Ta Ta Tashkoff....

Peter Tashkoff has been thrown out of the ACT party for bringing it into disrepute

Peter Tashkoff, who wanted to challenge Rodney Hide in his Epsom seat, has been thrown out of the party. He's appeared in front of ACT's board to argue his case, but says the result was a foregone conclusion.

He says the wording of the motion to expel him was that he may have brought the party into disrepute.

Mr Tashkoff says that left him wondering whether he had or hadn't done what he was accused of.

Finally the madness has ended and Peter Jerkoff has been expelled from the ACT Party. This has come about for several reasons but mainly because of his behaviour in the New Zealand media that has bought the party and the leader into disrepute.

Think it's tough on Peter? Think again. Peter above states he was wondering what he had or hadn't done I can shed some light on this for him and his dreadfully and convenient short term memory....

http://bit.ly/tashkoff1Saturday August 21st Peter Tashkoff in NZ Herald.
Remarks included calling the board “gutless” and that he helped “orchestrate last year's attempt to roll Rodney Hide as leader - and says he would do it again.”

http://bit.ly/tashkoff2Te Karere News interview with Peter Tashkoff which includes the channel reiterating Peter’s statements that Rodney Hide is a bully.

http://bit.ly/tashkoff3TVNZ (at 1min 13secs) story restating his position that Rodney Hide is not a “worthy leader”, “lacks credibility”, and once again “a bully”.

http://bit.ly/tashkoff4TVNZ interview with Peter Tashkoff stating the following. He wants Rodney Hide out of the ACT Party (1m 54secs), at 2m 28 he says “He’s got to go”, he then accuses Rodney of not following ACTs party principles since becoming leader (3m 25s) and finally states that he wants Rodney “not to be in the Epsom seat” (3m 50s)

http://bit.ly/tashkoff5This is Peter Tashkoff’s publicly released statement regarding the state of the ACT Party. In this statement he calls Rodney a “bully” a “liar” and a “fraud”. He also levels accusations towards the board for not taking action against his allegations.

http://bit.ly/tashkoff6This is Peter Tashkoffs September appearance on “Citizen A” a television show airing on Triangle/Stratos TV. Peter was labelled throughout as “ACT Party Candidate”. 7.50s (part 2) The discussion leads to the leadership to which Peter replies (11:30s) "A kitchen sink standing for Epsom on the ACT ticket would attract more support than Rodney Hide”.

http://bit.ly/tashkoff7 Te Karare News 19 September. Peter Tashkoff comments “I put a $100 bet on Ipredict that Rodney won’t be ACT leader by the end of December” echoed on TVNZ here http://bit.ly/tashkoff8
http://bit.ly/tashkoff9
Herald September 20th Tashkoff “it was possible Mr Hide would lead the party into the next election "but if he does it will be the last one for the party".

Away from the general media, the statements continue to drip from Peters “blog”.

http://bit.ly/tashkoff10 “Rodney Hide Must Go”

http://bit.ly/tashkoff11 ACT member Peter Tashkoff, leader of a campaign to return the ACT party to its roots. “This is Rodney Hide we are talking about. He has shown time and again that he does not consider the ACT party constitution to apply to himself”

No political party would allow such a nutbar like Peter within its ranks, especially in a position that would afford him the luxury of possibly being a Parliament via the list. Anybody who thinks otherwise is either lying or doesn't understand party politics. Thankfully the board have seen sense and have voted with a very comfortable majority to agree with the widespread opinion that Peter is best kept well away from the party - I suspect the decision would have been easy for them once they met Peter too!

Yes ACT has made mistakes and this is one that the members have decided to fix.

As for the rumours that Peter will run off and start a new party, the law does require one will need 500 members in order to become registered. Considering ACT members up and down the country don't like Peter (apart from Kevin Campbell) then I suspect this will be the last we will hear from him. Heavens forbid if Peter does rear that mug of his again I have enormous pity for the party involved! (even if it's Labour!)

