Chris Trotter has double standards. He documents them for history in the Sunday Star Times today. Which is good. We'll probably need evidence when he revises said history later in the election year.
In part one of my post [here] I showed how Trotter lowers his standards. Whilst he provides ample opportunity to sidetrack me with even more examples, I'll focus on the double standard he works to, in his feeble attempt to blame National for Labour's self-inflicted woes. Sadly, the end result is that he becomes nothing but a mouthpiece for the left. But wait, there's more.
Chris Trotter tries to paint National as a party who has orchestrated and
The problem with Chris Trotter's flip-flops throughout his writing is that he barely understands the concept of "taking responsibility for ones actions", but most people in New Zealand understand the concept of "own goal" well enough, and Helen Clark and team have set new records on that score. Even during the six month stumbling holiday from the relentless campaigning.
Examples?
s59; retrospective legislation; Pledge Cards; canceling the tax cuts; Madeline Setchell out; prison cost blowouts; Clare Curran in; Benson-Pope (several times); the DHB scandals; Mallard (several times); Taito Philip Field; and the EFB just for starters.
National just had to pop up and remind people that they were the party in opposition. The rest was perfectly mis-managed by Labour. In fact, the arrogance Labour displayed over some of these issues hurt them more than the issue themselves.
But Trotter goes on to credit National being supported by the efforts of the media, especially the NZ Herald traitors who ran "Pay it Back" and "Democracy Under Threat" campaigns. Added to this was the efforts of John Boscawen, who used around $200,000 of his own money to organise rallies where over 10,000 people protested the original Electoral Finance Bill. That's apparently illegal now. Chris crows:
Secondly, in his own strange way he is realizing that Labour will not get a free and uncontested ride. He's happy the left have shut down the centre-right (ahem) allies, but is worried that the media may feel compelled to try to "keep the buggers honest". He describes it thus:
Because when the people of the Nation, or the media, or John Boscawen, or Family First, or the Human Rights Commission, or Mike Moore, or 10,000 plus protesters, or any special interest group express an opinion that coincides with National, we see them painted as mouthpieces, and scheming allies that coordinate attacks in relentless parallel campaigning programs that use big money. And now even the media!
So, says Chris, the left now have to "mount a mass campaign..." to counter this. Can they do it? Well of course this "inspirational energy" will sweep all the workers, the students, the free child care people, the prisoners, the bauble voters, teachers, and of course the Unions, into action. But these people represent the grand coalition of goodness. Whereas supporters of National are mouthpieces, Labour is the merely the servant of the people, her representatives. Labour have mouthpieces? No no no, they are fully independent members and groups of society that Labour takes note of and reflects their wishes in her policies.
If the bribes hold, that is. And Chris sums up with the prediction that "not even the dirtiest of dirty campaigning will avail their enemies."
Well, problem one Chris - Labour will be leading in the dirty campaign stakes. It's just this time around, the media are going to notice it.
Problem Two - Labour haven't listened to the people for the last 8 years. What makes you think they'll listen now? Oh yes, the left will use them and manipulate them, and the moment they protest at the unfair treatment, they instantly become "the mouth pieces of National".
Are you sure you are not a mouthpiece of Labour?
Related Link: Part I - Chris Trotter lowers both standards
In part one of my post [here] I showed how Trotter lowers his standards. Whilst he provides ample opportunity to sidetrack me with even more examples, I'll focus on the double standard he works to, in his feeble attempt to blame National for Labour's self-inflicted woes. Sadly, the end result is that he becomes nothing but a mouthpiece for the left. But wait, there's more.
Chris Trotter tries to paint National as a party who has orchestrated and
"waged an unrelenting campaign to smear, discredit, and undermine Helen Clark's centre-left government as a "corrupt", "illegitimate", and quasi-fascist" regime....and to comprehensively demonise Helen Clark's Government in the eyes of the electorate.This is just a patently ridiculous assertion. He even contradicts himself directly on that score later: "The biggest obstacle to a National victory is a lack of staying power" What? Maybe relentless is too strong a word after all? But just to make it clear: "In the months when National's allies left Key to stumble along unaided (May to October)... Ah, so a relentless, stumbling campaign with a 6 month holiday.
