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Andrew Dickens: Anti-Jacinda crowd sound like crybaby Democrats

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Fri, 26 Apr 2019, 2:07PM
Photo / NZ Herald

Andrew Dickens: Anti-Jacinda crowd sound like crybaby Democrats

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Fri, 26 Apr 2019, 2:07PM

So on Wednesday, I started the show saying that Jacinda Ardern and Emmanuel Macrons little social media summit idea was a good play. After the events of March the 15th and the complicity of social media platforms, I think everyone agrees that something needs to be done so calling the social media gurus to a please explain seems as good a thing as any.

So after my thoughts were published on our social media platforms I was very surprised and slightly horrified to see the outpouring of disdain and negativity towards the idea and most notably the Prime Minister.

“It will achieve nothing other than further the global profile of Princess Jacinda” was the general gist. It’s a stunt. Many took the opportunity to say that she should stay at home and sort out all our domestic problems. And there was the hyperbolic belief that she is a communist who will eventually take all our freedom of speech and this is the start.

It was surprisingly vehement and also quite wrong.

After the shooter used Facebook Live, Australia’s reaction under Scott Morrison was to hastily draw up legislation to restrict such a misuse of social media. Now that was an overreaction and a substantial attack on freedoms.

Our friendly neighbourhood socialist is being far more realistic. Social Media has been allowed to do what it wants for so long now that the genie can’t be put back in the bottle. But we can ask it to behave decently. Ardern and Macron have parlayed our position at the centre of this horrible story to force Zuckerberg to meet and what on earth is wrong with that.

To all those who say it will achieve nothing, I say you’re probably right. But it will achieve more than sitting on our hands waiting for the next massacre, rape and murder to be live-streamed onto your Facebook feed. I didn’t realise you were such surrender monkeys

And to those who harbour such anger at Ardern’s popularity, both here and internationally, all I have to say is grow up and stop snivelling. Honestly, the anti-Jacinda banshees are sounding more cry baby than all the cry baby wailing over Trump.

If you’re so vehemently against this government and its popular leader then you might want to start helping the opposition which is in dire straits. As Matthew Hooten points out today the combined polling of the coalition versus the opposition is now 18 points ahead. There hasn’t been a gap like that since Bill English’s disastrous campaign in 2002.

But when not hating on Jacinda it appears the opposition is hating on Simon Bridges which is helping no-one. This past week Simon Bridges has tabled a members bill to inflation link the tax thresholds. This is a good move. If the government votes it down then they’re anti-tax cuts. This is a good move and yet no-one is talking about it, even National supporters.

You know if you want a change in government then just hating on Jacinda ain’t going to cut it. It’s time you found some love for the party you support.

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