1912: A Parliament Is Like A Play
February 9, 2020
By AHNZ
A delightful little bit of verse was published today in New Zealand history. From Maoriland Worker, 9 February, 1912 comes the following snippet. The organ of the ‘Red Fed’ ( Federation of Labour,) this newspaper was used to push Socialism hard into New Zealand. It was a desperate plight as the season had now turned on Victimhood Culture and Slave Culture. New Zealand was ready for something else.
A parliament is like a play—
It does not stick to facts;
It contradicts ‘tself each day,
And has more ”scenes” than
“Acts”
– Maoriland Worker
Two things we can take from that are the sentiment and the high quality. I think it’s a high quality passage because this is a sample from r-selected culture at the high point of its sophistication just before it topples. Moral Cultures are at their best just before being overthrown. The sentiment is one of frustration with the politicians. For some 20 years the Liberal Era was presided over by politicians who marketed themselves as protecting the little guy.
Where were they now? Scattered and sidelined. Joe Ward out of the country on extended vacation. Prime Minister William Massey gathering strength and assembling the ‘Cossacks’ who would push (or beat) any ‘Workers’ who didn’t get out of the way. Time was up. Now would be a time for these Unionists, the Left, to lick their wounds and grow strong again for the next cycle of history. Their time would come again. It always comes again.
—
Ref. Maoriland Worker; Papers Past
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