The Common Room NZ
The Common Room NZ
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Should we ban offensive words? | Josie Pagani | The Common Room
Puffin - the jolly-sounding publishers of Roald Dahl, recently teamed up with the less jolly inclusive minds, to update Dahl’s books for children.
‘Keeping them relevant for a modern audience,’ they said.
Well, sounds innocuous. We update texts all the time to suit modern tastes.
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None was originally published as Ten Little N-words. Well, no one would seriously suggest publishing this classic under its first title.
Even Roald Dahl updated his own work. The Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were originally a fictitious African tribe of pygmies. He re-wrote them as racially neutral to avoid offence.
We’re not changing the stories, argued the publishers. Just updating old-fashioned words.
Well, sensible pruning is one thing - wholesale changes, another.
This is about freedom of speech and artistic expression - not sensitivity.
Here’s an example. Dahl’s witches all wear wigs (because they’re bald), but, as he wrote, “You can’t go round pulling the hair of every lady you meet... Just you try it and see what happens.”
To avoid offence, Puffin’s more accessible version reads: “Besides, there are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.”
That's like making Cinderella wait for the ball, while the sensitivity readers remind us - Remember girls, you don't need a prince to be happy!
Do we really have to drain the magic out of these stories for a quick lesson in inclusion?
Old fairy tales can be read in a myriad of ways. Their versatility is what gives children power.
Children’s author Sally Gardner says that the gritty realism in children's stories reflects real life, and gives kids the hope of a way out.
The child trapped in an unhappy home might think there’s no way out. “Give them Rapunzel and you give them hope,” she says.
Children love the naughtiness of Roald Dahl. The spikiness. The meanness.
Removing those elements - just a little bit - leaves us with beige.
New Zealand Writer Joe Bennett compared Dahl’s words with the publisher’s rewrites:
Roald Dahl wrote:
“Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat and tremendously flabby at that.”
'Fat sounds fat, and flabby sounds flabby', said Joe Bennett. They paint a picture.
To avoid offence, the publishers changed it to:
“Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute and deserved to be squashed by the fruit.”
Those words create no picture at all.
Roald DULL!
The list goes on:
Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is changed from "enormously fat" to just “enormous.” People no longer turn white with fear. And the big friendly giant in BFG no longer wears a black cloak.
So where does it stop?
Charlie and the carbon-free carob factory anyone?
The Big Friendly Giant becomes the average sized friendly person.
There are 400 years of literary culture. Do we sanitise it all?
No one would get eaten or sliced open in Little Red Riding Hood.
The big bad wolf in The Three Little Pigs wouldn't get boiled - but rehabilitated.
Once you start making edits like this, you leave an artwork in tatters.
This is part of a broader attack on free speech that treats bad words like unopened packets of chips - irresistible. We must be protected from ourselves in case they turn us into terrible people.
In New Zealand the National Library culled 600,000 colonial books, including Shakespeare, because the Bard is part of a canon of imperialism.
Even if he were, that canon is part of who we are, the source of everyday expressions like wild goose chase and eaten me out of house and home.
These are cliches because they describe universal experiences.
So we don’t need to be protected from the words of the past.
Christopher Hitchens said, ‘Freedom of speech is the essential liberty without which all the other freedoms are either impossible to imagine or impossible to put into practice.’
‘Words matter’ states the prim notice in Puffin’s latest Dahl editions.
Yes they do. So stop deleting them.
One person’s offensive word is another’s call to freedom.
Polite people don’t change the world.
American Slave owners in the 1800s tried to ban the words of anti-slavery campaigners for being offensive to white people.
Who is going to decide which words are offensive?
For the full transcript, go to commonroomnz.com/
#newzealand #politics #freespeech #roalddahl #charlieandthechocolatefactory
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Переглядів: 1 207