Barry Soper has it all wrong in his column. Rodney didn't remove Peter, this was people power from some obviously upset members of ACT who bought forward a motion to the ACT board. Any leader would have done it, would you see Key, Peters or Clark keep somebody like him in? Goff didn't - so the same rules apply for ACT. The best news from all this is that the public were spared the embarrassment of seeing Peter the MP in action.

And so that is it - the last this blog will need to say about him. What a good way to end it. I guess consequences really do come to bite you in the ass!

How racist film makers wrecked my Bollywood career

Isn’t it funny how really really dumb news spreads about the world via the internet burying the good positive news. In this case we have Naz Humphreys a social policy researcher, who was rejected for becoming a Hobbit due to her skin not being fair enough to the casting representatives in order for her to progress further towards her dream of becoming a Hobbit extra. This story has gone to every corner of the globe and has just added to the bad publicity that New Zealand has had to ensure over this film.

How is this going to inspire international film makers that our unions and potentially our human rights commission could interfere at any time they choose if somebody kicks up a fuss.

Naz Humphreys, a British Pakistani on her working holiday, has decided to set up a Facebook group called Hire Hobbits of all colours! Say No to Hobbit racism in order to pressure the film makers to hire her and every other unsuitable person for the Hobbit film. I suspect if successful this will lead to people who were too tall, too fat or too old to audition will have equal grounds to sue and get themselves on the silver screen too.

I wonder going by her rationale, if I could have a chance to protest about not getting any acting work in the UK? My Kuwu iksent held me back from getting roles in cockney dramas, and I was simply not built enough to become a Gladiator. Surely now with the mentality of Naz Humphreys, I can pursue my dream of working alongside Aishwarya Rai, Padma Lakshmi, Katrina Kaif and Madhu Sapre in the lucrative Indian film industry, preferably as a leading man. The opportunities are endless!

Or people could tell me where to go, certainly almost everybody in the Stuff feedback did exactly that until Stuff relented and saved Naz further embarrassment and closed the comments.

What are you more worried about? The fact that this woman has attempted to place yet another barrier in front of the film producers or that she is a policy researcher? She almost reminds me of the Canadian tourist Seeka Lee Veevee Parsons who wanted to ban our Eskimo pie ice creams as they were offensive to her and her people, not to mentioned she got picked on as a child….. tourists like her and Naz should probably learn that trying to sabotage something that they wouldn’t like the same to occur in their countries.

The best story about this, cause the NZ media are just not cutting enough to tell it like it is, comes from Cinema Blend the US entertainment site:

The problem here is the same one that’s plagued the production of The Hobbit all along. In a word: Greed. No one cared what Peter Jackson was doing when he made Lord of the Rings because no one knew if it would be a success. In fact the whole thing was a big gamble, so people got out of his way and let him roll the dice. Now the world smells money and everyone, from the biggest studio lawyer to the smallest New Zealand extra wants a piece of the pie. I suspect this woman, and most of the incredibly stupid people championing her cause, are no different.

I see the Guardian has also mentioned that Naz is also in fact 5 foot, so she was also too tall to be a Hobbit. Stupid woman.

Update, I see her page on Facebook no longer exists...

Surely this is a sad day for comedy… it is, but don’t call me Shirley.

Leslie Nielson has died today aged 84 from pneumonia. His career lasted 6 decades from both dramatic and comedy roles. I loved him in Airplane and in his roles as Lieutenant Frank Drebin and Dracula!

Another one of the greats gone but not forgotten!

Brash hits the nail on the head

What is going on with the Herald? Don Brash talks about wanting everybody to be equal and they call it a racist attack against Maori. Lets repeat these awful statements from Don:

Brash said Maori were capable of being elected on their own merits. There was "absolutely no case" for treating Maori people differently.

"The whole concept of a racially based political party would be seen as grossly inappropriate if wanted by any other race than Maori," he said. "What would be the reaction if a group of New Zealanders of European background decided to set up a 'European New Zealanders' Party'?

"There would be outcry, and rightly so."

"The Maori electorates were established for a five-year period in 1867. There is no logic for them at all 143 years later."

