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Dirty Politics: How Attack Politics is Poisoning New Zealand's Political Environment
Early in 2014 Nicky Hager was leaked a large number of email and online conversations from Cameron Slater’s Whale Oil blog. Many of these were between Slater and his personal allies on the hard right, revealing an ugly and destructive style of politics. But there were also many communications with the prime minister’s office and other Cabinet ministers in the National Government. They show us a side of Prime Minister John Key and his government of which most New Zealanders are completely unaware.
Key has constructed an easy-going and relaxed public image, declaring to the public that ‘there’s no room for negative campaigning in New Zealand’. The reality is very different. His government has worked hand in hand with Slater and his collaborators in a sustained campaign of personal attacks against their political enemies, a deliberate but hidden strategy to avoid being held responsible for negative campaigning.
Dirty Politics continues the story that began in Hager’s best-selling book The Hollow Men, investigating the way that underhand and deceptive politics poisons the political environment for everyone. If you care about integrity and ethics in politics, then this book will be disturbing but essential reading.
Key has constructed an easy-going and relaxed public image, declaring to the public that ‘there’s no room for negative campaigning in New Zealand’. The reality is very different. His government has worked hand in hand with Slater and his collaborators in a sustained campaign of personal attacks against their political enemies, a deliberate but hidden strategy to avoid being held responsible for negative campaigning.
Dirty Politics continues the story that began in Hager’s best-selling book The Hollow Men, investigating the way that underhand and deceptive politics poisons the political environment for everyone. If you care about integrity and ethics in politics, then this book will be disturbing but essential reading.
166 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
29 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
October 13, 2014
Was clearly written quickly and occasionally feels a bit rushed, but all that is quite understandable. Full of fascinating detail and taken as a whole pulls back the curtain to reveal some of the seedier back alleys of NZ politics. More than anything, I hope plenty of National Party supporters read it - especially those people I know personally, who would be appalled by what is going on. Even the tone of the emails and discussions revealed would be enough to outrage many, not to mention the realisation that some of our own local MPs got into parliament partly through the underhanded efforts of people like Simon Lusk and Cameron Slater. The chapter that shifted my reaction from curiosity to deep fury was the section on corporate lobbyists' involvement with and funding of the right wing attack blogs - which amounts to significant amounts of money, ghost writing of posts and even extensive commenting under assumed names. Realising how much time, money and effort is going into covert manipulation of online discussion by corporate interests and very nasty right wing professional political "consultants" left me utterly appalled. The specific revelations of deception and unethical behaviour by members of the current government are, of course, damning and well documented, and important. But the book is well worth reading aside from all that, as an insight into some of the toxic elements at work in our political landscape. The same people, ideologies and tactics appear again and again in NZ politics over the last 10-20 years, and if we don't want them to weaken our democracy and turn NZ into a copy of America's corrupt and broken system, we need to recognise and understand what they are and how they work. This book is essential reading.
September 16, 2021
A deeply unsettling and dispiriting expose of the pathological unscrupulousness indulged by New Zealand's right-wing government, in collaboration with the right-wing blogosphere. The leading party's recurrent breaches of protocol and common decency, by its main figures, are rendered all the more tragic by the impunity which its recent re-election signalled.
Alas, it would seem the "smiling assassin's" (the PM) phony appearance of civility and congeniality has triumphed over this journalistic effort to throw light into a previously unlit corner of grubbiness. But the liability ought to fall, at the end of the day, upon a media who, craven and obeisant at worst, incurious at best, refused to present as compelling this evidence-based case to a public unlikely to ever discover such skulduggery through other means.
Alas, it would seem the "smiling assassin's" (the PM) phony appearance of civility and congeniality has triumphed over this journalistic effort to throw light into a previously unlit corner of grubbiness. But the liability ought to fall, at the end of the day, upon a media who, craven and obeisant at worst, incurious at best, refused to present as compelling this evidence-based case to a public unlikely to ever discover such skulduggery through other means.
December 10, 2014
Other reviews berate this book for sounding hastily written, but I picked up nothing of the sort, only thorough and meticulous writing and an approach that was remarkably free of partisanship given its subject matter. The facts of how New Zealand's politics have been manipulated underhandedly by its leading lights to personally denigrate their opponents were delivered convincingly and with flair. New Zealand is fortunate to have an investigator as fearless and able as Hager (even if the results of the recent election show that not enough New Zealanders got his message).
