If there's one thing George Monbiot knows it's all about Neoliberalism and he's just published a concise book about it with a guy he never met who works in film in California.
George was chatting about the book online the other day - and he talked about how the big enemy of capitalism is democracy and how neoliberalism has become the dominant "zombie ideology" in the West - a bit like communism used to be in the Soviet Union.
The way this failed ideology keeps on getting up and walking like a zombie has much to do with how stories are spun to get people to vote for political change.
According to George Monbiot - the history of political change shows us that the main story used to effect political change is called the "restorative story".
The restorative story begins with a terrible mess, maybe a recession, suffering, misery, a time of pestilence and death - and along comes a hero - who has a plan to get the people out of this mess and lead them to the promised land of milk and honey...sounds familiar right?
George says that same story is told to good effect on the left where the State is the Hero - the individual Billionaires and their dark lord politicians and think tanks are the villains. The state - who is an enabling state - not one that is deliberately failing. The enabling State is kind and supportive and via a leader ( say like Jacinda or Chippy or Chlöe ) it leads us away from the misery of nine years of neglect to the promised land - of greater inclusion, social cohesion, more egalitarianism and a fair cop for the indigenous - with a social security welfare net to catch those who fall.
However the Neoliberals just swap the characters around so they get to tell the same restorative story.
In the Neoliberal version - the hero is the entrepreneur who has been imprisoned and is now set free and enabled to battle against the villain which is the Collectivist State who was wasting money - to fix the economy, restore Laura Norda - and build better Public Services - so we can be the best little advanced economy in the world, never mind the trail of destruction, climate tipping points and widening inequality.
So both sides try to tell the restorative story and which ever side tells it best wins power - and "we voted for change" rings in our eyes and ears despite all our facts and observations and cries of no bloody way !!!
So given all of that context kindly provided by George ( a hero ) my observation for all of us here at G News - is - we are seeing this Neoliberal Restorative Story being played out - but over three long years.
This week's Budget on Thursday is part of the very beginning of the heroic story.
In the beginning - bold Saint Christopher Luxon and his hard working Queen Nicola of many PantSuits - made tough choices after six long years of "economic vandalism" where reckless "Government Spending" by the evil Grant Robertson harmed all the people. People who they - the obscenely rich - suddenly cared about soooo very, very deeply - as our two heroes - did an incredible job, working at pace to get us out of this mess.
The court fluffers - named Claire and Audrey - said it's not about the lollies and the size of the relief - it's whether Queen Nicola has economic credibility ( the long story ends in 2026 with an election ) and they set up a dumb set of criteria for success - like if Nicola can match the amount of savings made by cutting jobs - plus new revenue streams - with the size of the tax cuts - then all will be well - and she really is the economic wizard we had hoped for.
Police will get money, so will Health, so will Education and Disability will be all mended up by "good" Queen Nicola.
"Oh thank you Queen Nicola, you really do care", swooned the gullible.
Yes at this stage in mid 2024 - all the NACT government needs to do - is suggest our heroes have taken the first steps, hard as it is for them - and are making progress to get us to the promised land of productivity, low inflation, less crime and a smaller public service. Hooray !!!
By 2026 - Christopher will look back as the Red and Green Sea closes behind him swallowing up the socialists and bleeding hearts, greenies, the indigenous and all that - and he will look upon his people - coughing in coal and diesel fumes - and reflect how it was not really him who brought down inflation - but Queen Nicola.
Shane Jones will be covered in petroleum gold and do a belly dance - with his finger in the air - as property investors bow low and thank Saint Christopher for deliverance.
They may even build a golden image of Queen Nicola is a Pant Suit for idol worship - but I digress and let's get back to the point.
The point is - it's the Reserve Bank not Nicola bringing down inflation in New Zealand - , but the restorative story will not care - the neoliberal mythical story will be told - stealing the credit - over and over - from the Tower of NewsCrap ZB to the shitty rivers of small town rural NZ.
So over on the Left - the trail of destruction and resentment left behind will be the mess that Chippy must tell more strongly....and get a much bigger megaphone and media voice - to shout it with.
G News is part of that voice - and we ( me , Monty, the organic punga, the flax bush and that majestical Tui ) are going to try and grow our audience..and tell the true story of what is going on.
Anyway - keep in mind that Luxon is lying cos he's telling a story with maximum frequency and reach - so that in 2026 - he can say - remember and goldfish will hesitate and think - mmm he did say that ..
.
But it will just be more zombie neoliberal lies - calculated over a three year time zone by neoliberal strategists who don't give a shite about any of us - or this country.
The Restorative Story is being told now
G