Відео

Mental Health: We need change now | Mike King | The Common Room
Переглядів 4,2 тис.Рік тому
Every year thousands of Kiwi kids struggle with their mental health. For various reasons they become overwhelmed by the waves of life and feel like they’re drowning. So is the system helping them or failing them? Watch Mike King, Founder of I Am Hope, share his thoughts. *this video references suicide Transcript: I want to share with you a story. It's a story about a little girl named Maddie, w...
The purpose of education | Dr Melissa Derby | The Common Room
Переглядів 1,8 тис.Рік тому
What is the purpose of education? It’s a question we should be seriously asking in New Zealand. Recent reports about the dire state of our literacy and numeracy outcomes have led, incredibly, to questions about how relevant these foundational and crucial aspects of education are. While some view education as solely about learning literacy and numeracy skills, others think education should devel...
Why should you give a damn? | Paula Bennett | The Common Room
Переглядів 1,9 тис.Рік тому
It’s election year! We hear from political expert on why your vote matters and how to decipher the PR spin from political party policies. Script: Are you a spectator or a participant? Do you get involved? Do you give a damn? I never wanted to merely be an observer of other people doing things. I wanted to get involved. I had the Kiwi attitude of “give it a go”. I was no good at sports, so I was...
Our scary public hospital crisis + | Ian Powell | The Common Room
Переглядів 1,9 тис.Рік тому
On 9 February 2023, TVNZ’s 1News revealed some data that should alarm us all: that our hospitals had hit 100% occupancy more than 600 times in 2022. That is, on average, each day, roughly two public hospitals around the country were running at an occupancy higher than they were resourced for. If anyone doubts that our public hospitals are in crisis, this fact alone removes any doubt. Arguably i...
Media Bias Exposed | David Farrar | The Common Room
Переглядів 8 тис.Рік тому
To many Kiwis the media are not seen as disinterested reporters. They are often seen as employees of companies with ideological agendas who not only don’t understand New Zealanders who are not left-leaning, but show active hostility towards them. But does the research back up this view? Watch David Farrar, pollster, blogger, and media commentator, share his views. Script: I want to talk about m...
Has Ardern altered the course of NZ? | Oliver Hartwich | The Common Room
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Did we just witness a third transformative Government in New Zealand’s history? Would it be right to compare the administration of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the likes of Savage and Lange whose policies altered the course of New Zealand? Join Oliver Hartwich from @TheNZInitiative. Script: Governments, they come and go. It’s the way of democracy. They usually start off with grand am...
Beware of The Blob | Alex Penk | The Common Room
Переглядів 2,7 тис.Рік тому
What happens when a group of public-spirited citizens and community-minded organisations band together to share their sincere views on a matter of public importance? Is this democratic deliberation or is there something else at play? Script: What do Climate Karanga, Podiatry NZ, and the Free Store Wellington have in common? Probably not much, except that they’re all committed to co-governance. ...
How to fix a broken media | Sean Plunket | The Common Room
Переглядів 9 тис.Рік тому
Veteran broadcaster Sean Plunket from @theplatformnz pulls no punches when talking about the state of NZ media and how we can fix it. For more great content like this subscribe for early access: commonroomnz.com/ Follow The Common Room: CommonRoomNZ thecommonroomnz www.tiktok.com/@thecommonroomnz If you like this video make sure you share it.
NZ's Shameful Health Secret | Rachel Smalley | The Common Room
Переглядів 8 тис.Рік тому
New Zealand sits at the bottom of the western world for access to modern medicines. Pharmac decide what drugs we buy and when. So why aren’t Kiwis getting the medicines they need? commonroomnz.com/ Follow The Common Room: CommonRoomNZ thecommonroomnz www.tiktok.com/@thecommonroomnz
The Inflation Tax | Jordan Williams | The Common Room
Переглядів 2,2 тис.Рік тому
Politicians have a sneaky trick they don’t want you know about and it’s making you poorer. It involves inflation, and it means your taxes increase every year and you probably don’t even know about it. So how does inflation tax work? commonroomnz.com/ Follow The Common Room: CommonRoomNZ thecommonroomnz www.tiktok.com/@thecommonroomnz
How can education help our democracy? | Dr Michael Johnston | The Common Room
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How can education help our democracy? | Dr Michael Johnston | The Common Room
Why we need Tall Poppies | Sir Ray Avery | The Common Room
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Why we need Tall Poppies | Sir Ray Avery | The Common Room
The Power of the Pasifika Vote | Ronji Tanielu | The Common Room
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The Power of the Pasifika Vote | Ronji Tanielu | The Common Room
The madness of identity politics | Simon O'Connor | The Common Room
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The madness of identity politics | Simon O'Connor | The Common Room
Who represents the working class voters? | Josie Pagani | The Common Room
Переглядів 2,8 тис.Рік тому
Who represents the working class voters? | Josie Pagani | The Common Room
The Property Blame Game | Ashley Church | The Common Room
Переглядів 1,2 тис.Рік тому
The Property Blame Game | Ashley Church | The Common Room
Could we lose AirBnB and Uber? | Kirk Hope | The Common Room
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Could we lose AirBnB and Uber? | Kirk Hope | The Common Room
The One-Sided Cannabis Debate | Aaron Ironside | The Common Room
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The One-Sided Cannabis Debate | Aaron Ironside | The Common Room
The Vaping Epidemic | John O'Connell | The Common Room
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The Vaping Epidemic | John O'Connell | The Common Room
How do we do good, better? | Maria English | The Common Room
Переглядів 913Рік тому
How do we do good, better? | Maria English | The Common Room
Can NZ avoid culture wars? | Camryn Brown | The Common Room
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Can NZ avoid culture wars? | Camryn Brown | The Common Room
Is the system stacked against some kiwis? | Dr Melissa Derby
Переглядів 4 тис.Рік тому
Is the system stacked against some kiwis? | Dr Melissa Derby
Requirements for a good society - Part two | Bruce Cotterill | The Common Room
Переглядів 623Рік тому
Requirements for a good society - Part two | Bruce Cotterill | The Common Room
Has politics become all tip and no iceberg? | Alex Penk | The Common Room
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Has politics become all tip and no iceberg? | Alex Penk | The Common Room
Requirements for a good society - Part one | Bruce Cotterill | The Common Room
Переглядів 745Рік тому
Requirements for a good society - Part one | Bruce Cotterill | The Common Room
The Economic Miracle | Oliver Hartwich | The Common Room
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The Economic Miracle | Oliver Hartwich | The Common Room
Are we aiming high enough? | Mahesh Muralidhar | The Common Room
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Are we aiming high enough? | Mahesh Muralidhar | The Common Room
Left, Right and woke | Simon O'Connor | The Common Room
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Left, Right and woke | Simon O'Connor | The Common Room
The system is failing our kids | Karen Chhour | The Common Room
Переглядів 966Рік тому
The system is failing our kids | Karen Chhour | The Common Room

