It has been quite remarkable that as soon as the result of the election became apparent, with the pro Maori parties clearly not in favour with the electorate, the activists started issuing threats of violence.
In The Radicalisation of Parliament Muriel Newman listed the threats of violence from left wing MPs against the new government.
https://www.nzcpr.com/the-radicalisation-of-parliament/
"Even the other co-leader James Shaw, who has long cultivated an image of moderation and reasonableness, has now revealed he’s just as radical as the rest by promising “violence” and “wide scale social disruption” if the new government goes ahead with the ACT Party’s proposed referendum on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Marama Davidson elevated the rhetoric by threatening the new government: “Just try and come for the Treaty, just try”. She warned the Greens will do everything they can to incite public opposition and resistance: “There is going to be community-led resistance and movement that the Greens will absolutely amplify.”
Not to be outdone, the Maori Party president John Tamihere claimed, “all hell would break loose” if the government tries to introduce the referendum with “well-organised” protest action: “That protest will be significant… there will be days of national Maori action and they’ll close down Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington.”
He described the referendum as a ‘clarion call’ for protest action around the country: “Even conservative Maori who voted for National would come out with us.”
The rhetoric from the Labour Party was even more menacing, with former Minister Willie Jackson making inflammatory threats that Maori would ‘go to war’ over the referendum: “If there’s a referendum I’ll stay around for as long as it takes to fight that, and to stop that. I’m amongst people who will go to war for this, war against Seymour and his mates”.
And on TVNZ’s Q&A, he warned, “Let me tell you now, if they try and push that through it’ll be 81 Springbok Tour, civil unrest times five, times ten.”
I am not surprised. When, earlier this year, the Kaipara District Council mayor resolved, in compliance with the law, not to have any opening statement at the commencement of a council meeting, the response from Maori was immediate. They protested in council meetings demanding that there should be a karakia, ignoring standing orders which are laid down in statute for the conduct of meetings.
While the council's elected members had complied with the tikanga of the Marae when they were invited there prior to their inauguration ceremony, those Maori attending council meetings failed to reciprocate by complying with the council's "tikanga".
Subsequently a hikoi marched on the council meeting in Dargaville to protest the absence of a karakia. It was advertised as a "peaceful" hikoi, and that is what it was - no doubt encouraged by the presence of plain-clothes police, Maori wardens and council's own security. But there were still threats made against Mayor Jepson, some by high-ranking Maori elders.
Historically taonga (possessions or treasures) were regarded by Hongi Hika as "property procured by the spear". That is, acquired by violence. Presumably rights were secured in the same way, pursuant to Maori tikanga. It is interesting that in the present day as soon as Treaty claims appeared to be at risk, even Maori MPs resorted to threats of violence to support their claims.
The Latin adage "Argumentum ad Baculum" means to argue with the threat of a stick, or with force. Rather than presenting pertinent reasons for a conclusion,
a threat of some kind is employed to induce agreement with the purported
conclusion of an argument. Behind this threat is often the belief that in the end, “Might makes
right". The threat of force signifies that every
effort at reasoning has come to an end. Now violence will be used instead.
Persuasion is not the point, only compliance.
That is all coming to an end. With the change of government and the sweeping away of all the hype and fabrications, the facts and the law relating to the Treaty will come into the spotlight. The arguments and slogans of the activists will be like the Emperor's new clothes. They will all disappear once the fantasy is exposed.
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Next: The constitution versus the activists
https://thetreatyfacts.blogspot.com/p/13-constitution-versus-activists.html
