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The Leighton Smith virus
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Back in the mists of the 1990s, Martyn Bradbury served a term as
editor of the Auckland student mag Craccum. In those days he was
earnestly left-wing, and full of contempt for bastions of the
bourgeois media.
editor of the Auckland student mag Craccum. In those days he was
earnestly left-wing, and full of contempt for bastions of the
bourgeois media.
Bradbury also seemed to have loftier literary ambitions. I seem to
remember him turning up to poetry reading in a dingy pub wearing a
ridiculous bowler hat, and taking the stage to chant a poem about a
girl he loved who didn't love him, because he wore a ridiculous bowler
hat. I'm sure it meant a lot at the time, Martyn.
remember him turning up to poetry reading in a dingy pub wearing a
ridiculous bowler hat, and taking the stage to chant a poem about a
girl he loved who didn't love him, because he wore a ridiculous bowler
hat. I'm sure it meant a lot at the time, Martyn.
At some point since those salad days, Bradbury got a gig working as a
talkback radio host, and contracted the dreaded Leighton Smith Virus.
The virus is apparently incubated by the mikes in smelly broadcasting
rooms, and everybody unlucky enough to imbibe it inevitably becomes a
pompus, right-wing bore, incapable of organising their thoughts into
any pattern more complex than a soundbite or a rhetorical question.
Turn on the radio and listen for yourself.
talkback radio host, and contracted the dreaded Leighton Smith Virus.
The virus is apparently incubated by the mikes in smelly broadcasting
rooms, and everybody unlucky enough to imbibe it inevitably becomes a
pompus, right-wing bore, incapable of organising their thoughts into
any pattern more complex than a soundbite or a rhetorical question.
Turn on the radio and listen for yourself.
Bradbury has been definitively diagnosed as suffering from the
Leighton Smith Virus in the month since the police 'anti-terror' raids
on the village of Ruatoki North and activist dens up and down the
country. On the evening after the raids, this member of the 101st
Fighting Keyboarders banged out a blog post denouncing the activist
left for abandoning the rule of law, democracy, and other fruits of
the Enlightenment, and praising the police who stripsearched Tuhoe
girls for acting as the armed wing of civil society. As anger over
police actions has grown, Bradbury and his chum Chris Trotter have
carved out a rather narrow niche for themselves as New Zealand's
'decent left', denouncing anti-police protesters and cheering on the
state in language that recalls Christopher Hitchens, Nick Cohen, and
the cohort of other Anglo-American media heads who have made careers
exposing the evils of the terrorist-loving, morally relativist Western
left.
Leighton Smith Virus in the month since the police 'anti-terror' raids
on the village of Ruatoki North and activist dens up and down the
country. On the evening after the raids, this member of the 101st
Fighting Keyboarders banged out a blog post denouncing the activist
left for abandoning the rule of law, democracy, and other fruits of
the Enlightenment, and praising the police who stripsearched Tuhoe
girls for acting as the armed wing of civil society. As anger over
police actions has grown, Bradbury and his chum Chris Trotter have
carved out a rather narrow niche for themselves as New Zealand's
'decent left', denouncing anti-police protesters and cheering on the
state in language that recalls Christopher Hitchens, Nick Cohen, and
the cohort of other Anglo-American media heads who have made careers
exposing the evils of the terrorist-loving, morally relativist Western
left.
The latest bit of hyperventilating on Bradbury's blog comes in
response to the leaking of carefully selected police allegations
against a handful of the Urewera 17 by a couple of big papers.
Bradbury, who had to endure the collapse of attempts to bring
terrorism charges against the arrestees last week, thinks that the
police leaks vindicate his stance over the last month.
response to the leaking of carefully selected police allegations
against a handful of the Urewera 17 by a couple of big papers.
Bradbury, who had to endure the collapse of attempts to bring
terrorism charges against the arrestees last week, thinks that the
police leaks vindicate his stance over the last month.
Now, I've no problem if Bradbury wants to be an upstanding liberal and
defend democracy and the rule of law in pious tones. But he does need
to try to be a little consistent, if he wants to be taken seriously.
