Monday, May 08, 2006

white women's woes

Cultural Imperialism
There she goes again! National's spokes-twat for Screaming about Maori sexism, Judith Collins, embarasses herself & colleagues in a shameless show of white-feminist petulance at a powhiri for CYF.

"Ms Collins has previously stated publicly she would not sit in the back row for ceremonies at public sector institutions."
She said: "It was extremely humiliating to be sitting there and to be insulted and abused." Save the sympathy. An MP with a record of white feminist hissy-fits at powhiri, she deliberately defied convention knowing full well her behaviour was not just discourteous, but provocative.
"That bloke could stand up and abuse us, yet we couldn't stand up and give it back, because the moment we tried to speak there we would have been shouted down," she said."
WRONG! It's entirely appropriate for you to respond. To rise up and stand your ground. YOU laid down the challenge, the opposition responded, it's expected that you would defend yourself. That you chose cowardly, victimised silence, just means you can't handle the heat. So don't pick fights if you can't follow through. No point starting a scrap, getting your arse kicked, and then whining the other side chose to fight back. Dumb twat must have thought Maori men were docile, compliant little white wimpy men, easily coerced into silence through feminist intimidation tactics. And so it is. Cruising the blogosphere today, it's the Nat & Libertarian men cheering Ms Collins most loudly. The Nats - who oppose meddlesome regulation - want to barge in with busbody solicitation to save Maori from their unenlightened barbarity! And libertarians, espousers of freedom. Except, it seems, the freedom to conduct powhiri according to one's own cultural norms.
"The incident developed into a verbal brawl, with the National MPs saying they were humiliated for defending women's rights"
Excuse me? Which women? Whose rights? A woman's right to be rude? A woman's right to disrupt and sabotage public events because of one's own personal grudge? A woman's right to insist all culture practices conform to her own world view, with its own assumptions, values & prejudices? A woman's right to demand all Maori culture accomodate her neurotic delicate frailities?

Maori women do NOT need Collins to speak out for them on how 'oppressed' they are. Judith's outbursts represent the uglier face of white-feminism: affluent, educated, succesful, middle-class women bleating on about how hard done by they are. Do you think the average Maori woman, mired in poverty or other hardships, cares for the petty grumbles of a rich white tart? Has Collins surveyed Maori women, seeking their opinions before crusading against 'injustice'? If Maori women were truly upset about powhiri, they would speak up. Trust me! They're very vocal, unwilling to suffer in silence. For hundreds of years wahine have sat behind their men without complaint. Could it be that it isn't actually a problem for wahine, but only for spoilt pushy white b*tches, clueless about Maori traditions?

Feminist idiots, like Collins, are extremely selective over their targets of outrage. A powhiri begins with a WOMAN's karanga (a 'speech' where she may opine uninterrupted), it can not start without her assent. The visitors move onto the ground with WOMEN in front. A WOMAN will complete each speech with a song/chant/oratory; a commentary that may endorse, reject, oppose or ridicule everything the speaker just said. His mana enhanced or diminished according to her reply. Ultimately a WOMAN will close the session with an invitation to eat. Do the men shriek about their 2nd-class status? Do Maori men bawl because of this breach of their human rights? No, because they're adults. Not silly white twats fleeing from phantom patriarchal shadows.

I don't mind people opposing the proliferation of public sector powhiri, forced upon an unwilling, unprepared, uncomprehending white populace. Quite reasonably, it could be challenged that powhiri waste time. They cause confusion among non-Maori speakers who don't know what to do, what's being said, what's going on, what to do next. They are boring. I understand Maori, but unless a speaker is particularly witty, eloquent, charismatic, humorous or fascinating, they reduce me to yawns. Outside of Maoridom, I really don't understand what purpose they serve, except as some cosmetic, token gesture to make some PC twits feel good.

The irony is, a powhiri is supposed to bring people together, to put hosts and visitors at ease, to establish rapport between various groups who have gathered to discuss more important matters for which the meeting was convened. Ms Collins childish tirade was unproductive. The CYF meeting is deprived of the Nat MPs' input, the entire gathering was unnecesarily upset, and the bad publicity has cemented widespread Maori mistrust of Dr Brash's party.

National has a Maori problem. Not enough Maoris vote for them. An increasing voting bloc, the problem's only gonna get bigger. You'd think they might try soften their anti-Maori line. Or at least choose more substantive issues to rail against. Unlike the foreshore/seabed issue, land rights, separate racial funding etc, powhiri don't resonate as an issue with most people. Because few regularly attend, the problem is someone else's. You'd think Pakeha had more pressing complaints about Maori; like Maoris stealing their cars, robbing their banks, assaulting their men, raping their women. But no, it's the seating arrangements at powhiri that gives Collins the vapours.
"National's Paul Hutchison has written to the Prime Minister calling for a reprimand for the kaumatua who rebuked the MPs, and an apology"
No! The Nats should apologise for not reigning in a surly, rude, inflexible harpy unable to display humility nor endure stoicism for a brief welcome ceremony without an outbreak of ovarian hysteria. It's called PR. She really should learn to go with the flow. Public temper tantrums are never attractive. Most MPs gracefully endure the set backs of political life: hecklers, booing crowds, gruelling schedules, feigning smiles at multiple photo-ops, pointed questions from journalists, travel delays and other inconveniences, all without howls of puffed-up self-indignation. Even the most strident Labour feminist would never pull this stunt. Helen Clark's team is too politically savvy, knowing the perils of alienating significant swathes of the population over trivial matters.

