Fun fact: the words most used in both agreements are work, infrastructure, tax, economic, and progress. Below are three areas and what I agree with and what I don't.
I agree with most of what you've said but the labeling of the Greens as "refusing" to have policies aimed at improving the lives of seniors is uncharitable at best and a gross exaggeration at worst. It just seems counterintuitive to what you've been saying to use such strong words when a quick look at their manifesto shows that they had policies aimed at improving the lives of seniors. I enjoy reading your substack but just thought that needed clarification.
Hi Henry, thanks for comment and reaching out. I really appreciate it. Yeah, fair enough. My comment came from having heard on the campaign trail "the Greens are unapologetic for having a focus on younger people, and not on older generations." I felt there was a strong bias against older people from the Green base, an assumption that seniors were all conservative, wealthy and well off. Now, if we go by the manifesto, you are right and you could take it a step further and argue TOP didn't even have a senior's policy. So, we were even worse than the Greens.
Yeah, that sentiment definitely exists and is unhelpful, couldn't agree more. I'd say a fair chunk of people who campaign for parties have little idea of their parties full manifesto. Politics is definitely more of a team sport than a policy debate, which is disappointing to see.
Yes, agree 100% and sometimes those campaign party teams drive parts of the collective narrative, and it is unhelpful. I think all parties are guilty to having their biases and loud narratives, and I guess what I am trying to do is balance that in a small, tiny way. Thanks again for engaging with me, it does mean a lot.
"People like to be able to predict how you will act" - this propensity leads back to the politics of personality and liking or disliking politicians. So a slippery slope ahead.
I agree. I just had a conversation with somebody about me trying to not attack individual politicians and how hard that is. This is not simple to navigate, which is why I feel if we all start by assuming we know less than we know, and there is a lot of contradiction to navigate through, it can help us have better conversations at best and just starting a conversation at worst.
https://www.greens.org.nz/seniors_2023
I agree with most of what you've said but the labeling of the Greens as "refusing" to have policies aimed at improving the lives of seniors is uncharitable at best and a gross exaggeration at worst. It just seems counterintuitive to what you've been saying to use such strong words when a quick look at their manifesto shows that they had policies aimed at improving the lives of seniors. I enjoy reading your substack but just thought that needed clarification.
Hi Henry, thanks for comment and reaching out. I really appreciate it. Yeah, fair enough. My comment came from having heard on the campaign trail "the Greens are unapologetic for having a focus on younger people, and not on older generations." I felt there was a strong bias against older people from the Green base, an assumption that seniors were all conservative, wealthy and well off. Now, if we go by the manifesto, you are right and you could take it a step further and argue TOP didn't even have a senior's policy. So, we were even worse than the Greens.
Yeah, that sentiment definitely exists and is unhelpful, couldn't agree more. I'd say a fair chunk of people who campaign for parties have little idea of their parties full manifesto. Politics is definitely more of a team sport than a policy debate, which is disappointing to see.
Yes, agree 100% and sometimes those campaign party teams drive parts of the collective narrative, and it is unhelpful. I think all parties are guilty to having their biases and loud narratives, and I guess what I am trying to do is balance that in a small, tiny way. Thanks again for engaging with me, it does mean a lot.
No worries
"People like to be able to predict how you will act" - this propensity leads back to the politics of personality and liking or disliking politicians. So a slippery slope ahead.
I agree. I just had a conversation with somebody about me trying to not attack individual politicians and how hard that is. This is not simple to navigate, which is why I feel if we all start by assuming we know less than we know, and there is a lot of contradiction to navigate through, it can help us have better conversations at best and just starting a conversation at worst.