Idiosyncratic freedom

Press, 5 December 1981, Page 16

Idiosyncratic freedom

The New Zealand Way. By V. F. Wilkinson. K W. Publishing, Christchurch, 1981. 254 pp. $14.95.

(Reviewed by

Ken Strongman)

Complete freedom of statement and expression is rare. It is sometimes the fortunate lot of the highly successful writer, or, as in the case of “The New Zealand Way,” of the writer who has the means necessary to publish his own work. So this book is untrammeled by much in the way of convention, except, that is, for the ideas which it promulgates. These are conventional in the extreme. V. F. Wilkinson has allowed himself the indulgence of spraying his ideas and thoughts on to paper. In a style both authoritative and authoritarian, he has provided us with some of his accumulated wisdom on a wide variety of topics. Many aspects of our changing society come under his Cyclopean gaze — education (of course), the professions, women, porn, Maoris, the media, farming, rugby, sport, the tour, politics, and so on. They appear in no special order, and with no obvious links between them.

Naturally, one would expect a book such as this to be idiosyncratic; it is. It is also interesting at times, and at others staggeringly naive. There are moments of inaccuracy and others at which opinions are stated with the blasting force of facts. There are generalisations of amazing breadth and there are prejudices wrapped up in apparently logical argument. All of which may well appeal to some readers. It is a matter of whether or not their biases happen to coincide with V. F. Wilkinson’s. Women who have any concern for their blood-pressure should perhaps avoid dipping into “The New Zealand Way”. The author’s blinkers have made him miss seeing the point of women's rights. He feels, for example, that “Women now have ample leisure to use their talents.” I know the odd one or two who might dispute that. He also states that single parents are more likely than doubles to have delinquent children. A common enough belief for which as yet there is little evidence.

It is not just women and family life which are attended to with the prickly force of a yard broom. Today’s newspapers are seemingly becoming ever more inaccurate and are debasing our taste. Intelligent people are apparently

less likely to be influenced by televised violence than are the less intelligent. Superficial manners change almost as often as fashion in clothes. So it goes on; statements of opinion with little concern to establish their validity. My favourite is: “The smaller the person, the more ambitious he is likely to be, the more anxious to compensate by dominating his bigger contemporaries.” Where are all those dwarfs who should be now be running the world, the gnomes of Zurich apart, of course? “The New Zealand Way” is innocuous enough and its final chapters contain some straightforwardly sensible ideas for the future. Naturally, it is mainly a question of “think small.” Doubtless, in that way we will dominate in world affairs. But, if you buy the book be prepared for irritation, frustration and even a quiet fume. On the other hand, perhaps you will agree with everything he says.