@gc65.bsky.social
Reposted
No one supports or pays for the mahi that I do to study NZ's far-right, disinfo, violent extremist landscapes. It's fulfilling to see the rare journalist like Bale take an interest in the research, and clearly lay out threats to social fabric, human security, Māori, and democracy growing at pace.
![Hattotuwa says there’s been a spike in hateful rhetoric towards Māori (and experts like Salmond) since Seymour began to campaign on his Treaty Principles Bill before the last election. Debate on the bill and its associated claims of activist judges overturning the will of Parliament triggered many on the right. It gave permission to criticise the “Māorification” of society and recirculate myths that undermine Māori claims to indigeneity and hard-won rights over land and language.
Seymour knows that more extreme people find stimulus in his views. He says that is the price of speaking your mind: a tiny percentage of people will go far further and may even act. He says he is fervently against anti-Semitic rhetoric but would not ban it.
As to whether the left is as bad as the right, he points to what he sees as racist posts by Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris over Labour’s use of “Indians, Asians, Black and Pākehā” in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. Seymour also condemned the attack on Peters’ house, saying on X, “If you find yourself vandalising people’s homes, you’ve lost the argument.”
He acknowledges there may be what he calls “Christchurch skinhead types” on the right, but maintains the real problem is on the left. Te Pāti Māori, he says, “openly say things that, were they said in reverse, would create absolute outrage”.
Hattotuwa fears worse is to come – even though we have seen how things may turn out. It is a bleak summation and what concerns him is the role of politicians in fanning it. Again, he refers to Tarrant, his live video and his manifesto, as a template.
“I’m frightened, appalled, angry, saddened. It’s because I have studied that livestream perhaps more than any New Zealander, because I’ve had to. And I’ve read that damn manifesto quite a few times, again because I’ve had to.
“What is now being platformed or signalled or telegraphed [by politicians and influencers] boggles the mind.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4vvvbvu4cu46qqqjabjgcnns/bafkreifexxyirfb4kh2v7f6taqumm7y2f5tp3b22vnhsgdzqk52yurpl3q@jpeg)
December 3, 2025 at 2:19 AM
No one supports or pays for the mahi that I do to study NZ's far-right, disinfo, violent extremist landscapes. It's fulfilling to see the rare journalist like Bale take an interest in the research, and clearly lay out threats to social fabric, human security, Māori, and democracy growing at pace.
Thanks for the recommendation Neal - will have a look as keen to escape Spotify
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Thanks for the recommendation Neal - will have a look as keen to escape Spotify