Posts by simon g
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If they want us to vote, they should put some decent food on the menu. Like pizzas and stuff.
Nobody's going to vote for broccoli.
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Hard News: Ten Thousand Maniacs, in reply to Kay,
do you believe that we’re in a world war, even if not in the conventional sense?
I don't. The terrorist atrocities are so horrific, and the media coverage so extensive, that it can feel that way. It is hard to say "this is bad, that was worse". It sounds callous, so soon. But historical accuracy means we have to make those comparisons as dispassionately as we can (if only to counter those who now want to nuke the desert).
Post-WW2, conflicts with appalling death tolls have become a footnote in (Western, or Anglo) history. Indonesia in the 1960's. The French in Algeria. Iran-Iraq war. Too many more.
I have no idea how/when this will end. It is a wretched mess. But it isn't a world war.
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Polity: An Orwellian Alice in Wonderland, in reply to Russell Brown,
I had a bizarre Twitter conversation yesterday with a guy who was insistent that John Key wants to keep the bad men in Australia and Labour want to bring them here. No amount of explanation, linked stories etc would dissuade him from this understanding.
For a definitive example of the remarkable gap between composition and comprehension, see Toby Manhire's column during the Rugby World Cup.
I recommend clicking on "latest comments", to get the full picture. It should be required reading for anybody who still believes "I said it" = "They got it".
The lesson for political operatives (especially the current opposition) is that the job is never done, and (sadly) nuance and logic will not defeat volume and repetition.
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I don't understand why Key being away stops this being an issue.
Logically it doesn't. But we're now a celeb-monarchy, so anybody else (like the Ministers actually responsible) is relegated to the bottom of the bulletin.
On the other hand, those silly "Politician of the year" awards are always about the last few weeks, not whatever happened in March or May. So the media memory hole might work in the opposition's favour this time.
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Key isn't usually in Parliament on a Thursday, so if Carter wants to make a statement without watching his boss squirm, today is his chance (of course that shouldn't be a consideration, but the Speaker's a party hack, so inevitably it is).
I don't know much about the rules (standing orders etc) but I can't see why he can't start the session at 2 pm with at least an acknowledgement that yesterday was a bleak day for Parliament, and that he invites MPs to meet him "offline" to discuss their concerns. An outright apology would be much better but I doubt he can bring himself to go that far, hope he proves me wrong.
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Thank you, Claudia.
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Polity: Cold, calculated and cynical, in reply to Russell Brown,
In which he says:
"There is no evidence of that remark being repeated".
None that he wanted to see or hear.
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Carter today ruled that he had "carefully" reviewed yesterday's tape, and concluded that Key said "you back the rapists" only once.
I'm not a qualified lip-reader, but what does he say at approx. 55 seconds?
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/distant-riot-causes-unrest-at-home-2015111017
Looks to me like he's repeating it. (Once or twice, it should make no difference, except ... the Speaker ruled that it was only once, and so Key did not have to apologise).
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Here's the Stuff story which probably sums up the view from and for Middle New Zealand.
I assume Key has got the poll results and they've told him his voters wouldn't mind if Christmas Island was a permanent gulag.
On the other hand, Herald editorials and other "establishment" voices are less supportive. So he might restrain himself a little, if only because going nuclear-nasty every day tends to produce diminishing returns.
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Polity: Cold, calculated and cynical, in reply to Michael Meyers,
Bart was assessing the response of Key's target audience. Accurately, I suspect.
When TV3's political editor is uncritically running Key's lines, it's hard for other lines to get through.