Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: So far from trivial

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  • Kyle Matthews,

    Yet later it transpired that the money was paid after the victim's lawyers demanded $150,000 compensation from Veitch's lawyers. There are other names than compensation claim for such demands, but no one so far has bothered to look into that.

    My impression from what came out over the past couple of days was that Veitch only told TVNZ once he had been contacted by her lawyers. If that's true, it could have been blackmail - "hey, give me some money and I won't tell anyone what you did to me" - but one suspects it was just compensation - "hey, she couldn't work for months and spent time in a wheelchair. Do you want to take a bit of responsibility for that?".

    As Craig notes, the irony of Garth George rising out of the pond scum to point the finger at someone else, who was a victim of a serious assault... Pots and black kettles doesn't cover it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    Starship Troopers was an American ideal of Israel.
    Holocaust (Shoah)/Argentina=Auschwitz
    Constant attack/outnumbered
    Dehumanised enermy
    Own Superiority (Doogy Howser)
    Mil. Structure - Army meritocracy (Israel you only become an officer after the rank of Sgt).
    Shower scene = gender equality

    I was more thinking of the book, which goes into a lot more detail about the structure of the post-breakdown society. Society collapses, anarchy results, from the ashes arises a new and improved society. Effectively the new society is a post-scarcity society, and all the citizens can, if they want, live a life at at least a comfort level. The snag? In order to have (just) voting rights, you need to have 'served' in some capacity. Although alternatives are mentioned, this effectively means serving in the military. To actually hold office (e.g. MP, president, etc), you need to have joined the army, gained the rank of General in the 'land' military, then resigned, entered the 'navy' on the lowest rung and worked your way up to the rank of Admiral. Then you can run for office.

    The book was and is quite heavily critisised for many of the same reason as Craig mentions (you get the distinct impression the author regards Ayn Rand as a little wimpy...). However, for me (and the point I was trying to make), the two standout 'acts ofgod' which the author uses to 'create' this perfect society are:

    1) the old society doesn't exist any more. As it has collapsed, we don't have to worry about the exisitng legislature, due process, or any of that fuddy-duddy quaint old stuff.

    2) the author explicity states that there is and always will be an external threat to human society - the threat will always be there in one form or another - hence the on-going need for a standing military (in the book it happens to be alien races - if the humans aren't fighting one of them, they'll be fighting another).

    At the risk of sailing close to godwin, external (or internal) threats have been used repeatedly to bring together disparate elements in a fractured society to weld it into a single whole that sings with one voice, and which sings the song the leaders want it to sing. It is extremely convenient for the sake of the authors philosophy in 'starship troopers' that he doesn't actually have to make this external threat human.

    We put it forward as a leadership video in the Army (they didn't take it up).
    'Glory' is the offical Leadership video.(Refusal to take higher pay than his men & getting his men shoes)
    'Saving Pte. Ryan' is the movie for rules of engagement (don't shoot the guy burning to death = euthenasia - fog of war = trench shooting & the 1st two surrender but are shot - Murder observed but not addressed immediately.)

    I've heard the Lt. in 'Platoon' is also used in the army as an example of 'how not to do it'. Final act, big VC/NVA attack, he effectively abdicates responsibility and tells his men to sort it out themselves.

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

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    The eternal external enermy is just a rewrite of Machiavellis The Prince.

    The voting issue & Mil service may be a resentment towards Orthodox Jews not serving in the military.

    I think you're right about Platoon.

    I've got a cartoon somewhere that goes to say the training was good and all, but it has ruined war movies for them forever.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report

  • robbery,

    13 and counting

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    $186 for SKY subscription
    $2000 for munchies
    $100,000 to break your ex-wifes back

    NZ legal system

    Priceless.

    message brought you by Windows Mobile®.

    http://stuff.co.nz/4623235a11.html

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

  • robbery,

    I thought it was $150000
    surely an unnamed source can sort that information. (10)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Dunne-Powell initially sought $127,000 in October last year, then upped that to $150,000 after Veitch twice went back with lower offers;

    Veitch also agreed to pay $5000 to a women's anti-violence group;

    This ,from the heralds unnamed sauce.

