One thing that the Libertarianz party has in common with the Urewera 17 is that we think the current system of government in New Zealand is fatally flawed, and needs to be replaced with a new system.
Of course, Libz envisages a New Zealand which is free and prosperous, with people free to participate in the free market (or choose not to), own and improve property (or choose not to), and generally move towards a bright future without the thousand nagging nanny-state rules passed each year by National and Labour governments. The Urewera 17, in Phil’s words, sought “unrestricted tribalism, no government, no rule of law, no industry, and no private property rights”. Yikes.
Libertarianz believes that change should be achieved voluntarily by convincing and persuading people to vote for change, rather than attempting to force change with threats, bombings and assassinations, as the Urewera terrorists were planning.
“Human beings are individually possessed of certain inalienable rights, which are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of private property and happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among people, deriving their just powers – and only such powers – from the consent of the governed… whenever any government becomes destructive of these rights, it is in rebellion against its citizens, who may then remove it and institute new government.”
- Constitution for a New Freeland
A government must be openly fascist before it can legitimately be overthrown by force. New Zealand has not yet reached that point, and I personally hope that we never do.
I hope not too, and consider it gravely irresponsible of SOLOists to be calling for revolution already, as they did during the Electoral Finance Bill’s second reading.
Left by Rick Giles on January 19th, 2008