New Zealand democracy for auction- chairs have been sold.

Last weekend, 18 years ago, Nelson Mandela was able to vote in an election that would turn the South African establishment upside-down. Mandela suffered for democracy and for human rights, and many of his supporters and fellow ANC members ended up dead- tortured by Apartheid. South Africa has not improved much as a nation though, even if it is more united... There are still shanty towns -sponsored by Coca Cola-; poverty runs amok chased by AIDS; the government is corrupt; education is not universal.

The ANC only filled the framework of Apartheid and made some corrections to the script. South Africa is not free, oppression of any kind is the antithesis of freedom. When people cannot find jobs because of a sub-par education, and then they cannot find education because of the underlying meritocracy inherent in capitalism, they are not free. People do not choose to be born in white, male, middle-class bodies. A child in 2008 had a 34% chance of being born in an oppressed nation, according to Gene Sharp, and a 99% chance of being born without a true chance to succeed.
Success in capitalism is a myth: one does not make himself, one does not push out of the environmental boundaries that limit us. Unless one fights, with the rest of the unfree to succeed.

Where does this leave us, here in the 'free', 'neutral' New Zealand?
Over the past few weeks we have witnessed New Zealand's democracy expire in our hands. Don't think I am being melodramatic. This is not fake rhetoric. It turns out you do not have to wait for months or even years for ACC, you just have to be best mates with ministers and the Prime Minister. Bromwyn Pullar already got 1m$ in insurance payments for a bike accident back in 2002. She just has to send a quick letter to the minister for more. She was found out, and she leaked 6500 ACC files into the public sphere, so it seems it may go downhill for her from here. John Key knew Ms Pullar, as did the rest of the main National caucus. She was trying to "Skip the queue"- which John Banks says one should never do.

Another scandal is Sky City. It is the bed National and ACT use to get intimate with international visitors. The deal to award a conference centre to Sky City was awarded before other companies could show their proposals. Both John Key and John Banks had talked to SkyCity- in fact they are best mates with the SkyCity owners! Banks, who got given a free seat in Parliament in exchange for a cup of tea while the rest of us have to fight for jobs, probably paid for it with some of the 15,000$ SkyCity gave him in support of his Auckland mayoral campaign. Both Johns believe the pokies SkyCity is receiving in exchange for the 'free' convention centre are a harmless passtime and that they will not create more addicts. They are not. They'd like you to believe this while your coins are swallowed up into their pockets. Banks also got 50,000$ from Kim Dotcom. Banks knew about these deals. He had seen the internet tycoon just a couple of days beforehand. Despite this he called them anonymous. This goes to show money buys politics, but politics a) has no commitments or scruples (Banks made no effort to protect Dotcom when he was being detained) and b) is run by a group of crony and wealthy capitalists who will do all they can to keep their interests at heart. Politics in this country is being sold by 'our' politicians. They will tell us they've earned it or that it's our fault if we've voted them in. Bullshit. They took advantage of New Zealand's welfare system- and now they are denying it to us. Indeed, scandal number 3, they are getting rid of many of our public companies to earn short-term profit. On Sunday Asset Sales was on the news again as representatives of more than 80% of New Zealanders were out on the streets. Does the National government care? No, despite 100% of public submissions riling against the Asset Sales proposal. Did the National government care that 97% of public submissions were against Voluntary Student Membership? No. Does Key care that polls say we do not want the SkyCity deal? No.

You are very wrong if we think we live in a democracy. Democracy has no barcode, but here it bars our access. Democracy isn't a casual affair that takes place everyday, it is an everyday event. Everyday we are being told what is happening with our money, our education and our rights. Even if we were interested, however, that doesn't mean we can decide what happens. A public submission has no power, our representatives will not pick up the phone to hear our worries, a petition of almost 300,000 to raise the minimum wage will end up heating the offices of the parliamentary castle. Or this is what they'd like us to think. We cannot abide this.
Did you know our internet freedoms are under attack? My right to speak, to learn and to become informed are a "terrorist threat" now in the United States since the CISPA Bill passed on the 24th of April.

I think our politicians are confused with the meaning of democracy. Money does not buy it. It should not shut you up. It can not make you stupid. Foremost, it is meant to be the rule of the majority. A parliament cannot simply veto women's rights on an ideological crusade, or pretend domestic abuse doesn't happen.
This ideological crusade is achieving growth- in poverty. This is the true abuse. Here in Dunedin we witness the 15% poverty amongst students (an NZUSA report). In fact I'm one of them. My student allowance could be declined next year, meanwhile flats are becoming colder. Rich get richer, poor get poorer. The poor also don't vote, they have become apathetic, they, we, no longer vote -National achievement unlocked.

It is time to show Key he has to leave. We must burn his golden crown.