August 21, 2014
Nicky Hager is an excellent investigative journalist and this latest book is no exception. He does his homework, and as well as digging things up he also puts them in a wider context and offers analysis. He exposes things that some people would rather keep secret, but which he thinks are in the public interest. Certainly I think much of this stuff should be exposed as there are possible crimes, conflicts of interest and manipulation that should be investigated by the appropriate authorities. Of course some say that it's hypocritical because Hager based the book on hacked information, but he did not do the hacking and I think that once he was given it he had a duty to assess it and in this case reveal it, because if not, he would be standing aside while this bad behaviour continued.
Dirty Politics shocked me but didn't surprise me. I was sickened and saddened to read Cameron Slater's messages and posts; they are full of violent, abusive and denigrating language – full of hate. Does Slater have no love, compassion or respect for his fellow human beings? For himself?
I was dispirited to read the lengths some people will go to stomp on others to push their own agenda, or simply to earn money. The fact that a cabinet minister and a then parliamentary staff member are implicated in (and Judith Collins has admitted) passing on privileged information is disturbing but it is better to have this out in the open to hold those responsible to account, and to show others that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated in a fair and democratic society.
New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the least corrupt countries in the world. This book has us all talking about what is and isn't acceptable behaviour and that's a good thing.
Hager has been criticised for bringing the book out before the election, but why wait until afterwards?
Dirty Politics shocked me but didn't surprise me. I was sickened and saddened to read Cameron Slater's messages and posts; they are full of violent, abusive and denigrating language – full of hate. Does Slater have no love, compassion or respect for his fellow human beings? For himself?
I was dispirited to read the lengths some people will go to stomp on others to push their own agenda, or simply to earn money. The fact that a cabinet minister and a then parliamentary staff member are implicated in (and Judith Collins has admitted) passing on privileged information is disturbing but it is better to have this out in the open to hold those responsible to account, and to show others that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated in a fair and democratic society.
New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the least corrupt countries in the world. This book has us all talking about what is and isn't acceptable behaviour and that's a good thing.
Hager has been criticised for bringing the book out before the election, but why wait until afterwards?
January 16, 2024
This book is pretty explosive. I don’t understand why people still vote national and WHY ON EARTH Judith Collins is still a respected politician let alone in government. Just shows how rigged our political system is and how parties with wealthy donors can buy and influence their way into power.
Anyway …Live laugh love
I had a dream that I did swimmings sports with jack black last night and my Aunty gave birth to a child as a menopausal woman. You’re shocked? Imagine how jack black felt
Anyway …Live laugh love
I had a dream that I did swimmings sports with jack black last night and my Aunty gave birth to a child as a menopausal woman. You’re shocked? Imagine how jack black felt
June 5, 2020
2.5 Stars!
It’s fair to say that outside of New Zealand this book is largely unknown and Hager, the journalist responsible, is not a notable name in international journalism, but when this book was rushed out to coincide with the 2014 NZ general election it caused a media stir (note the clear distinction there), along similar lines to what Wolff’s book on Trump did when that came out, but ultimately like Wolff’s book, when all the PR was done and the media found something else to get excited about, (in this case Kim Dotcom) it never really changed anything and in 2014 NZ yet again voted in John Key and the National party.
This focuses on a number of stolen emails and correspondence between right wing hatemonger, Cameron Slater, who blogged on a site called Whale Oil and others. We see the “dirty politics” he engages with, including a selection of National Party members and other people with vested interests in promoting their personal and corporate agendas. It is funny because even their version of dirty politics is largely delivered in typical passive aggressive Kiwi style. Some of the more notable names in here include Judith “Crusher” Collins. She and Slater apparently referred to future NZ PM Jacinda Ardern as “my little pony”.
This was clearly rushed out in time for the election, and that often shows. Much of the revelations in here are mere storms in tea cups and at times it shows just how parochial NZ politics can be, but there are also some shocks here and there, but overall this barely altered anything, unlike his previous book “The Hollow Men” which had a real impact. It seems that most voting Kiwis were far more interested in tax breaks and punishing the poor to care about the sly and dark behaviour of their politicians.
Looking at circumstances six years on from when this was first published, and in another election year, we see that Slater has since had been found guilty of all sorts of breaches and crimes, he eventually had to file for bankruptcy. He suffered two strokes back in 2018, which he apparently blamed the media for?... Judith “Crusher” Collins had to resign her position, but of course like all bloated, career politicians she found a way to scurry back and snuffle into that trough, and of course “my little pony” is now the leader of the country with global wide approval ratings.