Good lord! Don should fold up his white sheets and put out his burning cross... how outrageous that he should insist on equality and respect for all New Zealanders? He is right, if I started up a whites only political party, I'd be drummed out of town and would never have a political career. Yet we have politicians in NZ who practise and condone racism every day. You question this racism and you are called the racist - as long as this continues then New Zealand will remain a small minded country that will never move forward. How embarrassing and shame on the Herald!

Story here.

Czech Working Holiday Scheme extended to 35 yrs of age!

The Czech Republic has very generously extended their working holiday programme for Kiwis to the age of 35 years, up from 30. This is excellent news for so many reasons and I encourage as many of you to take up this opportunity. Put it this way, if you are wanting to really experience a culture that is so amazing and different, then this is your golden ticket to take advantage of this opportunity.

If you are disillusioned with Kiwi politics then feel encouraged that the President of the Czech Republic, the legendary economist Václav Klaus. Far different from John Key, Václav is known as the Margaret Thatcher of Central Europe and is quoted as saying “Environmentalism, not preservation of nature (and of environment), is a leftist ideology... Environmentalism is indeed a vehicle for bringing us socialist government at the global level. Again, my life in communism makes me oversensitive in this respect” and “Environmentalism should belong in the social sciences" along with other "isms" such as communism, feminism, and liberalism. Klaus said that "environmentalism is a religion" and, in an answer to the questions of the U.S. Congressmen, a "modern counterpart of communism" that seeks to change peoples' habits and economic systems”

Leaves old Smile and Wave for dead.


If you are tired of watery substanded DB and Lion beers then rejoice, for the Czech Republic are prolific brewers and consumers of beer. This country has been brewing beer since at least 1118 so they know a thing or two about it.
Having visited Plzeň, the home of Pilsner beer just south of Prague, I can testify firsthand the supreme quality of their home grown beers. This country is also home of the original Budweiser or Budějovický Budvar – in South Czech Republic.
This country also has a variety of “liquors” that are widely popular and damn strong, and famous throughout Europe. My personal favourite is Becherovka.

Food.. I don’t have to say too much because it truly embraces meat just like in NZ. However I am once again forsaking a Kiwi Christmas to indulge in yet another Czech festive season and one of the highlights is the food I will be eating. And going to smoky bars to wash down my food with yet more beer with the locals.

Which leads me finally to the people. The Czech republic is home to many supermodels including Eva Herzigová, Karolína Kurková and Petra Němcová to name a few famous women. The women are remarkably stunning and like their European peers are very popular with Kiwi males and vice versa. I know of at least a dozen Czech women in London who have either married or are dating Kiwi men. I cannot vouch for the Czech men, but all the ones I know who are young are considered pretty good looking by my friends. Czechs I meet are generally friendly and greet and farewell you when you visit shops and in bars.


I guess I could say that if you are in New Zealand and looking for a different sort of OE, or have finished your UK part and are not willing to go home – then get yourself onto the Czech working holiday scheme and spend some time there. I can guarantee you will never regret this.

Still waiting for that apology Helen...

MP Field loses appeal
Still waiting for Helen and Labour to say sorry and admit they were wrong all along.

Stranger things have happened...... At least Field is still behind bars... in a just world he would have Cullen as his cell mate.

National fibs = ACT win

John Boscawen is doing a stellar job informing people of the implications of bad policy making by the National Party. National were quite happy for him to campaign in their interests when they were in opposition, but the Nats are none pleased that he is being consistent. Bad policy making isn't an exclusively left wing trait.

National MP Allan Peachey is warning the Government that the foreshore and seabed saga is polarising the party's support, and many core voters feel betrayed and will never vote for National again.

A draft report, obtained by the Herald and written by the Tamaki MP, warns that the Act Party's campaign against the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill is "gaining traction".


Allan Peacheys report says that John is telling fibs and is based on on misinformation and half-truths . Why then are National voters around New Zealand looking at the bill and seeing exactly the same conclusions that John is bringing to their attention? Is Allan saying that his own supporters are too stupid to be able to make their own minds up?

