Written By: - Date published: 10:48 pm, November 5th, 2007 - 79 comments
Categories: dpf -
Tags: dpf
Regular readers of David Farrar’s National Party blog will be aware that it’s been in a bit of trouble lately. Aside from the setting up of robust left-wing opposition in the form of The Standard, Kiwiblogblog and others, DPF’s had to contend with an increase in left opponents in his comments section who are willing to call him on his National Party spin.
Bill Ralston summed up the situation well in the Herald on Sunday recently:
If the blog authors are tough in their analysis, the hundreds of comments they get can be even more rabid. In the columns, on the blogs, on talkback and in the letters to the editor pages of the major papers, the tide of opinion has turned rabidly against National. Some of this has been helped by Labour activists who always outgun National supporters when rallying for a fight online and in feedback to the traditional media. “They’re much better at this than us,” admits one of John Key’s advisers
This was bad news for a man whose reputation within the party relies on the success of Kiwiblog, so to crack down he introduced a moderation system. This was done supposedly in the name of cleaning up the sewer and providing for more constructive debate, while those of us on the left suspected it it would be abused (or designed) to crush dissenting views. Farrar tried to give it an air of legitimacy by appointing a supposedly independent, non-partisan moderation team.
One of his moderators, “Rakaunui” (DPF’s Maori foil for Tane?), has been more than a little partisan in his moderation, under Farrar’s express orders. Just today I found several of my comments deleted for supposedly being “off topic”, even in cases when I was directly responding to questions or accusations from other commenters.
This evening was a classic example. Here’s right-wing regular Kimble debating with my old mate Robinsod in a thread about the Electoral Finance Bill:
At the risk of sounding paranoid, but is it a coincidence that the Labour Union movement in NZ never donates money to the National Party campaign? Aren’t these groups supposed to be non-biased politically? Mmmmmm, suspiciouser and suspiciouser!
Robinsod replied:
Kimble you moron – the labour party grew from the labour movement. A lot of unions are still affiliated to the labour party (it’s because National wants to fuck their members). Stop trolling.
Whale – hello? Hello Whale? Um, press report of $20K? Bob? McCroskie? Hello?
The language is slightly coloured, but nothing out of the ordinary for Kiwiblog. He’s clearly replied to a direct question from Kimble, on a topic directly related to election finance. His answer was deleted, Kimble’s stayed. The question to Whaleoil was also directly related to election funding and Farrar’s Kill the Bill campaign. That was deleted too.
I posted a comment quoting both parties and pointed out that there appeared to be partisan censorship going on. That comment was also deleted. As I say, this is just one example of what has become quite a trend – indeed a policy – over at Farrar’s house.
Now David Farrar owns his blog and he’s free to do what he likes with it. But if it is just a home for National Party lines where dissent and contradiction aren’t welcome then he needs to make that clear. Swanning around as an independent ‘political analyst‘ while he carries on like this is simply not credible. Nor is purporting to stand for free speech when he can’t even handle mild criticism.
Anyone else had similar experiences?
(UPDATE: Looks like Robinsod has been banned indefinitely, without warning.)
Facebook
Twitter
Scoopit!
Prick – you’re a punter. That’s why you’ve attached yourself to DPF – he represents the closest thing you have to a real insider. It’s also why you bandy naive phrases like “intellectual dishonesty” about. I’m not gonna waste my time with a hack like you. Honestly? It was kind fun winding you lot up for a while but bro? There’s more important stuff for me to be doing. Go back to punter-lad where you belong.
Ho Ho Ho
Wot a larf!
that belly makes a good resonator dave
Sprouty you crack me up.
Typical lefties, just attack the messenger.
It was obvious to anyone with half a brain (which you obviously lack) that Robespierre was going to get a ban. Nice to see that it is indefinite. If you behave like the arse you obviously are, then what do you expect?
Carry on calling me DPF if it gives you a thrill. You are totally wrong though. I’m sure the site owners will have been recording my IP address already and would be making plenty of noise if it was resolving to Curia or InternetNZ.
How about it Tane – am I DPF?
Typical lefties, just attack the messenger.
That’s exactly what rakaunui/dpf said today!
And Santy bro, unlike the censors over at kiwibog we don’t track IP addresses or threaten to reveal people’s names or place of employment. It’s all good bro – relax.
Methinks the DPF Claws protests too much. I’d be very surprised (and a little disappointed) if DPF didn’t have the good sense to use an anonymiser (here’s a tip: hidemyass.com – and there’s hundreds more). And Like Tane says Claws “attack the messenger” is verbatim Rakaunui/DPF. Do you miss me David? Oh and just for old time’s sake? Fuck off.
for dave, and people with a sense of humour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJo__QO0zS0
Don’t lie, Robinsod. The truth is that you’ve disengaged from the argument because you keep getting beaten.
Crikey, you lefties are an ill-tempered lot. As soon as you fail to win debates you do all sorts of kicking and tantrum-throwing to avoid debating.
Why don’t you just shut down the comments section entirely, Robinsod, if you can’t handle people with better arguments confronting your narrow view of the world?
the sprout.
You said over here: http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=544#comment-1957
“oh and by the way bertie, the surplus was 2.9bn, not 8.”
Interestingly that was in a thread where you were telling me I had much to learn about propaganda over surplus analysis.
So how are Labour going to pay for tax cuts? National was o so nasty and needing to borrow for tax cuts but Labour seem to have it waxed? How so?
“So how are Labour going to pay for tax cuts?”
Out of ongoing surpluses, which Treasury now advises them are structural. No borrowing, no cuts, those were Dr Cullen’s criteria.