If he believes in the rule of law, then he shouldn't judge people on
the basis of hearsay and titbits from a police force with a long
history of mendacity towards activists. He convicted the Urewera 17 of
nefarious deeds on the basis of some titbits from some anonymous
informant, and Chris Trotter convicted them on the basis that Police
Commissioner Howard Broad was a mate. If Bradbury and Trotter are the
ramparts of liberalism in this country, then we're all in trouble.
defend democracy and the rule of law in pious tones. But he does need
to try to be a little consistent, if he wants to be taken seriously.
If he believes in the rule of law, then he shouldn't judge people on
the basis of hearsay and titbits from a police force with a long
history of mendacity towards activists. He convicted the Urewera 17 of
nefarious deeds on the basis of some titbits from some anonymous
informant, and Chris Trotter convicted them on the basis that Police
Commissioner Howard Broad was a mate. If Bradbury and Trotter are the
ramparts of liberalism in this country, then we're all in trouble.
What can we say, then, about today's leaks? According to John
Campbell, who saw the same documents days ago but was dissuaded from
revealing them, a big majority of the 17 people arrested were not
having the 'juicy' conversations which the police have presented. We
also know that the cops were bugging scores of other activists, some
of whom went through the camps.
Campbell, who saw the same documents days ago but was dissuaded from
revealing them, a big majority of the 17 people arrested were not
having the 'juicy' conversations which the police have presented. We
also know that the cops were bugging scores of other activists, some
of whom went through the camps.
It shouldn't be automatically inferred, then, that the camps were
intended to foster actions of the sort this tiny minority was
discussing. As I noted earlier this week, Justin Taua was aware of
people on the 2004 hikoi talking of starting an armed struggle. Does
that mean the hikoi was a breeding ground for terrorism?
intended to foster actions of the sort this tiny minority was
discussing. As I noted earlier this week, Justin Taua was aware of
people on the 2004 hikoi talking of starting an armed struggle. Does
that mean the hikoi was a breeding ground for terrorism?
The context of these leaked communications also has to be considered.
The transcripts published today have been twice removed from their
original context. They were edited from much longer transcripts by the
police, who were naturally looking for the juiciest excerpts, and they
have been edited again by the papers.
The transcripts published today have been twice removed from their
original context. They were edited from much longer transcripts by the
police, who were naturally looking for the juiciest excerpts, and they
have been edited again by the papers.
At one bail hearing I attended the defence actually used some of the
intercepted communications to argue that their client was not a
wannabe terrorist. They quoted a part of a transcript, which the
police were apparently too dopey to expurgate, where the defendant
argued against the use of violence to establish an independent Tuhoe
nation. (Of course, this quote hasn't turned up in either the Dom Post
or The Press.)
intercepted communications to argue that their client was not a
wannabe terrorist. They quoted a part of a transcript, which the
police were apparently too dopey to expurgate, where the defendant
argued against the use of violence to establish an independent Tuhoe
nation. (Of course, this quote hasn't turned up in either the Dom Post
or The Press.)
The defence used the quote about non-violence to suggest that the
conversation which the police had recorded and edited was a very
hypothetical one - the sort of freewheeling discussion where different
scenarios and strategies for political change, including some quite
outlandish ones, are kicked around in a playful fashion. I've
certainly had plenty of conversations of this nature on long car
journeys. If the cops recorded and edited them, they'd easily be able
to make my words look much more sinister than they really were.
conversation which the police had recorded and edited was a very
hypothetical one - the sort of freewheeling discussion where different
scenarios and strategies for political change, including some quite
outlandish ones, are kicked around in a playful fashion. I've
certainly had plenty of conversations of this nature on long car
journeys. If the cops recorded and edited them, they'd easily be able
to make my words look much more sinister than they really were.
Quite frankly, I'm surprised the cops haven't been able to make more
of the people they've recorded say outrageous things. And if there
were one or two loose cannons that went through the camps, then that's
a fairly low proportion. Certainly the nutter quotient would appear to
be far lower than one finds in the army, or in the comments boxes of
right-wing blogs.
of the people they've recorded say outrageous things. And if there
were one or two loose cannons that went through the camps, then that's
a fairly low proportion. Certainly the nutter quotient would appear to
be far lower than one finds in the army, or in the comments boxes of
right-wing blogs.
