New New Zealand? Most of us stay here because we like old New Zealand. The liberal ideas of Mr. Milne and his mates don't and won't improve it. Social change is being driven by labour and its idealogues, while most of us are more comfortable with a government that serves society and follows it, rather than drives social change. The maori seats problem will slowly melt away as social demographics change, and Maori become a more significant potion of the population. Recently at Waikato Uni, Joe Williams, Maori Land Court Judge, quoted statistics relating to maori population growth, and expressed his opinion that social demographics themselves will address the problem of Maori reprsentation better than legislators can.

[Tony Milne]

Trout - which is the point I was making in regards to the consensus on the Maori seats (see post 2 on the Maori seats).

[Mike]

Hi Tony

Your blog looks very interesting, i look forward to reading it in the future.

You make some very interesting points in your post, and i believe that you are very correct about alot of the above issues.

[Seth]

Hi Tony,

Nice colour scheme.

Seems like a lot of people don't like being labeled part of "old" New Zealand - or perhaps they feel that "new" New Zealand has no need for wishywashy values like "tolerance" and "diversity", or perhaps they just feel a bit out of place in this century and any talk of something "new" is a bit frightening for them.

It's interesting that attacks via weblog comments seem mostly to be a weapon of the tories. I guess most progressives have better things to do with their lives than go argue with people on their own weblogs. As the old saying goes, it's like competing in the special olympics...and people like "Redbaiter" are very special indeed.

You were really born in the 80s?
I am such an old fart.

[Tony Milne]

Yes, I’m a child of the decade of bad perms (are there any good perms?)!

[A.J. Chesswas]

Liberals don't attack via weblog comments because they have no artillery. Their swords are blunt, their shotguns sawn off.

[exocet]

Seth - love the condesending comments.Please keep it up!

[llew]

Heh... it IS a bit simplistic, but way to go for having a bash & I exposing yourself to the intolerance of those who disagree with you.

Sadly, maybe they're from the "new" New Zealand too.

I find it hugely amusing who calls whom intolerant & zealots :)