Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, July 21st, 2010 - 40 comments
Categories: caption contest, class war, workers' rights - Tags: , ,

Remember back in 2008 when David Farrar and Cameron Slater launched a set of billboards comparing Helen Clark to a series of dictators over big issues like which lightbulbs you could buy and a recommendation on low-flow shower heads?

The funny thing is she’d never had anything to do with any of the dictators used but when John Key’s attacks workers are put before the house there will be at least one MP voting for them that was a friend of Pinochet’s Minister of Labour.

Ironic huh?

Feel free to add your captions in the comments.

40 comments on “Caption contest ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Gooner 1
    21 July 2010 at 8:35 pm

    I’m a working Kiwi and John Key certainly hasn’t attacked me.

  2. Irascible 2
    21 July 2010 at 9:34 pm

    Do you share the same PR company, John? Mine was good GOP based as well.

  3. Bill 3
    21 July 2010 at 9:43 pm

    No caption.

    Am I only one who is noticing a certain ‘rolling maul’ that differs somewhat to the one promised?

    This shit really is 80/90 redux. And the left is being backfooted. Again.

    Why?

    Because the intellectual left, the rewarded liberal left; the largely self appointed respectable left; the safe and recognised representatives of the left, are doing the same old same old, ‘let’s sit and talk about it’ strategy in the belief that a ‘lets just joust on logic and our rapier intellect will show people who is right and who is wrong and the world will follow’ strategy will some how change things or save the day.

    It won’t.

    The Pinochet/Chile/NZ angle needs to be hit. Hit big. Hit black and blue. Hit again. And then hit harder.

    edit . caption.

    See this hand? Hand of your government man.
    (Apologies to Mr Byrne.)

    • loota 3.1
      21 July 2010 at 10:29 pm

      Bill, you got it mate, forget this intellectualising B*S* (save it for the in-caucus policy analysis and detailed discussions with sector representation) reach out there, relay a story (that doesn’t have to be 100% technically accurate, but make it a good story) and make some frakin’ common sense to the ordinary NZ’er who is willing to give you not more than 11s of their precious time in a day to think about what you are saying.

      captcha RESPECTS

      • Bill 3.1.1
        21 July 2010 at 11:47 pm

        Oh, us ordinary people living here in NZ give one another much more than 11 seconds of our time. And we understand just fine.

        Just sometimes some of us can’t articulate our understanding as well as others of us can.

        Edit. Should I have put a link to the source of my caption suggestion? I think so. here it is. Enjoy!

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVIKF03KkVM

  4. George Darroch 4
    21 July 2010 at 10:54 pm

    “The funny thing is she’d never had anything to do with any of the dictators used.”

    But plenty to do with those great democracies China, Vietnam, and Singapore.

    “Ironic huh?”

    Yep.

    The National Party (sorry, Free Speech Coalition) billboards were ridiculous and intellectually weak, and so is this. Let’s focus our efforts on getting real traction on this issue – we don’t have the benefit of a complicit media to help us.

    • someplace 4.1
      22 July 2010 at 12:43 am

      It’s a bit of light humour, George. It’s not a strategy document. Lighten up.

    • Pete 4.2
      22 July 2010 at 8:53 am

      I agree completely – this is a bit too much like getting down and rolling in the mud with Farrar and co – we don’t need to do this, the Pinochet/work rights message has already been posted.

  5. Policy Parrot 5
    21 July 2010 at 11:29 pm

    Sorry, but without the fat bald guy standing next to it it just doesn’t have the same effect 😛

  6. Pablo 6
    21 July 2010 at 11:55 pm

    Felicitaciones Comandante Roger y Teniente John! Mision Cumplida!

    capcha: plot

    • IrishBill 6.1
      22 July 2010 at 7:39 am

      Mision Cumplida? Unfortunately I suspect not.

      • Pablo 6.1.1
        22 July 2010 at 1:57 pm

        In the imposition of market-driven ideology as the dominant organising principle for NZ society and the emasculation of the NZ union movement as an effective leader of the NZ working class, I think so.

        I am surprised you did not pick up on the reference to Commander Roger and Lieutenant John.

        • IrishBill 6.1.1.1
          22 July 2010 at 2:41 pm

          I didn’t realise what Teniente translated to. I’d argue that it will take the wholesale flogging off of the last key assets/resources to lock the market system in. As we’ve seen with the sale of Contact Energy and the blackmail buyback price of Kiwirail it ain’t easy to to come back from the transfer of property rights from public to corporate (no matter how dodgily done) within a social democratic framework. And I’m not holding my breath for a revolutionary socialist government.

  7. BLiP 7
    22 July 2010 at 12:16 am

    On behalf of the global Capitalists, I just have one word for you, New Zealand: GOTCHA

    (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know . . . it was Argentina but its getting late and The Standard has done such a good job today I haven’t had time to read everything, make a few comments, and attempt wit. Keep up the good work comrades.)

    • Bill 7.1
      22 July 2010 at 12:41 am

      But it was ( for better or worse) in ‘The Sun’….ie, in the (groan) full light of day…and this is still in the shadows…and maybe I should just shut up about now…

      • RobertM 7.1.1
        23 July 2010 at 12:04 am

        Yes well bill, pretty aside I’m for freedom. Clark oppossed the F-l6s and Skyhawks which had 45-50% support. Clark and Wilde were prepared to give subtle support to the Anzac frigates which would allow the navy to go on as they always had recuiting from the criminal prole vicous areas that they always has had Taranaki, South Canterbury, Mataura, Gore. The Otago and Wellington are sailing up the harbour with the potential to break the Japanese whalers, and your have no idea what it took to get that far. I had to have those charlie wilson F-l6s roling through the texas night, otherwise there was no chance, otherwise it was simply hopeless. Look I admired those Argentine skyhawk pilotsl. I’m for an unlimited hetorsexual 24 hour society and freedom for the mentaly ill. And Bradford is the greatest opponent of freedom, justice and truth on earth. She has simply destroyed all truth and justice you just have to allowe the mentally ill . disabled and weak to get sexual jsutice and that is incompatible with everything Clark, Bradford and Peter Davis were about. Outlaw the fincancing of Sociolgy.

        • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1
          23 July 2010 at 1:07 am

          Do you have any idea as to what you just wrote? Because I sure as hell don’t.

          • The Voice of Reason 7.1.1.1.1
            23 July 2010 at 9:29 am

            It guess worse, Draco. And after another hour on the turps, RobM came up with this contender for comment of the year:

            http://www.thestandard.org.nz/little-confirms-new-plymouth-candidacy/#comment-235280

            • RobertM 7.1.1.1.1.1
              23 July 2010 at 4:55 pm

              I think it was 4 cans of Smirnoff, 2 Rheinecks and 4 Hop Rockers to lubricate the blogging before a night on the tiles. Actually its the HMNZS Otago and the HMNZS Wellington and those offshore patrol ships came into being largely because the third frigate option was canned in favour of the F-l6 option. The pakistani F-16s feature in the film, ‘Charlie Wilsons war’. Somewhat regretably I share certain tastes in common with Charlie Wilson.But I don’t really apologise or regret, because I do believe in a 24 hour hetrosexual society as the aim, whether it was realisable or not.
              On the issue of Pinochet, I not sure he was anymore the enemy of freedom than Bradford, Peter Davis or any NZ academic sociologists.

              • felix …
                23 July 2010 at 7:45 pm

                Well, apart from all the murder and torture.

                p.s. That pathetic booze intake shouldn’t affect your reading or writing. I drink more than that before I read the morning paper. Pussy.

                • IrishBill …
                  23 July 2010 at 8:11 pm

                  Indeed Felix, the kids just can’t handle their booze nowadays. Although I do think you’ve forgotten the time Sue Bradford disappeared her political opponents by throwing them into the Pacific Ocean from military helicopters.

                  Or was that Roger’s mate Pinochet? It’s so hard to remember the details after all this time.

                  • RobertM …
                    24 July 2010 at 5:39 pm

                    Actually I am quite well versed on events in Chile and Argentina in the l960s and l970s. There were factions among the marxist left who might have been just as vicious as Pinochet if Allende had continued in power. Prior to pinochet’s coup the left were barely controllable in Chile since the Christian Democrats or whoever took power in l964. That l964-70 Chilean government rather resembles Bill’s idea of good leadership, weak kneed catholic social democracy that was losing control to resistance priests and armed student activists. In this nation of Outer Roa the Nats show little sign of the courage and conviction to reverse most of the policies of Clark, Bradford, Cullen, Dalziel and Peters.My suspicion is the 90 day bill is partly being promoted by the likes of English and Key because it will open up employment opportunities to certain groups.
                    It was the outriders of the Argentine Junta who threw left wing activists out of planes not Pinochet.
                    Another crucial difference is that the United States attatched great economic and political importance to Chile in the fight against communism in Latin American. Its been said that Henry Kissinger regarded both New Zealand and Chile as daggers pointing at Antarctica, but it would be too much to expect him to differentiate and I don’t think NZ is in danger of such intervention partly because we are of less and less military, economic, intelligence ( both military and human) to the US as each year passes. So I agree with Bill, I just feel that the Nats like Clark are tamed pussies that lack courage.

  8. luva 8
    22 July 2010 at 6:48 am

    Irishbill is as funny as David and Whale

  9. The Voice of Reason 9
    22 July 2010 at 7:55 am

    Funny thing, Roger, heaven is so much hotter than they said it would be. Ouch, it burns, it burns!

  10. ghostwhowalksnz 10
    22 July 2010 at 8:58 am

    ” Waving yes , but smiling No, no matter what Crosby/Textor says”

  11. bbfloyd 11
    22 July 2010 at 11:25 am

    thought bubble……….ah young Ronald McJonny, best clown act i ever saw. i miss him.

  12. Gosman 12
    22 July 2010 at 11:36 am

    Why have you got a caption contest when you have already provided the caption?

    • Bored 12.1
      22 July 2010 at 12:03 pm

      Yeah, its a lefty habit, you have to understand that our concept of competitve behavoir is inclusive as well. Difficult I know, but we could have done the “righty” thing and put the caption out to competitve tender, and we would have ended up buying a cheap Chinese one or similar.

  13. Ryan 13
    22 July 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Your workers are tied sir..

    P.S I’m getting ideas for a “bush/key” photomontage.

  14. Ryan 14
    22 July 2010 at 1:24 pm

    HA! First to come at ya with a caption. Love the coment on lefty habits about inclusive compition and buying cheap chinese goods. I think you may have pushed a member of the national party over the edge with that one, but the coroner is not allowed to publish the cause of death, due to another suppression order.

  15. burt 15
    22 July 2010 at 11:04 pm

    I congratulate The Standard for taking it way to far.

    • felix 15.1
      23 July 2010 at 9:20 am

      Do you mean “too far” or “for too long”?

      The latter would be a critique of the comedic value but the former would suggest that you think the idea itself is absurd.

      I hope you’re not trying to hide the latter behind the former for some reason.

  16. Gosman 16
    23 July 2010 at 9:23 am

    This is almost as lame as the Peter Shirtcliffe idea for a caption competition for the worst political cartoon of all time re the upcoming electoral referendum.

  17. Harry 17
    23 July 2010 at 8:50 pm

    “An Armed Police Force is Now Essential Mr Key”

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    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    5 days ago

  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    7 days ago

  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago

  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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