NZ Bloggers Union

A blog for the NZ Bloggers Union has been launched. The Union is compulsory, just like student associations. They explain:

If you are reading this and are a blogger based in or from New Zealand, then you are automatically a member. No matter your political persuasion, you are all members and we will be YOUR voice for Election 2008 and we will be YOUR voice for any other issue that takes our fancy. There is an objection clause if you choose to not take up membership but you will need to apply to the NZBU HQ and we will decide each case by merit – but who would want to leave when you will have a collective voice against the evil forces during election time.

Now they have reasons for their compulsion:

1) We need to be compulsory so that we represent every blogger. If we were fragmented we could not claim to represent all bloggers and would lose our voice!

2) It needs to be compulsory because we provide services to our members and cannot have freeloaders.

3) Paying levies is just like paying taxation. We provide services just like a government does. You cannot opt out of paying tax just like you cannot opt out of paying levies.

4) If membership was voluntary, nobody will join and everybody will lose out.

5) The vibrant blogging community would die out if we didn’t have a compulsory bloggers union.

Those arguments sound very familiar.

The NZBU will speak for and on behalf of bloggers like Jordan Carter, Tony Milne, The Standard, Robinsod, 08wire, No Right Turn, Jafapete, Sonic, Frog Blog, Public Address as well as other bloggers from all political persuasions.

That’s very good of them to agree to be represented by the Bloggers Union. Oh wait they had no choice. Just like all those students forced to join their student union.