What do Hungary and New Zealand have in common?
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What do Hungary and New Zealand have in common? Besides having flags that are easily confused with other country’s…
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The answer; both are currently governed by right-wing parties, and both are guilty of inhumane, uncivilised obstructionist policies toward Syrian refugees in desperate need of re-settlement.
In New Zealand, the government consists of National and it’s parasitic satellite-party ACT, with support from Peter Dunne and the Maori Party.
In Hungary, the government consists of a large Muldoonist-style conservative party, Fidesz (pronounced “Fee-dec” – as in ‘school decile’), and it’s parasitic satellite-party, the Christian Democratic People’s Party.
Both have adopted policies of bloody-minded stubborness refusing to assist refugees;
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I don’t know which is worse; the xenophobe, or the fool who attempts top justify his inaction by pointing to others;
“There are quite a few countries that don’t take refugees.”
His rationale for not increasing our efforts to held Syrian refugees (they are not migrants!) is both gutless and nonsensical.
What is it about the Right that, when faced with a humanitarian crisis, they turn their backs and look the other way? From whence does such cowardice spring?
Especially when, two years ago, Key made these comments in a speech to the United Nations;
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“The gap between aspiration and delivery is all too apparent, as the situation in Syria has again so brutally reminded us.
But any failures of this institution are less failures of the Organisation than they are failures of us, its Member States, and those who have the responsibility of leading those states.
There would be no dreadful humanitarian situation in Syria if Syria’s leaders had upheld the commitments made to the international community and to the Syrian people when Syria joined this organisation and ratified the Human Rights Covenants.
This Organisation would not also have been a powerless bystander to the Syrian tragedy for over two years if the lack of agreement among the Security Council’s Permanent Members had not shielded the Assad regime – thereby re-confirming the fears of New Zealand and others who had opposed the veto at the original San Francisco conference in 1945.
New Zealand is pleased that the Security Council has at last met on the situation in Syria.” – John Key, 27 September 2013
It is not the UN Security Council that is now the “powerless bystander to the Syrian tragedy” – it is John Key and his morally-challenged government.
With our current refugee intake a measly 750 per year, there has been mounting pressure on our esteemed Dear Leader, John Key, to increase the number to one thousand, or to double it.
After all, if the British government had not taken in one particular female Jewish refugee in 1939, after fleeing the Nazi take-over of Austria, our Prime Minister would never have existed.
It appears that Key is now displaying the same callous indifference to Syrian refugees that he has exhibited to tenants of State houses and social welfare beneficiaries – despite the fact that his grandmother was a refugee and his mother a beneficiary of this country’s once-generous state housing and welfare system.
It defies comprehension that a human being who owes his very existence to the compassion of others – now turns his back on those who need his help. John Key may have found wealth and power in his journey through life. But it appears he has also lost something along the way.
Meanwhile, there are those willing to lend a hand when others are in need;
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References
Wikipedia: Fidesz
Wikipedia: Christian Democratic People’s Party
Radio NZ: PM cold on upping refugee quota
ITV News: Hungary PM – Europe’s ‘Christian roots’ in danger from refugees
Interest.co.nz: Contrasting family histories of John Key and David Cunliffe revealed by ancestry research
Fairfax media: They’re not migrants, double the refugee quota now
Beehive.govt.nz: New Zealand’s Statement to the UNGA General Debate
TVNZ News: ‘We can do more’ – Little says NZ refugee quota should be 1250
Other Blogs
No Right Turn: Raise the quota
The Dim Post: Nothing will come of nothing
Imperator Fish: Keep your dead children off our beaches!
The Pundit: Guts, guts, got no guts
The Standard: “Get some Guts!”
The Standard: How much does New Zealand spend on refugees?
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This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 4 September 2015.
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Frankly Speaking... 
There’s a term in Australia called “slamming the door behind you”, which was used by a journalist over there to describe nativist views among Australians with Mediterranean and Slavic descent.
And what does it mean when all of the Key Govt’s support partners – even ACT – favour raising the refugee quota?
I’d say, KR, that Key is pretty well out of touch with public sentiment and the Kiwi attitude of helping others. In this instance, I’m guessing that National’s Focus Groups couldn’t keep up with events relating to Syrian refugees – especially the shocking image of Aylan Shenu lying dead on a Turkish beach. That one image probably galvanised a very natural human reaction to help others, even when not one of our own “tribe”.
I believe Key missed that moment.
I Googled “tragedy of the commons”.
It seems apt in many of these situations. Everyone can’t just go everywhere. The heart might wish is be possible, but the practical reality is that it isn’t.
Maybe if Obama hadn’t vigorously pursued regime change in Syria we might not have these problems to the degree we do.
The sick thing is that Obama is STILL pursuing that same policy….and obviously doesn’t care about the consequences.
I used to have a great deal of time for him. Now I think he’s just one more American war criminal in high office.