Posts by simon g
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Too angry to say much coherent right now, but just wanted to acknowledge the classy way Campbell & co handled themselves tonight. Kept the focus on solid stories, albeit time-constrained.
Although there is inevitably a political left/right dimension to this whole saga, in the end it is - or should be - simply about solid professional broadcasting. Trying to do the job well, to be more informed and informative, versus trying to be a dick (see assorted other TV "stars").
New Zealand television needs a lot of things, but it doesn't need more dicks.
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Bevan, I'd be fine with a genuine debate about the flag.
But we can't have that if we pretend it's only about the symbol, and not about what it symbolizes.
Corporate PR does this all the time, asking us to buy into the idea that a new logo = a new company, or at least new, improved service. It's not just a distraction. It's a con.
It's not just "this issue" along with "other issues we can also discuss at the same time" (yes, of course we can). It's a deliberate postponement - in fact, undermining - of the real debate on constitutional reform (republic, role of Treaty, etc), just because the Prime Minister doesn't like the hard stuff.
Now, I still intend to vote in the flag referendum, simply "because it's there". And I'll vote for a change if the new design really speaks to me. But I can't see how this will all end well. It's a postal ballot, which guarantees a low turnout, so in the end we'll have a decision, without real public buy-in, and without the necessary debate about nationhood, civics etc.
A 'No' vote will be a missed opportunity. A 'Yes' vote will - absent an overwhelming majority - be divisive, because this is fundamentally different from a Parliamentary election. A flag can't be decided by 50% plus one.
In short, it's a mess.
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Up Front: Stand for... Something, in reply to Joe Wylie,
Ditto when Charles visited in the 90's. I happened to be in Aotea Square on my lunch break, when he arrived and waved at a few bored skateboarders.
But that was post-divorce (his), pre-wedding (his son's). We're only supposed to love them when they're young and cute, I guess.
Meanwhile, we assert our totally independent special uniqueness by loving Harry, who - it turns out - wants to bring back conscription. The thoughts of ANZAC ghosts on that can only be imagined.
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I like patriotism of the quiet kind. I suppose if I had to stick a pin in the map and choose a birthplace, there aren't many nations I'd pick before the one I was lucky enough to get. The grass isn't greener anywhere, not once you look more closely.
But I do think we're afflicted with an overdose of fake patriotism, and it grates. You can play this game watching TV at any time - the pretty pictures, the warm smiles, the voiceover telling us we're Kiwi and we're special, and then ... guess what they're selling? It's a bank (foreign), it's a casino (foreign), it's an oil company (foreign), it's basically a corporate saying "You're stupid enough to fall for this".
No, I'm not.
Which is why the Flag Thing is dying on its arse. Put me in a jury room, shut out the noise from outside, and I'll probably vote for a change of flag. Or at least, for a reasoned discussion thereof.
But keep Kiwi telling me how Kiwi special I Kiwi am and keep Kiwi manipulating my Kiwi head into Kiwi marshmallow, and I'll reach the Kiwi point where I just want it all to Kiwi go away.
That's OK. Being unimpressed by smooth slickers is, of course, Kiwi as.
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It is pretty common for PMs to be asked to comment on whatever is in the news. People are interested in their attitude to the topic of the day.
That may be true, and in itself does no harm. But increasingly the Prime Minister is the media replacement for the relevant Minister - who should have a better grasp of the subject, and usually does. Ask the public to name (e.g.) the Minister of Defence, and most will offer only blank looks.
It's bad enough that election campaigns are now Presidential, even though the votes are not. But if the Presidential Myth extends beyond the campaign to the government as well, then we might as well just change the constitution and be done with it. About half the country (call them the Hoskingites) seem to think King John shouldn't be troubled with opponents anyway.
Alternatively, the media could just remember that we have a Parliament and Cabinet, and report the news accordingly.
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Both the Herald and Stuff have now picked up the PM Twitter story - and in the process nicely illustrate how the spin war is won.
In both stories they are at pains to state - repeatedly - that "Key as PM" is a different creature from "Key as National".
Nobody with an ounce of sense believes this, but it's now officially a Thing, simply because last year Key insisted, on numerous occasions when he got into trouble, that it was a Thing.
First the journalists laughed, and now ... they give up and join in.
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Thought for the day: What would this be called if he had been working in Prime Minister Helen Clark's office?
https://twitter.com/gtiso/status/597514754748362753
Cue outrage from Herald, DPF, Hosking, usual suspects.
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In the contest between "people who are total shits" and "people who don't know how to counteract the people who are total shits", the share of blame is not equal.
For UK Labour, see NZ Labour, USA Democrats, etc. It's a perennial problem, even a growing problem, but I don't think the answer is to emulate the shits - or to vote for them.
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The next talkback bore who complains about MMP in NZ should be locked in a room to watch the last 8 hours of UK results - and then explain how much better off they are.
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Hard News: #GE2015: Proper Mad, in reply to carrie onn,
So in the course of 2 posts, you've switched from "clear cut mandate" for Tories, to "SNP triumph".
The second is correct: the first was nonsense, as you've tacitly admitted.