If you’re organising an anti-war demonstration in Wellington, at some point you’re going to have to talk about speakers. Generally someone will talk about how we want to have really good speakers this time. Then everyone will nod, there’ll be a long pause, and then someone will say ‘well how about Keith Locke?’1
When I was in London in 2004 I attended an anti-war meeting, and they had a comedian who was really funny and someone who had been to Iraq recently and had specific information and two other really good speakers – just for a meeting.
Sometimes I think about the people who organise the anti-war marches in Boston, who can have conversations about whether to have Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn this time.
The left in New Zealand is generally very short of people who have knowledge, confidence, and authority which is what you need to be a good speaker, so when someone comes from overseas who doesn’t just have knowledge, confidence and authority, but also a place in history, it’s the event of the year.
When Noam Chomsky came to Wellington they had to move the event from St Andrews on the Terrace to the Town Hall. Tonight, when Angela Davis was speaking in Wellington they filled a lecture theatre that seated 300, had an overflow room that seated half as many people again, and still they turned 200 people away. That was with minimal publicity.
I plan to write two posts on Angela Davis’s talk, first I want to write about my reaction to the talk itself (and the audience), and then I thought it was about time I posted the argument for the abolishment of prisons, and why I agree with it.
But before I did any of that, I wanted to suggest that more prominent left-wing activists should come to New Zealand. We can’t offer you much, but we can promise to treat you like you’re the most exciting person to come to town since Angela Davis…
- A Green Party MP, who is not going to inspire anyone to the barricades [↩]
I wanted to suggest that more prominent left-wing activists should come to New Zealand.
I agree. Every prominent left-wing activist should go to New Zealand.
Wait, you are keeping them, right?
I’ll be there once I get past the four or five months I’ll need to get my passport renewed.
“>> I wanted to suggest that more prominent left-wing activists should come to New Zealand.
Robert Writes:
> I agree. Every prominent left-wing activist should go to New Zealand.
> Wait, you are keeping them, right?
As long as you keep the right wing nut jobs who screwed up the ‘Iraq Crusade for Oil’, mate!
Kia Ora.
As long as you keep the right wing nut jobs who screwed up the ‘Iraq Crusade for Oil’, mate!
Deal. You guys get New Zealand, we get America.
I’ve always wanted to go to NZ. Can I come even if I’m not prominent?
I’ve also always wanted to visit NZ, so my new plan is to become a famous liberal activist and get the rock star treatment. :)
Come to think of it, I too will be a famous liberal activist for a free trip to NZ. I’ll do debt relief for Africa, everyone likes that one, even hard-hearted conservatives like me.
Chomsky was in Wellington and I didn’t hear about it? Boo. Would have flown up there had I known – might have co-incided nicely with something else I wanted to go to as well. C’est la vie.
When I get too disgusted with the way the United States is headed, I like to
tell myself that I can always go to New Zealand and get away from most of
the things that piss me off.
Unfortunately, I am not a left activist, unless you ask the owner of the company
for which I work for, who thinks I am a Goddamn commie…
Oh, and by the way, it’s a shame you missed Chomsky’s speech. I have been to
dozens of his lectures, and it has been always worth it. Even when he is talking
politics :-)