Who is telling the fibs then? I think that Allans concerns that voters are running away show that it is National and they are hoping they can spin the fibs in their direction. Silly buggers.

Stop putting your hand out

It doesn't surprise me that NZ have been threatened with a credit downgrade. Even though we are still in an economic crisis, political parties have still been promising the earth and voters still expect a free ride - or more money being given to them.

It is not realistic to ask the Government to spend more when they are borrowing at rates that is putting our liabilities in the same group as Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland. Unions are on the streets because they want more - and yet when the economy starts to flush down the toilet as a result of politicans buckling under their demands they will blame the Government for not doing enough. No doubt will roll out a union "economist" to prescribe a socialist economic plan as well....

Sir Roger Douglas along with the ACT Party at the last election put together a prescription to aid the economy without spending extra or borrowing more that at least warranted more attention that it got. Sir Roger has quite a bit of experience in this, moreso than John Key. While people mightn't vote for ACT policies, especially with some of their activists publically being tools, there is a real need to look at how to not put further strain on Government expenditure while protecting those who need support.

Welfarism carries a hefty price tag but we all know people on welfare who can work but don't. These people need to be part of the solution to cutting down our debt. Tightening up tax loopholes will also play a part, but also keeping in mind that we remove the discouragement for people to hide their assets.

The biggest problem is the overall feeling of entitlement in New Zealand. It's fair enough Kiwis feel obliged to ask when they are taxed heavily - so we must remove the disincentives that encourage people to rely on the state. A country where we all rely on ourselves and our families rather than the state would make us wealthier, richer and more equipped to sustain economic troubles when they arrive.

Story here

Reason for voluntary student membership no 12,792: Unite union and Joe Carolan

Take a close look at the news footage of John Key at North City Plaza today. There’s a pasty-looking guy in the background with a beard, wearing a black jacket with a yellow badge on the lapel. His name is Joe Carolan and he’s campaign organiser for the Unite union and one of McCarten’s main henchmen. He’s steeped in the class politics of some grotty Irish boghole and unfortunately for the country has decided to set up shop in New Zealand and bring his coal-pit socialism to numerous causes. If there’s a Unite stunt going on, Carolan will be in the front row.

Carolan, McCarten and Unite are prime examples of the parasites who attach themselves to compulsory student unions. McCarten has long understood that compulsory unions are ideal vehicles to advance his political goals. They’re primarily left leaning, cash rich, organisationally weak and easily hijacked.

When he was Alliance director in 1999, McCarten had a clear goal of linking compulsory student unions with his left wing project.

….Alliance director Matt McCarten has already been instructed by Anderton to begin the process of boosting the Alliance’s extra-parliamentary organisation…McCarten has initiated dialogue with leaders of the trade unions and tertiary student associations.
Chris Trotter, The Independent, 15 December 1999

Unite has also made a concerted effort to gain control of student unions. In 2009, along with Workers Party types, Unite virtually controlled VUWSA. Earlier this year McCarten, Carolan and AUSA president Elliot Blade tried to set up a student union at Manukau Institute of Technology. In 2000 Carolan was involved in Fightback Waikato which had close links with the Waikato Student Union.
McCarten and Carolan understand that compulsory unions provide a perfect façade for their wider political goals. But they’re also realistic enough to know that Unite’s politics are too far left to spark a Paris 1968-style student revolution amongst normal students; instead they want access to the cash and the administrative base that compulsory unions provide. They also want to be able to pull the strings on a puppet student president who they can wheel out to the media and get him to spout Unite propaganda all under the guise of representing “all students”.

Getting rid of compulsory membership will bring an end to numerous rorts including Unite’s parasitic tactics. If voluntary membership is good enough for Unite’s members it’s certainly good enough for tertiary students.

When NZUSA want to blame someone for the demise of compulsory membership they can start with the likes of McCarten and Carolan who have cynically exploited the weaknesses of compulsory membership.

