Written By:
Tane - Date published:
1:50 pm, December 1st, 2008 - 5 comments
Categories: act -
Tags: hollow men, peter keenan, Rodney Hide, sunday star times
The Sunday Star Times reported yesterday that ACT had “snapped up” former Brash advisor Peter Keenan, one of the lead stars of Nicky Hager’s The Hollow Men.
The Hollow Men revealed, among other things, that Mr Keenan counselled Dr Brash to campaign on populist issues such as law and order and the Treaty of Waitangi “gravy train”, rather than his desire to sell state assets, increase the age of entitlement for superannuation, introduce education vouchers and further privatise the health system.
I’ve got to say, it’s a good match. Peter Keenan’s style should fit right in with the “tough on crime” and Rodney-as-celebrity schtick ACT uses to deflect attention from its extreme right-wing economic agenda.
Of course, in a sane world someone with Keenan’s background should be unemployable in New Zealand’s political scene. I guess Rodney Hide really is as shameless as he seems.
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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lolz.
So is this one of those “secwet agenda” clues??? Does the secwet agenda still exist?
vto, I’m not sure what your question is. All I’m pointing out is that Rodney Hide has picked up one of the lead stars of The Hollow Men, the particularly cynical Peter Keenan, and that Keenan’s style of politics fits very well with Rodney’s.
The neoliberal right can’t openly campaign on what they stand for – they have to appeal to people to vote for them on moral issues like Maoris, crime and solo mums.
vto: ACT’s agenda was never secret, it’s just that some parts of it get much more attention than others.
L
“The neoliberal right can’t openly campaign on what they stand for – they have to appeal to people to vote for them on moral issues like Maoris, crime and solo mums.”
Well said.