Owen Jennings
Did you know that the popular hymn “Amazing Grace” can be played on just the black keys of the piano? Most Negro spirituals can. Amazing Grace is not usually considered a Negro spiritual, but it almost certainly originated deep in the bowels of a slave galley ship, crossing the Atlantic to the plantations of the South. The writer of the hymn was John Newton, a reformed galley ship captain, who once strode the decks listening to those deep, doleful tones rising from the hellish prison below.
The slavery of the cotton plantations was depraved, subhuman and despicable. It stands as a blight on humanity. It is not that slavery is confined to that dreadful era – it existed in various cultures from the beginning of time and persists in various forms today. It is the nature of human beings to try and exercise power over another where there is potential for gain and the continuance of control.
Definitions of slavery vary but it is generally described as …. “the status or condition of a person over whom any, or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership, are exercised.”
Invariably slaves were “owned, controlled in every respect, lived in subhuman conditions, were devoid of dignity, suffered brutally for misdemeanours and were unable to gain freedom”.
We deplore such situations. We would not tolerate slavery in our society today. Really? Are you sure? Aren’t you just a little too quick to reject the notion of modern slavery in Godzone?
Revisit that definition and tell me that Ardern’s government isn’t making slaves of thousands of us. Many Kiwis are now virtually “owned”. The slave master controls them in almost every respect, many are living in subhuman conditions, they are devoid of dignity, step out of line and offend the slaver and they suffer and most can never regain their freedom. More and more of the population fit the “slave” definition and are totally dependent on the state and will be, all their lives.
The state “owns” their income, giving and taking by fiat, “owns” their living quarters or is paying their rent (just wait till interest rates inevitably rise and cripple mortgages to see how much freedom we have left), has them living in less than adequate conditions (e.g. cramped motel rooms), has stripped them of dignity and leaves them unable to escape the trap of welfarism.
The state uses various “whips” to maintain its ownership and control. It allocates labels – “racist”, “terrorist”, “hater”, “offender” – to muzzle opposition. It removes its potentially most virulent opposition – the fourth estate – by bribes and taxpayer handouts disguised as Covid recovery funds. It ensures favourable coverage for the slave master and only negative coverage for the opposition.
This slaver uses numerous devices to maintain control. It manipulates a one-off Christchurch shooting incident to clamp down on various vital forms of speech leading to the elimination of criticism of its ploys. By vastly exaggerating the impact of the word “hate” another major bastion of community freedom is undermined. It is government by feelings not facts.
It juggles new ways to keep the “we keep you safe” story alive to keep the masses in suspense.
As H L Mencken said,“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule”.
Why have a sensible exit strategy when dragging out the fear maintains your regular podium presence? Visibility is everything in politics.
“Wear your mask”, “sign in using the app”, “cough into your elbow”, “stay home if you have a sniffle” are all tools in the slaver’s playbook. Any disobedience can lead to lockdowns. The slave master will put police on every corner to confine you.
Declaring an “emergency” when, by any measure of normality and common sense, one does not exist is further evidence of the state’s need for the populace to be kept in tight control. Mencken again: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.”
The Climate Change Commission’s recommendations take the affliction of controls and meaningless interference to new heights: “You will buy this sort of car or you will be lashed with extra taxes.” “You will reduce your livestock numbers or be whipped with fines.” “You will resign yourself to blackouts and vastly higher electricity prices.”
Governments love introducing new laws and additional regulations. In just 20 years we have been inflicted with just over 2,000 new regulations. Most without a cost/benefit analysis and all without any follow up to determine their value. We are slaves to the lawmakers and their sheriffs. Ardern’s government is not the only one to blame but they are determined to set new records in erasing business and personal freedoms.
Slaves will step out of line and try and take liberties. One way to keep them in order is to deploy CCTV. Cameras are springing up by the thousands, literally. In shops, offices, factories, street corners, bus stops, railway stations, and more. “For your own good” is the cry. “Improved safety”, sounds legit. But inch by inch the slaves get worn down. Their freedom erodes.
Slave masters find democracy irksome. They undermine it from within. Take away the right to vote against Maori seats on Councils. Impose an upper house without even a nod to the voters. Conquer by dividing the slaves. When the slaves are divided and are fighting each other they are leaving the slave master alone.
New Zealand needs a Wilberforce. Strangely Wilberforce knew John Newton quite well and they encouraged each other to emancipate the slaves, finally seeing abolition a matter of days before they both died. They both valued freedom in their own lives and fought vigorously to see freedom for all.
Do we have someone who loves freedom enough to emancipate the slaves? Will the slaves rise up and take back what is lost?
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