Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dirty Politics

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  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    The footnotes are always broken. And if your finger slips onto a footnote, you get warped to the end of the chapter with no way back. And diagrams and tables (probably few in Hager's book) are unreadable.

    I recommend the paper versions.

    (and it's quite interesting that paper books have become sought after schwag given out at talks on esoteric tech stuff like graph databases and parallelism).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    The chapter links in my kindle version don't work, which makes it hard to jump around within the text. But that being said, knowing a little bit about how publication works, it's a good thing that it's available at all so soon after the paper version is out. There's lots of tinkering to do between final copy and e-publication, and indexing it properly takes a reasonable second place to making it available quickly.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Aston, in reply to Sacha,

    Handy list of the ways the Nats will try to spin their way out of trouble:
    http://shinbonestar.org/2014/08/13/hooked/ </q>

    Thanks Sacha very handy , we need a good online manual on the techniques of spin just to help us filter the stuff coming at us.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    Rachel Smalley:

    Crisis management 101
    Friday, 15 August 2014

    As far as book launches go, the publishers of Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics book have made a bit of a meal of it I think.

    For a start, they launched it late on a Wednesday. That left much of the media scrambling and made it almost impossible to comprehensibly analyse.

    Another frustration? The book was launched in Wellington. Media who weren't there couldn't get their hands on a book. I searched book stores in west Auckland yesterday but it was sold out. So I'm relying on excerpts of the book being emailed to me.

    The rest, if you can see through your tears of laughter:

    http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/shows/earlyedition/highlights/rachel-smalley-15aug2014

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    Tune the Kindle for book updates: I guess it's a rush format job and they'll fix and update.

    Mildly irritating but e readers are rubbish for visuals so I don't get the books for anything other than text.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood, in reply to Dominic Muir,

    “Cathy Odgers is a lawyer. She wrote an attack post about it for the Whale Oil blog and sent the following e-mail to David Farrar, Cameron Slater and Matthew Hooton. To Farrar, Slater, Hooton: Make sure when Cam finds it that you subtly repost where Hager lives. I’ve done a post for Saturday on whale blog as can’t run myself as too close to work. The leaks he is involved with include tens of thousands of rich Chinese. Mainland and HK. It would be a disaster if they all knew where he lived. He may even need police protection. I’ve spent all day telling clients it is not our company but have asked a few how they would react if they knew a bit about the people publishing the material. I was delighted to assist with the full details for Mr Hager. Those Chinese can be very vicious when they lose face. Hiding money from wife for concubines and having their family trust deed leaked online with beneficiaries for example makes for very unhappy billionaires. Many trusts are not tax driven at all in Cooks they are cock driven. Chop chop for Nicky. Shame Russians don’t seem affected but our Chinese friends need a helping hand.”

    Okay, now I'm genuinely deeply shocked -- this is awful. What sort of a person would do something like that? The person who wrote that message can only be described as evil.

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Sacha,

    These guys have somehow lost any sense of right or wrong their parents managed to teach them.

    I think the fact of the matter is that their parents taught them little, nannies, prep and the best schools do that for you with little effort on the part of the parent and they teach you that you are not part of the underclass. One of John Key's first speeches as PM included an observation that NZ has a growing underclass, something he denies now, most thought at the time that he meant this was a bad thing and he would fix it, how wrong we were, the bigger the underclass the more you can exploit it.
    Hager's book reveals little more than many of us suspected and the dismissive denials from the perps are as expected from those who feel entitled to rule, how dare you even speak their names, you underclasser you....

    I suppose one good thing will come out of this. In all the denial they are thanking their lucky stars that none of the SIS/GCSB stuff from Edwards has come out. I wonder why, could it be that .com has been left the honour by Hager? if so then some of the raft of denial over the book may clash with new revelations closer to the election, then, like adding detergent to dirty water, the scum will sink to the bottom of the bowl and we can finally flush them away.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to David Haywood,

    What sort of a person would do something like that? The person who wrote that message can only be described as evil.

    The kind of person who associates with people who are comfortable with New Zealand citizens being killed, in foreign countries, as 'collateral damage' during an explosive 'prosecution' by the US, of individuals suspected of 'terrorist' activity...

    That kind of person.

    They are legion...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to David Haywood,

    The person who wrote that message can only be described as evil.