Dear John Key... by David Do aged 12 and 3/4

David Do NZUSA President threw his toys out of his cot last week - after the majority of MPs voted to give students freedom of association. It seems David, who was happy to offer to throw away students money when AUSA President doesn't want to let go of the millions that students are forced to give him and his left wing mates very year. His stunt to offer $5000 to anybody arresting Condoleezza Rice was an international embarrassment.

However David Do isn't the only NZUSA President/Labour Party stooge in NZUSA, there's also Sophia Blair the Womens Rep. Add to that Pene Delaney the forgotten co-President and you have the crew of the HMS Titanic sinking towards oblivion and not a shit show of recovering.

I was surfing the internet and found this cached copy of a letter drafted by David Do to beg for a meeting with John Key which has now since been deleted, which I am only to happy to share...

Dear Mr Key

My name is David Do and I am begging you for a face to face appointment to discuss the trecherous freedom of association bill. I trust that you will see my side of the story and agree that all students must be forced to join their unions.

If you don't let me see you I will huff and puff and stamp my feet. I will hold my breath until I die and I will never talk to you again.

Please ignore the very few times me and NZUSA said mean things to you in the past. We were just joking. We were just trying to impress girls, or boys.. we don't remember. In fact we would love all students to be forced to join National - if we didn't already make it impossible for National voting students to run NZUSA.

I am on my knees here John, can I call you John? I want to stop people leaving NZUSA. I fear if we take away the compulsory bullets, students will choose to not be my friend anymore. Please help me take away freedom and choice. And while I'm on my knees maybe I can show you other ways I can convince you?

Pretty please?

Love David Do

Royal Wedding

I am not a monarchist nor a republican. The issue itself hasn't really bothered me and so I tend to ignore the insults that fly between the two camps.

Congratulations to the couple - I had to chuckle when watching BBC and ITV last night when the newsreader would warn us about excessive flashing lights before taking us to the press conference. Catherine (Kate) was very nervous when answering questions about Diana.

Best thing is, apart from the bookies going mad about it, is that we may get a bank holiday to celebrate it. A brilliant idea that was last repeated back when Charles married Diana. Lets hope so!

And finally, some brilliance from the Daily Mail...

NZUSA’s approach to government relations

With the second reading of the Education Freedom of Association Bill, voluntary membership is nigh. Along with the end of compulsory membership will come the end of the blank cheques for compulsory associations. The prospect of the end of the free money has upset NZUSA to the point that they are requesting an “urgent meeting with the Prime Minister”.

So let me get this straight: NZUSA, who have spent the best part of 30 years bagging the Nats and acting as partisan cheerleaders for Labour, the Alliance and the Greens want to go cap in hand to the Nats and ask them to keep the free money flowing, year after year?

Let’s just remind ourselves of what NZUSA have said about the Nats over the years. And see if you can spot NZUSA’s massive strategic blunder—failing to acknowledge that their existence was entirely dependent on a quirk in the Education Act and failing to understand that a change in government could mean a change to that law.

1999
Most importantly, we have never backed down in the fight against the government, and we never will….The reason that associations are under attack is because we speak out against the government. This point has been central to our campaign.
Karen Skinner, NZUSA co-president, Green Left Weekly, 24 March

2000
“So far, under Labour-Alliance the climate certainly feels more supportive than it did during the years of National.”
Tanja Schutz, NZUSA co-president, NZ Education Review, 17 March

2001
The [Labour-Alliance] coalition has bettered the National government, says [NZUSA co-president] Campbell. National didn’t understand tertiary education, he says, but instead looked at it in terms of its market value.
NZ Education Review, 19 January

2002
NZUSA is calling on Bill English and the National Party to explain how an $815m decrease in tax revenue in the first year, and $850m for the next three years, won’t effect their investment in tertiary education….National just can’t give up their slash and burn policies.
NZUSA media release, 15 April

NZUSA will be pushing for the next government to be a coalition government with parties who do favour [a universal student allowance and decreasing fees], not a Labour majority government…
NZUSA media release, 11 June

Alliance tertiary education policy sets the standard for other parties
NZUSA media release, 20 June

