Seymour does not care about democracy

His rhetoric provides cover for a deeply undemocratic corporate agenda which supports and reinforces Western imperialism

Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii

David Seymour talks a lot about democracy. He talks a lot about equality before the law, the rule of law, equal treatment, equal opportunity. And he routinely labels anyone who disagrees with him as not being in support of a free and equal society and wanting people to have special rights based on race or granting certain groups special privileges based on their ancestry etc…

It should be clear to anyone who is familiar with Seymour and his modus operandi that he cannot be taken seriously when he says this or makes these arguments. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether or not he even believes what he is saying himself, as the shit that comes out of his mouth is so unbelievable and preposterous.

The most recent case in point is an article in RNZ where he calls out Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi for his support of anti-imperialist West African leader Ibrahim Traoré.

Earlier this year, Waititi shared a video of Traoré on Instagram, along with a comment labelling the president his "modern day hero!".

"Tino Rangatira is not only a domestic commitment, it is an international determination. Our fight for political, economic, social and cultural independence and liberation is not a dream, it's a decision!" Waititi wrote.

Traoré has become somewhat of an international celebrity due to his unrelenting drive for his nation and Africa’s sovereignty and extraction from Western imperialism. Since seizing power in a military coup, a fact that all Western governments and media (RNZ included) are sure to highlight in their coverage of him, he has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people of his country. But to hear the Western media tell it, he is a corrupt communist leader who is just another authoritarian dictator cozying up to Russia that poses a threat to democracy in Africa.

The real motivations behind this slander are easy to see when you take a look at some of his moves since taking power. He has begun a concerted effort to nationalize many industries, to reinforce self-reliance and domestic production and growth, and to eliminate his country’s dependence on and exploitation by foreign actors. For example, he has set up a state-owned mining company and required foreign corporations to pay a 15% stake in local operations and to guarantee training and skill development to his people. His reforms are wildly popular, both within his country and across Africa. And it’s easy to see why.

Under Traoré’s leadership, the government of Burkina Faso is actively responding to the needs of the people in real time, clearly demonstrating its ability to effectively solve people’s problems… The government has also nationalized gold reserves valued at USD 80 million, established a domestic gold refinery, and increased public sector wages.

Under Traoré’s leadership, the government of Burkina Faso has initiated a bold effort toward self-reliance by launching an agricultural offensive. This has significantly increased agricultural production and led to a consistent GDP growth of 4-6%. These radical measures have not only boosted the economy but also instilled confidence that the material needs of the Burkinabé people are being met. In March of this year, Burkina Faso inaugurated the first state-owned Faso Kosam-branded dairy factory, followed by more openings and further plans for increased domestic dairy production.

Of course, the self-determination of African people and their ability to develop their industry and flourish outside of the confines of dependence on the West is rightly viewed as a threat to the hegemony of US and Western imperial powers and their capitalist interest. Nationalization of industry and keeping the proceeds from it within the country poses a problem for multinational corporations who have been extracting resources from Africa and funneling the profits offshore for generations. What if Africans were able to keep and manage their own resources? No wonder the media has slandered Traoré. No wonder there have been multiple assassination and coup attempts against him. If this little African upstart can beat Western imperialism, what’s to stop others from doing so?

So it makes sense that Waititi, who is co-leader of a party that represents a colonized people who have born and continue to bear the brunt of Western imperialism, with its racism against, exploitation, and expropriation of Māori lives, livelihoods, and resources, would champion and cheer on Traoré. He represents in a very real way the same colonial struggle that Waititi is engaged in.

Seymour, never missing an opportunity to be publicly incensed in an opportunistic way that reveals his ignorance, was publicly incensed in an opportunistic way that revealed his ignorance

The post provoked the ire of the ACT Party's leader, who cited it as evidence of Te Pāti Māori's "insane views".

"Rawiri Waititi once said he's not a fan of democracy. We need to take him seriously," a spokesperson for Seymour said in a statement.

"His hero is a Marxist dictator who has delayed elections and banned homosexuality... [Te Pāti Māori is] not in Parliament to uphold democracy, but wreck it."

