The GCSB: Big Bro Is Watching You

In a direct follow-up to my previous post, my latest print design is out now on CafePress:

And what better way to kill two birds with one stone? Both the reality TV series The GC, and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) are right now prime objects of scorn. The former, because it's a Jersey Shore rip-off at heart. And the latter, because the New Zealand Government is extending the powers of the cyber-snooping agency onto its own citizens.

The revelation that investigative journos have been placed on a Defence Force list of subversives can only pour petrol on an already burning issue - the issue of mass surveillance, which seems to be getting to the point where it's breaking out of the beltway and into the public consciousness. With enough momentum, it could even become the No Nukes of the Smartphone Age.

There are genuine terrorist threats to chase after - but the beefing up of the GCSB's powers is less about countering terrorism, and more about senior political figures trying to save both their arses and their faces at once. The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by French secret agents - the first and only international terrorist attack in NZ - was quickly solved with good old-fashioned police detective work. Some degree of beefed-up security agencies was a given in the wake of 9/11, but there comes a turning point where temporary states of emergency become permanent ones, and that's where the misuse and abuse starts.

Anti-PC gone mad #3: Colin Craig is [REDACTED]

NZ Conservative Party leader Colin Craig took offence to a satire piece in The Civilian that poked fun at his stance on same-sex marriage, so much so that he called in his lawyers. Not surprisingly, the Streisand Effect did the rest, and Craig retracted his lawsuit. The author of the satirical piece and The Civilian founder, Ben Uffindel, got some free publicity for his efforts and could even make a living off it. And even if Mr Craig had been successful in his cease-&-desist, he'd probably have to sue Google Cache as well.

Upon hearing of this furore, the first thing that came to mind was when Jerry Falwell sued Hustler Magazine for 'emotional distress', after a spoof Campari advert implied that he had, well, a not-so-mild case of the Oedipus complex. The US Supreme Court saw sense and ended up throwing out the case.

It all goes to show that the British have satire instead of revolutions - one of the better traditions passed down to us all.

Anti PC gone mad #2: Cold Dead Hand

Jim Carrey has returned to form in a biting spoof of American gun nuttery:

Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey from Jim Carrey

Not surprisingly, the usual anti-PC suspects are kicking up a stink and hoisting themselves on their own petard. I'll leave The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur - a fully-recovered faith-based dogmatist - to do the deconstruction for us.

Hitler buys into Mighty River Power

When I'm not grinding in the latest Warcraft patch or surviving Planet Pandora, there have been no shortage of issues that have had me resisting the temptation to break my screen in half of late. The ongoing Novopay debacle, charter schools, university cuts, the Mighty River Power fire-sale, golden handshakes, socialism for the rich and austerity for the rest, holiday highways, all-round anti-intellectualism... you name it.

But those are for another post. So, to lighten the mood...

Treasury re-branding

Right now we're being lectured to tighten our belts because the cupboard is bare. Yet those doing the lecturing and supposed to be watching the country's tax dollars have somehow managed, at best, to gloss over a $14 billion white elephant in the room, among other pork-barrel pet projects. It could turn out to be the son of Think Big, or worse still, something like Japan's Roads to Nowhere.

As a result, a doubleplusgood re-branding is in order. Once again, prints are available from CafePress.

SKY's net has landed

Now available from CafePress, just in time for the Save TVNZ7 meetings:

If anyone knows a more local (read: NZ-based) alternative to CafePress, please do let me know.

SKY's net, part 2

Following on from an earlier post about the state of broadcasting in NZ, I hereby announce SKYNET v0.5, which made its first appearance in a PAS thread about the Kim Dotcom Bust.

And I'm encouraged by the responses so far, including that of fellow blogger Zippy Gonzales, who's already aped my words on the pokies-for-convention-centre pork barrelling. The avowedly pro-business Fran O'Sullivan and Dominon Post have also hit out at the blatant cronyism at work.

SKYNET. Coming soon to a T-shirt near you.

Press Release: NZ To Host US ICBM Defence Shield

Sunday, 1 April, 2012
Press Release: New Zealand Government

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced that New Zealand is to host a number of United States-built inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) across the country.

"We welcome New Zealand's moves to solidify its homefront defence and military allegiances, as well as the economic benefits it brings," said Mr Coleman.

The ICBMs to be based in New Zealand are likely to be based on a variant of the W80-armed Tomahawk cruise missiles that are currently carried by the US Navy, and are believed to be the first land-based examples. Likely launch sites include the Far North, the East Cape, Opotiki, Turangi, and Kawerau. In addition, feasibility studies have also been carried out for a nuclear testing site in the Urewera Ranges.

Lemmy Newcomb, a spokesman for Raytheon, the manufacturer of the warheads, says the decision to host the ICBMs is a win-win situation. "With the rise of the Dragon's Teeth and North Korea's nuclear programme, no one can be too careful in these uncertain times."

ENDS

Getting noticed

It seems I'm starting to get noticed.

The moment I posted a link to my 'Modest Proposal' poster on a Dim Post blog thread about social welfare politics, it immediately caused a lively discussion. Most appreciated the homage to Jonathan Swift, but those who didn't quite see the joke reacted exactly as planned.

The whole point of satire is to unhinge the targets of its ridicule, to the point where the self-appointed Anti-PC Brigade gets rather, well, PC itself. And so far, so good. When I was at high school, classmates told me I shouldn't take everything so seriously. To a degree they were right - I've found my inner wit to be a therapeutic influence, and what better way than to invoke the spirit of Swift?

I wonder right now if Danyl, the owner of the Dim Post, thinks I'm apeing his territory. ;) More to come, so watch this space.

A modest proposal indeed

In light of recent social welfare policy changes, this couldn't be more timely. With apologies to Jonathan Swift, of course.

Design & photography © Kumara Republic Media.

(Full size image available here for printing and circulation.)

Mum & dad investors

Full size image available here for printing and circulation.

The City That Sued God

Remember Billy Connolly's battles with Big Insurance? Well, anyone who's living in Christchurch right now and facing uncertainty about the colour of their zones probably do.