It’s fair to say that outside of New Zealand this book is largely unknown and Hager, the journalist responsible, is not a notable name in international journalism, but when this book was rushed out to coincide with the 2014 NZ general election it caused a media stir (note the clear distinction there), along similar lines to what Wolff’s book on Trump did when that came out, but ultimately like Wolff’s book, when all the PR was done and the media found something else to get excited about, (in this case Kim Dotcom) it never really changed anything and in 2014 NZ yet again voted in John Key and the National party.
This focuses on a number of stolen emails and correspondence between right wing hatemonger, Cameron Slater, who blogged on a site called Whale Oil and others. We see the “dirty politics” he engages with, including a selection of National Party members and other people with vested interests in promoting their personal and corporate agendas. It is funny because even their version of dirty politics is largely delivered in typical passive aggressive Kiwi style. Some of the more notable names in here include Judith “Crusher” Collins. She and Slater apparently referred to future NZ PM Jacinda Ardern as “my little pony”.
This was clearly rushed out in time for the election, and that often shows. Much of the revelations in here are mere storms in tea cups and at times it shows just how parochial NZ politics can be, but there are also some shocks here and there, but overall this barely altered anything, unlike his previous book “The Hollow Men” which had a real impact. It seems that most voting Kiwis were far more interested in tax breaks and punishing the poor to care about the sly and dark behaviour of their politicians.
Looking at circumstances six years on from when this was first published, and in another election year, we see that Slater has since had been found guilty of all sorts of breaches and crimes, he eventually had to file for bankruptcy. He suffered two strokes back in 2018, which he apparently blamed the media for?... Judith “Crusher” Collins had to resign her position, but of course like all bloated, career politicians she found a way to scurry back and snuffle into that trough, and of course “my little pony” is now the leader of the country with global wide approval ratings.
August 18, 2015
You can feel the seven-month time window on everything. It doesn't read especially smooth and every so often Hager will draw a conclusion that isn't as rigorous as it could be (those conclusions tend to be "Farrar did x" because Farrar's communications weren't part of the hack). It's a compelling and stomach-churning read, though - a Confederacy of Sociopaths with Slater at the centre, preening and boasting like the cock of the walk. Hager doesn't need to do much, really, and his unintrusive style connects the big, screaming dots left by Slater and his pustulous mates while low-key saying 'maybe these blokes shouldn't hold as much power as they do'. It IS important work - an expose of a weak fourth estate and an ugly way of doing politics by way of the best/worst symbol of both - and while some of its parts may lack the punch others do (again, the Farrar chapter, which only hits its stride when it questions the media's accommodation of him under his cloak of 'independence'), we definitely needed to hear the sum of it.
(By we I mean the country, not the beltway tragics who've been trying to shout it out of existence with their cries of 'but we knew all this already!')
(By we I mean the country, not the beltway tragics who've been trying to shout it out of existence with their cries of 'but we knew all this already!')
August 29, 2014
Poorly collated with a distinct lack of editing.
Could have been a great read but the above coupled with an appearance of a vendetta against some of the subjects overshadowed the content. As eye opening as it appears to have been to a lot of the NZ public, clearly the NZ public needs to be more cynical about what they read and believe, from mainstream media, the blogosphere and "investigative journalists" such as Hager.
Could have been a great read but the above coupled with an appearance of a vendetta against some of the subjects overshadowed the content. As eye opening as it appears to have been to a lot of the NZ public, clearly the NZ public needs to be more cynical about what they read and believe, from mainstream media, the blogosphere and "investigative journalists" such as Hager.
December 23, 2018
*Rebel Readers Discussion
It was Jami-Lee Ross' controversy that got me interested to read Dirty Politics. A sample here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...
Actually I do have reservation of Hager's motive for writing this book and after finally read it I do believe that it's in the public interest to get this material out in the open and for those who bother to read it to make their own judgement. In this case, I share Hager's concern about the nature of attack politics and how its poisoning New Zealand political environment. It's hard to believe this kind of dirty politics are happening in New Zealand, so we actually no better than those rouge countries? All the more pity and the true victim of all this is democracy.
It was Jami-Lee Ross' controversy that got me interested to read Dirty Politics. A sample here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...
