Chris Trotter is taking the plunge and joining the blogosphere. His new blog is at http://www.policy.net.nz/blog/.
Chris aims to “Smarten us up”:
“In a world that seems hell-bent on dumbing us down, this blog unashamedly declares its intention to smarten us up.”
His blog is not for those looking simply to “heap abuse upon the heads of your political enemies”…
“If, however, you enjoy a good argument, and are willing to marshall the evidence that makes a good argument, then I would like to hear from you. And if you have a compelling turn of phrase, a flair for witty repartee, and/or a talent for satire and parody, then I would be delighted to hear from you.”
My philosophy too.
In his first post, Chris wields his words with wit and wisdom. He advises the Greens that thwarting the ETS is liking to see Labour in “full attack mode” against them, using all of the Greens’ “iconography (belching smoke-stacks, dwindling ice-shelves, polar bears) … in their own campaign ads.” Russell Norman needs to stop:
“obsessing with cows piddling and pooing in the odd DOC-administered river, and get back on message. The voters are concerned about climate change and peak oil. The ETS is a step (albeit a very small one) along the road to addressing those two mega-problems.”
Well said. We look forward to much more of the same.
[Update: Danyl at DimPost takes a contrary view.]
Jafapete's Weblog 
August 21, 2008 at 4:24 pm |
Thanks for the post on Chris’s new blog and for adding us to the blog roll.
Regards
Bryan Spondre
Blog Producer
http://interest.co.nz/ratesblog
http://policy.net.nz/blog
August 21, 2008 at 4:48 pm |
Mr. Spondre- I see where true to form, poor Mr Trotter is filtering opinions he doesn’t agree with. When are you leftists going to get the point of blogging? It exists and it arose because there was no venue for right wing viewpoints in the mainstream media. Now you come into blogging and try the same control freak Stalinist strategies.
Really, you need to get a life, or the courage to defend your position, or leave blogging to those who understand it. In the blogosphere, left wing propaganda is challenged. You’re not protected by the staff of any Labour Party suckholing left wing newspaper here, and this isn’t “Letters To The Editor”. Get used to it or get out of it.
August 21, 2008 at 5:09 pm |
Better Dead, I’m inclined to agree that the permanent moderation of your, oops, I mean redbaiter’s comments on Chris Trotter’s blog is harsh. The inaugural post did warn those who “heap abuse upon the heads of your political enemies” to stay away. But perhaps Bryan might reconsider in light of the fact that the ground rules hadn’t been established through practice at the point that you posted.
It is possible to make powerful comment without getting abusive, and I’m pleased that we’ve managed well so far on this blog. For example, your comment above would be more effective if you’d left out the bit about Bryan’s “need to get a life”, for example.
The attempts to paint all left-wing bloggers with the same brush doesn’t stand up at all, so doesn’t bother me.
August 21, 2008 at 5:13 pm |
I think Labour have wised up somewhat and would not go all out on attack (with regard to the Greens). If the Greens don’t make 5% then Labour don’t get into power?
August 21, 2008 at 5:29 pm |
BDTR
“It exists and it arose because there was no venue for right wing viewpoints ”
Yeah I guess that would be why tv3 and tv1 would be advocating Marxism and Anarchism with every second available to them. LOL – what planet are yo on? Let me guess .. .you have a cohabitation arrangement with redbaiter?
August 21, 2008 at 5:30 pm |
“The attempts to paint all left-wing bloggers with the same brush doesn’t stand up at all, so doesn’t bother me.”
Jafa, not all left wing bloggers are banners, but they’re all much more so than any right wing bloggers. I could give you good reasons for this, but that’s not what I want to discuss at this moment.
If you read Mr Trotter’s attack on Redbaiter, you’ll see where he says he is welcome to return “and providing to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement.” (yeah, it is bad English isn’t it?)
Of course this is typically Stalinist rubbish. What rules of engagement, and in the post he has deleted or the post he has crossed out, what if any rules were broken?? None of course.
Mr. Trotter is merely engaging in the same old same old leftist strategy. The one that through seriously limiting the discussion of ideas outside those “approved” by leftists, has caused NZ to become such a totalitarian socialist backwater, with two parties who have virtually no real ideological points of difference vying for control.
Leftist seek to win the debate through silencing their opponents. Not through reason. It has been this way for all time, and this is why it is more important that people become to understand this than that the argument is engaged. People have to be alerted to this strategy. One that has worked so well for leftists. Up until the internet that is.
