Among the many emails that whirl about the ether between Party members, I, along with a whole lot of other people got one from somebody named Justin. I’m not sure if he is a Party member, and I couldn’t seem to identify his last name, but he spoke about the fight for freedom. And I like that line. Thank you, Justin. For me it invokes still a sense of parochialism (I’m a Canterbury lad at heart) It’s the call of the causes we have engaged with, sang about and marched for. And we, all of us here, are engaged in a struggle that can free the world of senseless debt. These are extraordinary times, and we face an extraordinary challenge. If ever there was a need for the economic solutions that social credit presages, then it is now. No role in history could be more difficult or more important. We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves, and one we seek to bring to others. No-one should think otherwise.
We stand, as we have from out earliest beginnings, for social, economic and environmental justice. This Party was born of economic revolution and remains committed to ensuring the road is closed to economic despotism. Rightly, members remind us that we should wonder why we have an ever expanding taxation base alongside an ever increasing debt base; that Adam Smith died in 1790, as did Thomas Jefferson, when only 5% percent of Americans were living in towns larger than 2500 people. Yet as a nation we persist with strategies that were considered flawed even in the lifetime of those who developed them 300 years ago.
What is the point of persisting with a money mechanism that had its origins in a period of time that predates electricity, the motor-car, aeroplanes, penicillin, the steam engine or gun powder? In an era where technology has enhanced our ability to produce more than we need or can use, we stick like lemmings to the concept of periodically throwing ourselves over the economic cliff.
There is no single simple policy which meets this challenge. Experience has taught us that no one change, or series of changes, resolves the puzzle. We stand in the name of our Party to ensure that we are freeing workers from this system by bringing purchasing power in line with production. The two original planks of Douglas's reform program were “…a National Dividend to distribute money (debt free credit) equally to all citizens, over and above their earnings, to help bridge the gap between purchasing power and prices; also a price adjustment mechanism, called the Just Price, which would forestall any possibility of inflation…”
However, while we as a Party talk internally of sharing and building and the competition of ideas, compelling and engaging as those debates may be, the world of commerce, and the world of economics, and the world of politics, moves on.
It is time for us to change up a gear, concentrate our powers and go for the prize.
Napoleon Bonaparte said, “When you have resolved to fight a battle, collect your forces. Dispense with nothing. A single battalion sometimes decides the day.”
Let me tell you about two battles in the same week with vastly different outcomes.
The first is the battle of Lasandlwana.
The British Expeditionary Force of 2600 men under Lord Chelmsford advanced in to Zululand in January 1879 with banners flying, completely confident of their ability to defeat the armies of the Zulu Chief, King Cetewayo. After three days of marching the army stopped to rest. Violating one of the first principles of warfare “Never divide your forces in the face of the enemy” Lord Chelmsford took 1600 men with him on a days march from the main camp in response to a report of an encounter by British troops with a large Zulu force.
Zulu spies had been watching the British army from the hills and relaying observations back to the King. The Zulus attacked.
The British force of 1800 men at Lasnadlwana was quickly overwhelmed and wiped out. Only 55 men survived. They had dispersed their forces, spreading them over a wide area, completely giving up their ability to concentrate and counter the Zulu forces. It was the worst defeat ever inflicted on an army of the British Army of the British Empire by indigenous forces.
A week later, the Zulu army, emboldened by the victory, set out to wipe out the mission station and trading post at Roark’s Drift. The Battle of Roark’s Drift lasted two days. The 140 enlisted men and officers held off wave after wave of attack by more than 4000 Zulu warriors. At the end of the battle, the Zulus retreated back in to their homeland.
What was the difference between these two battles that took place in the same week? The soldiers at Roark’s Drift were able to mass together and concentrate their fire throughout the two days. At Isandlwana, the Zulus were able to defeat the British using the power of concentration.
In 1519, Capitan Hernando Cortes and a small army left the Spanish held island of Cuba and set out on one of the greatest conquests in the history of the world. Cortes was going to accomplish his goals no matter the consequences. He put to death some of those who opposed him, got himself appointed Capitan-General in order to get out from under Diego Velazquez's authority, and then did what? He ordered his fleet burned in the harbour so there could be no turning back. To convey to his men that this was literally all or nothing!
Let it be clear – and this is a judgement which the assembled delegates at the Conference must finally make – let it be clear that I am asking the Party to accept a firm commitment to a united course of action. A course that will last for a number of years and have a significant cost. But will have significant payback at the next election. If we are to go only half way, or reduce our sights in the face of difficulty, in my judgement it would be better not to embark at all.
There is no point in awaiting the rainy day; the storm is upon us and the rain has come. There will never be a greater opportunity in our lifetimes.
It is a choice that the whole Party should make, and I am confident that under the leadership of Stephanie de Ruyter, supported by the executive, and the canny members of the Party who contribute so much, in debate, in dissent, in the lobbing of hand grenades from the sidelines, that the matters will be considered carefully. It is a most important decision we make as a Party. But all of you have lived through the last few years and seen the significance of “presence” in the acting out of the MMP process. We must get traction.
Am I saying things need to change? Yes I am
Am I saying we need to lift our electorate vote? Yes I am.
Am I saying we should concentrate where we think we can win? Yes I am.
We must build from now to the next election, concentrating our forces to ensure we win. We must be united across the country, but to win a seat we must concentrate our forces.
We must use the Party processes to advance our causes internally. We must decide and then concentrate on our key messages. All of us. Every one of us. We must agree on the goals. We must agree on the precise activities. We must not be distracted by other issues. We must present a united Party to the electorate.
We must take some risks. Better to attempt the perfect swan dive, even if that delivers a monumental belly flop, than to step timidly off the diving board holding our noses.
We have significant assets.
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Our policy is an asset. Democrats for Social Credit are committed to recovering effective control of New Zealand’s economic affairs and establishing greater economic independence.
We can ride the tide of resentment that exists about the outrageous profits made by commercial banks, even while many in the community are struggling.
Our Leader is an asset. A significant one. We must provide her with greater support, and greater resources to do the job we ask of her.
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We have financial assets. We need more. Going from a thousand votes to 100 thousand, and winning a seat, takes money. We must commit our budget. We must use some of what we have to gain more.
Finally, our greatest asset in this struggle is you, the members of the Democrats for Social Credit. Your willingness to pay the price for these programmes – to understand and accept a long struggle. To fight for what we know to be right. This fight for freedom marches in the name of all who have gone before us. The famous tramp of marching feet.
It’s time to unite and concentrate our forces.
It’s time to really commit to success.
It is time to burn a few boats.