But it’s only a $2.9b surplus, we have previously had “an $8b surplus and not tax custs – wot’s the cunnection?” so just how much more is it predicted to rise.
Perhaps, Robinsod, you don’t see the irony yourself, and need it pointed out to you. You really are a parody of yourself when, in a post claiming that kiwiblog is losing the post because it is cracking down on commenters who try to hijack threads, you resort to hurling abuse instead of engaging in debate. So you lost the debate, Robinsod. Grow up. You’re not going to win any arguments if you descend to shit-flinging when you run out of debating points.
IP
Robinsod descents to shit-flinging at the first opportunity to comment. It’s the Labour way – come out punching.
Jordan nails it here: Jordan Carter on Benson-Pope
“I am glad that David Benson-Pope has come out punching.”
Quite the visionary on Labour tactics our Jordan.
Burt I understand Labour’s tax cuts are going to be paid for out of cash surpluses. That’s closer to the $2b figure.
Benodic
So gullible… OK I’ll spell it out. The (cough cough) $2.9b surplus in 2007 will be used to fund $about $2b of tax cuts from 2009 on wards…. Treasury forecasts an even bigger surplus next year (2008) and one must asume for 2009 as well. About which time the $2b from 2007 will start to be spent throwing tax cut crumbs to working class scabs.
You think this is an acceptable way to fleece a country?
Working class scabs, Burt? You sicken me.
Why don’t you just shut down the comments section entirely, Robinsod,
Prick – I can’t shut down the comments because I’m not a part of the standard. I make comments. Now, if I said to you – “if you don’t like me posting at KB then shut me out” you’d (rightly) find it absurd.
Y’see prick – this is why I can’t be bothered debating with you. You don’t let the facts get in the way of your argument. It’s a credibility thing bro.
“Working class scabs, Burt? You sicken me.”
I’ll second that. Come on Burt, you can make your case without govelling in the gutter.
Tane: “And Santy bro, unlike the censors over at kiwibog we don’t track IP addresses or threaten to reveal people’s names or place of employment.”
You know Tane, I have a really hard time believing that this policy will always apply. After all there doesn’t appear to be any such policy stated on the blog at the top level, and y’all are running this anonymously. Not confidence-inspiring I’m afraid.
And Robespierre keeps throwing that ‘SIS files’ line around, or is that just another lie?
Clearly, robinsod, you’re too ignorant to recognise that “working class scabs” was a reference to a phrase used by Michael Cullen in the House to describe a group of people he didn’t like.
The phrase sickens you? Complain to Michael Cullen.
DPF Claws – it’s a joke based on the fact you righties are constantly accusing me of professional trolling from the 9th floor. D’ya geddit?
Prick – yes, yes, I’m ignorant and you’re smart. I had a look at your blog for the first time today bro and I’ve gotta say if you’re gonna take this highfalutin attitude you should either make sure you can walk the talk or just take it down. Oh and yeah – the phrase sickens me whether it’s Cullen or Burt using it. Though now you’ve elucidated its origin I might just pop across the Hall and have a talk to Mike about it (I’ve got to drop him off a new batch of SIS files anyway…)
Santa, Robinsod doesn’t write for the standard. He’s a commenter and he’s a mate of mine, but he doesn’t have access to your details, let alone your SIS files. We don’t have a comments policy, but we’re working on one. As yet, I’ve only deleted one comment and that was on the request of the person responsible for it.
can someone tell me why the commentors and authors of the blog spend more time writing irrelvant comments on KiwiBlog than on their own little blog? It’s people like you who make the political blogosphere BORING………
Which ones would those be? Of the authors of this blog I’ve only seen Tane over at Kiwiblog and he leaves you lot for dog tucker. And hey, someone’s gotta do it. I’m just glad it’s not me.
” It’s people like you who make the political blogosphere BORING…”
Yeah right. The Standard has been a breath of fresh air in NZ political blogging. Thanks to the team with the time and the energy to make it happen!
Thanks Robin Sod. Why, could it be that Robinsod and R0b the same person – is posts under two names? Perhaps he does that over at Kiwi BLog as well…
Dave, I thought we were over this game. I can assure you that r0b and ‘sod are not the same person. Anyone barely literate would be able to tell that from their writing styles.
“Thanks Robin Sod. Why, could it be that Robinsod and R0b the same person – is posts under two names? Perhaps he does that over at Kiwi BLog as well.”
Not the same person I promise you. And I have never posted at Kiwibog.
well that sorts that out, thanks Tane for emailing ROb to ask him to do a post on your blog…
Dave, pathetic. Is that really all you’ve got?
I’m sorry dave
Really, I’m not interesting enough for a conspiracy theory. I’ve never met or communicated with any of the fine people who host The Standard. I’m just a big fan of their work.
Cheers eh. R0b.
Oh
Here is a link where the phrase “working class scab” was referenced from.
http://www.hansard.parliament.govt.nz/Documents/20061024.htm
Some things never change … that is till an election year!
I won’t defend Cullen’s use of the phrase – in my opinion it’s the most distasteful thing that he’s said – it’s awful. But it’s a rare lapse from a man who is usually intelligent, compassionate, and witty.
You Burt, do not appear to have any of Cullen’s redeeming features. You used the line “working class scabs” to refer to everyone getting a tax cut. It might have been a subtle play on Cullen, or it might express your your true belief, I don’t know. But either way it was gutter stuff. Hope you’re proud.
Amusing how rOb feigns indignant when he drops the ball and misses an ironic reference to a line from Michael Cullen.
rOb, I’ll try another one for you. Do you wake up every morning concerned that the rest of the world is so against you because you’re just so popular and competent?
Let me guess. The idea of being popular and competent offends you and sickens you now, doesn’t it?