Dave Mann is right. Chris Trotter has fallen into Redbaiter’s trap. Objective readers can quite clearly see there was no good reason to censor Redbaiter’s posts. They then understand that everything he says about leftists is therefore true.
Redbaiter’s real objective is to break the leftist’s grip on information and opinion, and to bring their attempts to control discourse to the attention of New Zealanders unaware of the narrowness of the political debate in this country. To that end, as Mr Mann says, Mr Trotter has lost and Redbaiter has won.
August 21, 2008 at 5:34 pm |
“Redbaiter’s real objective is to break the leftist’s grip on information and opinion”
Redbaiter – I’ve told you before to stop referring to your internet handle in the third-person. It’s damn creepy.
August 21, 2008 at 6:03 pm |
Better Dead,
My take is that Bryan and Chris may be a little apprehensive about flaming on their site because of the reaction to many of the things that Chris has written over the years. Understandable. Also, they are very serious about having an abuse-free place where people can feel safe debating their ideas.
I subscribe to the latter too. The converse of your proposition that leftie bloggers are more inclined to censor is that rightie bloggers are less concerned about personal abuse and flaming on their blogs. Which is not to say that there aren’t some right-wing blogs that are concerned to prevent such abuse — I list a number on my blogroll.
Anyway, they have drawn a very tight line on abuse, but I have no doubt that they would welcome non-abusive debate from redbaiter under a less offensive pseudonym.
As you may know, I’m a big fan of redbaiter. But that persona belongs on kiwiblog.
August 21, 2008 at 6:09 pm |
Chris Trotter will need to relax a bit. His energetic and expansive responses to some comments give them more importance (and Chris’ personal resource) than they may have merited.
…..and he doesn’t know who Redbaiter is, though he caught on instantly (one post is all it look).
Newbies. 😉 But he looks like a fast learner. One to watch.
Steve, I think you’ll find that knows redbaiter’s particular brand of vituperation only too well. But I agree with your points about the resources he’s invested in the discussion. I think it’s mostly that Chris likes to debate.
August 21, 2008 at 7:12 pm |
JP said “My take is that Bryan and Chris may be a little apprehensive about flaming on their site because of the reaction to many of the things that Chris has written over the years. Understandable. Also, they are very serious about having an abuse-free place where people can feel safe debating their ideas.”
Is Chris aware of the concept of what goes around comes around d’you think 😉
August 21, 2008 at 7:55 pm |
“Anyway, they have drawn a very tight line on abuse, but I have no doubt that they would welcome non-abusive debate from redbaiter under a less offensive pseudonym.”
Sorry. No other blogger, even those left wing wanks so desperate to think of any reason to shut down debate have come up with such a weak reason for censoring posts… and I repeat, I said nothing offensive. The undeniable truth is that as so many are saying, Mr Trotter has been insulated from the reality of his words by the fortress of the left dominated mainstream media. He cannot cope with a frank and unregulated exchange of ideas. Few leftists can.
As for Mr Withers, here’s an example of the abuse I suffered on usenet at the hands of he and his ilk. Mr Withers even posted fake messages using Redbaiter’s handle.
Redbaiter is a convicted child molester
: The racist redneck scum that is “redbaiter”
: Redbaiter Emptiness -> Re: Boycott all Chinese goods!
: Crime- Is Redbaiter the cause..????
: Photo of redbaiter as a baby.
: Suck on this Redbaiter
: REDBAITER’S DUMMY SPIT
: Redbaiter is a left wing troll
: FUCK OFF OUT OF HERE REDBAITER.
: Redbaiter – the Ignorant, Lying, Hypocrite, Dishonest
: Redbaiter – truly is an Ignorant, Lying, Hypocrite,
: Dishonest…
: Redbaiter = Madcow
: Redbaiter – agent provocateur and Green party member?
: Redbaiter- >: Ignorant, Lying, Hypocrite, Dishonest…
: Redbaiter – gay or straight?
: Redbaiter – what is he?
: The Impotence of Redbaiter
: REDBAITER UNMASKED AS WRONG
: VOTE: Who is the bigger dickhead, Redbaiter or bt
: Cultural Shakedowns — Redbaiter goes to water
: Redbaiter lies
: Redbaiter changes newsreaders agaiin
: poor old redbaiter
: Redbaiter? Utter Crap..!!!
: Redbaiter Lies Like Bush…Re: Democrats Must be Liars?