Actually the statement was not made explicitly by Seymour, but apparently by ACT MP Simon Court, who most recently made an ass out of himself by coming out against the Dunedin City Council’s vote in favour of writing a letter to Christopher Luxon encouraging him to support the Green’s bill for sanctions on Israel. Court claimed that the DCC had made a pathetic attempt to solve Israel/Palestine, perhaps unaware that voting in support of suggesting that the government actually do something about the ongoing genocide isn’t really trying to “fix” anything, but instead just showing a bit of moral courage and rectitude, something he clearly does not possess.

Don’t worry though, when it comes time to bludgeon Waititi suddenly Court (and by extension ACT and Seymour) are all about championing the moral cause of the poor African civilians suffering under the tyranny of authoritarianism. Taking this position while your party has engaged in some of the most anti-democratic and harmful legislative and political practices in a generation is simply rich. And claiming to be the herald and standard-bearer of democracy while your party, who let’s not forget got only 8% of the vote, rams through hugely unpopular laws targeting the most vulnerable of New Zealanders without public support or consultation, stripping back workers rights and ending pay equity for over 100,000 people, cutting healthcare to the bone, advocating for widescale privatization, opening up Aotearoa to foreign investment which in reality means laying out the red carpet for corporate exploitation, inflaming racial animosity to provide cover for an explicitly corporate agenda, cutting funding for public journalism, and publicly demeaning and calling out people who disagree with your policy agenda is too hypocritical to be born. I’m sorry, but Fuck Right Off.

To be clear, the stance and laws on homosexuality in Burkina Faso and many other African countries is regressive and harmful and causes suffering. But to hold this up as if it’s the main thing that Traoré’s government has done is disingenuous and dishonest. As if the first thing that he did when he took power was begin a program of corruption, discrimination, and repression. He has been laser-focused on anti-imperialism, which is the only way that he can effect real change for the people of his country. Yes, he has suspended elections and cracked down on oppositional media, but is this any surprise when Western “democracies” have been involved in several coup attempts and have a history of overthrowing governments, sowing propaganda, and fixing elections in the interest of their corporate overlords? Is this democracy when foreign governments will just interfere and fix your election so they can continue to extract and exploit with impunity? Or kill your leaders and set up a puppet regime? Traoré has seen what the West did to Gaddafi, Lumumba, Sankara, Allende, and scores of others. Is it any surprise he would crack down on Western propaganda and influence within his country?

What about the economic growth, something that Luxon and Seymour claim to be laser-focused on? Since Traoré took power, his country has experienced phenomenal growth of 4-6% GDP annually, gaining the notice and approbation of the IMF and World Bank. This is in contrast to New Zealand, who had a GDP growth of -1.5% last year.

So where’s the praise for Traoré from the right wing? You’d think that ACT, Luxon, and the NZ Initiative would be fawning over him for his successful economic program. And let’s not kid ourselves in thinking that Luxon and Seymour would not feed our poor, disabled, Māori, and LGBTQ+ population into a woodchipper if they could get 4-6% growth in GDP out of it.

But of course they won’t offer any praise. Traoré represents everything they hate in the world. Someone who reveals their carefully-curated worldview for the lie it is. Someone who is fighting for his people and their livelihoods. Someone who has put himself in harm’s way to try to extract his country out of the imperialist deathgrip of the West. Is he a democratic leader? No. Is he materially improving the lives and livelihoods of his people? Without a doubt.

What’s more important? The facade of democracy as a front for moneyed interests? Or the actual well being of society? Seymour talks about democracy while shredding it at every opportunity. He decries those that propose a society free from the “freedom” of the market. A society that provides for all, rather than reinforces and strengthens the rule of the rich. He champions free speech, but then squeals about unfair treatment when he is called on his bullshit in Parliament. He is the worst kind of politician. Someone who does not say what he means. Someone who hides behind language. Someone who carries water for corporate and imperialist interests hoping earnestly that if he sucks up to them enough, they won’t cast him out. He will be less than a footnote in a long history of imperialist sycophants and boot-lickers. One of millions.

Traoré on the other hand, may be assassinated or deposed in a military coup any day. He may succumb to corruption. He may be bought out by corporate interests at some point. But for right now he’s giving something to his people that Seymour couldn’t dream of giving. Hope. I’ll take that over Seymour’s democracy any day.