Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: We ... WHAT!?

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  • Phil Lyth,

    Thanks for posting this. For completeness, a link to the original transcript at the US State Dept.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Withers,

    Thanks for pointing this out. It represents a continuation of one of the National Party’s primary foreign policy themes: (Broadly) Do whatever the US says. From Kim Dotcom to suddenly allowing software patents (TPPA foreshadowing BIG time) this IS what they do. I still remember Simon Power and Wayne Mapp slagging Clark / Labour’s refusal to join the invasion of Iraq because it would cost us a free trade agreement with the US. They retracted “by lunchtime”, but the point had been clearly made: If you want the lives of Kiwi service men and women whored for better relations with the United States (and better trade deals) then they are the party you want to vote for. In your extract Key explicitly links the willingness to get into wars with a "high quality" free trade agreement. He's selling dead kiwis again.

    As it happens, this aspect of their policy rules them out as worthy of support pretty much forever. I'm amazed anyone with a skerrick of care for their fellow kiwis votes for them at all. Do farmers really want blood money for their milk?

    Does it make me angry? Definitely. Most definitely.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia, in reply to Steve Withers,

    I was shocked too after reading it on Twitter and then checking it online.

    Was it a kind of Freudian slip? Did someone else really see that line before he spoke it?

    I've just ploughed through Nicky Hager's "Other People's Wars" and I'm angry too. Even allowing for a certain degree of bias ...

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    One journalist has just told me she thinks Key didn't say "conflicts". Given that that's the official State Department transcript, that would be an interesting situation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Armitast,

    Struggling to think of another word that could be mistaken for "conflicts".

    Auckland • Since Aug 2012 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Given that that's the official State Department transcript, that would be an interesting situation.

    Yeah, if by "interesting" you mean "pretty fucking scary" because weirdly enough you're not the only person on Earth who takes things on US State Department letterhead very seriously indeed.

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

  • Russell Brown,

    Okay. Here’s the clip.

    It is NOTHING LIKE THE TRANSCRIPT.

    What Key actually says is: " ... we welcome the opportunity to cooperate. In that context... "

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Two nations divided by a common language...

    Key's diction can be muddy and galloped at the best of times, but that bit was crystal clear. WTF. Auto-complete??

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Armitast,

    Struggling to think of another word that could be mistaken for "conflicts"

    'Cooperate', perhaps?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Glen Wright,

    The word was context. How ironic.

    Since Nov 2006 • 29 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Jolisa,

    WTF. Auto-complete??

    Or someone who had a very late night on the diplomatic razzle the night before?

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

  • Paul Brislen,

    Ah, so the transcript that isn't a real transcript... much like Hansard can be "corrected" by MPs after the fact (thank you Winston).

    Glad to see he hasn't lost the plot that completely.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Dear Secretary Clinton:

    Next time you want us to get involved in a war be a petal and ask first.

    Thanking you in advance. Hugs and kisses,

    New Zealand.

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

  • Felix Marwick,

    Sorry, but there were a fair few gallery journwith the PM on that trip. If he'd actually said it they would've reported it. It's not a comment that would have been overlooked or missed.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • steviant,

    I look forward to the equally warm and well reasoned response from the Taleban to our soldiers.

    Thanks a lot to whoever transcribed this...

    Auckland • Since Feb 2011 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Scott Chris,

    I contend that Key's diction isn't a speech impediment but simply his Austro-Jewish Kiwi accent. (just as the way in which many of us pronounce 'six' seems to be derived from the Scottish pronunciation of said number)

    Auckland • Since Feb 2012 • 167 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Chinese whispers...
    In this case it looks like they got the 'New Zild" translators and reality adjusters involved as well - Now if we could just get a copy of the original speech from the PM's office and compare the State Department transcript side by side...
    You'd think the PM's 'people' would give the State Dept 'people' a copy of his speech after the fact, for the record.

    I'd love to know what the inaudible bits were, and how long they were ...

    Key really owes it to the world of diplomacy (and future generations) to improve his diction and to slow down when he talks - it's not like he's some wideboy FX dealer any more, trying to rush through some shonky multi-million dollar deal before the margins change or someone notices the fine print...
    ...oh!
    Hang on...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    I did like the Google Ad that appeared under this post for me:

    PR & Communications
    Latest Public Relations, Corporate Affairs & Comms jobs in NZ.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Shall we play at guessing the rest of the inaudibles?

    Secretary Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, (inaudible) free trade agreement, would be a significant (inaudible) countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    might be

    Secretary Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, (anti-democratic) free trade agreement, would be a significant (fuck up for the) countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Key really owes it to the world of diplomacy (and future generations) to improve his diction and to slow down when he talks -

    Or, you know, The US State Department could, like, hire some people who were paying attention. Sorry, Ian, but listening to the audio Russell posted I don't see how any reasonable person could say Key's diction was at issue here.

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

  • Phil Palmer,

    The cock-up theory of history vindicated! Perhaps the old story about NZ starting WW2 a day early after mistaking the time zones is true after all. I can imagine similar disasters - Blair: "Iraq? No, no, I said I was going down to the Park." Napoleon: "I only said I wanted to meet my Portaloo." Etc.

    Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I don't see how any reasonable person could say Key's diction was at issue here

    No, not to a New Zild ear. But what if the transcription was being done back in the States by a person who has to contend with hearing English spoken in its many glorious forms from around the world? I would have thought the State Dept would have run the draft transcript passed someone familiar with NZ English.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg, in reply to Tom Beard,

    Secretary Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, (inaudible) free trade agreement, would be a significant (inaudible) countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    Secateur Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, twentyfirst century free trade agreement, would be a significant benefit to all countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Michael J. Parry,

    What was said

    Secretary Clinton and I discussed the broad range of issues in the Asia Pacific region as we look towards the APEC summit in Russia in around 10 days time. New Zealand warmly supports the United States rebalancing towards the Asia Pacific, and we welcome the opportunities to cooperate further. In that context we discussed our ongoing efforts to negotiate alongside a number of other countries a transpacific partnership agreement. Secretary Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, twenty-first century free trade agreement, which would be of significant benefit to all countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    Which is not:

    Secretary Clinton and I discussed the broad range of issues in the Asia Pacific region as we look towards the APEC summit in Russia in around 10 days time. New Zealand warmly supports the United States rebalancing towards the Asia Pacific, and we welcome the opportunity to cooperate with the U.S. in the next conflicts. We discussed our ongoing (inaudible) along side a number of other countries (inaudible) partnership agreement. Secretary Clinton and I share the goal of securing a high quality, (inaudible) free trade agreement, would be a significant (inaudible) countries involved, indeed to the region as a whole.

    It seemed clear to me...

    Dannevirke/Wellington • Since Feb 2012 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Oh wow!

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

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