If last week’s attempted political coup in New Zealand taught us anything, it’s that even political theatre can flop — loudly — while still revealing the simmering frustration underneath. The plot failed, the actors forgot their lines, but the dissatisfaction? Still centre stage.
Followers of world events won’t be shocked. Leadership dissatisfaction isn’t just rising — it’s spreading like a bad smell in a lift. Look beyond the Pacific into Europe and you’ll see the same pattern: leaders rotating, promises evaporating, trust collapsing.
And then there’s Larry the cat, Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street. Since taking office, Larry has served more UK Prime Ministers than most political commentators have had hot dinners. He is, by all appearances, the most stable political figure in Britain — a cat who has watched governments rise, fall, and trip over themselves, all while napping in the sun. If stability had whiskers, it would be Larry.
Australia, bless it, spent the pre‑Albanese years treating prime ministers like rental cars — use them for a bit, then trade them in. And even now, you can hear the gentle percussion of public doubt tapping away: the “Is Albanese actually up to the job?” drumbeat gets a little louder every day.
Why Everyone’s Grumpy
Strip away the drama and it comes down to one simple truth: People feel like leaders are no longer solving the problems that actually affect their daily lives.
Everything else — polarisation, anger, distrust, populism — flows from that fracture.
- Cost‑of‑living pain: When groceries, rent, fuel, and power bills rise faster than wages, speeches become background noise.
- Institutional fatigue: Governments look slow, bureaucratic, and self‑protective.
- Global crises unresolved: Immigration pressures, wars, climate shocks — leadership looks reactive, not visionary.
- Trust collapse: Scandals and political theatre hollow out confidence.
People aren’t just frustrated with policies — they’re frustrated with the widening gap between what leaders promise and what people experience.
And when discontent spreads, people start looking for alternatives. Some of those alternatives are harmless. Some are not.
A Warning From History
Think back to post‑depression Germany: a nation battered by economic collapse and social dislocation, desperate for certainty. Fascism didn’t rise because people wanted tyranny — it rose because people wanted order. That’s the warning. And that’s enough. We don’t need to repeat it further down.
Today, New Zealanders browse political options under MMP like a pick‑and‑mix at Woolworths in the sixties. In November, voters will choose from a buffet of candidates, parties, and philosophies.
Humanity has wanted leadership since Moses tried to organise a nation that couldn’t follow directions. But unlike the Israelites, modern voters expect leaders to be decisive — not to spend forty years lost in the political equivalent of a bush walk.
History warns us: fear and frustration can make societies receptive to decisive, even dangerous, promises of order and security.
The oft‑quoted line about “sending us such a man, be he god or devil” floats around prophecy circles, though historians find no primary source for it. Still, the idea captures a real temptation: desperate people can be seduced by the promise of a single, powerful leader.
Seventy years later, who among today’s global leadership fits that mould? Think carefully. The day draws nearer. The grooming is subtle.
The Grooming Continues
The attempted coup in New Zealand wasn’t unexpected. Media narratives over the past three years have rarely highlighted the coalition’s successes. Realistically, no government was going to fix a damaged country overnight.
But grooming continues — through media framing, global agendas, and cultural conditioning. Germany didn’t need Fascism, but it was groomed to accept it. Today, the world is being groomed again: by institutions, forums, and ideologies that subtly prepare people to accept a new leader.
The True Leader
As Christians, we must be alert. Paul warned of a time when people would be ready to accept a false saviour. That warning isn’t an invitation to paranoia — it’s a call to discernment.
The grooming is subtle, but our response is simple: Remain purposeful, faithful, and anchored in the one true King — Jesus Christ.
At the end of the day, the world will always have politicians. Some will rise, some will fall, some will be outlasted by a cat. But there is only one Leader worth seeking without reservation.
Until He returns: vote, speak, serve, pray — and refuse to trade liberty for the illusion of instant security.