Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Bill Clinton’s still got the shine. Unlike some.
I’m too young to have observed at first hand the way the US media was [supposedly] swept up in a love affair with John F Kennedy. Sure, I’ve read contemporary accounts like LIFE magazine fawning over the Kennedys etc, and looked at the phenomenon historically, but that ain’t the same. As an observer I was […]
Rights, rights, everywhere, but not a drop to drink
From this morning’s NZ Herald editorial about the National-led government’s political machinations around heading off court action by Maori against its flagship asset sales policy*: ‘Too clever’ risk in Govt shares plan Crown lawyers have acknowledged that pre-colonial iwi and hapu had customary control of rivers and streams in their area and those rights were […]
The D-word. Name-calling in place of intellectual debate
A nice line from Stanley Fish’s New York Times review of right wing polemicist Dinesh D’Souza’s ninety minute anti-Obama campaign ad masquerading as a feature film … … While a viewer could certainly disagree with D’Souza’s analysis of the genesis and emergence of Obama’s views, it is nevertheless an analysis to which one could respond […]
My Side versus The Other Side. (Just beautiful)
Unspeakably good satire (or something) about two party politics and human nature from A. Barton Hinkle at Reason.com: The Wrong Side Absolutely Must Not Win … it’s clear that the people on the Other Side are driven by mindless anger – unlike My Side, which is filled with passionate idealism and righteous indignation. That indignation, […]
Criticism or demonisation? Thoughts about The Standard’s treatment of the Paganis
I personally still don’t buy the ‘left wingers making death threats’ spin promulgated recently with faux ‘outrage’, ‘sympathy’ and ‘concern’ by certain right wing political propagandists. (see: ‘Wailing about death threats, forgetting what they’ve written themselves‘) They’re just exploiting the evident divisions between some on ‘the left’. As they do. Making hay while the sun […]
Wailing about death threats, forgetting what they’ve written themselves
MOCK outrage from local right wing bloggers (the usual suspects) at left wing criticism of left wing activists appears disingenuous. At best. A RWNJ blogger and chorus have been wailing about some public criticism (blogged) of some left wing activists by some LWNJ activists/bloggers and their anonymous feral commenters … even breathlessly interpreting references to […]
Quick and easy reach for allegations of mental illness
I read (devoured) Bob Woodward’s State of Denial — Bush at War, Part III while on holiday last week. I spotted the book on a shelf, plucked it down and thought, This may interest me. Boy, did I misunderestimate. It’s a really great read. Woodward’s story is an extremely detailed and well sourced hatchet job […]
Quote approval is a defeat for journalists any way you look at it. Call their name.
Following up on my comment Flacks will always try this on. Resist. here’s an insider’s view from Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary to George W. Bush 2001 to 2003 … How Washington officials bested the media The problem with quote approval is it’s too easy. It turns the relationship between a source and a […]
One of my favourite right wing vixens pulls the plug, citing her children
Oh noes! MP Louise Mensch resigns to move family to New York Louise Mensch, possibly the most well-known Conservative backbencher, has resigned as MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, citing the difficulties of trying to balance her family life with political commitments. Mensch and her three children will move to New York to live with […]
Read this and tell me it doesn’t remind you (just a little bit) of John Key’s SkyCity Casinos convention centre deal for extra pokie machines
Dave Pell’s Next Draft recommended weekend read was Matt Taibbi’s The Scam Wall Street Learned From the Mafia in Rolling Stone magazine. I agree. It’s a fascinating read, but kind of sickening too. USA v. Carollo marks the first time we actually got incontrovertible evidence that Wall Street has moved into this cartel-type brand of criminality. […]
The dignity of the office
There are roles the political leader of a country plays that are non-political. They are a task of the office rather than the office-holder. A prime minister responding to a national emergency, for instance, or representing our country in times of grief or alarm. John Key does these well, in my opinion. His everyman, guy-next-door […]
