Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: God's squads

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  • Paul Litterick,

    And I wouldn't recognise Claire Curren to run over.

    You would probably fall asleep at the wheel before you could hit her. She is very, very dull.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    “If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”

    Is that more palatable?

    He was plagiarising GB Shaw and aside from that I'd say it's just as unapalatable and not nearly as insidiuosly clever.

    Well it's just as untrue and condescending. The Grey Lynn tribe is really made up of childless young people? I don't think so.

    My mother looks like Jeanette Fitzsimons, but people tend to assume she votes for Winston Peters because of her age. For some reason this makes me irrationally furious.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    I live in a predominantly National part of a safe Labour electorate.

    The sitting MP has refused to take part in the 2 debates held there.

    And I think that really stinks (not saying it wouldn’t happen the other way around the country either)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    What’s a lickspittle?

    Christ knows. Prehaps "filthy, lying socialist lickspittle" is a phrase dreamt up by someone who loved the episode of Sesame Street brought to them by the letter "i". Or a closet Jonathon Ives enthusiast. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Well it's just as untrue and condescending. The Grey Lynn tribe is really made up of childless young people? I don't think so.

    The author of 8 Tribes says this:

    The Grey Lynn tribe is made up of intellectuals who value ideas more than things. They are well-educated, highly principled, socially aware, culturally sophisticated people. They believe in collective social responsibility, and that individuals should make a difference by making the world a better place.

    This growing tribe is increasingly influential within New Zealand. It might not control the big business decisions, but it is ascendant in government and the media. Grey Lynn tribe members are often educators or work in the creative industries.

    The Grey Lynn tribe is made up of relatively affluent people with knowledge-worker jobs. They tend to love things that other tribes may find difficult to afford - art, travel and well-made things. But it’s difficult having so much when the world is a mess. The Grey Lynn tribe’s solution is to seek out authenticity and to craft a life that makes a difference.

    For short: rich hippies.

    The author, Chris Brown, dines out on the fact that I, a high priest of this tribe, and John Key, figurehead of the North Shore Tribe, attended school together.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    What’s a lickspittle?

    Fucked if I know, but Ms. Manners sez: One wipes up one's own spittle with a clean handkerchief or napkin. Licking it up is not only rude (unless you've brought enough for everyone) and unhygenic, but may constitute assault if done in a crowded room.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    For some reason this makes me irrationally furious.

    Irrationally?

    My mum's 77 and lives in a Berlusconi stronghold. When she goes out for a walk, people have learned to cross the street for fear of being harangued by her on what's wrong with the way the country is going. She holds EVERYONE responsible.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    Lickspittle:

    a. An abject parasite or sycophant; a toady.

    [1629 DAVENANT Albovine III. Gib, Lick her spittle From the ground. This disguiz'd humilitie Is both the swift, and safest way to pride.] 1825 J. WILSON Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1855 I. 40 To hear his lickspittles speak you would think that a man of great and versatile talents was a miracle. 1851 BORROW Lavengro III. 319 It is only in England that literary men are invariably lick-spittles. 1883 J. HAWTHORNE Dust I. 4 Stage-coachmen were..comrades to gentlemen, lickspittles to lords. 1890 C. MARTYR W. Phillips 76 The South omnipotent and imperious, the North its errand-boy and lick-spittle.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov,

    ah.. that familiar phase in ye olde exotic tribalism called democracy;
    battle lines drawn, bayonets primed
    and everyone but everyone
    bracketed

    firmly and forcefully bracketed

    Michael Jones and Inga Tuigamala (very conservative Christians)
    PIs (led by faith)
    all the Christians (too busy with their PhDs)
    Craig Young (GayNZ)
    David Farrar (inciter of Clark-hate and petty misogyny)
    Helen Clark (the silly bint)

    Clearly the best time to invade a democratic nation could be when the whole place is parenthesized to the nines.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Evan Yates,

    “If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”

    Is that more palatable?

    He was plagiarising GB Shaw and aside from that I'd say it's just as unapalatable and not nearly as insidiuosly clever.

