Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dotcom: Further news of the unlikely

119 Responses

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  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Rich Lock,

    If he’s so keen to splash his money around, perhaps he could pay some to the out-of-pocket investors in letsbuyit.com

    Why? if I were to buy shares in a company called “letsbuyit.com” JUST because some guy said he was going to throw money at it I would consider myself stupid, gullable and greedy and deserve to lose my “Hard Earned Money”.
    I just can’t find sympathy for those wanting to make a fast buck, money should be payment for work done and value realised. imho.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Steve, Sophie - boiler rooms (effectively what he was doing) are illegal in some (most) countries. Even in neocon captial-friendly countries like the US where they are technically not illegal, they certainly violate things like the National Association of Securities Dealers' rules of fair practice. It's usually VERY difficult to get convictions for the sort of things he was convicted for (that's convicted, not charged), like insider trading (which is illegal for good reasons). Have a think about how bang-to-rights he must have been for that to stick.

    The subsequent businesses he built using that money, and which he made most of his current dosh from, were also (to put it mildly) somewhat questionable in their methods, certainly testing the elasticity of the law to breaking point and beyond.

    I don't think he deserves the demonisation and shit-slinging he gets from 'the right'. He clearly rattling their cage anf they're reacting to that. But my enemy's enemy =/= my friend.

    Your view, my view, but personally, I wouldn't trust him to lie straight in bed.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Rich Lock,

    I wouldn’t trust him to lie straight in bed.

    I think I would still trust him over Key. Key would never side with the "underclass"

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to ,

    King Kapisi - adding a bit of gummi bear to Dotcom's machine-made musical Würstchen.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Dotcom announced today that Glenn Greenwald will be in attendance for the dropping of his September bombshell.

    This makes things rather interesting, not least because it guarantees global attention for whatever the bombshell is.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    This makes things rather interesting, not least because it guarantees global attention for whatever the bombshell is.

    True - and it also raises the stakes significantly if this "bombshell" doesn't do the damage Dotcom thinks it does. To put it quite bluntly, nobody at The Guardian gets to vote in New Zealand.

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

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    To put it quite bluntly, nobody at The Guardian gets to vote in New Zealand.

    True. And I think saving it up till Election Day -5 is an act of hubris.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald,

    Just inserting a note of caution boys and girls.

    I have done a rough count of the number of times the words "bomb" and "bombshell" have appeared in the course of this discussion.

    I think, perhaps, that both "bomb" and "bombshell" are words that just might trigger some security alert. Some bored GCSB drone with nothing better to do.....

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • Stewart,

    Some bored GCSB drone

    My ears are burning...

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,

    Greenwald is more likely to be a trigger word

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,

    Some bored GCSB drone with nothing better to do…..

    Oh. silly Rosemary . Wha? Lil' ol' Public Address? ;)

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    If the GCSB wants to read my spam, they have my commiserations in advance.

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

  • Rob Stowell, in reply to ,

    I am thinking of voting for someone to represent me in parliament.
    None of the above want to do that, apart from the Greens

    Back in 1999 I watched Nandor and Sue on TV on election night, and thought: YES! Someone in parliament who actually represents values and ideas and policies I broadly agree with - who look and talk like Kiwis I know.
    That's valuable itself. Having people who represent you in govt would be even better :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    If the GCSB wants to read my spam, they have my commiserations in advance.

    That's funny, but the worrying scenario is that they* might read everything else too. From everybody. Or worse, not read it right now, but store it for later analysis, perhaps in the event that it is useful to publicly discredit you or recast an innocent remark as evidence in your trial. And the knowledge that they could do so is something of an impediment to activism of any kind.

    *they could be another member of the Five Eyes network acting on their behalf.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh,

    I think Johnathan Coleman just shattered my bullshit detector. Should I send him a bill for repairs?

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Coleman just shattered my bullshit detector.

    shatted it, more like? *klaxon sounds* overload! overload! core dump in progress …

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • TracyMac, in reply to ,

    I would much rather that people vote for the IP than not at all. And personally, despite my thinking that Dotcom is just about creating his own publicity machine for his immigration woes, I actually have nothing against the aims of the party at all.

    You're right that they're aiming for a tranche of people that Labour is not seeming to reach at all. I just wish that Dotcom would keep his own head below the parapet, and if he has something important to release, then release it. A big fail for the big reveal would likely put off a lot of those voters who would consider the IP - if it's a big embarrassment, many would stay away in droves. That being said, if it's some Snowden-type revelations about what this govt has been up to - and not just about Dotcom's immigration woes and the disgraceful raid - I'd not be too inclined to shoot the messenger.

    Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to TracyMac,

    Yeh, I get the general feeling that the Big Reveal is going to be double or quits for InterMana.

    Double is the unlikely possibility that InterMana will manage to pull a Beppe Grillo, or more realistically at least keep its head above water. Quits is the big embarrassment you mention.

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to ,

    but that KDC has an unhealthily amount of influence.

    When questioned about that on BFM last week, he stated if he had wanted to try influence the party, he could have drip fed them money . Instead he gave them a lump sum and introduced the 2 Parties. His belief was that the problems this country has are social problems and Mana understands that. That and the obvious, getting rid of National.

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

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