South Island Independence

August 23, 2018

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

Vince, at VJM, recently made a case for our South Island succeeding from The State to form its own organisation. The suggestion has come up due to some fringe pressure from the likes of Solomon Tor-Kilsen of Timaru and Pat McCarrigan of Dunedin. TVNZ reporter Julian Lee made a mocking prime time news item lampooning the would-be secessionists. But here are some of Vince’s points I can respond to.

“South Islanders aren’t city people. The thought of being crammed into tight suburbs like sardines being presented for consumption is alien to us”

So true! I live with that cramming and can’t get used to it. I long to get back to the Mainland..

“whereas South Island Maoris just get on with life (and consequently become considerably wealthier, healthier and better educated than their North Island kin).”

Ah….no. Certainly not. Ngai Tahi have been sucking hard on free money since year zero. I’ve written numerous posts for Anarchist History of New Zealand about it I’m happy to direct anyone to.

“White culture is also significantly different. The colonists of the South Island are unrepentant; we don’t have ethnomasochists.”

Not quite true but it’s less far gone, certainly, than the North. For example, what the hell is this??

“Maoris are our equals and anyone who tries to split us apart with rhetoric about unsettled grievances can go fuck themselves. “

No. They can get paid and ‘topped up’ billions. And then wait a few decades and have another bite. There have been many ‘full and final’ settlements and even now the South Island Maori ‘aggrieved’ reach their hands out for a ‘top up’.

“There are very few virtue signallers down here. “

And yet the first people I saw who wanted to ban straws and plastic bags were South Islanders. Cafe owners from Rangiora. A few months down the track and they’ve swept the nation.