Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dirty Politics

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  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    NZ’s sovereignty

    But that's a contestable construct, too, isn't it?
    "legal enough" is I believe the phrase du jour
    But there is still stage 2 to go...
    Early days yet.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Bradley Ambrose, the cameraman at the heart of the teapot tape fiasco, is suing John Key for $1.25 million for defamatory comments Key made about him on three occasions.

    It's unclear from the story which iteration -- Key the PM, Key the Head Nat, or Key the sad clown -- is being sued.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Can someone be sued under multiple hats?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Yes. It's titfer tat.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Mandy Hager sends Patrick Gower and most of the media to the sin bin for their lack of action over #dirtypolitics.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    Mandy Hager sends Patrick Gower and most of the media to the sin bin for their lack of action over #dirtypolitics.

    Good. Every day I see yet again nothing happens about the revelations in Nicky Hager’s book. Who did Rawshark give what? Waiting,…. nothing, and as Mandy Hager notes, Gower twitter yawns. What a big effort he’s making there, so big, he exposes himself for what he stands for, absolutely nothing. I now find our media quite disgusting because of their efforts regarding the information in Nicky Hager’s book. It is quite pathetic. I’m still enjoying some blogs tho’ . We get some truths around here eh? Would be good to see a Journalist join forces with a Blogger and see if it could be put to good use rather than the slime regurgitated so successfully through Slater and those (like Jared Savage and other Herald writers) exposed in Dirty Politics. I am however truly amazed that the public are swayed to just not care. Seems too bizarre to me to not want truth in ones life. Seems doubly bizarre that NZ doesn’t do outrage when our democracy is eroding on a daily basis. What’s todays? Oh there it is, Terrorists are under the bed
    At least David Fisher tries He seems alone. Kudos for his effort.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Gower is being an unrepentant goading twat on Twitter right now. Guy's a disgrace.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Attachment

    There. I fixed it.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    What a big effort he’s making there, so big, he exposes himself for what he stands for, absolutely nothing.

    He could be likened to an opportunistic (and attention-seeking) arms dealer who sells weapons to both sides of the same war for fun & profit. If he was in Britain, he'd probably fit right into the late unlamented News of the World.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Attachment

    This is not really the right place for this subject, but there's a TPPA poll on the Harold showing an overwhelming majority of kiwis do not want this agreement.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Incidentally, this article by Geoffrey Wheatcroft discusses something I've thought about for a while - the narrative of WW1 being an exceptional "bad war" while WW2 and, by extension, the various colonial conflicts of modern times are seen as "good wars".

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

  • Brent Jackson,

    As I heard on the radio this morning : "War - what is it good for ? Absolutely nothing !"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Alfie,

    TPPA ... an overwhelming majority of kiwis do not want this agreement.

    Uncle John knows what's best for us ...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Uncle John knows what's best for us ...

    In fact, the TPPA is so damn good that he won't even tell us what we're being signed up to. Good old uncle Johnny... keeping all of the best surprises until later.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Katharine Moody, in reply to Alfie,

    There. I fixed it.

    Love it.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2014 • 798 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    She doesn't hold back does she?

    "Meanwhile, we’re left feeling like Chicken Licken, trying to warn that the sky is falling down while everyone else is so busy trying to feather their own nests that they don’t give a damn."

    Yep, or like Cassandra before the fall of Troy.

    I confess to having only just recently read Dirty Politics.(we had to wait till the price came down a bit....sorry Nicky)....BUT I did re-read The Hollow Men as a warm up excercise. Had BOTH books on the go as scrotes who should never have survived the first book kept popping up (like stinking zombies) in the second.

    Had a visit from a 'friend' the other day...a staunch Key fan...He spotted the Book in a pile on the table and went off his nut at us for having such 'shit' in the house.

    "I've got nothing against Nicky Hager" he said, "he's a good writer, and he did a brilliant number on Helen Clarke....."

    He went on to say how Key has got the country back into surplus (?!?), and how well he comes across on morning telly.

    And really....thats all that matters....

    I may just take to drink.

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    She has also written this great piece for the Standard about the new generation. http://thestandard.org.nz/this-is-not-business-as-usual-this-is-not-some-hippy-over-reaction-this-is-serious-shit/

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald,

    And thats what it is all about.

    Our children doing better than us.

    There is something unnatural and obscene about the following generations having to struggle harder for fewer (if any ) gains, while the ancestors do so well.

    To me, its akin to your children pre- deceasing you.

    God forbid.

    We need to sort this shit out.

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Here's a weird but topical take on name suppression. A Palmerston North man accused of possessing objectionable material was granted name suppression on the grounds that he might be targeted by Cameron Slater. Others will no doubt use these grounds in the future.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    the rise and rise of Arnold Rimmer*...
    Stuff conducts an education quiz with ACT's one man band...

    RESULT: Our pupil has scraped in with a C, scoring 5 out of 10. While he claimed many questions had nothing to do with him - "you're asking me about another party's policy, outside of my delegation" - it's fair to say the party leader should do his homework. "Could do better" springs to mind.

    Ummm David, that 'other party' is the one you got into bed with, which runs the Ministry you are a parliamentary under-secretary of...

    *I can't wait for his new comedy series Blue Dwarf

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Excellent post by Giovanni on media criticism of the critics of unethical behaviour http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/tending-fascist.html

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald,

    Hooten using words like "hissing" and "poisonous".....is it just me, or is he trying to evoke images of a sneaky snake, slithering through an otherwise Eutopian paradise (a Godzone, if you like), on a mission to turn more of us over to the Dark Side?

    Hoots, mate, buddy old pal.....we don't need the likes of Nicky and Giovanni and Mandy to 'turn' us....we are already there.

    Its just that SOME people seem particularly able to put what the rest of us are thinking and feeling into coherent form.

    Thanks.

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,

    Yup, that's the trick with dirty politics. Project all of your own properties as a political operator onto someone else. The fact that it would be hard to find two more different people than Hooton and Tiso shouldn't mean that people can't end up seeing them as some kind of continuum. Both of them, after all, contributed to Willie and JT going off air. That Gio did it by the simple method of eloquently telling advertisers what had actually happened on their dime, and Hooton did it by getting juiced and ranting incoherently at them on air until he got thrown out of the premises shouldn't mean that they're not fundamentally the same kind of fish, now, should it?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    If you're wondering why so many people voted for the party which excels at match-fixing in our last election, this study from Brock University in Ontario may provide some solice. They analysed some major UK studies which compared childhood intelligence with political views in adulthood across more than 15,000 people. The Daily Mail summarises.

    Crucially, people's educational level is not what determines whether they are racist or not - it's innate intelligence, according to the academics.

    Social status also appears to play no part.

    The study, published in Psychological Science, claims that right-wing ideology forms a 'pathway' for people with low reasoning ability to become prejudiced against groups such as other races and gay people.

    The authors claim that there is a strong correlation between low intelligence both as a child and an adult, and right-wing politics.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Dotcom tells Herald he's ready to quit NZ cos we no longer like him enough.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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