Posts by simon g
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Speaker: A Disorderly Brexit, in reply to nzlemming,
Only half-true.
Corbyn has been attacked constantly by the right-wing tabloids, by Blairites, by all manner of opponents, in bad faith. AND …
Corbyn has shown himself to be pretty bad at his job.
Being attacked by the bad guys doesn’t automatically make a leader good. It’s a reason to want to support him, but not enough to make his performance worthy of that support.
cf David Cunliffe, alas.
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Let's not forget who was already calling for a second referendum if the vote went narrowly against them ... a certain Mr Nigel Farage of the "Leave" campaign.
(FWIW I don't think there should be or will be a new vote - the negotiations have to play out. By the time they're done, the EU will probably be so sick of Britain's behaviour that they'll chuck them out anyway ...)
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I'd say the memory of V2 rockets is a minimal influence compared to the memory of endless TV programmes re-inventing the WW2 experience for those who missed it.
If a voter's experience of Europe is singing "Ten German Bombers" at the football, or watching Allo, Allo , then they might well be inclined to dislike a Germany that doesn't exist.
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Speaker: Are we seeing the end of MSM,…, in reply to John Farrell,
Yeah, that's the same logic as saying "Off switch!" whenever a talkback host fails broadcasting standards, or a TV network cuts its current affairs. Of course I have other options - but not everything is about me.
We have few media outlets, and are set to have fewer. Their quality matters - whether I personally bother with them or not.
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Speaker: A Disorderly Brexit, in reply to BenWilson,
We are faintly amused by the prospect of Balmoral in Scotland (her favourite home) finding itself no longer within her realm, while the somewhat less regal Balmoral in Auckland still is.
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I don't suppose the savvy folks at PAS need telling, but just a heads-up: when you see "Brexit" stories prominent on the NZ Herald website, scroll down to the bottom and check the source. They've been leading with recycled rants from the Daily Mail, instead of actual news.
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Leaving aside the EU/UK fallout (too much to say, and said better by others), one aspect of this closer to home is the contrast between much-maligned MMP and the apparent neatness of a referendum (which is often touted as the solution on the issue du jour). The two ends of the voting spectrum, from multiple options to Yes/No.
The basic question for anyone who 'kicks against the pricks', railing against the elite (perceived or real) is "What will you do when you get the power?". And the difference between a serious opposition and an opportunist rabble-rouser is that the former will want to govern (i.e. to choose) whereas the latter would rather stay outside shouting at the walls.
Under MMP, the "easy antis" (e.g it's all about the immigrants or the Mowrees) can channel their anger into a party like NZ First (others have had a go, but none so consistently). But then the vehicle gets into power - in coalition with National or Labour, as they were before, and may be again. So they have to do all the messy things like count, and compromise.
Whereas a Brexit referendum dumps everything in the lap of the people who won - whether they wanted to win or not. All the messy stuff is theirs, and theirs alone. And let's not kid ourselves, the EU will be in no mood to make it easier for them. In short: made bed, lie in it.
MMP is obviously flawed, but it is a much better instrument for making decisions, owning them and facing up to possible consequences. We've got that more right than the UK or Australia, I reckon.
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The press gallery will be satisfied, and Corin Dann will award the Budget 8 out of 10 on One News tonight. Then they will talk about tax cuts. Key and English know their audience. Details are for wimps, soundbites for the win.
I kind of hope National stay in power after Key has gone, so they can clean up their own mess. Or more likely, face the consequences.
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Polity: Is being a tax haven worth it?, in reply to John Farrell,
Sure, but that's the #nzqt crowd, who pay attention to what happens in the House. The wider public don't, otherwise they would be appalled at their PM's behaviour. But they never see him.
However, they do see/hear headlines, like "Key chucked out", featuring on all bulletins tonight.
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John Key kicked out of Parliament by David Carter.
The impossible, it happened.