Full of her own self-importance, Ms Collins thinks she can waltz onto a marae with her badge of women's victimhood and bulldoze over entire cultural institutions. Poor Jude, her sense of self-worth and 1st-class citizenship contingent on front row seats. Thank goodness that her obnoxious, foot-stamping, me-first, bloated sense of self-entitlement will continue to further alienate thousands of Maori voters. Thankfully the continuing demographic rise of Labour-voting Maoris will help stop this arrogant white slag from ever sitting on the treasury benches. I wonder, sitting perenially on the opposition side of the House, if she feels like a 2nd class politician?

16 comments:

Phil said...

It was a "powhiri" - do you know what one is? A powhiri is an "event" NOT a "location." Who cares whether it happened on a marae, a school, or a town hall? The point is, Judith DELIBERATELY flouted Maori protocol in PUBLIC. She could have chosen not to take part; nobody holds a gun to your head.

It may not bother a smug, complacent National party or its supporters. But it sure as heck bothers me when some ignorant, uptight Pakeha wanders into Maori arena and starts complaining that we're not WHITE enough. But that's OK, come the next election, along with thousands of Maori, I'll vote Labour - if only to keep National out! So why don't the Nats "get a grip" - a grip on the opposition benches, that is. Coz that's where you'll stay if Maori have any say in the matter!

See you at the voting booth!

Anonymous said...

Phil get a grip, understand the issues before you write such idiotic tripe.

Did it not occur to you that Collins had no idea she was going to a powhiri, in fact Beyer specifically said that Collins et al were going to sit in the front row.

Youre obviously a Maori who needs to get his head out of his ass.

Phil said...

Don Brash? Is that you?

Bomber said...

If only someone had a video of it all. If only!

As far as Collins goes, when she told the Herald that the person she most admires was Ernst Rommel - man, that was the limit! Worshipping Nazis. She's a disgrace.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Phil, your post triggered some thoughts which I have blogged at www.lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com

Bomber said...

AF:
The name, fool is Montgomery with a y
The name, fool me, is Erwin not Ernst
1 all.

Of all the 6 billion people in existence and billions more departed she told the NZ Herald the person whom she most admires is a Nazi - that's my point.

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Erwin_Rommel says:
"After the war his diary was published as The Rommel Papers in which he confesses to murdering a French officer. Rommel is also remembered as close personal friend of Hitler. In his letters statements of admiration for National Socialism and aggression against Poland can be found."
and:
"The British Parliament considered a censure vote against Winston Churchill, for his failure to defeat Rommel. The vote failed, but in the course of the debate, Churchill would say:
"We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great General.""


Search for Monty and Rommel finds nought. He might have admired some aspects of his tactics or what have you but Collins isn't a rival general.

Anonymous said...

Back on topic blokes

Phil
You really should sit down and take a few deep breaths mate before you burst something important.

Your post is pure unadulterated tripe, short on logic and devoid of rationality. There are no protocols worth respecting in this country. A long succession of flagpole chopping, wet towel throwing, buttock baring, shotgun toting, tree felling, mud throwing, screaming members of various Hapu have seen to that.

Back in your cage.

Anonymous said...

I think your post is spot on, pity about the bleaters who just don't get it.

Anonymous said...

yup, i reckon you've nailed it too - perhaps a bit heavy on the vitriol, but i think thats understandable! collins seems to inspire that reaction whereever she goes!?!

i think its fair to say that maori culture has a longer and deeper tradition of respecting women than pakeha culture can lay claim to. however i also think its fair to say that maori men mightn't have observed this cultural respect as well they might've in recent times.

if collins actually wanted to help her maori sisters she could direct her hysterics towards issues like domestic violence, poverty, education/personal development of prison inamtes... but she won't. shes only a hater. theres nothing else there.

Anonymous said...

anonymous,

Are you and phil the same person. You must be.
cheers
the other anonymous

Phil said...

Adolph - I apologise for my fit of pique. As for voting Labour... I'll have to go halves with you in a bar of carbolic soap.

Everyone else - Hello, and God bless President Bush!

Anonymous said...

phil,

Get stuffed. How much bloody time is wasted in this country as public and private employees shuffle and look at the carpet during these mandatory corrobborees. Fat tubercular tribespeople calling on who knows what demon to make things go right followed by tea, pies and lashings of sandwiches. If anything it cheapens the Kulture. What the hell has it got to do with CYFS? Is it because maori are key accounts? Vote on bucko!

Anonymous said...

Phil I hope you have got the message now,
get the facts straight before you blog, Then you dont have to write rubblish like this, and people will come to your blog because of what you write, rather than visit to see how much of a dickhead you make of your self.

Geoff Hayward said...

I disaggree, there are elements of truth here, which only help the debate. Tim pointed out on my blog that the sentiment about kawa is the same.

Please note how the comments have failed to actually articulate any sense of a debate, but rahteer a sustained barracking. One wonders how you all have the time...
http://thorndon.blogspot.com/2006/05/powhiri-why-did-it-get-to-this.html

Phil said...

Just for clarification. When I said above I was going to vote Labour - that's completely untrue, I was just having a big hissy fit.

Hmm, the things you say in the heat of the moment.

No, I most definitely will not be voting Labour. Not in this lifetime nor any thereafter.

Bomber said...

Herr Fiinkensein, you have tried to equate the studying of one's adversary during a life and death struggle for world domination with Judith Collins' expressed admiration for Rommel - a Nazi and close personal friend of Adolf Hitler. I salute you (though not with an out-stretched arm).