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

  • LegBreak,

    If the Herald's unnamed source is to be believed, there was a lot of bargaining going on during this period that Veitch was trying to make amends.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report

  • robbery,

    so where did the $100000 figure come from. are there multiple unnamed sources? (7)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report

  • LegBreak,

    For the second week running, Raybon Kan cleans up with his take on the week's decelopments

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report

  • Jackie Clark,

    Imagine if a judge sentenced a violent criminal to one week of bad sleep. Or one week of being the subject of talkback.

    Raybon Kan. The Man.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Nah, it's right that your mates stand by you. How else can you turn your life around?
    Holmes declared it to be, two mates having a chat about what Veitch did.
    The Cops are following up the complaint. This is as good as it gets without Veitch reaching an epiphany and it seems clear he hasn't.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report

  • Art and my life,

    I see now "Friends of Veitch" are slipping info to the press

    http://stuff.co.nz/4624560a10.html

    The article makes me feel a bit sick. I wondered how long it would take for more finger pointing in Dunne-Powell's direction

    Since May 2008 • 10 posts Report

  • LegBreak,

    Jackie,

    It's great one-liners from start to finish from Raybon. Including the headline.

    The mocking of the parental split-up is a personal favourite. The only thing he missed was in (rightly) bagging Telfer's "input" into this is the fact that Veitch snr and Telf are best mates.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    And predictably we're exposed to more blubbing from poor Tony - maybe this is the stuff he was complaining was "untrue" (but which was not in the public domain when he said that):

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10522496&pnum=0

    "I don't care what anyone says about me but... to have somebody out there who could say I would attack... I've only had three girlfriends in my life, and my first one was the love of my life early on in Australia, my university girlfriend. This letter contained details that I had beaten her up and had assaulted my other girlfriend as well. And that to the day is the thing way beyond even this that is the most hurtful thing out of all this."

    Remember, everything before the "but" is bullshit. Interestingly, the story notes that the original journalist "accused Veitch supporters of running a smear campaign to discredit Dunne-Powell". He really does care about his "reputation".

    Kan is eloquent about the wave of engineered sympathy for the bloke.

    Why can't these people bring themselves to condemn an act of violence against a woman lying on the floor?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Yamis,

    Round of applause for Kan in this house...

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    The Cops are following up the complaint. This is as good as it gets without Veitch reaching an epiphany and it seems clear he hasn't.

    Hey Shep, ( I like how your name suggests one may speak casually)I really do think that for anyone to behave in the manner for which we are being informed, is, quite ignorant of the effect their actions have.So I don't expect that Veitch would have imagined that his compensation was going to be considered wrong because it seemed to sort his problem out when he negotiated it.I don't think he thought of his counter offers as anything but just what lawyers do.Let's face it ,lawyers do try to" get the best deal", or" make the problem go away" and most of the time it's big money if you earn lots which, seems to be the case with both of these people so negotiations were probably an automatic action. Seldom do we see people give themselves up suggesting they have had an epiphany but because of public pressure Veitch has had to face his demons on the stage.A form of restorative justice in itself. I do imagine he is learning lessons as we write. If he learns never to do this again that in my eyes is a good thing. Russell was right over at the trainwreck, weird spell!

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

  • Sacha,

    Just sent Raybon's editor a note of congratulations. Figure it pays to encourage those doing the job well.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • robbery,

    congratulations sofie, you turned 1001.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Rob, the official counter says 983 - where's your total coming from?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Yes, I am young for my age :)

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    It's about time you got something right there Robbery ;)

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

  • robbery,

    isn't it 20 a page? and we're on pg 50?
    if not, complete mis calculation, I'm not sure I can fabricate interest and comment for another17 posts.
    unless veitch tops himself, now that'd make some more comments wouldn't it, or complete silence, could go either way.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    How about that weather, then..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    It's better than nothing.

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

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