The NZUSA says that the National Party tertiary education policy released today would leave the tertiary sector in an even bigger mess than when they were last in power….With this policy National demonstrates that they are not the pro family party they claim to be….This policy reads like the ACT policy with its attacks on students and public education. National is looking less and less like a mainstream political party and are completely out of step with public opinion.
NZUSA media release, 8 July

The NZUSA is encouraging tertiary students to vote for a centre left coalition government tomorrow to ensure that universal student allowances and reduced fees are high priorities for the next government.
NZUSA media release, 26 July


…outgoing NZUSA co-presidents Charlie Chambers and Andrew Campbell reckon they’ve had their fair share of laughs this year….heckling National Party’s Pansy Wong….”We essentially come in for a year as political activists,” Campbell says….Campbell and Chambers believe student activists in the next few years will need to work on the Greens and United Future in order to push the Labour government further in improving the lot of students….
NZ Education Review, 20-26 November

2003
The National Party has shown how completely out of touch it is with the situation of New Zealand women by advocating the abolition of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
Camila Belich, national women’s rights officer, NZUSA, ODT, 13 November

2004
Students ask Don Brash to stop attacking Maori and start attacking unfair policies.
NZUSA media release, 20 February

[NZUSA] said it was considering using a Nelson by-election to push its call for a living allowance for all students….co-president, Andrew Kirton, was considering standing as an independent against National Party MP Nick Smith should a by-election be held.
Education Review, 31 March

2005
NZUSA has rejected the National Party’s student loan scheme, saying it will not have an effect on those on lower incomes.
NZUSA media release, 21 July

Students are warning that the National Party’s new rebates for interest repayments on loans will not keep graduates in New Zealand or effectively target the $7 billion dollar student debt monster.
NZUSA media release, 21 July

NZUSA is fearful that the release of the National Party’s Tertiary Education Policy today could spell the return on the high student fees of the 1990s.
NZUSA media release, 25 July

Women tertiary students around NZ are shocked and disappointed at National Party Leader Don Brash’s archaic attitude towards women…
NZUSA media release, 25 August

It is pleasing that some parties have committed to improving [support for students], but disappointing that others have not, including National and Act.
NZUSA media release, 8 September

2006
If [Wayne Mapp’s Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill] passes it will represent one of the most significant attacks on the rights of all workers since the passing of the Employment Contracts Act in 1991.
NZUSA submission to TIR select committee, May 2006

Students are happy that National MP Dr Wayne Mapp’s no work rights bill is dead…
NZUSA media release, 23 August

2007
National plans fee hikes and increased student debt. Students are alarmed by National Party leader John Key’s announcement that his party plans to remove the Fee Maxima policy, effectively promoting fee hikes and increased student debt.
NZUSA media release, 2 October


2008
National’s loan policy for the rich….National’s policy offers little for the vast majority of graduates who simply can’t afford to make more than the already significant compulsory repayments on their loans.
NZUSA media release, 31 January

National’s debt policy ‘ambulance at bottom of the cliff’….The lack of depth and consistency shows National’s support for indebtedness and high-cost education, and a distinct lack of acknowledgement of the negative effects this is having on New Zealanders.
NZUSA media release, 24 September

Key commitment a clunker! Student leaders, responding to John Key’s latest tertiary education policy announcements, expressed astonishment at the ignorance of his view that graduates are leaving our shores for a “brighter future”, and not because of student debt…
NZUSA media release, 14 October

National out of the race for thinking voters….National has refused to reveal its tertiary policy before the election, despite earlier promising to, leaving voters in the dark on what they would do…
NZUSA media release, 5 November

What are NZUSA thinking? Over a decade of self interested attacks on the right have finally come home to roost. The only people they have to blame for the lack of interest from National is themselves.

Bring on the freedom!

$17 glasses of wine?