The problem with Chris Trotter's flip-flops throughout his writing is that he barely understands the concept of "taking responsibility for ones actions", but most people in New Zealand understand the concept of "own goal" well enough, and Helen Clark and team have set new records on that score. Even during the six month stumbling holiday from the relentless campaigning.
Examples?
s59; retrospective legislation; Pledge Cards; canceling the tax cuts; Madeline Setchell out; prison cost blowouts; Clare Curran in; Benson-Pope (several times); the DHB scandals; Mallard (several times); Taito Philip Field; and the EFB just for starters.
National just had to pop up and remind people that they were the party in opposition. The rest was perfectly mis-managed by Labour. In fact, the arrogance Labour displayed over some of these issues hurt them more than the issue themselves.
But Trotter goes on to credit National being supported by the efforts of the media, especially the NZ Herald traitors who ran "Pay it Back" and "Democracy Under Threat" campaigns. Added to this was the efforts of John Boscawen, who used around $200,000 of his own money to organise rallies where over 10,000 people protested the original Electoral Finance Bill. That's apparently illegal now. Chris crows:
with firm caps now imposed upon 'third party' spending, I predict the ever increasing burden of the ideological struggle against the centre-left will be laid upon [the media]Firstly, note how every-time he refers to the left (which include Labour, the Greens, the Progressives and the Maori Party to him), he says "centre-left". He never refers to National as "centre-right". Never.
Secondly, in his own strange way he is realizing that Labour will not get a free and uncontested ride. He's happy the left have shut down the centre-right (ahem) allies, but is worried that the media may feel compelled to try to "keep the buggers honest". He describes it thus:
If they [the media] do decide to become the mouthpieces for the National Party...and here we see with crystal clarity his double standards, that harken back to the same sentiment when he described Labour's rorting of the public purse as "the most courageous kind of corruption".
Because when the people of the Nation, or the media, or John Boscawen, or Family First, or the Human Rights Commission, or Mike Moore, or 10,000 plus protesters, or any special interest group express an opinion that coincides with National, we see them painted as mouthpieces, and scheming allies that coordinate attacks in relentless parallel campaigning programs that use big money. And now even the media!
So, says Chris, the left now have to "mount a mass campaign..." to counter this. Can they do it? Well of course this "inspirational energy" will sweep all the workers, the students, the free child care people, the prisoners, the bauble voters, teachers, and of course the Unions, into action. But these people represent the grand coalition of goodness. Whereas supporters of National are mouthpieces, Labour is the merely the servant of the people, her representatives. Labour have mouthpieces? No no no, they are fully independent members and groups of society that Labour takes note of and reflects their wishes in her policies.
If the bribes hold, that is. And Chris sums up with the prediction that "not even the dirtiest of dirty campaigning will avail their enemies."
Well, problem one Chris - Labour will be leading in the dirty campaign stakes. It's just this time around, the media are going to notice it.
Problem Two - Labour haven't listened to the people for the last 8 years. What makes you think they'll listen now? Oh yes, the left will use them and manipulate them, and the moment they protest at the unfair treatment, they instantly become "the mouth pieces of National".
Are you sure you are not a mouthpiece of Labour?
Related Link: Part I - Chris Trotter lowers both standards
Labour are great - they're gonna be the ones that know how to deal with the coming plague...
ReplyDeleteLabour know that as at Jan 08 they have lost the ability to set the agenda - usually fatal in an election. The Left seem always more acutely aware of the need to engage in media manipulation: e.g. look what Clark did in her first term, and it will be interesting to see how their propagandists try to turn this around. I predict they won't be successful and will become more frustrated as the year proceeds, but I'll be watching their tactics with interest because I suspect they'll be trying anything and everything.
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