DPF strikes out

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, May 6th, 2010 - 29 comments
Categories: dpf - Tags: ,

I don’t read Kiwiblog often. DPF is capable of interesting political commentary or detailed policy wonkery on occasion, but most of the time it is editorial cut and paste jobs, troll farming, or postcards from his latest holiday. Ho hummm. Even a casual reader such as myself, however, can’t help but notice that National’s eternal spinster is having a pretty appalling week.

Strike one, the rabbit in the headlights. How does DPF handle the biggest single protest since 1938? Can he reconcile it with National’s position? If not, can he derive any thoughtful lessons for National? Nope:

So what were they marching against?

The turnout for the anti-mining march was impressive, and is one of the largest held in Auckland. I wonder how many knew what they were marching against or for.

Forty to fifty thousand people didn’t know what they were marching for? That’s the political equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and chanting “la la la I can’t hear you”. Sad.

Strike two, clutching at straws. DPF tries to argue that a couple of tourist gold panning operations set a precedent for full scale mining on Schedule 4 land. Yes really:

Current mining on Section 4 land

So Labour granted two permits for mining on Section 4 land. So mining is now okay on Section 4 land, so long as it is small scale? Is that what Phil Goff told the marchers? And when Labour says they will cancel all mining permits for Section 4 land, does that include the permits they granted?

If he believed it then he didn’t understand it, if he understood it then he didn’t believe it. Either way he ran it, the lamest argument in blogging history. Desperate.

Strike three, the mindless knee-jerk. Considerations of actual effective policy or the safety of the public don’t matter at all, as long as we can posture tough on crime. Like this:

Bring on Three Strikes

[I] want to highlight why I support it. … [example ] … under three strikes, if Rikihana commits a third violent or sexual offence, he would be given the maximum jail term without parole. That might prevent more victims down the track.

This is pure, blinkered prejudice. Ignore the expert opinion. Try and hide the risks. Bugger the Bill of Rights. Instead, choose a nice shocking example, blend with good old fashioned gut instinct, and that’s all that DPF needs to argue that we need three strikes. Because all the experts must be wrong and it might reduce crime. So bring it on! Seriously? (Where have we heard that before?) Stupid stupid stupid.

Sorry DPF, speaking of three strikes, you’ve had yours, you’re out. Political commentary this lame is not doing you or your party any good. Hang on. No – on second thoughts – keep up the “great” work!

29 comments on “DPF strikes out ”

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  1. mickysavage 1
    6 May 2010 at 7:58 am

    So what were they marching against?

    Uumm there must have been about 10,000 anti mining signs there.

    You are right this is as lame an excuse as it gets.

  2. tc 2
    6 May 2010 at 8:11 am

    Sleep with dogs….wake up with fleas……DPF seems to be itching alot more than normal lately so either the treatments not effective or the fleas are too numerous…….bit of both probably.

  3. Santi 3
    6 May 2010 at 9:17 am

    Farrar is another mercenary, a well-paid repeater for National. His blog is a joke.

  4. The Linesman 4
    6 May 2010 at 9:36 am

    He, like most blogs, deals in political intrigue, not political insight. When you’re not striving to be consistent, you eventually get sloppy.

  5. insider 5
    6 May 2010 at 9:46 am

    I dunno about it being the lamest argument in blogging history. The Standard-based Winston Peters defence campaign was right up there, alsong with the general “John Key is a class traitor and he has a holiday home in Hawaii so is basically an economic traitor and not forgetting he is to blame for the world’s economic woes cos he was an evil incarnate money trader” theme that wends its way regulary through the posts on this site

    • LisaS 5.1
      6 May 2010 at 9:55 am

      All that pales in comparison to his baby eating escapades.

    • ianmac 5.2
      6 May 2010 at 10:33 am

      Insider! You have figured out John Key at last. I couldn’t have put his frailty as well as you. Well done lad!

      • Tigger 5.2.1
        6 May 2010 at 2:28 pm

        I’ve gotta agree, insider really nailed Key in such a succinct way that I doubt will ever be topped.

  6. travellerev 6
    6 May 2010 at 10:16 am

    In response to your remark about the holiday picks the following.

    If DPF is a National asset and a good friend to the hoipeloi of the party then a visit to the Knesset hosted by the chairman of the Knesset no less should surely be viewed as not a mere holiday pic

    • Ag 6.1
      6 May 2010 at 11:04 am

      hoipeloi

      Do you mean “Hoi Polloi”?

      If so, get it right, and don’t say “the hoi polloi”. “Hoi” means “the”, so saying “the hoi polloi” is saying “the the many”.

      /rant over

      • felix 6.1.1
        6 May 2010 at 11:29 am

        You must have fun at the ASB Bank when you enter your PIN number into the ATM machine.

  7. lprent 7
    6 May 2010 at 10:16 am

    Insider: it is always interesting looking at conservatives inventing their convoluted mythologies. However there was very little ‘defense’ of Winston here (read the posts).

