Gordon Campbell on Andrew Little, Mockingjay & drunk texting   28 Nov 2014

Column - Gordon Campbell

 

Gordon Campbell on Andrew Little’s debut, Mockingjay, and drunk texting

by Gordon Campbell

John Key’s credibility has taken a hammering this week - at least among the 50% of the electorate who have always had doubts about him on that score. The other substantial story of the week has been about Andrew Little’s debut as Labour leader, which has received top marks, especially among the 25% of the electorate still voting Labour. According to some reports, the Labour caucus has been ‘in seventh heaven’ about Little’s success this week in taking it to the government in the House.

This is encouraging news for the centre left, given that Little’s oratorical/debating skills were actually supposed to be his weak link. His strong suit is acknowledged to be his organisational nous, very much in evidence in the way he put together his team. Putting Annette King in the Joe Biden role – as the only possible deputy with no ambition to become leader – was a smart move, and so was offering Finance to Grant Robertson, who is being invited to regard this role as lending gravitas to Robertson’s own ambitions to someday lead the country. What Little did was promote the caucus grandees, while putting them on notice to perform – in that everyone’s role would be re-evaluated in a year’s time. A caucus reshuffle, if needed, had thereby been flagged well in advance. Smart planning in the long term, and short term.

All very impressive. The wider public may still be on the fence about him, but it has been a good start. Even this morning on RNZ, Little was cannily choosing not to overplay the PM’s current troubles. It has been quite a while since someone succeeded in patronizing John Key, but Little almost pulled it off. Just affirm the I-G’s report, Little said, apologise, say that was then but you’ve fixed the problem and it won’t happen again, and we can all move on. Happily for Labour though, sheer hubris is preventing Key from doing any such thing, and he keeps digging himself into a deeper hole. Even if polling is telling National that the public currently don’t care, the tipping point can’t safely be predicted, so caution is advisable. Instead, the government is doubling down on its arrogant refusal to concede an inch.

J-Law and martial law
Given that the Hunger Games books and movies are almost obsessively about the ways in which political perceptions are media-driven, it must be weirdly gratifying to the makers of Mockingjay Part One to see the events now unfolding in Thailand. For months, the three-fingered salute of Katniss Everdeen has been a political rallying call against this year’s Army coup and subsequent entrenchment of Army rule – and now the latest film in the Hunger Games series has been banned from major cinemas in Bangkok.

A cinema chain in Bangkok has cancelled screenings of the new Hunger Games film after protestors adopted the movie’s defiant three-fingered salute against totalitarian rule.

Activists say police ordered the move after hundreds of students planned to protest at an opening day screening of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 on Thursday. Thailand has been under military rule since May, and authorities have banned the salute as part of an ongoing crackdown on pro-democratic dissent.

Katniss is not the only source of that dissent. There has been a political crackdown on people eating sandwiches as well.

With political gatherings of more than five people banned, "sandwich parties" - organised via social media - have taken off… State-run newspapers have warned people against eating sandwiches, and a senior police chief said they're keeping a close eye on the sandwich-eaters. Eating sandwiches is not illegal per se, he said, but if sandwich-eating is being used as a front - when the real intention is to criticise the coup - then that would be.

In another weird echo of Mockingjay, the regime’s President has released his own propaganda video.

A ballad penned by a coup-making army chief promising to bring happiness back to Thailand has been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube, in the military's latest effort to put a positive spin on its putsch. The normally stern-faced General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who led the May 22 military overthrow of the civilian government, can now list songwriting among his talents after writing the lyrics to "Return Happiness To Thailand". The song [features] reassuring lines such as "we offer to take care and protect you with our hearts" and "give us a little more time" …

Finally, and in the same spirit of public service messaging that moves the Thai generals…it probably goes without saying that it is almost always a bad idea to try texting (or tweeting) when drunk. Not saying…but it could conceivably explain why (a) Cameron Slater texted the PM that the Labour Party was out to kill him, and why (b) the PM couldn’t remember a thing about it the next morning. Gone. Totally. Cameron Slater? No, haven’t been in contact with him for months. Unless…was that who I was texting last night? Ho-ly shit.

In the last 48 hours, Anna Kendrick has been writing in Cosmopolitan magazine with some sage advice for people who tweet when they’re drunk. You can read about it here. The Cosmo story contains this same gif, but its worth repeating.

By co-incidence, Anna Kendrick has also been at the centre of an important message about the 9/11 conspiracy, which she cunningly disguised inside the 2012 musical comedy Pitch Perfect. Everyone – including some of the folks who have been berating me recently about MH17 and the Ukraine - should watch this clip carefully.

 

ENDS

Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more