Actually I do have reservation of Hager's motive for writing this book and after finally read it I do believe that it's in the public interest to get this material out in the open and for those who bother to read it to make their own judgement. In this case, I share Hager's concern about the nature of attack politics and how its poisoning New Zealand political environment. It's hard to believe this kind of dirty politics are happening in New Zealand, so we actually no better than those rouge countries? All the more pity and the true victim of all this is democracy.
February 4, 2016
Dirty Politics is about underhand tactics, to say the least, used by non-party (but highly partisan) operatives in New Zealand during the early 2010s. As such the book is mainly of interest to New Zealanders with diminishing enlightenment for political tragics of the anglosphere the further away from Wellington you are.
The author, Nicky Hagar, is a respected investigative journalist who has written a number books critical of government actions which he sees as undermining democracy beginning with Secret Power (which is now freely available from the author's website) and most recently Dirty Politics. Hagar takes the view that a functioning democracy should be open and transparent while being faciliated by a fourth estate which aims to inform the public and hold the government of the day to account and ultimately politicans battle it out with ideas.
All three of Hagar's democratic ideals are shown to be betrayed in the book. Initiated by the arrival of a USB containing email communications between a notorious NZ political blogger and a number of other political figures including a government minister, Hagar uncovers the smear campaigns run against politicals opponents of a variety of political persuasions often directly funded by the ruling party and assisted with timely tip offs from ministerial offices, fast tracked freedom of information requests and other misuses of government instruments. While personal attacks seem to be par for the course the hits are carried out at arms length so the ruling party need not own their own bile. All this is further enabled by a supine and lazy media which Hagar holds to the fire and even sets out a few dot points on how they could improve.
Ultimately I found the book valuable, interesting, rage inducing and the media naivety little bit embarrassing.
The author, Nicky Hagar, is a respected investigative journalist who has written a number books critical of government actions which he sees as undermining democracy beginning with Secret Power (which is now freely available from the author's website) and most recently Dirty Politics. Hagar takes the view that a functioning democracy should be open and transparent while being faciliated by a fourth estate which aims to inform the public and hold the government of the day to account and ultimately politicans battle it out with ideas.
All three of Hagar's democratic ideals are shown to be betrayed in the book. Initiated by the arrival of a USB containing email communications between a notorious NZ political blogger and a number of other political figures including a government minister, Hagar uncovers the smear campaigns run against politicals opponents of a variety of political persuasions often directly funded by the ruling party and assisted with timely tip offs from ministerial offices, fast tracked freedom of information requests and other misuses of government instruments. While personal attacks seem to be par for the course the hits are carried out at arms length so the ruling party need not own their own bile. All this is further enabled by a supine and lazy media which Hagar holds to the fire and even sets out a few dot points on how they could improve.
Ultimately I found the book valuable, interesting, rage inducing and the media naivety little bit embarrassing.
January 22, 2015
People are increasingly talking the disadvantages of capitalism, and Dirty Politics highlights it with the immoral antics of a number of individuals related to the National Party (and sadly, to what were once some stalwarts of past National Governments).
It's a depressing reading...but acts as a reminder to all New Zealanders that there are three stories in everything around us:
- the true story
- what we are told
- what we believe
It does explain some of the weirdness of the political blogs and brings to the surface some of the skull-duggery that goes on, not only within the world of politics, but also affecting some innocent every day New Zealanders who just happen to have the wrong jobs, or say the wrong thing in public.
And it brings to the surface the issues with the stretched commercial media who increasingly take PR releases as "news".
I should say that this book, and Mr Hagers earlier efforts, are timed to discrediting the National Party, typically immediately prior to an election. I assume that other parties indulge in similar "Inspector Clouseau-like" antics.
The material is highly recommended. The reason it is rated 4 rather than 5 is some questions around the source of the authors material, and the use of a book to publish this material, rather than mainstream media itself - and so to some extent the book never really gets that focus on the material that it should.
But - whatever or whoever you are, if you vote in the New Zealand elections, you need to read this stuff, think about it, and think about the other material you aren't being told.
Essential reading for every New Zealander - and recommended for others
It's a depressing reading...but acts as a reminder to all New Zealanders that there are three stories in everything around us:
- the true story
- what we are told
- what we believe
It does explain some of the weirdness of the political blogs and brings to the surface some of the skull-duggery that goes on, not only within the world of politics, but also affecting some innocent every day New Zealanders who just happen to have the wrong jobs, or say the wrong thing in public.
