Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: ACT, John Key, National, Nicky Hager, Pundit, Roger Douglas
Nicky Hager has written a great article on Pundit on John Key and the National Party. Hardly anything we all didn’t already know and it is not going to slow the momentum of the National Party, but Hager has summed up why I don’t trust John Key and his mates, no matter how well oiled their spin machine is. The old faces are still there and so is the agenda. Throw Act and Roger Douglas into the mix and you get what you vote for.
National are going to have to do a lot more than install a fresh face and steal all Labour’s policies to prove they are anything other than the National Party of the nineties. Gaffes from the likes of Williamson, English and Smith confirm that there is an agenda, although it is not really so well hidden, more ignored.
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: ACT, Election 2008, Election Quiz, Green Party, Labour, National, New Zealand, New Zealand First, Politics, Progressives, Pundit, United Future
I’ve just given Tim Watkin’s election quiz a go, to see who I should be voting for on November 8. Whilst I can see how the quiz could throw up some disturbing results for some people (perhaps those who vote on personality rather than policy), my own result is pretty much spot on. Whether I vote the way the poll says I cannot be sure, I am still a somewhat undecided voter (waiting for the appropriate bribe!), but the parties I am closest to are certainly those I will be choosing between.
Give it a go, you might be surprised!
Apparently I am 85 per cent aligned to the Greens, 84 per cent to the Progressives, and 74 per cent Labour. No surprises there. However of those that I probably would only vote for after being hit by a bus, I have a 66 per cent similarity of beliefs with United Future, 65 with New Zealand First, 44 per cent with National and 28 per cent with Act. To be honest I am surprised there is even that much we have in common.
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: ACT, Election 2008, Green Party, Greens, Jeanette Fitzsimons, Jim Anderton, Maori Party, Minor Parties Leaders Debate, New Zealand, NZ First, Peter Dunne, Progressives, Rodney Hide, Tariana Turia, United Future, Winston Peters
How much more interesting what last night’s minor parties leader debate than the Helen Clark v John Key bout the Labour leader won the other week? Some of the politicians really impressed and others were as predictably average as one would expect. Here I my thoughts on how the leaders performed, no doubt my opinions will differ from the media commentator consensus. (more…)
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: Coalition, Election 2008, Green Party, Human Rights, Libertarianz, New Zealand, Political Correctness, Politics
In a great service to voters across the country, the Libertarianz have announced they will not be supporting any coalition that involves the Green Party. The Libertarianz cite the Green Party’s “addiction to bans”, declaring the party as the “most totalitarian party in parliament”, as the reason why the party will not cooperate with them post election. Considering the minute chance the Libertarianz will get into parliament, the Greens announcement that they will side with Labour and the Libertarianz strong dislike of Labour, one wonders why they would bother to make such an announcement. However when one looks at the Libertarianz’s list of things that the Greens oppose, one wonders how many the Libertarianz themselves oppose. Or do they believe that animal remains should be fed to farm animals, Japanese fishing boats should be able to rape our seas, toy tobacco should be sold to under-18s, everyone or anyone should be allowed weapons of mass destruction and people should be able to burn plastics and treated timbers in their backyards?
Considering the content of the comical blog Not-PC, one should not be surprised to see such ridiculous announcements from the Libertarianz. And people call the Greens loopy!
Here is the full press release: (more…)
Filed under: Music, Philosophy | Tags: Acoustic, Appeal to Reason, Billboard 200, Hero of War, Music, punk, Rise Against, Song
I believe music is a means of communication. A song should have a message, it should tell a story. The listener should feel something; anger, happiness, sorrow, humour, anything. A great song should make you think, either about the artist who wrote it, or what they were rtying to convey. The best songs should really get to you emotionally and/or intellectually, it should change your opinions, challenge your beliefs, or bring a tear to your eye.
Earlier this week I purchased the new album from Rise Against Appeal to Reason. I reviewed it for this blog and TWN. Track 10 is the greatest song ever written. Not only is ‘Hero of War’ beautifully sung and performed, it has the most powerful lyrics ever. Tim McIlrath’s voice is so genuine, you really believe he is the soldier in the song. If Rise Against wanted to top the charts, this track should be the next single released on this already successful album (open #3 on billboard 200) so the whole world can hear it. It really is that good in my mind. This is what music is really about, not faux-lesbians, gansta-rivalries or obnoxious mindless bass thumps. Amberleigh Jack, this is the song I will play my children.
