Hide-Shaw bromance over

Rodney Hide writes:

I’ve fallen out of love with Green co-leader Jamie Shaw. It didn’t take long. Our political honeymoon lasted less than a day.

He declared “free market capitalism dead”. I get that he doesn’t like free markets. He’s a Green. He’s a politician. He wants to boss us around. People being free to choose is anathema to him.

But to declare the free market dead? What is he saying? That no one now supports free markets? That’s not true. There’s me.

Or is he saying that there are no free markets? Has he never been on TradeMe, shopped in a supermarket or been to a food hall?

Free market capitalism is rampant and everything that we need is produced by it: food, shelter, internet and smartphones.

Countries previously starving have grown rich in a generation through free market capitalism.

We have more free trade than ever. There’s more private property. Profit and loss rules and consumers are king. Politicians and bureaucrats are increasingly marginalised. They don’t have the power and control they once had.

They don’t like it but that doesn’t make the free market dead. It’s alive and well and feeding the world.

It’s a line that may go down a treat with Green Party faithful but it shows they have another leader too shallow and too lazy to think and debate.

Rodney is correct that the free market is far from dead. Every day we buy, sell and trade.

Then I learned he doesn’t have a driver’s licence. Being driven around by others doesn’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Imagine the conversation.

“I don’t drive. I’m saving the planet. But could you pick me up around eight?”

Heh.