Hard News: Friday Gold: An email exchange with Michael Laws
327 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 14 Newer→ Last
-
Laugh all you want, it won't make the slightest difference to him or his level of public support, is all I'm saying.
I suspect that might be debated amongst some of Whanganui's electors, but it's not the point. This is the email address on which Laws represents Whanganui, and in that context his immediate resort to abuse is extraordinary and unusual.
We've all developed the internal censor that stops us doing these things in the email age -- but Michael Laws hasn't.
In that maybe the Williams story was a little different
Williams does tend to the exclusively nocturnal, I'll grant you that ...
-
QED.
It's almost as if you guys had never dealt with a troll. He thrives in this kind of stuff. No amount of QEDing is going to make the slightest bit of difference to him, and calling his supporters rednecks (which is a racist epithet at the best of times) is just about as stupid as it gets.
I take this seriously because back home we have ten times the Michael Laws per head of population, and I know just how ineffective it is to expose them for the thugs that they're proud to be.
There's a bloke in Milan - a European MP, no less - who suggested having separate train carriages for immigrants. Do you think he's worried about institutional propriety, or the decorum of his office? Trading insults with him makes him feel validated. And - I can't stress this enough - you're never going to win that kind of argument with these people.
-
This is the email address on which Laws represents Whanganui, and in that context his immediate resort to abuse is extraordinary and unusual.
Why don't you take this to a paper, Russell? I'd be curious to see if they'd regard it as being newsworthy. A lunch at Maria Pia's the first time you're in Wellington says they're not going to.
-
I'm in Taiwan this week and they use pinyin and the older romanisation interchangeably - google maps gives the old versions, the subway signs are in pinyin .... I'm learning ....
-
Why don't you take this to a paper, Russell? I'd be curious to see if they'd regard it as being newsworthy. A lunch at Maria Pia's the first time you're in Wellington says they're not going to.
3 News called an hour and a half ago looking to get in touch with Brendon, if that's what you mean.
But what's this with "taking" it to a paper? Why on earth would I do that? What possible interest would I have? I was forwarded it, checked for permission and published it in a blog post headed 'Friday Gold'. Which I think is a fair description.
-
Oh, should say that it probably won't be on 3 News. They apparently eventually thought the content a bit "racy" for their purposes.
-
Ex Southerly.......did I know this post was going to happen?
How extraordinary..Apols to Fillup Tallinor:
(Up the wonganoowee)
An h can look good in a word
Honestly is completely absurd
'eard in host but not ohm
So Pooh, lets go home
Up river, no paddle, so whark it -
But what's this with "taking" it to a paper? Why on earth would I do that? What possible interest would I have? I was forwarded it, checked for permission and published it in a blog post headed 'Friday Gold'. Which I think is a fair description.
If your interest is seeing Laws taken down a peg, you might wish for a larger audience. I stand corrected on the interest from other news media front.
-
May I suggest the meatballs at Maria Pia's Russell? Deliciousness =>
-
Yes, needless to say I'm more than happy to make good on that.
-
giovanni - trolls I can ignore, elected officials less so.
I am curious, how did you handle your man in Milan?
Did you ignore him? Did he, as a result, go away?
I think laughing at those in public office that take the positions Laws has is not a bad approach. Happy to hear about others.
-
I am curious, how did you handle your man in Milan?
Did you ignore him? Did he, as a result, go away?
No, we obsessed about how unfit for office he and his pals were, ridiculed and satirised him and his supporters constantly, instead of debating his ideas and articulating a progressive brand of politics that connected with the electorate.
And it worked out *great*.
-
Laws is the Comte Saint Germain. That much is obvious. Sue Bradford is an instrument for measuring the Earth's telluric currents.
So you're re-reading Foucault's Pendulum as well?
-
Dudes, I'm clocked off, feeling irie and listening to Lawrence Arabia.
Thanks all. It's been a fun week.
-
clocked off, feeling irie
Have one for me (uh, meatballs, obviously).
but, hey, Aucklanders voted in John Banks, what does that say about them?
I was kinda hoping no one noticed that.
-
So you're re-reading Foucault's Pendulum as well?
Why, yes. Finally finished it on Monday. It's taken me since June.
-
I was kinda hoping no one noticed that.
Does anyone actually have a mayor they wholeheartedly approve of?
To answer my own question, when I lived in Taupo, Joan Williamson was a highly capable and charming mayor.
I seem to remember Fran Wilde was pretty good too. -
Does anyone actually have a mayor they wholeheartedly approve of?
I'm looking forward to approving wholheartedly of Celia Wade-Brown in Wellington, but I guess I should wait for her to win the election first.
-
I can think of people who I'd wholeheartedly approve but most of them are not mad enough to put themselves through being a Mayor.
-
Totally with you on that, Giovanni.
-
Laws must be the least self-aware person I've ever come across. Apart from calling putting the 'h' in Wanganui "racist", there's that Radio Live ad where he says something like "Unfortunately, this is someone who thinks we should only listen to their opinion because they're on TV."
It's like he read 1984 and went "this doublethink thing is a great idea!"
-
So you're re-reading Foucault's Pendulum as well?
Why, yes. Finally finished it on Monday. It's taken me since June.
Off topic (except it's Friday so there is no O/T huh?), what did you think of The Name of the Rose ? (I assume you have read that also.) Rose is the only Eco novel I've read so far, but I thought it was fantastic. I found it very depressing though... does anyone else think so?
FP is on my ridiculously long list of "to get to" books.
-
No, we obsessed about how unfit for office he and his pals were, ridiculed and satirised him and his supporters constantly, instead of debating his ideas and articulating a progressive brand of politics that connected with the electorate.
And it worked out *great*.
Now, this is satire...
-
Snap Giovanni. Just answered a Colmar Brunton survey on the Wgtn mayoralty. Silly survey in that it didn't take into account STV, but it still gave me a chance to tick Celia Wade-Brown.
-
this doublethink thing is a great idea!
doubleplusgood
Post your response…
This topic is closed.