Anzac Day combines many of the elements of our shared national life which the left loathes. It celebrates the primacy of the nation-state and the nation’s sovereignty and independence maintained through the defence of its borders. It marks our closeness to our allies, with whom we are like-minded and share common bonds. It is imbued with Christian tradition as it was largely Christian men who fought and died in past wars. It’s a military day and stands as a stark reminder that – like it or not – it is ultimately only through armed conflict that our freedoms, our liberty and our shared values have been maintained. Through such conflicts, the theatre of war at Gallipoli became one of the founding narratives of our nation.
The Marxist left detests the nation-state, which it is working tirelessly to defeat – through the United Nations and other supra-national organisations such as the European Union, and through its reversal of the established order. It dislikes ‘militarism’, generally because the military is used to defend national interests. The left detests Christianity: firstly because it is wholly atheist and secondly because Christianity is the font of our shared values. It would willingly establish almost any other religion or belief system in its place. And the left hates to be reminded that many of its friends are in fact our enemies, and our enemies its friends. The left would prefer it if our founding mythologies were based only on a dialogue of colonial ‘oppression’ and collective guilt.
The left has a long history of ambivalence towards military commemorations. Known for his far-left views, Michael Foot, leader of the British Labour Party in the early 1980s, appeared alongside Margaret Thatcher on Remembrance Day 1981 wearing a donkey jacket. This led in part to his nickname ‘Worzel Gummidge’ and criticism of him acting with disrespect for the occasion.
People often asked ‘will he or won’t he do the same?’ when Jeremy Corbyn attended Remembrance Day events. Corbyn took the British Labour Party on its biggest lurch to the left since Foot and he presided over one of the most unpleasant periods of anti-Semitism (although by no means the only period of anti-Semitism) in Labour’s history. It’s been said of Corbyn that he never met a terrorist he didn’t like, and Islamist terrorists are no exception. Corbyn often channelled his ‘inner Michael Foot’ and was known to dress accordingly at the cenotaph, once wearing an anorak.
Michael Foot supported Indira Ghandi over her 1975-77 ’State of Emergency’ during which she ruled India by decree, suspending civil liberties, imprisoning political opponents, censoring the press and running a mass sterilisation programme – one of the most controversial periods in India’s post-independence history.
Are there parallels here with our present situation under lockdown? Obviously we aren’t sterilising anyone – yet. And Labour doesn’t need to imprison its opponents – it simply doesn’t have any.
The UK Labour Party has, over the years, harboured many adherents not just to Marxism but to Islamic Marxism and proto-fascism. ‘Gorgeous’ George Galloway, long-time UK Labour and the Respect MP has never found an Islamist cause which he couldn’t champion, and he detests Israel. ‘Hizbollah has never been a terrorist organisation,’ he stated in 2006. ‘It is the legitimate national resistance movement of Lebanon.’
“I glorify the Hezbollah national resistance movement,” he said, “and I glorify the leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.” In 2009, Galloway received a Palestinian passport from Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Even The Guardian agreed that Galloway’s assertion that Israel is a ’Nazi state’ was, potentially, an incitement to attack Jews on the grounds that the only appropriate response to such a charge is hate.
Galloway is, of course, a long-time supporter of the Iranian government. He stated at a rally in March 2012 that, “We stand for justice and haqq,” [truth, right and reality; God as the ultimate reality in Islam] and, “A Muslim is somebody who is not afraid of earthly power but who fears only the Judgment Day. I’m ready for that.” Galloway has been married four times. His three most recent wives have been Dr Amineh Abu-Zayyad, of Palestinian origin, Rima Husseini, originally from Lebanon, and Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, from Sumatra – all of whom he married in ‘Islamic ceremonies’. Jemimah Khan, writing in the New Statesman in April 2012, claimed that Galloway became a Muslim around the year 2000 but had not advertised the fact. Galloway denies this, claiming that his religious beliefs are a “personal matter”.
With our own “Dear Leader” Jacinda Ardern favouring Islamic dress and now running the country by decree using Emergency Powers – not unlike Indira Ghandi – what might New Zealand’s public holiday calendar look like after a prolonged period of hard-left Labour government?
Anzac Day
Clearly not favoured by the left, Anzac Day is out. Perhaps to be replaced by a day of solidarity for those locked in international conflicts and ‘struggles’. Minority groups could be encouraged to attend public events designed to ’shame’ the ‘Western military complex’. Wording that would appeal to middle class Labour voters in leafy suburbs such as Grey Lynn could be devised suggesting that Israel ‘isn’t very nice’ – though without going ’too far’.
Were public opinion found to be too much against outright abolition then the day could be used to apologise for inequalities and any lack of progress made in income ‘re-distribution’.
Queen’s Birthday
Replaced with the People’s Republic of Aotearoa day. “I think the people are ready for it,” “Dear Leader” Jacinda Ardern will say, as she legislates to install Helen Clark as President for life. If that objective can’t be achieved then the Prophet’s birthday falls on 12th Rabi’ al-awwal – 28th of October this year.
Labour Day
Obviously this one is for keeps.
Christmas
An elitist holiday, inconveniently placed in the calendar. To be substituted for a compulsory period of contemplation on the ‘evils of capitalism’ at the end of summer. What better way to start the year than by staging a national day to criticise ‘rich pricks’? It would work better if this sentiment were to be combined with something genuinely idolatrous, like the worship of Gaia – the ‘earth goddess’ – which the Greens would like. Better still, Gaia is female – so the lesbians can jump on board. What’s not to like about worshipping a female goddess figure?
New Year’s Day
We would need to meet our Treaty obligations by changing this to suit the Maori lunar calendar.
Waitangi Day
Note to “Dear Leader” Jacinda Ardern: how can we expand Waitangi Day’s reach using technology? If the nation were placed at this time every year under house arrest – and let’s face it, we’re now used to it – there could be a National Zoom Conference where non-Maori gather to apologise. Non-participants might get a friendly visit from the police.
Easter
A hideous ‘mono-cultural’ and ‘ethnocentric’ event no longer appropriate to our life of ’kindness’ and ‘feelz’ in Aotearoa. With schools increasingly adjusting their timetables to accommodate Ramadan – as is happening in the UK – let’s get the nation to celebrate with the kids. New Zealanders already embrace ‘Dry January’, ‘Mo-vember’ and ‘Meat-free Monday’. Why not ’No-lunch Ramadan’? Companies can encourage participation and show their support by hanging a portrait of New Zealand’s Grand Mufti in reception. The nation’s lunch bars will all receive the Wage Subsidy that month – at least those ones will which are still open after COVID-19.
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Previous articles from Edward Persimmon include: