2015 was a bumper year for politics. Here’s my list of of those who made a difference, for better or worse.
1. Politician of the Year: Justin Trudeau: for pulling Canada’s bombers out of Syria, for personally welcoming Syrian refugees to Canada, for creating his county’s first gender-balanced cabinet, for initiating the decriminalization of marijuana, for addressing the past treatment of indigenous people, for reversing Canada’s climate change denials . Beautiful. Bi-lingual. Testament that style and substance are not mutually exclusive. The antidote to ugly poisonous politics. Made me wish NZ was a province of Canada.
2. Kelvin Davis: for speaking truth to power, for actually getting off his arse in Wellington and travelling to Christmas Island to determine the plight of NZ detainees, for relentlessly pursuing and exposing Serco’s scandalous incompetence and fraud. He walks his talk. Made me proud to have voted Labour.
3. Hilary Clinton: for standing by Bill all these years, for making it through 11 hours of congressional interrogation in better shape than her interrogators, living proof that America is not completely full of ignorant, racist bigots. She should be President. She must be President.
4. Winston Peters: for winning Northland, for proving John Key is not invincible, for looking so suave at 70. A charming, street-smart political gadfly in National’s ointment.
5. Marama Davidson: for her courage and compassion, for hitting the ground running, a working mother who actually believes in something. A political superstar in the making.
6. David Seymour: for not being a craven little lickspittle, unlike his predecessor. Can’t abide his politics but hugely admired his decision to decline a place in Key’s cabinet. Very bright. Doesn’t wear a bowtie so already a step up from Peter Dunne.
7. Tony Abbott: for being a dangerous religious fundamentalist. Rightly dumped by his colleagues before he dragged Oz into a Holy War. A Textor/Crosby sloganeer (like Key) now hell-bent on political revenge at the expense of his party and his country. Should be sent to Christmas Island immediately.
8. Donald Trump: for making George W Bush look like Gandhi., for saying in public what ignorant racist bigots have always wanted to say. Personification of The Ugly American. Puts me off the colour orange for life. Should be sent to Christmas Island immediately.
9. John Key: for being an easy, sleazy, smug rich prick who makes fun of those less fortunate, for using his considerable talents for the betterment of the wealthy at the expense of the poor, for being a royal-name-dropping-All-Black-arse-licking-star-fucker (and these are his good points). Makes me ashamed to be a New Zealander. Should be sent to the shower block on Christmas Island immediately.
10. Adolf Hitler: for achieving the remarkable distinction of being compared to ISIS and Donald Trump in the same week, for being the politician behind VW and the inspiration for its outrageous marketing propaganda, for enduring more hilariously inappropriate internet memes than any other living politician. Uncredited set and costume designer for the evil baddies in the latest Star Wars. For having one testicle (that’s still one more than John Key).
she voted to invade iraq..
..she voted to invade libya/overthrow gadaffi..
(in both cases with little fore-thought as to what would come later..with the disasterous consequences we have seen..)
..she is owned by wall st/the military-industrial complex..
why the fuck would you want this warmomgering fucken hawk as the next president of ameica..?
because the alternative is worse … (assuming that Bernie Sanders is unlikely to get the Democrat nod).
I find TDB moderation policy interesting. Make the mildest criticism of someone on the left and the comment never sees the light of day, yet this foul mouthed abuse is acceptable.
Because she is a women of course!
The election of Donald Trump would be an extinction level event. Hillary Clinton appears to be the only politician in the position to stop him. She must be President.
You really think Trump wants to be president? He’s a promoter promoting a brand. He’s the Vincent McMahon of politics.
f.y.i…make no mistake..trump wants to be president..
..he is on the record going way back as having that ambition..
Could not agree with you more ! !
are you paying much attention to what is actually happening in america..?.
…before opining..?
..currently sanders in iowa is five points behind clinton..
..at the same time in the clinton/obama battle obama was 30 points behind clinton..
..and sanders has raised more money than obama did..
(..the final battle will between trump and sanders..and sanders will win..)
..and is that yr sole reason for such whole-hearted support for clinton..?
..’cos u think only she can beat trump..?
..any other reasons..?
..’cos for the life of me..i can’t see any…
‘cos clearly sanders now is doing much better than obama was at the same time..
..(and we all know what happened there..eh..?..)
the above is a reply to simon prast..
(here are hitchens’ observations on clinton..)
‘He rattles his chains repeatedly at Hillary Clinton, for example, as an addendum to his fabled antipathy to her “no one left to lie to” husband.
Indeed reading the two broadsides directed against the Democratic leadership frontrunner during her campaign of 2008 in which she was characterised as ‘indifferent to truth – willing to use police state tactics and vulgar libels against inconvenient witnesses – hopeless on healthcare and flippant and fast and loose with national security’ –
– it is hard to imagine how she has had the nerve to stand again.’
part of why sanders will beat trump is because moderate republicans fearful of trump..and what he means for the future of the political party that freed the slaves…
..those moderate republicans will vote for sanders..as an anti-trump vote..preferring defeat to trump as president..
..the respect in which the republicans sanders ruled over/worked with in his state roles..will not harm his case at all..
..and i would argue..those moderate republicans would be far more likely to vote for sanders than for clinton..
Are you seriously suggesting that Sanders could win? What universe are you living in?
Mana/Internet will sweep all before them and win our next election first….(oh, you believe that too?)
Hillary Clinton would make a better President than anyone with a snowball’s chance on toast of winning.
She’s not in Wall Street’s pocket any more than Donald Trump is.
Sure she somewhat cynically voted to support the then President. She could have opposed it. So did Obama and so could he have. Political suicide anyone? That was where the smart money was at that time. The vote would have been carried anyway as the Washington lemmings scurried to do something – anything after 9/11.
Horrors! Sometimes politicians do things for reasons of expedience.
She won’t change much for the better (though her democrats might permanently kill TPP which may or may not be a good thing)Presidents seldom do. But she will continue the path to battle climate change and will at least try to do something for the disadvantaged. At least she is their best realistic bet.
(By the way, you may notice that this is also why those who hope for a better New Zealand should specifically put their efforts behind Labour).
hilarious there nick..!..very funny..!
..and thanks for putting it all into context with yr final sentence..
..and yes..you are correct..andrew little-labour is our hillary..
..totally sold-out/beholden to the powers that be/from whom we shall see little change..
..where is our bernie..?
..oh..!..and i ‘live in the universe’ where i am able to look back and compare now to/with obama/clinton..and as i noted..bernie is doing much better..
..and a double-chuckle @ yr defence of clinton being she is no worse than trump..
..and that is some benchmark-setting low-benchmark you are setting there..eh..?
My comment above was meant to read, “Could not disagree with you more about Hillary Clinton.” She must not and should not be president with her background and her connections with the upper 1 % NWO elites. She would keep the country in the same position with war mongering and the corporations running the show.
Bernie Sanders is the only real and true and good choice for US president and would, hopefully, take the US out of its horrific worldwide disrespect and bring bank some sanity and more peace and less poverty.
HILLARY C..!!???…OMG…
I totally agree Phillip..ha ha ..just about choked on my toast”… They are all fake puppets to the America/Zionist establishment!!!!
Always a pleasure Simon. You are in awesome form. Immediately posted to FB. Have a happy new year!
Where’s Bill English Trotter’s favorite?
Hillary Clinton, Oh come on. Are you not aware of her past and her corporate connections and all the murders in her and her husbands circles and why. This is about the worst article I have read on TDB.
Could not disagree with you more on most that you write and on your choices.
Have you not heard of Bernie Sanders?
Have you not heard of Elizabeth Warren?
Have you not heard of other good Labour MPs other than Kelvin ?
And for Canada, oh please do not get me started.
So, when are you leaving the neo-liberal hell hole that is New Zealand 2015, and moving to the nirvana of socialist Canada under Trudeau?
“So, when are you leaving the neo-liberal hell hole that is New Zealand 2015, and moving to the nirvana of socialist Canada under Trudeau?”
You idiots made it a neo-liberal hell-hole. Which is why we are committed to stay and fix the godawful mess you’ve left this country.
Answer your question enough?
I thought when JK was accused of bad judgement when a radio station made fun of prison rape that this was a very bad thing yet I item 9 above it says ” be sent to the shower block on Christmas Island immediately. ”
Pot, meet kettle
Key set the new low standard, David. Are we not entitled to follow?
New standard? Piss poor humour has been around for many many years – not sure why this site making weak innuendo joke around shower in prison situations is any better than what he was pilloried for.
Hence the ” pot, meet kettle” statement.
It would give him an insight as to why sexual assault is no laughing matter!
chrism – epic fail on several counts , if I need to explain let me know !
David, meet satire.
YUP….Never did trust Hillary… she seems a mixed bag to me… sharing qualities among many mercurial politicians of this age and others before her…inasmuch that she – and her husband ( a Rhodes scholar ) are dedicated neo liberals.
( Which immediately cancels them out for any serious contender-ship as valid leaders to be future leaders.)
That this mercurial nature is…of a dualistic compliancy to public opinions regardless of moral considerations and their consequences… and I am quite happy to ad also … I could care less if its a woman or a man who issues these …
Margeret Thatcher being a good example of this sort of demagoguery … a ruthless, destructive woman who used clever slogans and half truths to manipulate the conservative vote…no thanks. Not here please… or in the USA or anywhere.
Yes it may be true that you support Hillary over Trump…but then that is only reaching for the best of among the lowest common denominator of American choices lined up in the probability of who among those two stand a chance of winning.
Those aligned with true social democracy would reject both and choose Sanders hands down every time.
Kelvin Davis .
The man disgusts me for his simplistic ass licking servility to neo liberalism – and in particular the Key – led govt . Particularly for his willingness to be the little neo liberal mole to undermine Hone Hawira in Te Tai Tokerau.
