Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Unreasonable people vote

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  • Ana Simkiss,

    If you haven't, read this - Matt Taibbi on the Tea Party

    Vast forests have already been sacrificed to the public debate about the Tea Party: what it is, what it means, where it's going. But after lengthy study of the phenomenon, I've concluded that the whole miserable narrative boils down to one stark fact: They're full of shit. All of them. At the voter level, the Tea Party is a movement that purports to be furious about government spending — only the reality is that the vast majority of its members are former Bush supporters who yawned through two terms of record deficits and spent the past two electoral cycles frothing not about spending but about John Kerry's medals and Barack Obama's Sixties associations. The average Tea Partier is sincerely against government spending — with the exception of the money spent on them.

    Freemans Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 141 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Yeh, there's more money and mass for the irrationals over there and they have their own designated tv channel, but there are similar strong conservative waves over here, i hear the most outrageous things about race,economics and welfare down here everyday.

    And the National Party always bring a mean spirirt to the state , at least the parts of the state poor folks have to use, welfare. The
    attitude from WINZ and IRD always gets nastier and more judgemental.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Sorry
    A Village in Texas is missing. It's an idiot.
    Nah jus' kiddiing.
    "A Village in Texas is missing its idiot."
    Happy now?

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    If I was an American Democrat I would be pretty annoyed that Hillary Clinton is at the bottom of the world shaking hands with a right wing Prime Minister, rather than using all her celebrity power to get the Democrat vote out at this crucial time.

    @Hillary: You do realise that Hillary Clinton resigned from the Senate to become Secretary of State? Perhaps Secretary Clinton should stick to the day job -- God knows she's got so many fences to rebuild she has a brilliant post-politics career as a carpenter to look forward to.

    America is fucked.

    Yeah, well not as deep dicked as we are if Winston Peters ends up holding the balance of power again.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    there are similar strong conservative waves over here, i hear the most outrageous things about race,economics and welfare down here everyday.

    You've been reading comments at Yahoo!, too, have you? Bloody depressing. I tried to put them right, I really did, but I got banned "for harassment". Go figure.

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    That is a true zombie-scenario-of-horror - Winston is baaaack! And holds a large gun to the foreheads of other democratically-elected parties! Arrrrgh!

    Trust it just never happens...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    You've been reading comments at Yahoo

    No, this is just people ya meet in the office and street, real time conversations. Mo Tucker is a political idiot, who would have thought, who knows what they look like.

    One minute your having a conversation about the rugby and then the evil of the state. We haven't got a union problem in this country, we have a streak of conservative do-nothings who scare the shit out of you when they start preaching their empathy-free hardcore
    "individualist-low taxes" views.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I couldn't get motivated by the rally to restore sanity.

    Your criticisms are sound. OTOH, at least it was a chance for 200,000 good-natured people to hang out.

    And The 100 Best Signs At The Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear is actually more interesting -- and funnier! -- than anything that was said on stage.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

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

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    I got banned "for harassment"

    Now that is funny. I hope you laughed, Petra. I put a comment on Deborah Coddington's Herald "articlette" where she banged on about, amongst other things, Robyn Malcolm's hair and her hand-waving. I thought it was a very mild comment along the lines of "Please let go of this nastiness before it affects your health" but hey! it was too much for the poor old Harold.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And when it comes to coyote ugly politics, the Americans have nothing on the Aussies:

    STATE Labor has stepped up its campaign against the surging Greens, targeting the party's candidate for Melbourne, prominent barrister Brian Walters, and seeking to smear him as anti-Semitic and an unscrupulous lawyer.

    Senior Labor figures including former Victorian secretary Stephen Newnham have contacted influential members of the Jewish community seeking to generate a political backlash against the Greens, and Mr Walters in particular.

    Ugly and desperate. I'm no fan of the Greens, but if the Victoria State government doesn't actually understand that defending an alleged Nazi war criminal doesn't make you a Nazi (or the basic principle that everyone accused of a crime is entitled to a defence) everyone should be very nervous indeed,

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    @Craig R: And speaking of nastiness in Oz, the Lindsay pamphlet incident takes the cake.

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

  • Angus Robertson,

    "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face, forever." - George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty Four

    Now singing Shihad "Factory" in my head. Thanks.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Deborah Coddington's Herald "articlette" where she banged on about, amongst other things, Robyn Malcolm's hair and her hand-waving

    There seems to be a reinvention rush from a few local female writers to be our own Michelle Malkin. It's so hard to understand what's wrong with them other than a sneaking suspision they really fucking hate a lot of folks, for the pettiest of reasons.A lot of the language is aggressive and unreasonable, almost trying to play against the image of the maternal mind as an empathetic one.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Coddington is not rushing to that position. She's been keeping it warm for years, waiting for someone (other than Rosemary McLeod) to join her.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    A lot of the language is aggressive and unreasonable, almost trying to play against the image of the maternal mind as an empathetic one.

    Yes, Jeremy: women can be grumpy right-wingers, too! Whatever will they do next?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    "A Village in Texas is missing its idiot."
    Happy now?

    In Texas they'd call that a posse trophy....

    ...for the pettiest of reasons

    Enter a band The Truth could champion
    - The Petty Things!
    ...wrong thread? ;- /

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Lucy,

    I don't think equality will be achieved on producing the same amount of idiots. I don't think that's what the writer meant when they penned, "girls can do anything."

    This is a comment on a rise of a very similar type of female writer, the" grizzly mama bear and I wont bother with that ol' factchecking".

    I'll just take on a persona that , well basically sounds like a d
    eluded rightwingmale (the cornerstone of the party).

    Where are the prominent leftwing rational females?

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    I did laugh, Jacqui. And still do when I read some of the comments, and wonder how the heck they get away with it, while I get banned. It's a weird, weird internets.

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    And speaking of nastiness in Oz, the Lindsay pamphlet incident takes the cake.

    Jesus, Mohammed, and Yahweh! *eek*

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Jeremy Eade - there's more than a few of them -but they dont blog.
    Have better things to do with their time.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    Nah, Jeremy, I just think that some women are twatcocks, and have been from birth. No penis envy needed.

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Jeremy Eade - there's more than a few of them -but they dont blog. Have better things to do with their time.

    lucky them.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Yeah Jeremy Eade: grassroots activism is sooo_easy.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

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