And it brings to the surface the issues with the stretched commercial media who increasingly take PR releases as "news".
I should say that this book, and Mr Hagers earlier efforts, are timed to discrediting the National Party, typically immediately prior to an election. I assume that other parties indulge in similar "Inspector Clouseau-like" antics.
The material is highly recommended. The reason it is rated 4 rather than 5 is some questions around the source of the authors material, and the use of a book to publish this material, rather than mainstream media itself - and so to some extent the book never really gets that focus on the material that it should.
But - whatever or whoever you are, if you vote in the New Zealand elections, you need to read this stuff, think about it, and think about the other material you aren't being told.
Essential reading for every New Zealander - and recommended for others
September 11, 2014
It reads like a James Bond novel in places. The scariest thing about this, is that events outlined in the emails of the main stars of the, actually took place. These back room shenanigans lead to people receiving death threats, others losing their jobs, marriage break-ups, etc. Anyone against the political party in power was a likely target.
People are saying the author is a crazy left wing conspiracy theorist but I'd have to disagree. His evaluation of the emails that are included in the book looks to be very sane, rational and not specifically leftist either. I should imagine if it had been the left responsible for the dirty politics, he'd have targeted them instead. Indeed he has targeted the left in previous books.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in seeing what their elected officials, and their dodgy mates, are really up to. I now read the headlines in the MSM in a very different way than I did prior to reading this brilliantly written and well researched book.
People are saying the author is a crazy left wing conspiracy theorist but I'd have to disagree. His evaluation of the emails that are included in the book looks to be very sane, rational and not specifically leftist either. I should imagine if it had been the left responsible for the dirty politics, he'd have targeted them instead. Indeed he has targeted the left in previous books.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in seeing what their elected officials, and their dodgy mates, are really up to. I now read the headlines in the MSM in a very different way than I did prior to reading this brilliantly written and well researched book.
October 24, 2014
I don't care what political party to support, if you are a New Zealander you need to read this book.
Everyone knows that political tactics are not very trustworthy, but some are far more trustworthy than others.
That goes for the political parties, and politicians themselves.
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT IN THE MEDIA! ESPECIALLY IF THEY INVOLVED BLOGGERS 'EMPLOYED' BY POLITICAL PARTIES OR BIG CORPORATIONS.
OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE.
THIS IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
P.S. If people are discrediting a book, there is a very good reason. Which means you should probably read it, and see what they don't want you to.
Very good book, an eye-opener. Not an easy read, though it's only 166 pages!
Everyone knows that political tactics are not very trustworthy, but some are far more trustworthy than others.
That goes for the political parties, and politicians themselves.
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT IN THE MEDIA! ESPECIALLY IF THEY INVOLVED BLOGGERS 'EMPLOYED' BY POLITICAL PARTIES OR BIG CORPORATIONS.
OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE.
THIS IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
P.S. If people are discrediting a book, there is a very good reason. Which means you should probably read it, and see what they don't want you to.
Very good book, an eye-opener. Not an easy read, though it's only 166 pages!
July 27, 2016
Regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, this is an important book that everyone should read because it highlights how massively important it is that people know how to think critically about what they are reading and hearing in the media. Nicky Hager makes the excellent point that blogs can fall outside mainstream media and are not regulated or constrained in the same way, making it even more important that the public question what they are reading on the likes of the Whale Oil blog. Scary stuff to think that public opinion can be so easily swayed and public figures forced to take action, because of the status given to hints, half-truths and innuendo.
September 6, 2014
While the book is not going to win any awards for the lay out and how its written the material covered is explosive and shows how close the relationship between bloggers such as Whale Oil and others with the National Party is.
It also explains the background of attack politics and how it was successfully used in the States and how it came to NZ.
It also explains the background of attack politics and how it was successfully used in the States and how it came to NZ.
August 27, 2014
A very interesting and depressing read. I agree with some other reviews that it feels rushed in parts. Nevertheless, a really insightful account of the manipulation of media for political gain and just how unscrupulous and murky the blogosphere can be.
August 20, 2014
A sickly fascinating insight into the behaviour of some values-challenged political obsessives in NZ. Draws some long bows, misses some targets, often tendentious and sometimes prissy, but a valuable piece of work if read coolly.
September 3, 2014
Short, to the point, shocking. If you live in New Zealand or are interested in NZ Politics then you need to know the sordid details of how members of the Government used as a the Whale Oil blog as part of attack politics.
