Hard News: Only what we would expect a child to do
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Sacha, in reply to
However, given National's abuse of urgency to push through legislation without public consultation I have no faith that any legislation presented to the House will contain the slightest reflection of public interest or sentiment.
Mining national parks showed resistance is still possible - just has to be organised by competent organisations and people.
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I read Deborah Coddington’s column yesterday.
Isn’t it slightly a stretch to rail against political correctness in general as sweeping ‘honour killings’ under the carpet when it hasn’t even been confirmed that the murder was an ‘honour killing’ in the first place? And does anyone seriously use the term ‘honour killing’ in this country except in a deeply ironic and negative sense? Still, if it lets you get your misplaced rage on at the PC crowd in a national newspaper...
The editorial on SOE share sales was a lowlight too but the relevant issues are already well canvassed here.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Well, yes... then again, I'm the kind of silly simple fool who finds burning someone to death horrific enough that the motivation for doing so pales into the neighbourhood of marginal significance.
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Sacha, in reply to
I read Deborah Coddington’s column yesterday.
My sympathies. Not her best effort. Complains about cultural tolerance and then celebrates the (European) Enlightenment's.. cultural tolerance. Culture counts when it's the right one, apparently.
However, the moment any pre-Enlightenment barbarism surfaces to be forced on others - in the name of honour or some departed fatherland - we must stamp on it immediately.
We should not surrender freedom of speech to the weasel words of wretched cultural sensitivity.
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Coincidentally, this week I'm reading Passionate Minds, about the love affair between Voltaire and Emilie du Chatelet. Author David Bodanis states: "Enlightenment ideas are at the heart of what is hated by groups such as al-Qaeda: the belief that diverse religions should be equally respected; that women can be treated fairly; that church and state can be separated; that old beliefs are not the sole path to truth."
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BenWilson, in reply to
Given Treasury's well-known position on asset sales, it's a no-brainer that the sales will be recommended, and as quickly as possible.
Yes, how dare anyone else but them have any control over this country.
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Steve Parks, in reply to
Complains about cultural tolerance and then celebrates the (European) Enlightenment’s.. cultural tolerance.
Well, Coddington seems to be complaining about (what she sees as) cultural excuses. The sort of tolerance she celebrates isn’t the sort wherein we must tolerate the intolerant parts of other cultural practices (hence Bodanis pointing to al-Qaeda) so her stance isn’t contradictory. (Or, to borrow a pithy phrase from friend: tolerance of bigotry isn’t tolerance, but bigotry.)
Where Coddington’s gone wrong, it seems to me, is that there just isn’t any suggestion that the horrific incident she refers to should be excused, so what’s her problem? I certainly haven’t heard anyone suggest that this act should be condoned if it turns out to have been done as an ‘honour killing’. As Sam F said, when the media and other people here use the term ‘honour killing’ they don’t mean it to come across as some sort of mitigation. And as she says herself, the use of the notion of “honour” killing in cases like Ahmad Riyaz Khan got them nowhere in terms of legal defense. I think she's on her high horse for nothing, in this case.
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Sam F, in reply to
As Sam F said, when the media and other people here use the term ‘honour killing’ they don’t mean it to come across as some sort of mitigation.
In fact I believe Mediawatch this weekend had a whole spiel about the media use of the term to amp up the horror of the story, rather than play it down.
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In fact I believe Mediawatch this weekend had a whole spiel about the media use of the term to amp up the horror of the story, rather than play it down.
It did. Although I wasn't able to focus on it due to domestic stuff.
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Credit where due: the Herald runs a fairly well-reasoned opinion piece on asset sales.
[Crossposted to Election 2011 thread, where I see Ben Wilson spotted it first...]
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Speaking of children, our illustrious PM will be having a weekly slot with Veitch on Radio Sport. From one inane douche bag to another, it seems. Maybe he doesn't like the fact that Corin Dann isn't the soft touch that Paul Henry was.
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
our illustrious PM will be having a weekly slot with Veitch on Radio Sport.
He really is going for the Rugby thug vote eh?
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Matthew Poole, in reply to
That'd be the thugby vote, no?