    Actually on further consideration, I think neither Churchill nor Shaw originally trotted out this little piggy. Maybe some French dude

    Hamiltron, Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Nov 2006 • 197 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    parenthesized to the nines

    you missed one - Joe (the plumber).

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    They obviously need to be introduced to Nick Smith and Tony Ryall.

    Perhaps they also need to be introduced to Phil Goff, and reminded what the presumptive next leader of the Labour Party did when he was Minister of Education. Since you went there...

    Craig, anything he did while he had that moustache doesn't count.

    But seriously...fair point. I've demonstrated exactly what I was pointing out. As someone who became a teenager/young adult under National, Labour's past sins mattered less than their promise of change.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Joe (the plumber)

    Mack (The Knife)
    Atilla (The Hun)
    Ludwig (The Mad)
    Hat (The Cat in The)
    Hannibal (The Cannibal)

    Yegads, Dr. Seuss has been writing John McCain and Sarah Palin's speeches from beyond the grave!

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

  • Jason Kemp,

    The 8 Tribes viewpoint strikes me as a more useful way of predicting voter behaviour than the old right /left, church race or school ties indicators that have been used in the past.

    For short: rich hippies.

    as short hand for Grey Lynn is like a venn diagram for one small corner. It does the idea a disservice.

    There were two authors. Caldwell was the other one.
    It was written in late 06 / early '07. The Ponsonby Tribe - the 9th one will be the one likely to make itself felt in urban city seats including AK Central.

    Besides that Tizard appears to have made no effort to connect with her electorate and she has polarized a selection of former Labour voters against herself.

    I'm in the Mt Albert electorate and I've met the National candidate there in a local park talking to parents ( and as it is my local I'd say many Grey Lynners with children tribe) and not a pony tail in sight.

    He seemed genuine if naiive about the realpolitick and some are picking he will do well.

    He will get some personal vote / Tizard will not.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Mark Taslov (jaded expat)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    and not a pony tail in sight.

    We wear our ponytails on the inside ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Angus Robertson,

    What’s a lickspittle?

    An arse-kisser in polite society.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    What’s a lickspittle?

    An arse-kisser in polite society.

    So why don't they call him an arse-kisser then...?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    "socially aware, culturally sophisticated"

    These are weasel terms. What do they mean? From whose standpoint are we to assess awareness and sophistication? I think we can guess which tribe the authors assign themselves to...

    The whole "tribes" thing rubs me up the wrong way. Even the word "tribe", with its connotations of loyalty, kinship, and difference from outsiders, offends me in this context.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    I am always amused by the way the largely white, largely middle class media follows the largely whitr, middle class National party on an expedition to "South Auckland" once every three years, then on the basis of three photo ops offers breathless opinions on the death of the Labour vote. Its deeply condescending and reflects the race and class divide that defines the 1960's Auckland of the NZ Herald from the reality of most of the majority of Aucklanders. For what it is worth, my experience of my interactions with the PI's is you'll usually get an initially astoundingly (to my urban liberal ear) reactionary view of social issues, followed by a canny assessment of where class interests leave their vote.

    PI's are like any stereotype - far more nuanced, canny individuals than any paintbrush view will allow.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I am always amused by the way the largely white, largely middle class media follows the largely whitr, middle class National party on an expedition to "South Auckland" once every three years, then on the basis of three photo ops offers breathless opinions on the death of the Labour vote.

    Well, I'd love to see the very white, very middle-class leadership of the Labour Party share a platform with Peseta Sam Lotu-Inga and trot out the patronising crap about "tourists". Since you went there, darling.

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

  • andrew llewellyn,

    So why don't they call him an arse-kisser then...?

    Dad4justice is too PC.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Lotu-**liga**, innit?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So why don't they call him an arse-kisser then...?

    To be fair, "lickspittle" is a much better word.

    When in doubt, choose the word without a hyphen.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I agree with Tom about nuance, and even lumping different Pasifika ethnic communities into one basket is misleading (much like saying "Asian" is).

    It is a welcome sign of progress since the era of dawn raids when those like Su'a William Sio or Mr Lotu-liga find success anywhere on the political landscape.

    I note that Lotu-liga isn't actually standing in the south, is he? Though I spose None Tree Hill technically is, from th Shore. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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