Fifth Columnist of the Year – Michael Bassett
In 'The Hollow Men' - a book filled with skull-duggery and political intrigue Fairfax's former supposedly independent columnist Michael Bassett certainly stands out. When the good Dr Bassett is not sticking the knife into then National leader Bill English whilst advising the man gunning for his job Dr Don Brash, he's off busily attempting to make life miserable for New Zealand's poorest citizens. According to Mr Hager's tome Dr Bassett added inflammatory phrases to Dr Brash's Orewa II speech regarding beneficiaries 'ripping off the system' and using 'stand-over tactics' to get benefits. For this Dr Bassett receives a special additional honour:
Louis 17th medal For Hatred of the Poor – Michael Bassett
Hey. That's not fair. I deserved that award. I mean, Michael might be more widely read them me but I blog everyday about the exploitation and failure of welfare!! I mean, I wasn't even invited to accept it on his behalf!
Look. I know people who are 'ripping off the system' and I am not going to describe them in any other terms. It doesn't follow that I hate them. If I did I would dob them in. Neither does it mean I have to approve of them abusing the system. Is that what Scoop wants from writers? Craven, chickenshit platitudes? PC politeness or worse - peddling the old Kiwi me-tooism - everybody does it mate, so what's the fuss?
What a pathetic attempt at a putdown. Whoever dreamt up this award deserves their own for mental mediocrity. Wake up.
RANZ Update
53 minutes ago
5 comments:
It may be Christmas but Lindsay if you know people `ripping off' the welfare system you should dob them in. You owe the rest of us that and it is the duty of all New Zealanders to follow suit and dob in any such people that we come across.
That is the only way we can even start to reduce the fraud which is taking place.
Dobbing people in doesn't get them motivated or into jobs or better in control of their lives. And pdm, you have no idea how widespread it is. The only conscience I follow is my own - not the collective's.
The state developed a system that lends itself to easy exploitation. The day it starts exercising a duty to taxpayers I might think about mine.
You want to get rid of the fraud - get rid of the system.
You think the poor and in particular single mothers are the lowest forms of life, and to be sure you deserve the award.
There but by the grace of God go you - let's hope your daughter doesn't end up in that boat and you reject her because of it. And I have seen many girls from good families in that boat.
Single mothers or not - at the end of the day all are people.
"There but by the grace of God go you"
No...Lindsay's in the position she in by virtue of her own choices and decisions...as are those single mothers for the most part.That Lindsay enjoys a better standard of living than those mothers is due to her ability (and indeed willingness) to think and recognise the consequences of her actions.Those mothers are reaping the results of their non thinking actions and the inevitable consequences thereof.
"Single mothers or not - at the end of the day all are people."
Yes...and as all are people all have the same rights...which means the right to property,meaning that the property you earn by your honest efforts belongs to YOU and NO OTHER! So single mothers have no claim on anyone else's property as of right to support themselves.
Take your altruistic guilt tripping elsewhere anon...that crap don't fly here....
James tells us that:
"single mothers [are] for the most part... in the position [they are] in by virtue of [their] own choices and decisions."
Perhaps on a charitable reading we might interpret his use of the phrase "the most part" as hinting that fathers who refuse to support their children should also bear some responsibility for the fate of single mothers... Unfortunately, given the general "it's women who are to blame for breakups" tone of this blog, such a reading, though reasonable, is unlikely to be warranted.
And come on Lindsay, dob 'em in! When the benefit ends, they'll HAVE to get a job! (I mean, a second job, in addition to far more gruelling WORK of raising children.)
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