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Danielle, in reply to
our illustrious PM will be having a weekly slot with Veitch
My gag reflex is certainly getting a big workout this week. Do you think Key would change his mind about doing this if I threw up on him?
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Matthew Poole, in reply to
Do you think Key would change his mind about doing this if I threw up on him?
Depends. Are you hot?
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
My gag reflex is certainly getting a big workout this week. Do you think Key would change his mind about doing this if I threw up on him?
I wish he would, so we could be spared any further paternalistic concern trolling of Bronagh Key.
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recordari, in reply to
Do you think Key would change his mind about doing this if I threw up on him?
[Redacted]
Save that one for the picnic, if the opportunity arises.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Save that one for the picnic, if the opportunity arises.
Looks like I'll be having an early night...
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Sacha, in reply to
Are you hot?
Someone *has* to be doing a parody election billboard series with that one, right?
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Sacha, in reply to
paternalistic concern trolling of Bronagh Key
What, you don't think the commenter's concern about what Key's actions say about his character are valid? Didn't think it was over the top - or that Bronagh is some sort of silent victim of public brutality either. But we do still have some stake in the kind of person we want representing our country, don't we?
For my part, I think it says a lot about his character – not only in what backing Veitch says about him, as you’ve pointed out, but what expressing envy of Tiger Woods’ adultery and nominating celebs he’d like to shaft says about him – that he’s that kind of Kiwi bloke who thinks nothing of humiliating his wife in public. Prime Ministerial it ain’t.
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recordari, in reply to
Looks like I’ll be having an early night…
I meant the story, not the activity. Sheesh, you're so literary. Literally.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
What, you don’t think the commenter’s concern about what Key’s actions say about his character are valid?
If my partner feels “humiliated” by my constant paeans to the hotness of Russell Tovey he’s welcome to tell me to STFU and/or declare a time out on the naughty sofa bed. (We do domestics old school around here.) Over the last fifteen years, he’s shown a remarkable facility for being offended on his own account. I just suggest ‘Psycho Milt’ would like to pay Bronagh Key the same courtesy.
But we do still have some stake in the kind of person we want representing our country, don’t we?
I’m sure the people who regarded Helen Clark’s uterus, her marriage and her personal and political associations with *gasp* sodomites and sapphists as matters of compelling public interest rather than vulgar impertinence would agree with you. YMMV as to whether you want to be standing that close to Ian Wishart.
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Matthew Poole, in reply to
If my partner feels “humiliated” by my constant paeans to the hotness of Russell Tovey
And you announce them on your PAR show? With an audience of 10s-of-000s? And he gets an equal platform to tell you to STFU and spend a week reflecting on your sins on the naughty sofa-bed?
Yeah, didn't think so. Come back to us when you've got a real equivalence with Key's broadcasting antics.
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Sacha, in reply to
If my partner feels “humiliated” by my constant paeans to the hotness of Russell Tovey he’s welcome to tell me to STFU
That's right, it's all about individuals.
And you announce them on your PAR show?
What he said. And it's hardly the first time for Key.
Honestly are you and Thomas Beagle getting your lines from the same script?
What's worse, John Key drooling over 'hotties' on air, or Helen Clark kissing Peter Davis on the front page of the newspaper?
As I replied to him, "yeah, cos the media have been pestering Key to be a boofhead for ages, eh".
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Danielle, in reply to
And you announce them on your PAR show? With an audience of 10s-of-000s?
TBH it really is up to Bronagh to find Key’s public celebrity-banging list offensive or inoffensive. I just said to someone else that if I were her I’d be humiliated not because of the list, but because I was married to such a huge fucking DORK who thought it was Prime Ministerially endearing to be snarfling it up on the radio, but I suppose that’s another issue altogether.
ETA: And of course if my husband decided it was appropriate to be regularly interviewed by Tony Veitch, we'd have WAY more to discuss than whether he thought Liz Hurley was hot.
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Sacha, in reply to
TBH it really is up to Bronagh to find Key’s public celebrity-banging list offensive or inoffensive.
You're kidding - so no one else has any legitimate interest in a public individual's behaviour?
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