    There was however, an immense distaste at the disgusting lynch mob mentality of mindless braying of the sewer. Fuckwits like yourself and others at the sewer seem to be running a retrospective self justification for your appalling descent into an animalistic feeding frenzy. To do this you label anyone who believes in natural justice and the due process of the law who did not descend into the mob like yourself as being ‘defenders’.

    Well I guess you have to justify your blind stupidity to yourself somehow

  8. Killinginthenameof 8
    6 May 2010 at 1:45 pm

    Given up reading kiwiblog (got a whole lot more boring after I was banned from posting for dissent and pointing out awkward truths) but it has gone to the dogs there, which I think was inevitable under a National government. There as just so many things he ignores, sure its his blog he doesnt have to post them, but I don’t have to read it either, I suspect his readership figures are dropping.

    • lprent 8.1
      6 May 2010 at 3:26 pm

      I suspect his readership figures are dropping.

      There are times, like the start of last month with that nasty little crash, when I wish that ours would do that. But it usually doesn’t last long. The new server is great – don’t have to watch over the site at all.

  9. prism 9
    6 May 2010 at 2:05 pm

    Hear ye, hear ye. Farrar will go far and we hope soon. In the meantime this arvo on Radionz Nat he’s on the panel with Sunny Jim Mora 4-5pm.

    Captcha – keys (Key’s)?

  10. HitchensFan 10
    6 May 2010 at 2:25 pm

    Why does Jim Mora keep asking him to be on the Panel? For chrissake, the man is a fawning shambles. Why does the media give him any cred at all???

    • The Baron 10.1
      6 May 2010 at 2:33 pm

      Must be because they don’t have your number, Hitchens.

    • Anne 10.2
      6 May 2010 at 9:29 pm

      You will occasionally hear Ian Wishart on his panel session too. Once upon a time Mora had a reasonably good line up but one by one the more intelligent and sane guests have disappeared. I rarely bother to tune in these days.

  11. Rex Widerstrom 11
    6 May 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I like David persoanlly though I can’t say I disagree with your analysis of his effort on those topics and told him so as regards two of them.

    However, not all commenters are like the guy who claimed that only defence lawyers were eligible to be appointed as judges, or the other who suggested we “make prison a place no bastard/bitch ever wants to go back to”.

    There’s some worthwhile debate takes place, some of it from commenters with useful experience and insight into the issues. Like the lawyers “GPT1” and “F.E.Smith” who usually have something to say on justice issues (and made great contributions to the two “Three Strikes” posts yesterday).

    “MikeNZ” – an ardent Act supporter – and I found there was much we could agree on in terms of penal policy. I’m not sure who was more gobsmacked, but I’m betting me.

    And so on…. Not that I’m here shilling for Farrar’s blog, but merely pointing out that it’s possible to use it as a forum to engage with (and occasionally even learn from) people other than those who’re predisposed to agree with you.

    And I find that quite stmulating.

    • Flatfish 11.1
      6 May 2010 at 9:24 pm

      Maybe.
      But there is a lot of muck from DPF & Co. to rake through to find those flecks of gold – good of ROB & you to keep looking. Personally, I can find many other places far more stimulating at far less cost.

      Similar if Jim get’s him on then I turn off.

  12. HitchensFan 12
    6 May 2010 at 2:43 pm

    Yeah Rex, take your point. F E Smith at least makes some sense even if, as a fellow lawyer, I rarely agree with his viewpoints. Ditto GPT1.

    But……MikeNZ??! Gimme a break. Have you read his fundie posts?? The guy’s a total loon. His posts (along with the likes of “Scott”, “KrisK”, “Redbaiter” are the reason I keep feeding the addiction and going back to Kiwiblog for a good laugh….)

    • Rex Widerstrom 12.1
      6 May 2010 at 3:02 pm

      I hear a mental “whoop whoop, pull up” every time someone drags religion into an issue over there, and just abandon the thread. Sadly (speaking as an atheist who acknowledges atheism is itself fundamentally just a belief system), most of those opposing the fundies on KB are equally fruit loopish, or at least equally obsessive about “winning”.

      Someone once suggested DPF post a “general religious debate” as well as “general debate” each day to try and corral the lunacy, but of course that wouldn’t work as a discussion on widget exports would become an excuse for an exchange along the line of “widgets are part of the majesty of the Lord’s creation”, “no they’re not, just ask Richard Dawkins!” 🙁

      But MikeNZ, after a few exchanges, revealed that he does have a reasonable grasp of some of the issues surrounding penal policy… which goes to prove my point that even the seemingly irrational can be hiding their light under bushel (hey, I don’t mind the Bible as a metaphor store! 😀 )

  13. Santi 13
    8 May 2010 at 6:22 am

    A few days ago Farrar was called “a hot air merchant” in his blog. An exact description of the National Party spin doctor..

    • felix 13.1
      8 May 2010 at 6:51 am

      Indeed.

      And probably the first and last time anyone uses the word “hot” in a description of him.