Kia ora,
Today, I write to you as the world explodes. Any doubt that Ukraine heralded the start of WWIII can be cast aside now. Unlike previous wars, the front lines are not clear. Just look at what has happened in the USA over the last few days: citizens going about their business and exercising their rights, Senators at press conferences, scholars in their area of expertise — all are under attack. This is a war that is both multi-national and intra-national. The fault line is ideological, and the fissure prised open and then widened by Putin’s disinformation project of the last 15 years.
It is tempting to feel safe as we witness the escalating horrors from the ‘safety’ of NZ. Lawlessness has loosed itself upon multiple lands. But it hasn’t come from nowhere. The overt lawlessness we are seeing began in the shadows, in subtle, hidden forms, just as lawless, yet easily overlooked and dismissed. That’s how it’s gained its confidence and power — each step unmet led to the next step.
Each time lawlessness is unmet we, as Snyder says in his excellent book On Tyranny, show power what it can do. If we fail to condemn the quiet forms of lawlessness, we are also condemning ourselves.
So, please, don’t be reasonable when you see those subtle forms of lawlessness. Don’t shrug your shoulders. Don’t say, Well, I guess what we got in the end is ok. Be as brave as you can be. Be someone who is not prepared to accept ends if the means are corrupt. Be a force that power has to reckon with, for every obstacle counts.
And if you are in any doubt about what I am referring to specifically, the education changes in NZ are one of the fronts where lawlessness has been unloosed. Sure, it’s been quiet and subtle, but, please, don’t mistake that for restraint on its part. Power is learning what it can do. So far, our response to it in NZ has helped it learn one thing — quite a lot. NZ educators, this is a battle you will not win with pedagogical arguments. It is a political one, and you are going to have to decide whether you’re on the side of democracy or autocracy. Yes, it’s that blunt.
ALERTS WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO
Well, almost anything can go in here today, but I want to draw your attention to a couple of subtle things. The big stuff is unmistakable.
First, I want you to pay attention to language. In NZ, we have had clear examples of how, as Gorazd Ordanoski & Fabio Angiolillo state in their excellent paper ‘Patterns of incumbents’ repression during autocratization’, elites and political leaders use rhetoric to dismiss and manipulate. This “toxic discourse” can exist in subtle ways, so don’t just look for loud, extreme examples, such as what we see from the Trumps and Orbans of this world. What are the recent NZ examples? They come from the top, from our Prime Minister who called climate scientists “worthies” this week, a piece of name-calling that dismisses their concerns, and Deputy Prime Minister who suggested bots drove “fake” submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill, an alarming claim that actively undermines a fundamental democratic process. Note how Seymour’s claim operates, purporting to uphold democratic principles, for who wants their democracy undermined by the influence of bots? But really, he’s subverting them, hollowing out the process.
Two small words, from two big men. Pay attention to them, for we are seeing the authoritarian’s playbook opened up in NZ. And, education, we taught it a little bit about what pages it could use.
Second, a recent piece from the University of Auckland reminds us that New Zealand, despite its strong democratic reputation, isn’t immune to subtle erosion. It highlights how seemingly small legislative changes, like the Fast-Track Approvals Bill and the Treaty Principles Bill, can create ambiguity around our core democratic standards. This is precisely the kind of incremental, quiet shift we need to be vigilant about — the slow turning of the democratic screw that can lead to significant erosion over time.
NEW REPORT OUT: DEMOCRATIC WHIMPER
Two weeks ago I sent my new report: ’Democratic Whimper: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Curriculum Reform’ to those who have supported me. They have given me permission to share it far and wide, because what it unearths is alarming.
This report isn’t just about curriculum; it’s about the very pulse of our democracy. In it, I refer to recently obtained OIA docs, briefings and reports to the Minister, and analysis of the December 2024 Select Committee hearing to expose how formal processes were undermined, how advice became direction, and how the critical democratic checks and balances were quietly bypassed during the education reform. I show how the Minister was aware. I show how the Ministry came to cooperate in this undermining of democracy. The insane thing is, all of it was hiding in plain sight. It just needed to be pieced together.
This is a deep dive into how democratic backsliding can happen even in stable democracies — not with tanks in the streets, but with tweaks to process and a sidestepping of accountability. It’s essential reading for anyone who cares about how decisions are made in our country.
Support My Research: Democracy Delivered
The work I do — uncovering these subtle shifts, writing detailed reports like ’Democratic Whimper’ and sounding the alarm — is vital. But it’s not possible without your backing.
If you believe, as I do, that democracy is a responsibility, then please consider supporting my research. Every contribution (and you can pay as much as you can) helps me continue this crucial work providing the evidence and analysis needed to help protect our democratic future.
DEMOCRACY WATCH
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.” — Cicero.
Make no mistake: when democratic foundations, principles, and processes are quietly ignored and subverted, that is power using a democratic façade to further its own ends. This attack from within means it robs anyone without power of their voice, a central tenent of democracy. The subtle erosion of norms, as seen in these education reforms, demands active vigilance and a commitment to defending democratic processes. We must remain connected and collectively resist the forces that seek to hollow out our institutions.
If you want to see where that ends up, look to Russia. If you don’t like what you see there, the time to act is now. Be as brave as you can be, but don’t be reasonable.
Bevan.
Democracy Begins In The Classroom 