: Redbaiter is INSANE
: For rightie retard Redbaiter
: Redbaiter is INSANE and a DUMBARSED IGNORANT FUCKWIT
: Oh Redbaiter, you’re *such* a man!
: The Redbaiter Manifesto
: Redbaiter Is A LEFTIST #2
: Commie Redbaiter
: Redbaiter flailing arms
: Redbaiter lapses into obscenities when ideas run out
: Redbaiter , Self appointed Usenet Whinger, Posts Yet Another
: Redbaiter is a beneficiary
: Redbaiter must be a dole bludger…
: Redbaiter files for divorce
: Redbaiter is stuffed all the time – NZ survives Re: When …
: Redbaiter – Perpetual Asshole and Cause of his own misfortunes.
: Do You Have A Beer Gut, Redbaiter?
: Redbaiter the Liar of Usenet…
: Redbaiter’s intellectual sources: paragons of ignorance
: Redbaiter Supports Hitler
: Inveterate liar Redbaiter’s lies come back to bite him (
: gay high school to open in Redbaiter’s Heaven
: Redbaiter – The Troll’s Troll Re: BBC Putschist Organisation
: Redbaiter Threatens Abuse of Usenet
: Asshole! (Was Let’s Sing Out! (with Redbaiter))
: Redbaiter Sanity Question
: Dog-bite + Jackass = Redbaiter
: Madman in Crate was Redbaiter
: Is Redbaiter actually Winston Peters?
: A message for Redbaiter, from Winston
: Invitation to Redbaiter to Apologise Like a Man
: Invitation to Redbaiter to Post Constructively and in Good …
: Redbaiter, Usenet Nazi and Liar as well…
: Redbaiter’s lack of English skills revealed – again
: Redbaiter, Usenet Nazi
: Let’s send Redbaiter to the Iditarod!
: Redbaiter knows nothing about FOOTBALL either!
: The Virtual Redbaiter
: Redbaiter has sessions of …
: The Redbaiter Paradoxes
: Finesse, Redbaiter style.
: Quick Poll: Who thinks Redbaiter is a fuckwit?
: Redbaiter Recommends – Bush Dyslexicon
: Redbaiter confuses Keith Locke for American politician
: Morons flock to endorse Redbaiter’s Fantasy Body Count
: Formal invitation to Redbaiter: DEFECT NOW, BEAT THE RUSH
: Redbaiter’s indolent new modus operandi
: Is this Redbaiter?
: Assumptions on the location of Redbaiter
: Redbaiter is a wacko Redneck oold fool!
: Redbaiter Redneck!
: Redbaiter is a modern day Neo Nazi freak!
: Redbaiter..Redneck dork!
: Is Redbaiter a complete certifiable nutter??
: Redbaiter is predicting a commie invasion of NZ
: Redbaiter predicts a bloodfilled Commie-Nazi invasion of NZ
: Redbaiter loves commies and nazis
: Redbaiter – Mad as a hatter Re: More Green Alarmist Hysteria-
: Shock Horror.Redbaiter announces a commie attack on NZ
: Redbaiter Redneck
: Redbaiter posts the usual stupid stuff
: LOL – pathetic redbaiter….dishonest to the last
: Masters of Abuse (No.2 – REDBAITER)
As I said, Trotter needs to get a life.
August 21, 2008 at 7:57 pm |
http://robinsod.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/political-retards-of-the-world-unite/
August 22, 2008 at 8:33 am |
I don’t believe the kiwiblog sewer contributes much, and I would automatically delete their posts on site if I were a blog administrator. No one has an absolute right to have their words published on someone elses site, especially if they are impolite and disrespectful to the owner.
Lets face it, you can try and turn your blog into an online version of letters to the editor – which go through an editorial process – or you can allow it to become an online talkback extension of the Perigonista lunatic fringe. How you control the attempts by the Perigonista fringe in the early days WILL set the tone for later.
Phil Plait at badastronomy.com has only one rule in his blog:
August 22, 2008 at 8:34 am |
opps!
His ONE rule is:
BE POLITE!
August 22, 2008 at 8:37 am |
Oh yes – and has anyone bothered to do an analysis of, say, Kiwiblog’s “right” blogroll and compared the political allegiance of the owners of those sites to the wider support parties enjoy in the polls? I get the distinct impression that ACT and to the right of ACT and to the right of the right of ACT have a massive over-representation online given that ACToids only have 1% support in the wider population.
The rich have more computers I guess.
August 22, 2008 at 10:38 am |
Well DPF is pretty much ACT socially and economically…he just supports National, for some reason.