Reflections on the GLNZ
Tom Scott - Dominion Post - February 7
John Roughan has an opinion piece in the NZ Herald of yesterday, Adam’s quote for today was from that article. Roughan dwelt at some length on Helen Clark’s attitude to Waitangi Day celebrations.
Roughan took issue with the view of Helen Clark as great, especially as the GLNZ (Greatest Living New Zealander), he reckons she did a lot but was not great. His balanced piece, parts of which Adam does not agree with has the people at the VDS spluttering into their chardonnay and throwing their toys out of the pram. Not content with attacking Roughan they then lay into the evil David Farrar and indeed anybody who does not buy the Saint Helen, GLNZ, Saviour of the World line. Basically anybody who fails to slavishly buy the the VDS line is an evil person out to sully the Blessed one’s reputation and destroy her legacy.
Sorry guys – she was OK, Adam did not like her – she was competent, but not great and to Adam’s mind she could be petty and Adam thinks she lacked vision.
Comments are closed.
The Inquiring Mind 
Yes, I had forgotten about her involvement in health.
In fact all up she does not have a great record.
Then of course unlike George Washington who could never tell a lie, she was on many occasions shall we say economical with the truth. Or perhaps like Hillary Clinton she merely mis-spoke.
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The EFA was an epic “sully”
But if you go back further you will find her uninformed, ill considered and ideologically flawed changes to the birthing industry was far worse. After all the EFA did not win her the sobriquet “baby killer” in my house but her effective dismissal of GP participation in child birth did.
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I think dire is a much better description of the list.
The poll like so many of these online polls was as you say pointless.
Mark you nodding plastic woodpeckers powered by elastic bands is a very funny thought.
A typical example of the ‘GLNZ’s’ generosity of spirit was of course her comment on Roger Douglas and whether he was a candidate for Greatest Living New Zealander.
As for The Standard on this mattter why think anyone would want to sully the woman’s reputation is beyond me, as she does not need any help to do that what with the EFA as an example of her work.
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Imagine what the numbers would have been if the VDS had not lost it’s funding. LPRENT could have bought new batteries instead of having to go back and rewind the elastic bands every few hours.
The list was dire and the poll pointless.
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love the image of the plastic woodpeckers.
Incidentally I thought that as only some 12000 odd voted and the ‘GLNZ’ only got some 3000 plus it was not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Apart from anything else the list of candidates was not especially inspiring.
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When I saw the poll results at the herald for GLNZ I immediately thought of LPRENT setting up two of those perpetually nodding plastic woodpeckers, one aimed at the refresh key and the other hitting enter with the cursor hovering over Miss Clark as the preferred choice.
An adequate administrator is the closest many of us can come to kindness about our previous PM.
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Tane
You choose to associate yourself with the site.
I really do not see why you get so sensitive in consequence.
The Standard like Kiwiblog attracts a variety of commentators. Some are rational, others are not.
I will add that I actually look forward to reading your posts. Not that I agree with much of what you say, but I do enjoy reading them.
By the way one of my must read blogs these days is Kiwipolitico. Again I do not agree with a lot of what is written there, but I enjoy the debate and the posts.
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Our site is broad left, it ranges from quite hard left socialist to what could probably be considered the right-wing of Labour. Some of us are Labour Party members, others are in the Greens or unaffiliated.
Some of us voted for Helen, others (including me) have never voted for her and have at times strongly disagreed with her.
Point is, you’re entitled to refer to whoever you like however you like, but in attributing the personal opinions of one or two contributors to everyone involved you clearly misunderstand the nature of the site. That’s all I’m saying.
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Tane
I am well aware that the posts were written by two different people. One was by lprent and the other by The Sprout.
The two posts had broadly similar themes, thus IMHO I am quite entitled to refer to the people over at the VDS,
Similarly a number of the people writing comments would appear to be the same.
Also as the blog adopts a broadly left posture I cannot see why you are so upset.
If you do not want to suffer by association blog on your own account.
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Adam, we’re not a hive mind, we write in our individual capacities. Please don’t attribute the thoughts of one poster to all of us, it’s rather annoying.
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“Total blot on the landscape” is being unfair to blots. That woman and her wrecking crew have destroyed New Zealand.
NZ once stood for decency and freedom. She and the former Labour Government defamed NZ’s real allies and kow-towed to every oil-tick dictator, whilst intruding more and more into its own citizens private lives. Its demise was well overdue.
I wish John Key luck in trying to get the country together again and rebuilding from the ruins up. It’ll take a very long time.
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My wife has a good friend who never ever speaks ill of anyone. Yet this lady made an exception when it came to Helen Clark who she thinks is a total blot on the landscape.
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I did not like her. . Not only was she petty she could be down right vicious.
I could not trust her at all. Her policies where never, in my opinion, what was best for New Zealand but rather what was best for Helen Clark.
I think there was probably a time when she did believe she could make a positive difference. Unfortunately she did make a difference but not much (if anything) was positive.
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Careful people have been burned at the stake for comments such as yours.
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