I guess the bar and restaurant owners around Auckland are believing the hype that their establishments are worthy enough to charge crazy prices for glasses of wine and call it the price of the atmosphere of being in a bar. .
Now I like a good glass of wine and do trust wholeheartedly in free enterprise allowing this to happen, but capitalism will work the other way in this - pulling punters away from these high priced ghettos - who are already stinging from expensive airfares, overpriced hotels, rugby tickets, food and now alcohol prices....

I find it insane that I can buy a bottle of very good quality NZ wine in Central London at any time of the day and it will be cheaper than if I went to the vineyard myself and bought it on site. Yes I am aware of competition, but are New Zealanders pricing themselves out of the market?

Whenever I attend NZ events in London, I used to be surprised at how much we would be asked for in order to participate or to purchase. I rememeber going to Toast NZ as a guest of a stall holder and marvelled at the fact that Kiwis were willing to pay £30+ quid for entry alone to maybe see an All Black and listen to a band - and be stung £7 per NZ wine and £5 for a beer on top of that.
Kiwi food was selling for money I was not willing to part with - and this was taking into consideration the exchange rate.

The question I always think is am I willing to pay £3 for a can of L&P? The usual answer for that is no. Tourists coming to NZ will soon start asking themselves the same question when it comes to our goods and services - and the world cup is a time when all Kiwis should pull together and not damage our product.

I guess with minimum wages being forced up, an abolition of youth rates and a real honest belief that we are the best in the world that behaviour like this is becoming quite common. I know for sure that if we continue doing this, then we will price ourselves out of the market.

Decision Points - the book I'm getting for Christmas

This blog has unashamedly been pro President George W Bush from the day I started writing it. While no politician is perfect, far from it, President Bush is in my opinion a good man who did what he felt was best for America. History will prove this assertion of mine to be 100% correct - and not just because of the incredible work he did to help fight the AIDS virus in Africa or even managing to bring freedom to Iraq and Afghanistan.

His memoirs are a must read - and I have already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon so I can read it while I am on holiday in north Czech Republic when I can't understand the in-laws anymore. President Bush is as honest as you can get to a politician - ask any politican if they supported waterboarding and you'll get a long drawn out explanation or denial - Bush says "Damn right" and justifies his decision in doing so:

The Times:
"Three people were waterboarded and I believe that decision saved lives.. "Their interrogations helped break up plots to attack American diplomatic facilities abroad, Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London, and multiple targets in the United States."
and the Guardian elaborates
"His understanding of Islam was that he had to resist interrogation only up to a certain point," Bush writes. "Waterboarding was the technique that allowed him to reach that threshold, fulfil his religious duty, and then co-operate."
Bush insisted: "Using those techniques saved lives. My job was to protect America. And I did."

He writes that waterboarding would have been used on more prisoners if the right people had been captured.

"Had we captured more al-Qaida operatives with significant intelligence value, I would have used the programme for them as well."

I guess what upsets his critics is the honesty and means to which he obtained important information is not to their liking. Bush has reiterated that his lawyers told him it was legal. Is Bush guilty of being too trusting of his sources? It seems so, which is further illustrated by his description of the faulty WMD data given to him:
The world is better off without Saddam Hussein, Bush said, even though the invasion that toppled the Iraqi leader was based on faulty intelligence about the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

"When we didn't find weapons I felt terrible about it, sick about it and still do, because a lot of the case in removing Saddam Hussein was based upon weapons of mass destruction," Bush said. He added that Hussein was "equally dangerous" without WMDs.

Say what you like about Bush, and many people have said stuff about him without having the knowledge of US politics or foreign policy - even in NZ where the population seem easily sucked into any form of embarrassing anti Americanism and yet equally enjoy the rewards of American style capitalism and foreign policy decisions.

Bush is a man of utter class, even when it comes down to his comments on President Obama:

"I didn't like it when people criticized me," Bush said. "And so you're not going to see me out there chirping away (at Obama). And I want our president to succeed. I love our country." Nor does he hold a grudge when people like Bono and Kanye West say ridiculous things about him in the media - especially now as bith have apologised to him for their stupidity. See Bonos apology and Kanyes one here. Bono and Geldof especially were gerat admirers of Bush's anti AIDS push in Africa, where unlike them, he didn't seek fame and congratulations.

