Everyone moaning about the flag choices took part in the consultation, the meetings , the online discussions expressing the view that they did not want Ferns, Stars, or Korus in the design. No ? Thought not.
You see being a participant in a democracy is more than just turning up to vote.
People love democracy, but only of it gives them the result they want.
40 flags on the initial shortlist and we've effectively ended up with 2 choices from 40 made completely by committee (i.e. decided by John Key's preference). If they are determined to do this right, it needs to be done carefully not as some popularity contest mixed in with a McDonalds coloring competition.
1. Referendum to see if the majority want a flag change (a) now (b) later (c) never
2. If now, then move to step 3, if later or never then process ends.
3. Professional designers are commissioned to design a new flag - the commissioned designers should have access to any resource needed for research including NZ historians, experts in Te Reo etc.
4. Shortlist is then created by diverse public polling to 3 choices.
5. Referendum held, new flag chosen, job done.
That there is the single biggest load of horse shark I have ever read on this forum next to some of Doloros and NUFCs ramblings.
How can you ask people to change if they have no idea what to change to? They will always choose 'no change' because if they have no idea what they are changing to, then they will always always always say no.
I'm going to take away your car and give you something else. What are you going to say?
I'm going to put in a new structure in your job. Keen?
People resist change. Its an absolute fact.
So instead waste a bunch of time, effort and cash on something that's not going to happen anyway? If the desire was never really there for change, a bunch of pretty pictures isn't going to change the minds of the majority.
Democratic process. You can say the desire is not there for change after the polls bear out and show your position to be true. Until then, yours is just one opinion out of 4.5 million.
No need for calling personal character into the conversation and no, I don't follow America's Cup. Benefits the few, same real reason for the flag change. It's got nothing to do with national identity and everything to do with marketing and John's CV
For me, I think our current flag is identical to Australias and there is proven confusion around it. I like one of the ideas (black and blue) and find that symbolises more patriotism than the current flag. Thats my opinion and I have 1 vote like everyone else. Rather than concoct conspiracy theorys about it being all about John Key (and I've heard others that are just so ridiculous, that shares in tinfoil must be through the roof), take part in the deomcratic process and voice your right to say that all the other flags suck. That way, there is not a character assassination and if you are right, we'll still have the same flag in a years time
I'm calling out political motivation not personal character. As for our flag/Aussie flag is almost the same Ireland/Ivory Coast, Luxembourg/Netherlands seem to have their own identity without needing a pretty trinket to flash around. If people can't tell the difference, what does it matter? You've got a picture of Darth Vader, doesn't mean anyone thinks the force is strong with you.
Again, if you are right, the results will bear out. I tend to think that those people that live in their own vacuum (the Red Peak brigade) seem to think that cause they have 10000 people that say this is cool, then they have to be right. Again, the democratic process will bear through if you are right. Also if hate the *waste* of $26m, use your vote again in 2017 to vote in all the other sane thinking politicians who would never do anything ludicrous. Or should we scrap that democratic process too and go to a dictatorship....
Red Peak's at 35k on their petition. At least people are now involved. It took horendous and tacky choices to get people off their asses.
I'm not saying it would win, I'm just saying that it has enough support to warrant figuring out a way to include it. We don't need two variations of the same (IMHO dreadful) design, and hypno flag has negligible support.
The nations opinion is that this is a farce and to keep the current flag. At least there is some interest and debate now.
