Undermined: How far right lobby groups push racist & reactionary agendas
A lot has happened in the last few days in the world of New Zealand's neoliberal lobby groups and their political wings, and I've been trying to keep up with it all – but instead of writing it up here, as I usually would, I've been using it to prepare for a presentation I'm doing tonight as part of a free webinar. I'd love it if you could come along. Here's the pitch from the organisers:
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Join us for a webinar with journalist and researcher Josh Drummond. scholar-activist Tina Ngata and anti-colonial anti-fascist community organiser Sina Brown-Davis. The election of NACTNZ was fuelled by racist fear mongering, disinformation and imported culture wars from the US, driven by well-funded political organisations that pushed far right, white supremacist and free market economic ideas. Some of these ideas come directly from artificial grassroots organisations - nicknamed "astroturfs" - that are being used to manipulate and mobilise public opinion for political gain.
For example, the Association of Community Retailers was in fact set up and funded by Imperial Tobacco to protest tobacco-related legislation. The Taxpayers' Union is a member of the global Atlas Network that has celebrated member efforts to undermine the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and removing barriers to fossil fuel production. The Taxpayers' Union claims that its campaign against Three Waters “led with the economics” but in fact its position opposing Māori co-governance was a leading feature.
The result is a far reaching political agenda that seeks to not only to roll back decades of work but to lock in a future dominated by the destructive death spiral of colonialist extractivism and violence.We must not only expose the activities, arguments and agendas of these organisations but effectively stop them if we hope to build a Tiriti-centred, climate just future for Aotearoa. Join us to learn, strategise and talk tactics.
For example, the Association of Community Retailers was in fact set up and funded by Imperial Tobacco to protest tobacco-related legislation. The Taxpayers' Union is a member of the global Atlas Network that has celebrated member efforts to undermine the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and removing barriers to fossil fuel production. The Taxpayers' Union claims that its campaign against Three Waters “led with the economics” but in fact its position opposing Māori co-governance was a leading feature.
The result is a far reaching political agenda that seeks to not only to roll back decades of work but to lock in a future dominated by the destructive death spiral of colonialist extractivism and violence.We must not only expose the activities, arguments and agendas of these organisations but effectively stop them if we hope to build a Tiriti-centred, climate just future for Aotearoa. Join us to learn, strategise and talk tactics.
The event is free – register here now.
You know what isn't free but would give my work a really great boost? A paid subscription. If you value what I do, get amongst it here:
