Hard News: Dirty Politics
2449 Responses
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Alfie, in reply to
It is because he is clinically depressed
I really question that diagnosis.Perhaps "odious slug" would be more accurate?
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stephen clover, in reply to
I can't locate that in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
I can't locate that in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Narcissism isn't so much a mental illness as it is an acute character flaw. Like say, greed or arrogance.
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izogi, in reply to
I really question that diagnosis.
It shouldn’t really be relevant in any case. Cameron Slater might have issues, or he might just be a jerk. Those people exist in all colours and plenty of them post crap on the internet.
The critical stuff that’s come out of this book is that the alleged behaviour of government ministers, parliamentary staff and others in power, in their choices to secretly collude with and support this guy, giving him access to the top levels of government, is both unprofessional and disgusting. Especially considering what’s been known for a long time about who he is, what he’s likely to do, and what sorts of consequences might result.
If “everyone does it”, as the apologists are saying, then it sounds like a perfectly good motivation to fix the system so they can’t, instead of just using the excuse to justify the behaviour as if it should be acceptable from anyone. With that in mind, I’d like to hear some positive things about what policies all parties have towards doing this.
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Can we leave the psychiatry to professionals please? As someone who does have an at times debilitating mental illness, I find the jokes rather less than funny.
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Mike Graham, in reply to
+1 - Well said izogi
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Sorry if I offended you Kracklite. My "odious slug" comment was not intended to be a psychiatric term - just my opinion of Slater.
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Kracklite, in reply to
Fine.
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shorter nats: yeah, we really are like that, but we don't care, and neither should you
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Thanks, Kracklite. +1 whole infinity.
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I wonder what will happen to ipredict now that it has been shown up as just another tool for manipulation of the message?
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andin, in reply to
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fix the system
Where do we start? There is so much wrong with our way of living on this planet much of it coming from our past and we just carry on as if the problem is to big to deal with.
It's not. -
izogi, in reply to
Where do we start?
Good question. I've had some loose thoughts but answering it right now is beyond me.
Really I’d just be keen to see a serious discussion about it, and with political parties engaged and interested in actually committing to making useful changes.
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People behaving like reasonable, responsible, humane adults you mean.
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Hebe, in reply to
I wonder what will happen to ipredict now that it has been shown up as just another tool for manipulation of the message?
Wasn't that obvious before the book?
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Ross Mason, in reply to
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I wonder what will happen to ipredict now that it has been shown up as just another tool for manipulation of the message?
I think it shows where $200 can change the odds so much that it suggests that few people actually bet on the bloody site. It has an “apparent” influence far beyond its value..
It shows that the MSM responds to an amazingly small number of people in this world. The one man NZ Assoc of Convenience stores, the bullshit of electoral selection by two people. And finally, two RW bloggers who have been shown to feed more bullshit to such an extent that the MSM consider any comment from them as major news.
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tussock, in reply to
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They have to be thinking "oh, that smart, sensible, rich greenie I know, he's the exception, the rest are barmy".
No. They're trying to win elections. They think calling smart, sensible, rich greenies, and all the other kinds, who they know and like and stuff, call them "barmy" is going to help them win elections. Which is their goal.
There's no doublethink involved. There's the real world where they like you and know green policies are good for people, and there's the fantasy story where they don't know any of that and you're a crazy greenie. Like anyone reading fiction, or watching scary movies, they know the fantasy isn't real, but they also think the story might be good enough to shift a few people into voting for them.
George W. Bush knew Iraq didn't have WMDs, he wouldn't have invaded if they did. That wasn't the point. The point was to have a good story on the way to militarily managing the looming oil crisis. For Farrar and co, it's not wars, it's just serving the local elite. Being at the coal face and letting the real movers and shakers keep their hands clean, and if people get hurt, well, that's just sad for them isn't it.
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
Good question. I've had some loose thoughts but answering it right now is beyond me.
Really I’d just be keen to see a serious discussion about it, and with political parties engaged and interested in actually committing to making useful changes.
It needs more than just another talkfest. Any serious solution would need something on the level of the Leveson or Finkelstein Inquiries, which in this case would probably take the form of a Royal Commission.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
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Aaron Gilmore on the revenge trail?
Frankenstein's monster is heading back to the lab, and this time he's bringing the angry village folk with him and helping carry the pitchforks...
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
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ruffle trade...
In the interest of fairness and valance...
I like this idea, fairness is always good
and draping fabric to conceal a clunky construction
is so much like National's usual window dressing... -
nzlemming, in reply to
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Can we leave the psychiatry to professionals please? As someone who does have an at times debilitating mental illness, I find the jokes rather less than funny.
Exactly. I have that diagnosis myself, and the pills to prove it. It's still not an excuse to behave like a complete arsehole. That's on him. When you're chronically ill, you put in place mechanisms to cope with it, if you are unable to monitor yourself. If you don't, don't expect any sympathy from me.
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nzlemming, in reply to
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I wonder what will happen to ipredict now that it has been shown up as just another tool for manipulation of the message?
It was pretty obvious it was being gamed right from the get go. I've used it as a qualifier to discount predictions that mention it.
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nzlemming, in reply to
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For Farrar and co, it’s not wars, it’s just serving the local elite. Being at the coal face and letting the real movers and shakers keep their hands clean, and if people get hurt, well, that’s just sad for them isn’t it.
Well said, that grass!
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Mike Hosking is probably still in the lead, but today the 'Herald on Sunday' editorial makes a valiant effort to compete for his crown:
The past few weeks have been marked by an unedifying chant, a cheap racial joke and a book that attempts to smear Key by association with an unsavoury blogger.
Yes, really.
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Dismal Soyanz, in reply to
I've not read the book yet but at least with iPredict if people are trying to manipulate the prices in a systematic way there is an exploitable opportunity (in theory, at least) to make money from them.
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