This is edition 2025/158 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. The path to the balkanisation of New Zealand
Ani O'Brien
- ⚖️ Mana over Money: Eru Kapa-Kingi argues against Treaty settlements, calling them a "money game" trading cash for sovereignty, pushing for Māori authority over land and governance, outside Crown control.
- 🇳🇿 Push for Separation: The article is a manifesto for Māori sovereignty, advocating for separate systems of governance and justice, ultimately pushing toward secession, not just co-governance.
- 🎓 Toitū Te Tiriti’s Influence: Kapa-Kingi is tied to the Toitū Te Tiriti movement, which seeks to dismantle Crown authority and create Māori self-governance, influenced by Te Pāti Māori.
- 🔄 Inside-Outside Strategy: The movement combines political and activist pressure, echoing radical demands in Parliament and increasing demands for sovereignty.
- 📜 Historical Parallels: The strategy mirrors Sinn Féin and the IRA's model during The Troubles, combining political negotiation with destabilizing actions outside Parliament.
- 💥 Balkanisation Risk: The push for separate governance could lead to New Zealand’s fragmentation, with hapū-controlled jurisdictions and a divided society, similar to the historical Balkanisation that led to instability.
- 🇨🇦 Quebec's Example: Quebec's quest for autonomy within Canada serves as a cautionary tale of "soft" balkanisation, creating permanent divisions and resentment without full secession.
- 🏛️ Constitutional Crisis: The rise of semi-autonomous Māori jurisdictions threatens national unity, leading to perpetual political instability and undermining a unified legal system.
- 📉 Media's Role: Mainstream media's failure to critically report on Māori sovereignty activism and its framing of these ideas as normal undermines informed public debate and risks enabling constitutional change without proper scrutiny.
- ⚔️ Dangers of Separatism: If radical sovereignty demands continue unchecked, New Zealand risks becoming a nation in permanent negotiation, losing its ability to function as one united state.