Filed under: Journalism, New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: AUT University, Election 2008, Jonathan Coleman, Journalism, New Zealand, Newspaper, Politics, Te Waha Nui
I am so glad that’s over! As much fun and rewarding as making your own newspaper is, it takes a hell of a lot out of you. You can all to easily become dangerous obsessed with it, demanding perfection and becoming angered at any small mistake you find. You work like a slave from 8am till 12 some nights, and expect the same self-destructive dedication from your colleagues. Between fights you leave the building for timeout, or head down to the pub for some liquid relief. But when you make this, you know the sweat, tears and sleepless night were worth it. (more…)
Filed under: Music | Tags: Appeal to Reason, Australia, New Zealand, punk, Re-Education (through labor), Rise Against, Siren Song to Counter Culture, Sufferer and the witness
The anticipation of listening to one of your favourite band’s latest albums for the first time is a thrill I expect I share with most music lovers. Rise Against’s Appeal to Reason will do well to impress, following 2006’s exceptional Sufferer and the Witness. From the get-go, The Sufferer and the Witness caught the listener’s attention, with epic anthems demanding you sing along at the top of your lungs. In fact, this rings true of all their previous releases. On first listen of Appeal to Reason, however, there doesn’t seem to be that same attraction. The songs overall are very good; Rise Against is arguably one of the most consistently good punk bands around, rarely putting a foot wrong. However, Rise Against is truly great when they mix it up, and some of the tracks on Appeal to Reason are a bit formulaic and on first listen, there are only a few surprises.
After giving the album another listen, I start to feel I may have been a bit harsh on Appeal to Reason. The band has grown since Sufferer and the Witness and whilst the signature sound is clearly dominant, the band has matured in its song writing. There are still the sing-alongs that make this band so great live, but greater detail has gone into the song structure and to the guitar riffs, pulling in the listener with catchy hooks. (more…)
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: Economy, Election 2008, government, Helen Clark, John Key, Labour, Leader's Debate, National, New Zealand, Politics
I had expected John Key to get slaughtered by the far more experienced and capable Clark, but he didn’t do too badly. However considering the opportunities gifted to him, he should have done much better. There were chances for him to put Clark on the back foot, in particular he could have made much more of Labour’s recent student allowance announcement and the apparent hypocrisy of it. Instead Key opted to speak over Clark, repeating slogans and popular terms. He sounded like a poor man’s Obama echoing his “change” motto and became simply irritating when he continued going on about “mum and dad”. Helen Clark was not above meaningless rhetoric, but she certainly knew her arguments and articulated them well. Although Key got some good comments in, Clark arguably had the best calls of the night, when she silenced his constant interruptions and when she nailed him over the Springbok tour. Some of Key’s arguments were a bit of stretch, particularly on Labour’s influence on the economy, considering international factors. I doubt his performance will hurt him, and his supporters will likely disagree with my observations, but I think he could have potentially sown up the election with a more competent performance. Sometimes he came across like a smarmy private school boy, not a leader of a country.
Filed under: Politics | Tags: Beijing, China, Chinese, Cluster Munitions Coalition, Gao Zhisheng, Hu Jia, Morgan Tsvangirai, Nobel Prize, Olympics, Zimbabwe
I was wrong when I wrote an opinion piece for AUT’s student paper TWN, which I also posted here, where I argued that the 2008 Olympics would focus the world’s attention on China and their human rights abuses. I believed that although the Chinese officials would use the games to promote the countries recent advances to world, activists could also hijack the Olympics to highlight the restrictions placed on protesters, the media, ethnic and religious groups. For the first week of the games this was the games. Despite the extravagant opening ceremony, incredible stadiums and well organised events, much of the early media coverage was also on the daily difficulties of the media in reporting non-sports and non-cultural articles. However, once Phelps-mania and Bolt-mania set in, the attention was solely on the sports and now long after the games nothing has happened, no one really cares. The world’s short attention span means we can focus on one international story at a time, and right now that is the credit crunch and the US elections.
