Q+A, The Nation Review

Last weeks ratings
Q+A 234, 670.
The Nation 63 020. Ouch, that's a bit of a thrashing. Maybe if The Nation let the bloggers know what's happening the way TVNZ does with weekly press releases they wouldn't get a hiding like this.


The Nation
The Nation's press department still don't send me any info on the Nation, so watching it is the political media equivalent of a one night stand. Today it's the economy and why it isn't recovering, more corporate welfare with the AMI insurance bailout, the religious right (produced by an uncredited Cameron Slater) and an interview with the Spokesperson for the apartheid state of Israel.

Duncan is running it, Sean is sick. George Frazis is on telling Duncan we need to chop up NZ faster for corporate manipulation, it's the usual optimistic hippy-skippy 'recovery just around the around the corner' bullshit they sing every single fucking time when asked about why the economy has fallen off a cliff. No mention about the fact that Governments simply took on the debt from the greedy corporates who corruptly manipulated markets which only postponed the looming market

OH MY GOD! The book of the week is 'Justice' by Sensible Sentencing Lynch Mob founder and recreational Gallows enthusiast, Garth McVicars. Because he didn't write it, he hadn't read the whole thing and was telling University student media that he had been told it was a great read! A ghost written book by a zombie reader. That's what The Nation want to associate with by giving it away?

Ewwww.

Onto the AMI bailout. Isn't it amazing that we have to bail out vast corporations because they are too big to fail? When it comes to welfare, this Government has an endless cheque book for corporations, yet when it comes to public services we need more of in a recession, the Government can't slash fast enough. I'll tell you what's too big to fail. Our public education system is too big to fail. Our public health system is too big to fail. Our public services which hold together the very fabric of our communities which are hurting more now than they have in quarter of a century are too big to fail. This Government's use of 'nice to haves' to term social policy they don't want to pay for is a euphemism for 'pinko shit the free market should pay for'.

It's onto Cameron Slaters uncredited story on the rigging in Rodney by the religious right. Crazy fundy Robertson stacked Rodney, Cam is on wearing a jacket. He NEVER wears a jacket on Citizen A. Sell out. Crazy Family First bloke on being crazy. The reality is fundy Christians have built up in this country while the totality of Christians is falling, meaning although there are less Christians total, there are more crazy ones, and these crazy ones want political representation and when it comes to rigging political mechanism, as long as you are doing it for Jesus, you still get your golden ticket into their willy wonker heaven. That said, there is a left wing evangelism movement in America that is far more environmental and social justice focused. No mention of that here yet though, our evangelism is still the redneck cross burning wife whipping hill billy type.

Israel piece. Spokesperson for the apartheid state of Israel says it's the Palestinians fault, and they really want to populate Jews out of Israel by democratic means. It's as predictable as any official position from an apartheid state. Sean starts sticking it to the apartheid representative by pulling him up on the disgusting blockade on Gaza and the manner in which Israel doesn't allow aid agencies to know what is allowed and isn't allowed meaning everything can be blocked on the whim of Israel.

Sean questions the group punishment policy of Israel, the Spokesperson for the apartheid state of Israel squirms. Sean asks if Key being Jewish by birth means he is more friendly than Helen Clark, Spokesperson for the apartheid state of Israel is diplomatic.

Panel is impressive, John Roughan from Herald, Gavin Ellis former Herald editor, Bryce from Herald on Sunday and Simon Wilson from Metro Editor. They are talking about NZPA collapse. Roughan thinks it will be an evolution, Gavin says it will be the select committee meetings and Parliamentary news that will suffer. Duncan is very good with his questions. Gavin points out PA hasn't been supported, Bryce and John are defensive.

Does National have a plan? None of them think so.

AMI bailout annoys all of them.

Religious groups in political parties are discussed and eyes rolled.

I agree with Gavin that Key's birth has nothing to do with the country's closeness with Israel.

The majority agree that Goff will stay on as leader.

This weeks Panel was one of the best they've done, they should continue with a long panel segment.

Q+A
Panel is Jon, CTU President Helen Kelly and Mainfreight CEO Don Braid.

Holmes opening monologue isn't very funny, they really should hire me to write them.

Bill's up trying to explain why more corporate welfare is needed. Guyon pushes Bill on why we are still including companies into this guarantee scheme! He burps out a dry answer, keeps patting NZ on the head that his corporate mates need the support and help but you all get less welfare now.

Mediaworks is on the agenda and Bill is getting grilled. IT'S A LOAN, Guyon has him signing off on it as a loan. He calls it 'greedy' that the Government has it's money paid up front!!! It's not the radio arm that is hurting Ironbridge, it's the TV arm that is bleeding and it's Ironbridge's highly leveraged deal that is losing cash.

English is getting nailed now, Guyon points out that the assets he wants to sell are generating most of our cash. Guyon points out Treasury is against privatization, English is drowning, he can't name his sources when Guyon challenges him. The mantra National keep using about mum and dad investors is a joke. Confirms a zero budget is looming.

I've noticed that English coughs when he lies. He is coughing a lot.

He has the audacity of promoting the fact we earn less than 30% in wages as a positive that allows us to 'compete'? He claims its a fucking advantage that we are low wage slaves in our own country??? I've heard about turning your frown upside down, but Jesus wept, using our low wage economy as a sales pitch? Jaw drops!

Panel shit all over English's bizarre claim that our low wage economy is somehow beneficial. They all point out that the Government doesn't actually have a plan.

Holmes is giving the new Boss Cop a grilling. He's cheerleading, Paul points out that the Police lied to the Police over the child abuse fiasco. There is the point to be made that the Police do good work, but we all know that there are huge bloody problems. Panel agree that there needs to be a culture change at HQ. They want a step change in Police. Helen makes the point that the Minister is part of the problem with her bash the crim crap.

Helen makes the point that all the focus on the $2million plastic waka is a joke when you look at the Mediaworks scam. There is a economic outlook poll, only 38% think the economy will get better but 45% think it will get worse. The panel make the point the Government has no actual economic plan beyond slashing public services. How can AMI bailout be too big to fail when our public health and education goes down the drain? Why aren't they too big to fail?

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