TVNZ's Breakfast, otherwise known as the 'National Party Appreciation Show', hauled in the right wing Graeme Hunt to talk about the activities of police spy Rob Gilchrist.
Graeme Hunt – a new right zealot- is one of those right wight wing loonies who equates all democratic protest with subversive activity. In his poor book Spies and Revolutionaries: A history of New Zealand Subversion, Hunt portrayed labour strikes, the peace movement, the ant-Springbok tour movements and the anti-conscription movement as the tools of 'spies' out to subvert 'the New Zealand way of life' on behalf of the former Soviet Union.
Said Hunt when the book was released: "It is high time we called these people the traitors they are… People make light of the corrupting influence of the Soviet Union on New Zealand life, but Russian communism attracted friends in government departments, universities, and the unions with several committed to establishing a communist state here."
There you go - opposing the Springbok Tour wasn't about fighting apartheid, it was all about helping out the Soviet Union and creating a Stalinist state here!
Hunt's book completely fails to understand the reactionary nature of Stalinism and Soviet foreign policy. Hunt's dislike of left wing politics borders on the pathological and he is simply incapable of rational discussion.
But back to Breakfast.
The ludicrous Hunt told the very-right-wing Paul Henry and the absolutely hopeless Pippa Wetzell that it was quite okay for Rob Gilchrist to spy on animal rights groups, the Happy Valley Coalition, the Workers Party, etc because, yes, these groups are - you guessed it – potential threats to 'our' New Zealand way of life.
Of course since the demise of the Soviet Union, Hunt can no longer talk darkly of the Soviet threat and since China is one of 'new best friends' of New Zealand business Hunt can't raise the Chinese regime as the new bogeyman either.
He cuts a pathetic figure but Breakfast gave the clown an easy ride.
This was an appalling interview designed to show the National Government and the police in the best light possible.
Breakfast hauled into the studio in an old right wing hack who they knew would give them the opinion they wanted.
Paul Henry and Pippa Wetzell should do as us all favour and get jobs as press officers with the National Party. They won't of course - they'd much prefer to continue riding the TVNZ gravy train.
Steve, after a mornings of watching Paul Henry give John Key blowjob after blowjob Ive often wondered what the solution is to the current problem with the media.
ReplyDeleteYou advocate one solution as turning TVNZ into a public broadcaster? Any comments on other ideas?
Ive always thought the media needs regulation, like most things capitalist you give them unbridled freedom and they abuse it and it gets out of control.
While I dont agree with his views or party, what disgusted me was the way Winston Peters was literally wiped out by the mainstream media, despite the fact that all the political parties readily abuse donations. Its quite disconcerting to know that if the media wanted to they could band together and wipe out another political party.
Ive heard of some countries banning opinion polls before elections, I thought this was a good idea considering the 'band-wagon effect' and the way polls are shoved down our throats every week before the election.
It seems to me a great failure of the media to allow someone with extreme right views like Henry, to hold such a position on national television, where he basically pedals his idelogy to an already ignorant audience. A long time ago it was their job to get to the truth and cut down the bullshit, now they just seem to be passing it on.
I loathe that political parties subscribe to the idea that the media is something they have to accomodate and manage - the f*ckers are there to accomodate and manage what we (the voters) want!
Sometimes I think it'd be great if 6 months out from an election, maybe even a year, the media werent allowed to report anything about the election, instead you went to your local community hall where candidates had battles of ideas and you made your mind up from there.
Its seem though any move that gets made to reign them in, they hide behind this noble idea of 'freedom of speech', an idea they know nothing about.