Bush will always upset a few people. He will be the blame for the economic crisis from the ill informed who don't know the huge part President Clinton had in this too. For me, I seek out politicians that do the right thing and I admire them for it and I look forward to reading this book when it arrives. I'll leave the final quote to the man himself, in relation to this book:

The former president appeared Tuesday in a taped episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Writing the memoir, he said, "was an easy process" that has kept him busy.

"A lot of people don't think I can read, much less write," Bush joked on the program.

See links:

Bush feels sick about WMD data - Seattle Komo News
Bush is Back - New York Times.
Waterboarding saved lives - not that the Guardian cares.

New Left Wing Party?

It didn't take long for Comrade Sue Bradford to show the true reason for her "retiring" from the Green Party. I guess "going back to the grassroots" was code for going back to her roots, which we all know are aligned with very hard left organisations.

She and Matt McCarten are rumoured to be launching a new party around the same time as they level an assault against Labour in the Mana byelection. Seems like a good time to do so, but they have some rather lefty ambitions. Matt doesn't have much time left on earth and Sue isn't exactly a fired up young youth activist - so they will be depending on the talent that they may have within the Unite Union.

Unite are a union I have not much time for. They are exploiters of people in low paid jobs and of low to no education. Their aim is to build an army of followers who will be happy to join picket lines without question, who can drop tools and listen to their union leaders without causing any trouble. It's a diabolical tactic, but it has delivered numbers for Matt and Unite, who have managed to dominate workplaces like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Sky City etc and is considered NZs fastest growing union - 25,000 new members in 5 years.

Of course these members will not be too upset their union fees will be subsidising this political movement - and I can tell you now, if members make any noice about it they will be given a rough ride by their Unite comrades.

Back to this party - is this a good time for a new left wing party considering Labour have apparently cast off their last remaining right wing shackles and embraced a broad left wing agenda? I think so. Goff is not the leader that the members want and sure as hell not the next Prime Minister. He is a passenger on this latest Labour rebranding push, while Matts Unite Party will be focused completely on his policy objectives such as $15 p/h minimum wage.

National shouldn't fear too much yet. While some polls say that left wing parties are climbing back into vogue, unless Key does something really stupid - like alienating all of their support parties - they should jog back into Government in '11.
If Matt manages to ride a wave of discontent, helped by the unions who are exercising their collective muscles after being dormant during the Clark years, then his party could possibly get 1 or 2%, if backed by prominent people on the left. If Matt is true to his roots, I expect him to bus in supporters and ran for a seat badly affected by the recession and drum up enough support to take advantage of the political climate. Worked well enough for the communists in post war Europe, before the Soviets mopped up the remaining states holding out.

The Greens may lose a few voters as well. Many within the Green Party may be uncomfortable with the direction it is going in, pushing ever so slowly from the hard left direction that created the international Green movement. Time will tell.

Lets see what happens during the Mana campaign, it sure as hell isn't your ordinary byelection - watch this space!

And what is it with the red star on their logo? Kinda reminds me of this flag

Story here.

Uncensored photo of Joel Monaghans terrible sex act

We don't like censorship here on this blog. Here is the uncensored photo of that vile and disgraceful act by Joel Monaghan.



Terrible... just terrible. I hope he gets thrown out of the sport. :)

Where is Kris Faafoi?

Apparently Kris Faafoi has an incredibly good memory. Either that or he is on the electoral trail, I predict the latter. As much as I distrust most politicians, Kris seems like the kind of guy whos goal is to seek now lows of credibility - and to treat all potential and current voters like they are idiots.

Farrar has pretty much summed it up well over at Kiwiblog so thought instead I'd share the latest Whale Oil pics of what else Faafoi probably remembers from his youth!




And who could have forgotten this moment? Not Kris!

The man who was sent into Mana by the leaders office, bullied in by the unions over the local candidate is now a complete laughing stock. Expect him to be another lame duck MP who will find it very hard to find his way when Goff is booted out of his job in 2011.