Hard News by Russell Brown

Laura's fascinating guest post for PA, Things I Have Learned Running Rock Enrol, has been helping shape my thinking.

David Slack is not at all happy with the name of this event.

Is NZ such a small place that we need to have lightweight selfish stirrers with a stated philosphy of "low taxes" and "tough on welfare" as public commentators?

Perhaps it's a mistaken striving for "balance", instead of truth? A crime many journalists are inculcated in.

Here's an example of the poor fellow unable to keep his mouth shut:

Any chance of this discussion being streamed live for those of us who can't make it to Auckland? Cheers.

Or recorded for later online access for those of us who cannot be available at that time?

There's an archive here, although it appears that 2014 episodes are a bit spotty: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/smarttalk/library

Hooton. Really? Why does this man continue to get a platform as though he were a legit commentator? Was the Mouth of Sauron unavailable?

Thanks Rowan, that's worth knowing about.

Hooton. Really? Why does this man continue to get a platform as though he were a legit commentator? Was the Mouth of Sauron unavailable?

There's an art knowing when to give the guilty parties enough rope to tie themselves up.

Hooton. Really? Why does this man continue to get a platform as though he were a legit commentator? Was the Mouth of Sauron unavailable?

Because I see a place for Matthew in the discussion, and it will make the discussion more interesting.

As far as I'm concerned his place in public discussion is mouthing soundlessly and unheeded in a Hooton sized terrarium - nothing too inhumane, the Koru lounge would do.

They seemed to be playing on a Sunday afternoon on Radio NZ. I heard the Jesse Mulligan one last Sunday about 4 pm.

As far as I’m concerned his place in public discussion is mouthing soundlessly and unheeded in a Hooton sized terrarium – nothing too inhumane, the Koru lounge would do.

Well, that's nice. I'm not sure you'd find either pleasure or instruction in any discussion on any subject made up only of people whose views I happen to find congenial.

that Oakeshott chap seems interesting

You think its about his views?

This is what we are FACING now, and while this event of "Slactivism" may be worth exploring, and is deserved to be discussed, we have a MUCH greater challenge ahead now, much greater than any damned past challenges. "Slack" is the attitude of most people out there, most in public, not even voting anymore. We have heaps more of people disconnect altogether, and not even thinking our society is worth living in, or at least defending.

We have sadly some radicals from various countries, including NZ join radical groups, including ISIS, there are reasons for this. Too many people seem to be totally disillusioned, many are now sectarian and divided, one may cynically say, welcome to multicultural NZ, we have the same challenge as Europe, believe it or not.

Here is some stuff of the net, which again shows how much “appeal” ISIS gets from all sorts, that is the challenge, not some bit of socialite crap about texting and facebooking:

I cannot attend to this announced great discussion, I really would like to, but I fear the meeting will be more of the converted preaching to the converted, and nothing much will be achieved or resolved.

So think about all this stuff, it is dead serious, many young people have no trust, hope and go astray, and we can see where this is going. We have a huge challenge to not only defend civilised, democratic and free society, also civilty and unity.

I hope that will somehow be part of the discussion. Pushing text or online message buttons is easy, standing up for real, that is different, and the TPPA protests showed again, showing force on the street is more convincing and effective than "signing" online petiitions. Kia kaha, take care and best of luck!

I have strongly opposed John Key on most of his policies, but on this one, I do not fully support him as I oppose the domestic intelligence expansion plans, but he may be right with at least offering a symbolic gesture, to the US, to oppose the above.

We are indeed facing a serious challenge, which free societies have not faced since the age of fascism, and what I see and hear is much worse than what Hitler ever proposed or preached or even committed.

Perhaps it is time to consider, what is going on, and where we need to go? NO to the 48 hour free surveillance by the SIS, but perhaps some further strengthening of their powers, and I still feel uneasy about the NSA cooperation, while I write this.

showing force on the street is more convincing and effective than “signing” online petiitions

Somewhat tired of this old chestnut. There is nothing more real about a street than an online community.

Well, that was really good. Thanks to everyone involved, and in particular to my Museum contact, Dina Jezdic.

Somewhat tired of this old chestnut. There is nothing more real about a street than an online community.

You really should get out more often, there's stuff out in the streets, like trees an' shit, maybe even chestnut trees.
;-)

only one side of that 'argument' is making out there's only one option. The rest of us live in both without much effort.

It's true that if there's something to photograph, it's much more likely to get into the news than online activism alone is. For instance, the handful of women who chained themselves to the central police station railings were widely reported while the ActionStation petition on the same issue got much less attention. It's the nature of our current media.

The internet and modern day social media only offer additional channels of communication, but the communications and forums they offer are not necessarily unifying, or shared by large enough groups or individuals of similarly minded users and consumers, as some may presume. I know heaps of people spending endless times tweeting, texting and reading blogs online, also commenting there. Many use Facebook, Twitter and so forth, but as the last election showed once again, the very active discussions by some on many forums does not necessarily represent what the wider public talk and think about.

We have many maintain networks of friends and followers, from a few individuals to a few dozens, some up to hundreds and also thousands. I get many email messages from Greenpeace, some parties and various activist or lobby groups, but I increasingly get tired of reading them all, let alone sign every petition there now is. Some are worthy, yes essential to sign, I feel, but we have an inflation of messaging, leading to people tiring of these, and thus switching off in larger numbers, only focusing on stuff that may concern them personally and immediately.

On the other hand the mainstream media are still catering with news and so for most, and being better resourced (despite of competition and revenue pressures), the blogs there are cannot quite compete with the MSM. So we may get a fair amount of misinformation, bias and so forth from them, but the MSM (TV, radio and print, also online) is still somehow the dominant media, and also uses social media now.

We have many groups active online, but some seem to be living a political life focused on "specialised" topics and special issue areas. Some share goals, others less so, and we have some alienated people operating on the fringes of society, or beyond legality even, all facilitated by modern technology.

So my impression is, having both, online and social media activism - AND a firm, good presence in the streets, that is what works best. Too many though are contend with just doing their bit of pushing keys and buttons, and this is not very visible, may only reach certain numbers of people, and does not get taken note of enough by the MSM.

As we are made of flesh and blood, need to eat, drink and breathe, we are physical bodies, and face to face contact, out in the open, in meetings, on the street, or in halls, will always be somewhat more natural and impressive, than lots of series of endless images and words on screens, that will tire many, already sitting in front of screens in offices all day.

to get into the news

which is but one aspect of making change. like signing an online petition, not enough on its own.

Russian security, I do not want to know how they dealt to Chechens, who make up large numbers of "fighters" in Syria and Iraq, strangely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD9fi0naJZSAI&v=ax6BPJvYTZE

One of the reasons of ISIS' success is the failure and crimes committed by the Russians in Chechnia, in Afghanistan, and also the US thereabouts. They have created their own worst enemies, and now, they expect people to let them off the hook and get paid for fixing the crap they left behind.

Thank you, bastards!