(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

You know what amazes me? The number of people I know who celebrated Obama's victory, but are now going to toddle along to the polls and vote for John. Yes, it's change - but America has just had eight years with George Bush, a righty. They did not like those eight years - at all. People got sick and couldn't afford medical care, people got unemployed and couldn't find jobs and then unemployment money cut off so they starved. America started two wars which look like they'll be awhile finishing and were almost as unpopular as the Vietnam war. America banned gay marriage in a bunch of states. America just elected Obama, a lefty. Now, we've just had nine years with the Labour government, which is lefty. People liked the government for quite a long time because we'd just had nine years with a National government - a government which was the least honest government in New Zealand's history, keeping only 50% of their election-year promises. This National government slashed benefits of all kinds, sold state housing, etc. Child poverty TRIPLED as a direct result just of selling the state houses. University fees increased dramatically and means-tested student allowances were introduced. So a Labour/left government was a change New Zealand could believe in. But it's been nine years now and people are starting to dislike it... why, again? We haven't entered an unpopular war. People's access to healthcare has not decreased. Unemployment has been reduced by about half. We have slightly increased our awareness of the environment. Most of the reasons I've heard recently are from people who think it's "time for a change" - apparently no matter what the change is - and people who don't like Helen Clark. Really? That's it?

Dear people who want a change: the change you're voting on in New Zealand is not the change from Bush to Obama. The change you're voting for is the change from Bill Clinton (a lefty who people didn't like because he'd had an affair - a slightly better reason to dislike him than "she's ugly", of course, but still one that's not actually related to politics in any way, shape, or form) to... well... George Bush, a righty.

Comments

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

Word.

Personally I would take issue with the identification of Clinton as a lefty. Obama, perhaps I should give him some credit, but I'm not that hopeful.

I think it's perfectly respectable to support Obama and Key, since their policies are quite similar. In fact in many areas Obama is to Key's right (healthcare, for one)

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know. And I think it's perfectly rational to say you support both Obama and Key because you think they mix centrist and righty economic values with a decent smidgen of social liberalism. But I'm not hearing that, I'm hearing "time for a change!" And that's, you know, meaningless.

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

Quite true. As one of the Economist's anonymous journos said earlier this year, it's basically the same as saying "Vote for me, because I'm running!"