Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Hard News: This time it's Syria, in reply to Russell Brown,
e evidence put forward by France, the UK and the US (summarised here by The Guardian) is not conclusive. But the evidence that the other side inflicted this on their own towns as a provocation currently seems thin to non-existent.
Well, sure. But I don't think Assad live-gassing a kitten on You Tube would be "conclusive" enough for Putin.
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Hard News: Jonesing, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
My problem with Shane Jones isn't his pr0n viewing, though it would be nicer if he wouldn't use our money to do it (top tip for politicians - if you're offered a credit card, refuse it. File your expenses after the fact and have a trusted assistant check them through thoroughly for appropriateness).
Or, you know, actually use your fucking brains. It's hardly rocket science that PPV hotel porn or alcohol at party conference dinners isn't an appropriate use of a ministerial credit card. One of those not-rocket-science distinctions plenty of folks in the civil service and private sector can draw without any angst whatsoever.
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Up Front: The Missing Stair Part Two:…, in reply to Russell Brown,
I've never been aware of a rapist within my my social group (which does not of course mean there has never been one), but I have a couple of times physically placed myself so as to frustrate a creeper.
I didn't cause a confrontation (in one case, it was a creeper boss, which might have got difficult) but it was surprisingly effective just firmly, passively being there.
Yeah, but I think it's also about guys being firmly and actively "dude, not cool" within their peer groups. There's been a lot of internet chatter in geekdom about convention creeping, and while there's been a lot of depressingly predictable "avoid the comments at all costs" dudebro dick-baggery it's also been encouraging seeing guys get that jamming harassment/rape culture isn't women's work. It diminishes all us, and we've all got to decide whether to be the solution or the problem.
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Hard News: This time it's Syria, in reply to Rob Coup,
Whether they did or not, there wasn’t much left of Britain after WW2. They were flat broke, their economy had been converted almost entirely to war effort, and they were dependent on US loans for everything. India wanted independence and the UK wasn’t in a position to say no, so it happened.
And it might also be relevant that they'd gotten a pretty clear message to fuck off, and stop treating India as their "problem" to fix. You know, it's really easy to put the messy, complicated world to rights from the comfortable distance of decades and/or thousands of miles, but it's also just a teeny tad obnoxious. At least, we seem to think so when we're on the receiving end of unsolicited and ill-informed experts from Foggy Bottom and Whitehall.
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In Syria, the “rebels” are a heterogenous rabble this includes people who may be almost as bad the Assad regime. George Packer outlined quite how shitty the choices are yesterday in an imaginary Q&A for the New Yorker.
Well, I'm just shocked that the US punditocracy is getting the idea that Syria (and pretty much anywhere else you care to name) is no more easily divisible into white and black hats than America's own revolutionary roots.
You are referring to Russia I presume. I guess my only comment is that Russia has had a long standing political and economic relationship with Syria. There's a chance they know more about the intricacies of the situation than folks in the Western world are giving them credit for.
Then again, we're probably never going to know given the implacable hostility of Putin and his oligarch cronies to any uppity media types who ask politically (or financially) inconvenient questions.
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Hard News: Political Idol, or whatever…, in reply to Caleb D'Anvers,
STOP PRESS. Craig Ranapia inadvertently endorses David Cunliffe as potential Labour leader most likely to cause to serious headaches for National. :P
SHOCK! HORROR! I always like the Opposition to be an effective check and balance on the Government of the day. I don't think Cunliffe would be an unspeakably offensive leader of the Labour Party; neither would Robertson. Both got their strengths and flaws, but who doesn't?
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Hard News: Political Idol, or whatever…, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
“Fuck you” is the correct answer. A parliament cannot bind it’s successor – Key may have purported to do so by signing up for a 30 year contract, but statutes can always void contracts.
Gee, thank you for the massive Constitutional man-splain there Rich because nobody's ever amended or repealed legislation in the 23 years I've had the vote. The actual correct answer was the one Grant managed to give without the macho dick-waving.
I’ve already seen other people lament that candidates will stress their left credentials in this process and then tack right once selected to prep for general election. So… meh.
Yeah, I'm willing to accept that I'm probably a complete freak who likes to have things like my privacy and civil liberties not treated like a yacht race. Come on, stun me with some actual principles you can be held accountable for!
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Hard News: Political Idol, or whatever…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Cunliffe: Fuck ’em.
And that’s where Labour should start saying “fuckity-byes” to Cunliffe. I get he’s not actually talking to anyone who doesn’t get a vote in the Labour leadership, but posturing to the base can very quickly become a liability in the campaign, let alone in Government where tiresome practicalities have a habit of saying “no, fuck you and leave your wallet on the night stand”.
Look at Bryce Edwards’ Politics daily for today. Everyone is talking about it.
Which should surprise nobody but then it becomes a question of to what extent you believe any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right. I know it's not a direct analogy, but when Palin found herself on the ticket it felt like it was the only political news on Earth for days on end. Problem for McCain was, the focus pretty quickly turned on what a desperately unqualified, short-fused flake she was.
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the Native Affairs version. It was interesting.
Hum... I might have to watch it a couple more times, but the whole exercise struck me as more insubstantial than Forbes and Native Affairs usually is. All three of them got their talking points out and bunted the softballs lobbed in their direction without incident. If we really had Simon Cowell in charge, someone would be getting the riot act screamed in their face.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Hebe,
If I were the National Party strategist, I would be actively encouraging comments like yours Craig. Division between Labour and the Greens is the way to maintain power for a third term as is the absurd “lunatic” name-calling for the Greens
Small point of fact, Hebe, I’d rather nobody do it – and I could make similar observations about National. I didn’t vote for MMP, but I well and truly lost that argument nineteen years, and six general elections, ago. There are elements in both Labour and National whose stuck on anger and denial grieving process for FPP is just morbid.
(Sidebar: Here's another measure of leadership -- or dare I use the c-word, CHARACTER - for me. The ability to adjust to new realities, even if you fought them tooth-and-nail and still find them profoundly distasteful. Leaders have to live in the world as it is, not some fantasy land - just like everyone else.)
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