Right-wing nutbar #2

Following right on from the previous thread…

Russell Brown exposes kiwiblog-right hero Auckland local body politician Aaron Bhatnagar’s “extensive history of inappropriate political editing of Wikipedia: directed at [Christine] Caughey, her Action Hobson party and former mayor Dick Hubbard.”

An especially sad example is his removing mention of Caughey being awarded Metro’s Aucklander of the Year — shortly after her defeat last year.

A reader has noted that Bhatnaghar’s alias of ‘Barzini‘ is a psychotic mafia boss in Mario Puso’s The Godfather who seeks to extend his evil empire through dirty tricks and ruthless violence. It is also the name of a well known gay night club in Montevideo.

Russell’s post deserves the widest readership.

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Listen up climate sceptics — it’s Boris talking

London’s new Mayor and hero of the kiwiblog right has issued a stern warning to Londoners. Launching London’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy he says that in the future…

“Londoners will face an increased risk of floods, droughts and heatwaves that will endanger the prosperity of the city and the quality of life for all.”

Yup, even Boris Johnson has recognised the terrible consequences of climate change, and the need to take action now, before it’s too late.

Listen to Boris!

More blues for Boris

And you still won’t find this on kiwiblog.

Last month I posted about how the newly installed Mayor of London Boris Johnson had lost two senior advisors. Well, he’s gone and lost another.

After only a few months in the job, first deputy mayor Tim Parker has resigned. Parker, a prominent businessman, said he was resigning because he didn’t think Johnson needed a full-time first deputy mayor. City Hall insiders said that the move was the result of ‘restructuring’.

At least this time the resignation didn’t follow a controversy. But how does that old saying go, “To lose one senior advisor might be regarded as misfortune…” The word is that the eighth floor of City Hall is rife with chaos. It would be funny if London weren’t one of the world’s great cities.

You could put it down to those nice Crosby-Textor people who apparently repackaged Boris and sold the inexperienced lightwieght to the unsuspecting burghers, who had grown tired of the sour-faced, though competent, incumbent. Still, couldn’t happen here, could it!?

Whale oil = excrement

Whale plumbs new depths:

“I bet the scumbag actually went and asked for his Mum to die so she could distract everyone from what is abundantly clear to even the most stupid of observers.”

Winston Peters is undoubtedly grieving for his mother. No matter what we think of him, he is entitled to our human compassion and sympathy at this time. He has mine.

As Newzblog says of whale oil, “It’s no secret he gets a rise out of attacking the weak and defenceless.” This may just be another attempt to satisfy that vile urge, or to maintain a profile, but it is beneath contempt.

[Update: Or perhaps we should just put this down to whale oil’s preoccupation with another matter, that Russell Brown outlines on his blog A real defamation suit from the looks of it. Could we see an apology from whale only days after he was gloating at yours truly’s little apology?]

[Hat-tip: Newzblog]

Hate speech or slightly OTT but timely warning?

Chris Trotter goes for broke in today’s SST. He urges the swinging voters who tell pollsters they will vote National this year to ask themselves, “Is this the company I want to keep?”

He points out that the farmers, wealthy and reactionaries have always held ordinary city-dwelling folk in contempt, opposed every progressive reform and acted exclusively in their own self-interest, often at the expense of wider society.

I am happy with the general tenor of what he says. From the peeks that we have been allowed of National’s policies it is clear that the most vulnerable workers are in for another bashing should National win.

Perhaps Trotter goes a little far in places. He says, “Yes, these are the people you will be joining when you make the big switch. The people who have opposed every single progressive reform that New Zealand has ever undertaken – yes, every single one.”

Okay, I can think of the the accident compensation scheme, Human Rights Commission Act 1977 and the Human Rights Act 1993, so the last statement isn’t 100% true. Could probably think of a few more if I really put my mind to it. But that’s quibbling. It’s almost entirely true, so the substantive point stands. [Update: It has been pointed out to me that as Trotter speaks here of the reactionaries and not the Nartional Party, what he writes is arguably entirely true, if not tautological.]

Trotter may be giving the conservatives ammunition by engaging in such full-on rhetoric. One right-wing blog has labelled his rant “hate speech”, and accused him of describing, “the backbone of the National vote as collectively the most evil and foul people ever.” They overstate things much as Trotter does, if not more so; he does not, for example “abuse every small business owner, every person on a high salary.” Nor does he use the words “evil” and “foul”. But other right-wing commentators may not be so inept.

So, hate speech or timely wake-up call to those who may be about to subvert their own interests by voting for the very people who are out to screw them?

[Update: TUMEKE! provides a comprehensive response to Trotter that incorporates a left-wing viewpoint on Labour’s shortcomings.

Boris’s blues: You won’t find this on kiwiblog

Oh dear. Boris Johnson is in trouble already. When he was elected Mayor of London a couple of months ago, the NZ right bloggers were ecstatic. However, not much has been heard from them on Johnson’s current woes, so I’m stepping in to fill the gap.

Neil Stockley blogs on Keys/Cameron

Neil Stockley has blogged on the striking parallels between the UK & NZ at the moment, and the lessons for the British (!) from Keys’ success in finding a narrative that is proving more attractive for many than more fairness and prudence.