August 19, 2014
Worth reading - not quite the revelation that people seem to think but certainly plenty of dirty pool and ugliness here.
August 16, 2014
Excellent but depressing look at NZ politics.
August 22, 2014
Spoilers: they're a pack of numpties
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2014
A must read for all New Zealanders. Hager obviously rushed this but the content is top notch and referenced thoroughly.
September 1, 2014
Great read that uncovers many shady practices of the current National Party/John Key led government just in time for our general election...
September 9, 2014
Sickening stuff. Why aren't people getting more worked up about this?
September 29, 2014
A really important book for all New Zealanders to read - to know what is going on in a calculated way behind our news media. Thanks Nicky - a lot of respect for you putting this out there.
January 22, 2015
I felt dirty reading this. Horrible, venal people without a shred of decency or empathy.
Read
September 16, 2021To give a bit of background, in 2014 Hager was anonymously gifted a slew of personal correspondence hacked from the computer of rightwing blogger Cameron Slater whose Whale Oil blog would frequently seemingly attack political targets and push various agendas. Around this time, John Key rose to be the leader of the National Party, portraying the image of a nice (if goofy) guy who refused to stoop to ugly attack politics.
The book reveals connections between the National Party and Slater's organisation of 'attack bloggers', and while no direct link to Key was found in the correspondence, there are enough references to him and enough correspondence with close colleagues in his cabinet to make a reasonable assumption that he was aware of, if not intimately involved in orchestrating attacks against his opponents while maintaining an image of being 'above all that'.
The book also looks at the general trend in politics worldwide of moving away from debates around ideas and more towards personal and hurtful attacks, particularly online. I guess in some ways Trump is the culmination of that. Doesn't even bother using a middle-man or carefully planning out campaigns against his enemies, just yells in all caps.
Great book though. I love that a good 90% of it is linked to verifiable evidence so that Hager was able to defend it against the predictable claims that it was a liberal smear job. Depressingly, though being big news here at the time, the book seemed to have very little impact. National won the next election, most of the key players didn't really seem to face any consequences, aside from one lawsuit and one MP being fired for like 10 minutes before being snuck back into cabinet at the earliest opportunity. It seems ridiculous in a way because of lot of what was described in the book essentially amounts to blackmail, extortion and interfering in elections. The only thing I can think is that because the evidence, though verified, was acquired by illegal means, it is somehow inadmissible.
The book reveals connections between the National Party and Slater's organisation of 'attack bloggers', and while no direct link to Key was found in the correspondence, there are enough references to him and enough correspondence with close colleagues in his cabinet to make a reasonable assumption that he was aware of, if not intimately involved in orchestrating attacks against his opponents while maintaining an image of being 'above all that'.
The book also looks at the general trend in politics worldwide of moving away from debates around ideas and more towards personal and hurtful attacks, particularly online. I guess in some ways Trump is the culmination of that. Doesn't even bother using a middle-man or carefully planning out campaigns against his enemies, just yells in all caps.
Great book though. I love that a good 90% of it is linked to verifiable evidence so that Hager was able to defend it against the predictable claims that it was a liberal smear job. Depressingly, though being big news here at the time, the book seemed to have very little impact. National won the next election, most of the key players didn't really seem to face any consequences, aside from one lawsuit and one MP being fired for like 10 minutes before being snuck back into cabinet at the earliest opportunity. It seems ridiculous in a way because of lot of what was described in the book essentially amounts to blackmail, extortion and interfering in elections. The only thing I can think is that because the evidence, though verified, was acquired by illegal means, it is somehow inadmissible.
May 12, 2024
The events of this book took place and ended during my high school years. I have wanted to read this for a while but only did that today. Strangely, the thing that prompted it are cryptic posts by a person who is attempting to extort the rapper Drake. A lot of conspiracy theories have come about because of that and they are addicting to read. Anyhow, I was hungry for something that would expose some sort of systemic corruption, and while I could have gone with something by Kafka or Pynchon, I wanted to read something real.
Since this books publication a lot of things have happened in world and New Zealand politics. However, it is sad to see how much that hasn't changed. Weak and uninformed left-wing politicians leave themselves exposed to the Machiavellian tactics exposed in this book. The strategies used by Slater and other such players are utterly disgusting. Not only is Slater still going but a lot of the other dirty players are too, and many of them being used as political commentators in mainstream media. Many of the tactics of the past were used with the recent election including on Three Waters and tobacco, often with astroturf groups like TPU.
