Polity by Rob Salmond

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Polity: Hooton’s Zombie Apocalypse

17 Responses

  • bob daktari,

    National are better players on defence and offence than Labour, they control a much better PR and marketing machine than Labour and if the extreme left card is the one they are playing now don't be surprised if it stays in play right up until the next election - file alongside the Green Taliban and hippy card they will never take off the table

    labels of extreme this or that are but tools employed to control the discussion... please don't get caught up in justifying left and right cause you're all bunched in the centre (much to my dismay)

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report

  • Craig Young,

    It would seem that Hooton is trying out the same smear tactics that are being used against Corbyn in the British Labour context. And as for 'left' credentials, the far left views Andrew Little and EPMU as anathema, given that they are supposedly a 'conservative' trade union, whatever that means. To be honest, though, Matthew Hooton is equivalent to Chris Trotter on the left- a loose cannon with little coherent strategic sense. Although I wouldn't mind betting that someone more integrated into the centre-right spin machine does try it on...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 573 posts Report

  • Gregor Ronald,

    This sort of distraction is straight from the Crosby-Textor songbook.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 103 posts Report

  • llew40,

    Whilst I am sure that MH has (at least in this column) his finger firmly pressed on his big red 'troll Labour tribalists' button, I do think there is some truthiness that Labour strategists should be well aware of (and probably are). Its a fact that they've not been elected as Government for a long long time now. There's a zillion reasons for that I'm sure. I think one of them may well be related to a disconnect between the Labour party faithful and sufficient numbers of New Zealanders to form a Government under MMP. Is that disconnect related to some perceived position on a political spectrum? (God I hope not, but heck, we live in a world where Barack Obama is perceived as a socialist by millions of Americans). Is the disconnect getting smaller or bigger?

    Since Nov 2012 • 140 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Right-wing commentator attacks left in right-wing magazine. Weather up next.

    Why give such people credence, or enable them by kicking their ball on. Better to just ignore.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    It seems like desperate stuff from Hooton, and I concur with the sense that the popularity of the education policy is most likely causing genuine fears among the most extreme right in National. Accuse the other side of being extreme from an extreme position. Relative to where you're shrieking from it's almost true.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • bob daktari, in reply to BenWilson,

    don't think its education national are worried about in polling - TPPA has dwarfed any policy announcements by labour - also a topic labour are vulnerable on, as they've hardly been consistent about the damned thing

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    The booing of teflon John at that league game must be worrying the Nat comms folk.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Emma Hart, in reply to bob daktari,

    labels of extreme this or that are but tools employed to control the discussion… please don’t get caught up in justifying left and right cause you’re all bunched in the centre (much to my dismay)

    Yeah, from a Person of the Left POV, having Labour accused of being Leftist and their response being "No we're not!" is a bit fucking depressing.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    Most people also recognize it’s important than ever that more New Zealanders have advanced education. As machines and algorithms make ever more jobs obsolete, people need the smarts and ability to do jobs that aren’t easily replaced.

    I do wish, however, that the justification of advanced education was less about the economy. Because it seems to me that the connection is really quite a lot less strong than many believe, especially on the count of "machines are taking the jobs". The jobs they can take are far more often the ones for the highly educated. The knowledge economy is the most automatible of all. Therefore, if it's automation we fear then supporting the development of the kinds of work least apt to mechanization seems to me the money best spent.

    Fortunately, Labour's plan is also about trades. Apprenticeships as well?

    And it would be awesome if at least some of the hard sell of higher education could be on it having worth unto itself, that goes well beyond future remuneration, and economic contribution. Of course people have to genuinely believe that is true, and I often feel like I'm slipping into a small minority in believing it. How often in the last 5 years of tertiary have I had to justify what I'm doing by it's financial future? Even to other students? It's like I'm crazy to think that becoming more educated could be an end all by itself.

    But this isn't the main point of this thread, so feel free to not pick up the rant.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Peter Haynes,

    How strange. Some of Hooton's more recent commentary was beginning to sound reasonably sane.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 27 posts Report

  • BenWilson, in reply to bob daktari,

    don’t think its education national are worried about in polling – TPPA has dwarfed any policy announcements by labour – also a topic labour are vulnerable on, as they’ve hardly been consistent about the damned thing

    Could be true, I'm not sure. I haven't felt Labour to have distinguished themselves from National much on it, so I doubt National fears Labour's popularity on it. I can't feel the rage myself - there's a horrific feeling of inevitability about the whole thing. But at least our own education policy is something we feel like we're in control of.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • bob daktari, in reply to BenWilson,

    They don't fear Labour's popularity, rather they can divide and depress labour or potential labour voters over the parties lacklustre TPPA stance (coupled with Waitangi) is my reckoning

    whereas Education is all but gone from the current media discourse, for now at least

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report

  • Rosemary McDonald,

    There's a part of my brain that makes very weird connections between seemingly random...things.

    Read the title "Hooten's Zombie Apocalypse" and flashed back to a MSM headline that I had chosen to ignore...

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

  • Kumara Republic,

    Reductio ad Stalinum seems to be an early part of the "then they fight you" phase of Mahatma Gandhi's famous "First they ignore you" quote.

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Key's paranoid violent riot delusions...
    The rambling excuses Key gave for not going to fulfil his pledge at Waitangi this morning on Morning Report were reminiscent of some schoolboy trying to worm their way out of some onerous duty...
    He missed the chance to show that he was still cox of his waka,
    that he had everyones best interests at heart,
    that he was the man -
    that he could afford to be magnanimous and would
    honour the bulk of the people rather than flee from the few
    fuelling his imagined violent battle scenes,
    where his staff would be subject to horrific predations,
    - even though that is arguably what they sign up for...
    predations he was admittedly willing to endure alone
    - just what is he on?
    - has he lost that much control ?
    ...and confidence

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201788483/john-key-on-his-watangi-day-no-show

    and later on his broken pledge
    listen to him make stuff on the fly to justify the unjustifiable
    and all his mad 'what if violent riot scenarios'
    - no other possibilities entertained:

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201788498/john-key-on-his-watangi-day-no-show

    the man is afraid of shadows!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Nah. He’s just Hooton an’ Hollarin’ …
    Or is that Hooton an’ Houlihan?
    Houlihan Lokey?
    These guys call themselves a global investment bank. However, a look at their website reveals that they know not, of Li’l’ Ol’ New Zealand, we don’t exist on their map.
    So sush, we don’t want those investment bankers to know we are here.
    Do we?.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

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