This is edition 2025/66 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Chloe Swarbrick and her politics of desecration
Plain Sight
- 📜 French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre's insights on antisemitism from "Réflexions sur la question juive" (1946) remain chillingly relevant: "If the Jew did not exist, the antisemite would invent him."
- 🌍 Sartre's understanding applies to contemporary moral contortions, especially on the far Left, seeking a global super-villain to atone for privilege.
- 💬 Chloe Swarbrick, not Jewish, attended and promoted an anti-Zionist Passover Seder, donning provocative attire.
- 🕍 Swarbrick's presence lacked dialogue or humility, instead aiming for ideological statement and desecration.
- 🤝 Her actions oppose the majority of the Jewish community, exacerbating tensions after contentious remarks.
- 🚫 The event's political exploitation of a sacred ritual, despite dissenting Jewish presence, is viewed as sacrilegious.
- 🏛️ Passover symbolizes Jewish identity and resilience, making its politicization deeply offensive.
- 🔍 Swarbrick's role as a political leader magnifies the impact of her actions, flattening Jewish identity and narrative.
- 📢 Publicity of the event aimed to influence non-Jewish followers and potentially provoke Jewish observers.
- 🌐 Her actions align with Sartre's critique of bad faith and intimidation tactics against Jewish identity.
- 🇳🇿 The NZ Green Party's support for causes linked to Palestinian rights further complicates Swarbrick's stance.
- 📰 Media response and public discourse on Swarbrick's actions remain divisive, potentially exacerbating tensions.
- 🌿 Expectations for constructive engagement from the NZ Green Party on such issues are questioned, given past controversies.
