By Dieuwe de Boer

I've long said that New Zealand could be fixed by one rogue billionaire and a dozen men. A handful of millionaires working together could manage it too. The 9% stake that Jim Grenon bought in NZME to initiate a hostile takeover against the board is a small glimpse into that possible future.

True reform in New Zealand is possible, but I identify three key blockers. Unimaginative politicians. Hostile progressive mainstream media. Hostile progressive bureaucracy.

The “long march through the institutions” has long been commented on by conservative intellectuals. The postwar commitment to liberal values opened the door to this slow progressive takeover. In the interests of free speech and enlightenment there was little to stop them. Once they had control, the subversion could proceed at an increased pace. Progress, equality, inclusion, tolerance. Every institution fell to the propaganda, from academia to the media and the bureaucracy.

How do you lead a counter-revolution against this? The revolutionaries faced only passive resistance. A counter-revolution would face active resistance as the progressives do not have the commitment to free speech their predecessors had. The only model that works is a “quick march through the institutions” — a blitzkrieg if you will. DOGE is a prime example of this in action. Chris Rufo is likewise a good example with respect to moving quickly against the universities in Florida, a project that spans years rather than decades.

We had the opportunity to do that in New Zealand with the Waitangi Tribunal, had legislation to reform it been prioritised with right-wing appointments the whole institution could be turned quickly. However with Richard Prebble's scathing resignation this week it's clear that nothing of note is going to happen under National. Even if the coalition agreement is followed through on, it's too little too late for this term.

Politicians with imagination are a work in progress. We do have them, but they are few in number and mostly without power.

The bureaucracy continues its relentless assaults on our culture and people through DEI, transexualism, and decolonisation. The replacement of Crown Entity boards with actual New Zealanders who love their country is either slow or not happening at all.

State media could be reformed, but it continues to pump out anti-coalition propaganda. Much of privately owned media is dependent on government funding. They're not good targets for private reform. NZME however is the most financially viable vehicle for a takeover and that's why it seems to have been selected for fixing.

I don't imagine the changes made to be huge, but they could be. Rupert Murdoch's FOX News was a game changer for the USA in the 1990s. A decision that had ripple effects leading all the way to Trump 2.0. Most people are not ideological. They simply believe what society expects them to believe. What the TV, newspaper, entertainment, and so on tell them to believe is what they believe. You can't fix the voters, but you can fix the propaganda they consume. Through that you can fix the nation.

A rogue billionaire, a nationalist party, and a few dozen patriotic public servants could save this country in 3-6 years. The majority would back them and get their country back.