So China won the propaganda war of the Olympics. But once again there is a chance to highlight the plight of dissenters in China, the Nobel Prize. (more…)
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Politics | Tags: Budget, Economics, Election 2008, John Key, Labour, Michael Cullen, National, New Zealand, Politics, Tax cuts, Taxation
Michael Cullen’s announcement yesterday that the books were in a bad shape was seen cynically (although probably rightly) by most as an attempt to undermine John Key’s much hyped to be released tax cut policy. Now in light of the realisation that the country’s coffers are in deficit, Key has scaled back the proposed tax cuts his party will offer. I’ve said it many times on this blog that I don’t really grasp the ins and outs of economic issues, most people don’t, but I cannot help but see Cullen’s announcement as a godsend for Key. National have made great gains against Labour, not by promising impressive detailed policy but by Palinesque sloganeering. For some time National has placed their flagship tax cuts at the forefront of the agenda and following the budget have promised larger tax cuts than those Labour has penned in. And the voters have lapped it all up, despite no details. Now, with the global economy going all 1929 on us, tax cuts of the size people were envisaging from National are not affordable. And Cullen’s little trick gives National every excuse to scale down their proposed tax cuts. And if voters question the quality of the election bribe from the party in the blue corner, National can say it is all Labour’s fault. And the voters will lap it up.
Filed under: Philosophy | Tags: anti flag, Burger Fuel, Burger King, Burgers, Capitalism, Elitism, Fast food, McDonald's, Multi-nationals, New Zealand, Strike Anywhere, Vegetarian, Wendy's
Ideologically I should be a vegetarian, but I just can’t do it. It’s not even that I love meat too much to stop eating it. I don’t like vegetables enough. And it would be too inconvenient. I like to grab a cheap burger when I can’t be bothered waiting or making something myself. It’s not even that I like the burgers that much, it’s just that I get cravings. As you can see I’m not a big eater. I like lollies quite a bit. And nuts. Chips are good too. But I need to get a good filling feed every now and then, so that I don’t lose more weight and faint or die. So I walk down Queen Street and pick myself some fast food. Will it be a Whopper today or a Big Mac?
I confess I feel guilty. Nothing feels more hypocritical then walking back up to uni with Anti-Flag playing in my earphones wearing my Strike Anywhere hoodie whilst clutching a bag of McDonald’s? But I can’t help it. And it is it really that bad? (more…)
Filed under: New Zealand Election 08, Philosophy, Politics, religion | Tags: democracy, Christianity, Crime, Referendum, Sue Bradford, Herald on Sunday, Smacking, Section 59 Crimes Act
In a well written and intelligent editorial, the Herald on Sunday outlined why referendums are not worth the ballot paper the poorly written questions are written on. Entitled “Ask an obvious question and you get a meaningless answer“, today’s editorial outlines how the questions used in referendums are loaded as to ensure tht only one result can possibly be found. In next years citizen initiated referendum on the repealing of section 59 of the Crimes Act, the question will be “should a smack as a part of good parental correction be a criminal offence?” When many experts in child psychology and childcare have said that smacking is not actually a part of good parental correction, the question ceases to make any sense. So do you vote if you disagree with the premise of the question? Vote yes and oppose “good parental correction” (which does not include smacking), or abstain in protest? (more…)
Filed under: Journalism, Politics | Tags: AUT, History, Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, News, Newspaper, Politics, Robert Fisk, Te Waha Nui
Te Waha Nui issue number 25, the third for this semester, is in my hot little hands. Arguably the best issue yet, this week we have had the benefit of filling some pages with profiles done by the magazine students, with articles everyone from Marina Erakovic to the Act Party’s Maori Te Tai Tokerau candidate Peter Tashkoff. Oh, and Robert Fisk! Some great news and politics stories dominate the first half dozen pages with everything from burger chain wars to irate dairy farmers. Again there are some insightful and even humourous opinion pieces and another brilliant Sally Conor cartoon. One of the highlights for me, and not because I contributed some content, was the history spread we did on memorable colourful political moments.
So once more a fortnight of hard work has produced a pleasing result, a great paper that all involved can be satisfied with.
Filed under: Journalism, New Zealand Election 08, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, religion | Tags: Bethlehem College, Christian, democracy, government, Greens, Helen Clark, Herald, Jesus, John Key, Labour, National, New Zealand, Simon Collins, Tauranga, Winston Churchill
Although I initially though the Herald’s “One Man Poll” sounded like a massive vox pop (which I can’t stand) in the capable hands of Simon Collins the series was likely to be a success. And he does find some interesting people with interesting views on interesting issues. Collins finds people who do sum up what others are thinking and finds out the thought behind their opinions. Fascinating stuff at times. However, either Collins is drawn to some absolute morons, or New Zealand is a country with a disproportionate number of idiot residents.
Here’s a couple from the last few days. There are many more! (more…)