If it were not for this little troll we could have had a REAL left wing set of representatives in parliament today. And the threat to our democracy with the FBI under the guidance of the Hollywood movie industry and John Keys anti democratic agenda would have been severely challenged.
He remains odious because of these reasons to myself and many, many others.
Co-incidentally… although I support Peters and NZ First in many ways… two facts are that Davis is a friend of Peters , and Peters was in league to destroy IMP as well…
It is no small wonder that both Peters took Northland and Davis won Te Tai Tokerau … seems to add to the notion of complicity here…
However , that being the case… credit is due where credit is due… inasmuch as Davis DID perform well in travelling to Christmas Island and doing what JOHN KEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING.
However….I should like to ad also… that this situation once upon a time would have been undertaken by ANY incumbent govt in this country – the fact that Key was quite prepared to avoid the issue and furthermore to go a step further in justifying his govts absence from duty and try to leverage his ‘ the opposition supports rapists and murderers ‘ as scapegoats speaks volumes …
This is the extent that John Key and his servile cabinet are prepared to go to protect the neo liberal dogma…
Even to the extent of destroying fellow New Zealanders lives to retain subversion in the form of the neo liberal status quo.
I agree with you as usual. Also Kelvin is heavily connected with and respects the UN as well as the Maori party and this shows ignorance. The UN is so heavily connected with the NWO agenda that is is not funny anymore.
Most are unaware of just why the UN should not be trusted nor aligned with.
Check out the link below and the secret deal that Obama just signed with the UN.
If Hillary gets in – it will be business as usual and she should not be trusted.
http://www.naturalnews.com/051058_2030_Agenda_United_Nations_global_enslavement.html
I agree…………….
Me too!
Winston Peters.
While it is true that I have stood up and even justified Peters decision to ally with National at one time on several of Curwen Rowlinson ‘s posts…
And while also I, and others were glad to see Peters trounce the arrogant Key – led govt – and particularly to neutralize the loud mouthed arrogant PR man Stephen Joyce , ( perhaps Joyce used the sacking of Campbell as a way to work back from his fall from grace….) …
The fact remains that Peters not only endorsed Davis in the destruction of any real chance of a true left representation in parliament by backing Davis , – he also shot himself in the foot last election of EVER getting to be the Kingmaker – and then blamed the populace of not understanding tactical voting.
Peters let himself become nothing more than a populist fool last 2014 general elections.
And why?… because of his belligerent belief in some sort of a ‘ RACE – BASED PARTY’ … which was totally bogus as IMP was designed for ALL people.
Not only that – he deliberately aligned himself with his total nemesis in order to do it – and agreed wholeheartedly with John Key when Key advised his National party supporters to vote for Kelvin Davis – the exact opposite of all Peters stood against.. or does he?
Yes we are glad Peters won Northland…
But NONE OF US have forgotten his performance last 2014 general elections.
And because of that today… we have a famous individual and 3 co – defendants who have now undergone a court trial and bogus ruling that challenges the very fabric of the premises with which we build our very democracy on.
So much for Winston Peters ‘ tactical voting’ accusations against the public when our very democracy and the illegalities with which this govt has perpetrated against these four defendants stands in the very balance of the strength of any vestiges of democracy we once had.
In that Peters has been a total and utter fool.
Exactly!
Marama Davidson.
Exellence.
Quite simply.
A young woman that is fearless and stands up boldly to lies and distortions. Thank goodness at last.
Seems to exhibit a moral compass that would not truck descending into compromise and double dealing in order for the ‘ends to justify the means’.
We need more like her.
David Seymour.
Prize Pillock of the New Zealand crop.
However … again , – credit due where credits due.
He did stand up against some of Keys vulgarity’s regarding surveillance.
He moves up from the dunces corner to the class’s ‘ disruptive students ‘ seat.
Needs to have an eye kept on him at all times and thus a seat at the front to ensure he doesn’t disrupt the orderly and efficient smooth operation of the rest of the class.
Probably needs to be kept in after schools hours for minor distractions and misdemeanors perpetrated during class hours. Writing lines and doing chores.
Letters home to his parents to keep them informed.
Maybe summer camps to provide examples of a more balanced and socially adjusted individuals behavior and attitudes.
The last four.
Arseholes.
All of them.
No excuses , all liars , and all constrained by the the advancement of how far they have got in politics to various degrees , the society’s in which they find themselves born into but none above committing in relative terms social abuses if given a free reign to do so.
In other words…
ARSEHOLES.
wot wild katipo said..
Hmmmm, the Nats/Acts are here in there spare time down voting, I see… Silly buggers.
@ Wild Katipo.
Re NZ politics. I agree with you.
Re U$A’s politics? I think an invisible U$A Omni-President controls everything at all times. Offical Presidential elections are a ruse to keep the Great Unwashed happy thinking they are in fact in control. If Barney the Dinosaur was elected President it’d not matter one jot. Unless, of course, jonky having purple fur stuck in his teeth after repeated arse kissing’s was an issue.
@ Simon Prast. It’s comforting to know PLU’s are out there.
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