The desperation of the cops, the right-wing press, and silly old
Martyn Bradbury to lay a hand on the arrestees, after the humiliation
of last week, is palpable. They'll play this for all it's worth, I'm
sure, but the hype will quickly fade, and many New Zealanders will be
able to see the essential shallowness of the police case. Bradbury
shouldn't worry too much about that, though: he's got decades of
redneck ranting ahead of him as a breakfast slot talkback radio host.
Move over, Leighton...
Martyn Bradbury to lay a hand on the arrestees, after the humiliation
of last week, is palpable. They'll play this for all it's worth, I'm
sure, but the hype will quickly fade, and many New Zealanders will be
able to see the essential shallowness of the police case. Bradbury
shouldn't worry too much about that, though: he's got decades of
redneck ranting ahead of him as a breakfast slot talkback radio host.
Move over, Leighton...
POSTED BY MAPS AT 11/14/2007 10:17:00 PM
Click here to Reply
 |
On Aug 30, 11:27 am, Radio Transcripts Ltd
<daisycutterspo...@lycos.com> wrote:
<daisycutterspo...@lycos.com> wrote:
Bomber Bradbury a right winger? What ignorant moron wrote this crap?
|
On Aug 30, 12:19 pm, JohnO <johno1...@gmail.com> is, not for the first
time, just a tad confused:
> On Aug 30, 11:27 am, Radio Transcripts Ltd
>
> <daisycutterspo...@lycos.com> wrote:
>
> Bomber Bradbury a right winger? What ignorant moron wrote this crap?
time, just a tad confused:
> On Aug 30, 11:27 am, Radio Transcripts Ltd
>
> <daisycutterspo...@lycos.com> wrote:
>
> Bomber Bradbury a right winger? What ignorant moron wrote this crap?
Not what the article said, JohnO. As you would realize if you had done
anything more than lightly skimmed over it.
anything more than lightly skimmed over it.
You've (inadvertently) shown the rest of us just how much seriousness
you bring to your reading.
you bring to your reading.
|
- show quoted text -
"The virus is apparently incubated by the mikes in smelly
broadcasting
rooms, and everybody unlucky enough to imbibe it inevitably becomes a
pompus, right-wing bore,"
"Bradbury has been definitively diagnosed as suffering from the
Leighton Smith Virus "
Leighton Smith Virus "
"Bradbury shouldn't worry too much about that, though: he's got
decades of
redneck ranting ahead of him as a breakfast slot talkback radio host.
Move over, Leighton... "
Even a dullard like you should be able to work this out, Mowithey.
Care to respond with one of your sock puppets?
|
On Aug 30, 8:58 pm, JohnO <johno1...@gmail.com> dealt out a thorough
knifing to one of the more obnoxious teenage prats around here:
knifing to one of the more obnoxious teenage prats around here:
- show quoted text -
You GOT 'im, JohnO! Mark one up for the extreme right, my man!
NewstalkZB. Tune Your Mind.
|
- show quoted text -
And that would be an interesting topic.
Morrissey's multiple personalities all seem to have the same boring
message. As you uncover them you hear the heavy tread of villagers
searching for their idiot. Dumb as he and his personages appear, they
represent 80% of Northcote's mental health budget.
message. As you uncover them you hear the heavy tread of villagers
searching for their idiot. Dumb as he and his personages appear, they
represent 80% of Northcote's mental health budget.
JC
|
On Aug 30, 10:33 pm, John Cawston <rewar...@ihug.co.nz> took some time
off molesting hedge-hogs and composing fantasy statistics to entertain
us with the following message:
off molesting hedge-hogs and composing fantasy statistics to entertain
us with the following message:
- show quoted text -
John "Looney-bins" Cawston calling someone (in this case moi) "dumb"
and "boring". That's kind of impertinent (to say the least) but it's
also awesomely funny.
and "boring". That's kind of impertinent (to say the least) but it's
also awesomely funny.
Inadvertently, of course..
|
On Aug 30, 9:16 pm, "NewstalkZB'sLarryWiliams"
- show quoted text -
Get help, Mowithey.
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