Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: This Is Not A Complicated Issue

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  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    And? You know how many white supremacists I've met in China? Even married to non-white women? Racists, in my experience, are highly irrational people, even by the usual standards of human irrationality. They also tend to be very good at contorting themselves into all kinds of bizarre knots of logic in either attempting to prove they're not racist, although, of course, their own race is vastly superior to all others, or admitting they are racist and attempting to prove their own race is vastly superior to all others, all the while demonstrating how there are exceptions in the other races.

    Modern racism these days seems to be pragmatic rather than purist - basically it's all about the money. It goes back to apartheid era South Africa's 'honorary whites' policy. Hell, I'd say it goes back to the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. And more recently, macro-nationalism has emerged as a further evolution of the dogma - be it counter-jihad, al-Qaeda or the Zanu-PF.

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

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    For example, I think I just found myself agreeing with Paul Holmes.

    Does happen - I don't think I'm the only person around here who finds John Roughan something of an unlucky dip. Never know if you're going to get something well-argued and humane or stupid as a sack of nails.

    Meanwhile, on a not completely unrelated tangent WTF, Tom Scott?

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

  • linger, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    At least he’s consistent: Michael Laws was shown in similar style on 10/12/2011 (can't link directly to it, but it's the 30th in the slideshow after the one you referred to ... and I note that this means your link isn't permanent either).

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to linger,

    Thanks – I can’t figure out how to perma-link to a specific cartoon, and if anyone can shine a light I’ll be most appreciative.

    Still when bitching Paul Homes for being a lazy, bigoted ignoramus of a columnist it would help if Scott himself didn’t indulge in a bit of visual shorthand that lazily and ignorantly equates racist frak-wittery with mental illness and/or disability.

    Just as an FYI, Tom, I don’t choose to be bipolar. (For that matter, nobody chooses to be in a state of mental unwellness so severe they need to be restrained to prevent harm to themselves or others.)

    Folks like Holmes and Laws do have all kinds of choices -- whether or not to be careless on matters of fact, downright trollish in public and truculently unwilling to own their own shit. Their employers have a choice whether or not to be leaders and assert basic either standards, or troll-farm and enable for fun and profit.

    This isn’t a complicated issue either, Tom.

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

  • linger,

    Attachment

    One could try a screen-grab and then attach the jpg.
    Compare and contrast:
    Laws (10/12/2011)

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report

  • linger,

    Attachment

    And Holmes (18/02/2012).

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Still when bitching Paul Homes for being a lazy, bigoted ignoramus of a columnist it would help if Scott himself didn’t indulge in a bit of visual shorthand that lazily and ignorantly equates racist frak-wittery with mental illness and/or disability.

    Er, Isn't that his point? Back at them, see how it feels? Maybe too subtle for some.

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

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to linger,

    One could try a screen-grab and then attach the jpg.

    That presumes a degree of technical competence on my part, but thanks for making it unnecessary Linger. :)

    Er, Isn’t that his point? Back at them, see how it feels? Maybe too subtle for some.

    Yeah… but, nah. Perhaps cartoonists need to think a little harder about using the imagery of mental illness for shit that isn’t actually mental illness. And, hey, if we depict Holmes and Laws (or Paul Henry) as straight-jacketed loons we don’t have to think too hard about the people who coldly, rationally enable them because it’s good for business. And isn’t it funny how those people tend to be men of a certain *cough* demographic profile that is heavily over-represented in the upper echelons of senior editorial and management?

    I get the point that Scott is trying to make; just wish he could have done so without resorting to such hackneyed imagery when it’s really no more OK to stigmatize mental illness than physical disability.

    ETA: Oh, and before anyone tells me to get a sense of humor I'm pretty glad not to hear "retarded" and "spastic" as a term for disagreeably stupid behavior or statements as much as I used to when a nipper. I'll also continue to discourage younglings of my acquaintance from using "gay" as a term of disapproval. What's "PC gone mad" to some is simple good taste to others.

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

  • Sacha, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    if we depict Holmes and Laws (or Paul Henry) as straight-jacketed loons we don’t have to think too hard about

    how 'normal' they are

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Folks like Holmes and Laws do have all kinds of choices -- whether or not to be careless on matters of fact, downright trollish in public and truculently unwilling to own their own shit. Their employers have a choice whether or not to be leaders and assert basic either standards, or troll-farm and enable for fun and profit.

    Rawiri Taonui and Willie Jackson add some context - with much more grace than redneck columnists have shown over the years.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    How's this RadioLive take on a Paul Henry publicity pic via Mediaworks digital strategist Cate Owen?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Yeah… but, nah.

    Understood but perhaps I should have said," back at ya, that's how absurd it is. Kinda, what's wrong with this picture?"
    My impression about such political cartoonists is that they tend to jump straight in the deep end to portray the ridiculousness of the character they refer to.Or did the straightjackets refer to Lhaws and Holmes actually having their hands tied but that could have been ropes and hands so... Or I could be completely wrong. :)

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

  • Islander, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    straight-jacketed loons we don’t have to think too hard about the people who coldly, rationally

    strait-jackets please

    but I so agree with you about the old rich white males still controlling stuff…

    there is a wonderful opinion piece by a youngish Kai Tahu man in the SST – which I cant find on-line.

    Nic Low’s “Ear to the ground” pages C12/13, evocatively sums up a helluva lot I feel about ChChCh and his “earthquake bells” idea is simply – wonderful…

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

  • Jane Pearson, in reply to Islander,

    I too thought Nic Low's piece was wonderful - the bells idea is beautiful especially in light of what he wrote about the way the sound of the earthquake coming was heard by musicians with an ear tuned to picking up pitch and resonance.

    Since Feb 2010 • 28 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Islander,

    strait-jackets please

    Ok and I knew that. :)

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Attachment

    Went on the Heroic Garden festival this weekend.

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Sorry. this is on the wrong thread.

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

  • Islander, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Nah Sof' - every thread mutates into the right thread after a wee while-

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

  • Kumara Republic,

    Latest on disability politics: so much for parent choice in schools. And Kerre Woodham talks sense for once on deafness.

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

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Sacha,

    Willie Jackson add some context – with much more grace than redneck columnists have shown over the years.

    Ah yes, Willie Jackson’s such a “gracious” chap – especially when he gave Clint Rickards a free and uncritical run to trash Louise Nicholas as a mentally-unstable liar. I guess when it comes down to choosing between asking a prominent Maori man a hard question or two and putting an uppity women back in her place, a “toxic mix of arrogance and ignorance” never hurts your career.

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

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Sorry. this is on the wrong thread.

    No, exactly the right one. Faabulous! :)

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    No, exactly the right one. Faabulous! :)

    I popped some shots of it on the roamin' thread if you would like a glimpse of the charitable event. I suggest if one goes next year, take your walking shoes and only some places will let you wee as a note to self , but well worth the experience. When I get home I will put up the wall of remembrance at the Hospice over at the roamin thread. At least that is what it said to me. That is faabulous:)

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

  • Rob Stowell,

    If noone else has posted it: there's a 'change.org' petition here you can sign (easy if you are already registered:)) asking that live closed captioning be provided immediately.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Latest on disability politics: so much for parent choice in schools

    That one has been the elephant in the room for ages. Every child in NZ by law has a right to attend a local school - except disabled children in practice. And yet no one in the education system has ever been held accountable for the discrimination. Patient advocacy has brought little, and now it's time to take the gloves off.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Ah yes, Willie Jackson’s such a “gracious” chap

    the irony didn't escape

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

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