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @ChristianSoldier-y6k
    @ChristianSoldier-y6k 2 дні тому

    I love this video well done

  • @phiiz3r
    @phiiz3r 6 днів тому

    Yikes, useful idiot alert.

  • @Justinwallis-j7w
    @Justinwallis-j7w 11 днів тому

    They hate competition.! Arogant ignorant complacent entitled spineless souless fops..rapidly becoming irrelevant... propganda puppets pouting primadonnas opinionated bubble heads political pawns stars in their own eyes pretentious posers.....joke journalism..advertising lackys deaf dumb and blind.. bought and paid for shallow minded minipulaters useful idiots..and more ..not so much watch dogs for democracy but rather lap dogs ..Heres to the changing of the guard!!!!

  • @JamesOttley
    @JamesOttley 12 днів тому

    Who gets to decide what is hateful or not? In theory sure, sounds great but it creates way to much slippery slope potential.

  • @catherinevovna851
    @catherinevovna851 14 днів тому

    Just to be clear - alcohol and drugs are NOT a good solution for mental health issues

  • @overover..
    @overover.. 15 днів тому

    Well Mike... they've come after you for this. That and receiving funding from the current govt. Stay strong mate, everyone outside of our shit media know exactly what you meant

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton Місяць тому

    Have a look for Derby's public submission on the BDMRR sex self-id bill.🫣

  • @gazpine
    @gazpine Місяць тому

    Your saying immigration has dropped even after Ardern but that is simply not true....we have had record migration in the last 2yrs....