    Have you watched House of Cards? As this plays out Iam horribly reminded of just how engaged the central characters in HoC is, you almost find yourself liking them ... and then you remember that they are happy to kill and destroy people to achieve their goals. That at least is fiction.

    But it describes evil, the willingness to do harm to other humans simply to increase your power or wealth. That is what Hager's book has shown to be a part of NZ politics.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott, in reply to Alfie,

    but for the love of all manner of things, don't read the comments. some people...sheesh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Unbelievable! I see the Herald has added this line to several posts.

    "FORUM EDITOR'S NOTE: This piece is satire. He is not defending the National Party."

    Given the apparent IQ of some of their audience, maybe the Herald need to put the word "Satire" at the top of the post - in flashing red, 60 point comic sans.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Alfie,

    Unbelievable! I see the Herald has added this line to several posts.

    Indeed, had to comment myself on that. The fact that some commentators take this seriously speaks volumes. Makes me think that if John Key raised a finger and said "Sit" half the country would do just that and have their tongues hanging out for a pat on the head.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    * Edwards. Sorry, I meant Edward Snowden, of course.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to David Haywood,

    I'm wondering about a complaint to the Law Society and/or her law firm (which seems to be pretty dodgy - Lichtenstein address) if not a criminal complaint?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    David Farrar has now basically acknowledged to me that a call centre worker probably took home the two scripts and gave them to Hager.

    This whole "hacked or spied on" thing is disingenuous bullshit. But, of course, more than enough to bamboozle a newspaper journalist. Fucksake.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Does anyone seriously think Cathy Odgers knows people in HK who'd actually seriously pose any threat to a New Zealander's safety? If she is in fact in deep with the kind of international crime figures, they'd hardly need to be told where Hager lives. It's delusional, fantasyland stuff, and I think quite revealing about what these guys wish politics was like: an aggressive, thuggish, macho discipline where bystanders get fucked up just because.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Aston, in reply to Sacha,

    Handy list of the ways the Nats will try to spin their way out of trouble:
    http://shinbonestar.org/2014/08/13/hooked/</q>

    Thanks Sacha very handy , we need a good online manual on the techniques of spin just to help us filter the stuff coming at us.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    Does anyone seriously think Cathy Odgers knows people in HK who’d actually seriously pose any threat to a New Zealander’s safety?

    Based on the email quoted in this thread? No. Methinks she doth protest far too much. It definitely smells like fantasyland empty boasting.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    And, in fact the footnotes for the Farrar chapter explain this: they say Hager’s source was “an employee”.

    Farrar would much prefer the faux outrage of shouting "hacker" and "theft" than than admit that people don't like his work.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • mpledger, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    when Alfie said this
    Alfie> Unbelievable! I see the Herald has added this line to several posts.
    “FORUM EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece is satire. He is not defending the National Party.”

    SB> Indeed, had to comment myself on that. The fact that some commentators take this seriously speaks volumes.

    It just shows that the media space has been so corrupted that people can’t recognise satire. They just recognise it as normal Nat speak.

    Since Oct 2012 • 97 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    (and it’s quite interesting that paper books have become sought after schwag given out at talks on esoteric tech stuff like graph databases and parallelism)

    It's because they look good on bookshelves - "See? I went to all these conferences!"

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • mpledger,

    I think the Herald missed the satire as well....

    ~~~~~
    Finally someone who has written something worth reading about this silly little man and his silly little book. Necky Hogget (I think that's right) is an attention seeker, a man who would string any two statements together to make a conspiracy. The real injustice is that this man gets so much air time when he chooses to shock the world with his waffle. Time to move on and let reality settle back over us.


    FORUM EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is satire. He is not supporting the National Party.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Since Oct 2012 • 97 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Aston,

    While I am shocked at the level of manipulation exposed here I am preparing my tender sensibilities for the greater shock to come. That even this book will make bugger all difference to the election outcome. How many voters will buy the “nothing to see here, the bad guys are over there” line? Heaps I reckon.

    I heard a great line in Ireland once during an election, “Politicians they are all a shower of shite” . Ironically this line may confirm to our many non voters, its just a waste of time.

    Will the spin doctors win?

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • Northshoreguynz,

    @Richard. Which is one of their avowed aims. Drive down the vote%. The lower the vote the more likely a right wing win.

    New Zealand • Since Aug 2014 • 16 posts Report Reply

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