For the people

Once again correspondent A P Oakley finds fault with my socialists beliefs and my observations regarding the political Right. Contrary to Oakley, I do not hate the rich, in fact as an active pacifist I have eliminated the word hate from my vocabulary. However, I must wonder why it is that some working people have three or four jobs yet are paid a a minimum wage while money shufflers like John Key can make a fortune-plus putting people out of work by buying and selling money.

A P Oakley uses the word ‘‘socialist’’ in a derogative manner. This shows a remarkable ignorance of political history.

May I remind him that it was Michael Joseph Savage’s socialist government that brought NZ out of the Great Depression. Ten years later it was Clem Attlee’s socialist government that gave Britain its wonderful social welfare scheme with its free medical care. Roosevelt’s ‘‘new deal’’ was another socialist scheme that brought the US away from mass unemployment. The Scandinavian countries are an excellent example of how democratic socialism works. The Government NZ has today more Social Democratic than Socialist but that suits me.

This present government is working very well, it’s a truly MMP government. Say goodbye to National and say hello to a government for the people.

T John Marshall Cambridge