  • @dannyheaney
    @dannyheaney Місяць тому

    Ardern was bad for the country. Never liked her.

  • @tahuhunter1445
    @tahuhunter1445 2 місяці тому

    The only way to be like Serena Williams is to bring her down to your level 😂😂😂😂

  • @kiwitraveller6451
    @kiwitraveller6451 2 місяці тому

    ua-cam.com/video/XfThKVNl0Oc/v-deo.html

  • @kiwitraveller6451
    @kiwitraveller6451 2 місяці тому

    It is the medication which is toxic to the system that is making mental wellness impossible. This is happening with everyone that is going to a psych whom just dishes out drugs. Dr Peter Breggin and others talk about so called MH and it does not exist. It is abuse under this system. Big phamac sure do get their moneys worth...millions. I know from researching that that the DSM book with all its list of conditions keeps people in bound in a prison. Am in the throws of complaining but get the run around from MH professionals those that harm and abuse people. ECT, Seclusion, restraints etc to keep you in a hospital ward. This is sick...I will speak out in public if nothing changes and I mean NOW...And the MH Act is so abusive keeping people under control...say no more until I speak out...

  • @hlalakar4156
    @hlalakar4156 2 місяці тому

    Make no mistake, the government is a much bigger potential danger to you than anyone spouting hate speech. You can ignore bigots, or tell them to F off. If they decide to make things physical you can defend yourself. If the government doesn't like what you say and decides to make it physical, you're SOL. And every arrest and criminal charge made by any government anywhere was backed up by the threat of physical force.

  • @1Ma9iN8tive
    @1Ma9iN8tive 2 місяці тому

    bevanholloway.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/how-a-special-interest-group-took-over-the-refresh-of-the-new-zealand-curriculum-1.pdf

  • @BeReal918
    @BeReal918 2 місяці тому

    So, Democrats? 😂 Edit: I'm talking about the *white liberals* with 12 pronouns, not ALL Dems.

  • @mbvbac
    @mbvbac 2 місяці тому

    I half expected her to rip off her mask at the end like a Scooby Doo villain to reveal an old white boomer. What a terrible pick for a public role involving race and human rights.

  • @AnthonyFlack
    @AnthonyFlack 2 місяці тому

    Right from the outset, the description of this video is the kind of straw man argument that you most usually see being made by avowed white supremacists.

  • @Jen-oq1bq
    @Jen-oq1bq 2 місяці тому

    I'm somewhere in the middle... Everyone doesn't have the same access to opportunities and it's fair to try and have an even playing field ... Not for equal outcomes but for equal starting point

  • @swiftay12
    @swiftay12 2 місяці тому

    what is this garbage? The idea that because some Maori can succeed, that it is support for the idea that systemic racism doesn't exist is one of the most flawed ideas i've ever heard. Mind boggling to hear somebody in a supposed position of power say it. Its just absolute nonsense. Inequality happens at the statistical level, and of course cherry picking a few examples instead of considering all of the data will lead to crazy suggestions such as this. Data by the way which suggets, yes, systemic racism does exist

    • @terrynicol4548
      @terrynicol4548 2 місяці тому

      Tell me your experience with systemic racism?

    • @swiftay12
      @swiftay12 2 місяці тому

      @@terrynicol4548 try and disprove what I said first

    • @bobbob3834-j8r
      @bobbob3834-j8r 2 місяці тому

      if "systemic racism" is what is observed in statistical analysis, why is it being blamed as the cause? This is the ouroboros, the output is being fed into the input. It's amazing that no one has called this out as circular logic.