The conclusions Hager reached still seem to be true. Sadly, the current coalition has done things to worsen the situation further.
Also, I recently started watching Veep. It's sad to see the same cynical politicking is done here. What's the most striking similarity is the way people talk, extremely offensive in many ways, with a sort of misanthropic contempt.
Since this books publication a lot of things have happened in world and New Zealand politics. However, it is sad to see how much that hasn't changed. Weak and uninformed left-wing politicians leave themselves exposed to the Machiavellian tactics exposed in this book. The strategies used by Slater and other such players are utterly disgusting. Not only is Slater still going but a lot of the other dirty players are too, and many of them being used as political commentators in mainstream media. Many of the tactics of the past were used with the recent election including on Three Waters and tobacco, often with astroturf groups like TPU.
The conclusions Hager reached still seem to be true. Sadly, the current coalition has done things to worsen the situation further.
Also, I recently started watching Veep. It's sad to see the same cynical politicking is done here. What's the most striking similarity is the way people talk, extremely offensive in many ways, with a sort of misanthropic contempt.
July 17, 2020
I guess reading 6 years after publication is better then ever.
I never realised just how organised and viscous these right wing bloggers were (are?).
Quite appalling how the National Party leaders office was feeding information to Slater with the blessing of the smiling assassin, John Key.
Slater in particular comes across as a totally loathsome specimen supported/manipulated by a group of hired guns (lobbyists Carrick Graham and Katherine Rich) using Slater to publish their lies and defeat public policy relating to the health of New Zealanders. Others like Lusk deploy Slater to purposefully destroy electoral candidates in order to promote their fiscally conservative choices and then there is the targeted ruining of political careers; Rodney Hyde, Len Brown, David Cunliffe, the last in particular a concerted National Party / Slater effort where that discredited former National Party health spokesperson, Michael Woodhouse features. Lets not forget the Internet Party. A systematic web of lies directed by the National Party through their conduit, Slater to paint Dot Com as a complete fascist.
We all need to open our eyes and see the way we are being manipulated.
I never realised just how organised and viscous these right wing bloggers were (are?).
Quite appalling how the National Party leaders office was feeding information to Slater with the blessing of the smiling assassin, John Key.
Slater in particular comes across as a totally loathsome specimen supported/manipulated by a group of hired guns (lobbyists Carrick Graham and Katherine Rich) using Slater to publish their lies and defeat public policy relating to the health of New Zealanders. Others like Lusk deploy Slater to purposefully destroy electoral candidates in order to promote their fiscally conservative choices and then there is the targeted ruining of political careers; Rodney Hyde, Len Brown, David Cunliffe, the last in particular a concerted National Party / Slater effort where that discredited former National Party health spokesperson, Michael Woodhouse features. Lets not forget the Internet Party. A systematic web of lies directed by the National Party through their conduit, Slater to paint Dot Com as a complete fascist.
We all need to open our eyes and see the way we are being manipulated.
December 20, 2021
While somewhat dated now due to changes in the New Zealand government now and maybe NZ political blogging too (I don't know as I no longer read them but I did read both Whale Oil and Kiwiblog around the time this book was written), a lot of the afterword still rings true.
"The problem is not the journalists. The problem is commercialised need and repeated cuts to the newsroom staff. Without serious action, it will only get worse. A change is needed so that quality news is recognized as an essential public good and publicly funded like other essential services."
The cuts to the newsroom staff annoy me as do stories that center on the journalist and their families (Sunday has been very guilty of this). I don't care which English Premier League the sports presenter supports and don't need to know or need to know whether a female newsreader wants to adopt a kitten. Do any NZ TV news viewers?
If you read either Kiwiblog or Whale Oil then you're probably aware of the going-ons covered in this book.
"The problem is not the journalists. The problem is commercialised need and repeated cuts to the newsroom staff. Without serious action, it will only get worse. A change is needed so that quality news is recognized as an essential public good and publicly funded like other essential services."
The cuts to the newsroom staff annoy me as do stories that center on the journalist and their families (Sunday has been very guilty of this). I don't care which English Premier League the sports presenter supports and don't need to know or need to know whether a female newsreader wants to adopt a kitten. Do any NZ TV news viewers?
If you read either Kiwiblog or Whale Oil then you're probably aware of the going-ons covered in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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