    • @swiftay12
      @swiftay12 2 місяці тому

      @@bobbob3834-j8r So your premise is, if systemic racism exists, why is systemic racism the cause? Well that doesn't really make sense but I understand what you are saying Ultimately the cause of systemic racism is complicated but contributing factors include implicit biases, such as In group favouritism, or simple pattern recognition. This results in black people being pulled over 20% more than white people. And black people being searched 1.5 - 2x more often And in sentencing the US Governments own figures found the following: Black males received sentences 13.4 percent longer, and Hispanic males received sentences 11.2 percent longer, than White males Other causes of systemic racism include historical factors such as Imperialism, Capitalism, Colonialism and Slavery which led to people of colour in the current age to be on average poorer than white people. And singularly, people can catch up, but on average they cannot.

  • @peterbayley6255
    @peterbayley6255 2 місяці тому

    This appointment confirms that Luxon is as rabid as Seymour in his vilification of the poor and disadvantaged as "lazy". The same old Patriarchal bullshit that assumes a level playing field that simply doesn't exist. Luxon's become a true misanthropic, martinet Monster

  • @datkinson1635
    @datkinson1635 3 місяці тому

    Dumb and dumber with Free Speech Union ninny "Dr" Melissa Derby. (HAVING A POSTGRAD FROM CANTERBURY DOESN'T REALLY MEAN "DOCTOR", OKAY ? ?)

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *Melissa Derby is also a founding member of the Free Speech Union-the same group that champions people's right to be racist.*

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *Melissa Derby is also a founding member of the Free Speech Union-the same group that champions people's right to be racist.*

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *This hasn't aged well at all!* 😂

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *This hasn't aged well!!*

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *Judging by this video appointing Melissa Derby as Race Commissioner is a very strange decision.*

  • @mikebarton
    @mikebarton 3 місяці тому

    *Judging this video appointing Melissa Derby as Race Commissioner is a very strange decision.*

  • @franbeullensandsimonschmid1687
    @franbeullensandsimonschmid1687 3 місяці тому

    THIS, is our new NZ Race Relations Commissioner. Is it like when they appoint the LEAST experienced person to a position in the hope that they LEARN from it and GET BETTER? I hope so. How utterly SHAMEFUL. WHAT A RIDICULOUS JOKE!

    • @lisatemorenga9270
      @lisatemorenga9270 3 місяці тому

      that private school accent....

    • @magingi
      @magingi 3 місяці тому

      She seems educated and experienced to me.

    • @JamesFaction
      @JamesFaction 2 місяці тому

      ​@@magingishe's a member of the "Free Speech Union", which is extremely biased about the kind of "free speech" they support and also not a Union. Also, everything she said in this video is utterly divorced from reality. No matter what she "seems", she has no idea what she's talking about, and she's very much unqualified for the job.

    • @magingi
      @magingi 2 місяці тому

      @@JamesFaction I do not know much about her other than having watched this video. I just happened to have agreed with what she had to say, which seemed to me, to be 'common sense'. Regards the 'free speech union', funny you mention 'that' because recently I approached them regarding my having been subjected to that which they are supposed to address, and they fobbed me off, when I had a clear case. Which, was very disconcerting to say the very least, but which aligns with what you say about them. I have lost faith in them for that reason. Very biased indeed.

  • @FrankAhKuoi
    @FrankAhKuoi 3 місяці тому

    Good on you Karen keep it up keep speaking up you are doing a good job 👍

  • @andrewlim9345
    @andrewlim9345 3 місяці тому

    We need to hear more stories like yours, Agnes. Poverty and discrimination exist but they shouldn't be used as excuses to hold people back.

  • @kensharkey1110
    @kensharkey1110 4 місяці тому

    Interesting.

  • @Y0ur_l0calEm022
    @Y0ur_l0calEm022 4 місяці тому

    One time i was getting bullied i said "Shut your bubble gum dumb dumb skin tone chicken bone google crome no homo flip phone disowned ice cream cone garden gnome extra chromosome metronome dimmadome genome full blown monochrome student loan Indiana Jones over grown flint stone X and Y chromosome friend zone Sylvester stalone sierra leon auto friend zone professional seen silver patrone big headed ass up"

  • @bennichols1113
    @bennichols1113 4 місяці тому

    Who is the mans minister?

  • @bennichols1113
    @bennichols1113 4 місяці тому

    Long video when the answer is just no.

  • @bennichols1113
    @bennichols1113 4 місяці тому

    We do discriminate against men. There is no mans minister because the government have proof that men are superior and believe "positive discrimination" is justified.

  • @rubiniakingi9708
    @rubiniakingi9708 5 місяців тому

    I just finish reading the book tohunga. Well done Paul Moon, Hohepa has to be one of the greats for the Maori ppl. No good without history full stop I think. Has anyone else read the book. I have never heard of Paul Moon till I read the book last week. Just curious hia, on what other ppl thoughts are to do with the book tohunga.

  • @gracefool
    @gracefool 5 місяців тому

    The basic premise here is false. Social changes can come from the top, and have. For instance the example of decriminalising homosexuality, followed now by criminalising the attempt to persuade people *not* to be homosexual ("conversion therapy"). Economic issues cannot be separated from values; this is an attempt to win the argument by definition, for instance assuming neoliberalism or globalism are good or at least socially neutral. Culture wars always exist and cannot be avoided. Yes the left all over the West is increasing division, however this has been building for hundreds of years as majority values shifted. One of the most concerning things is how most of the left, especially the younger left, no longer believes in free speech. If we don't hash these things out with words, there can be no resolution apart from violence. As we see happening in the US. Although it should be noted that this has happened many times before in communist revolutions. A better word for the modern culture wars is Cultural Revolution.

  • @overover..
    @overover.. 6 місяців тому

    Where did the common room go?

  • @uciteljica6381
    @uciteljica6381 6 місяців тому

    Great lesson, great explanation. Like your wofks, professor Moon. I am interested in your sources about Josip Broz Tito. As we know, he did not negate Slovenian and Macedonian people, but quite opposite.

  • @honahwikeepa2115
    @honahwikeepa2115 6 місяців тому

    Nope. She allowed Marxist Atheism an opportunity to get crushed in NZ. National, Winston and Shane will keep it crushed. God defend New Zealand 🙏💪

  • @RexWainwwright
    @RexWainwwright 6 місяців тому

    Yes, for the worse

  • @Abuamina001
    @Abuamina001 6 місяців тому

    Worst Prime Minister in New Zealand history. Period.

  • @rjh6037
    @rjh6037 6 місяців тому

    If history didn’t matter then all the lefty weirdo’s wouldn’t be so driven to revisionism.

  • @PhilWilliam-hx6xh
    @PhilWilliam-hx6xh 7 місяців тому

    None of those so called news sites allow comment here in NZ on YT for eg. They have taken millions of NZ citizens tax payers money yet they do not abide any kind of commentary reaction on their own one sided BS so called “news reporting”. We need companies that can make their own profits from advertising rev etc and report the news in an even way instead of taking every opportunity to tack what isn’t left. Newshub, TVNZ, etc are all financially incompetent. No more handouts Good riddance.

  • @3Kiwiana
    @3Kiwiana 7 місяців тому

    She has completely stuffed New Zealand, I just hope we came come back from it.

  • @PaulMcEwen-dc4mr
    @PaulMcEwen-dc4mr 7 місяців тому

    She’s a total narcissistic slime ball, never to be forgotten for what she enforced on the New Zealand population.

  • @honahwikeepa2115
    @honahwikeepa2115 8 місяців тому

    She died. RIP Jabcinda WEF.

  • @RajHidesHere
    @RajHidesHere 8 місяців тому

    Ardern gave away the country. Gave the self-proclaimed victims entitlement and written into law that takes away fro our democracy that will be hard to get back.

  • @druckerman247
    @druckerman247 8 місяців тому

    Not for the better.

  • @TrevorCunningham-o1y
    @TrevorCunningham-o1y 8 місяців тому

    Arden did so much damage to social/racial harmony.Creating a special class of people’s with more entitlement than others,thankfully the majority of kiwis were wide awake,saw the damage being done and sent her packing. The new coalition government is now working through this damage and hopefully creating a society where all people’s are equal,where everyone has the chance to succeed in life