What's My Opinion then?

To be honest I don't enjoy upsetting people so I do read the comments about things I may have written and think about them.

Sometimes I feel bummed out too.

Like maybe I should just go away on holiday...

For example last night a few people were pretty upset that I had generalised about - people attending churches often "seeing men in dresses reading stories there" - because in some churches male pastors always wear trousers - and others were concerned I might drag the authentic Christians too close to Destiny Church, you know and start some social media pile on against the good done by Churches.

The false prophets being conflated with the good.

Well - that was all like a long way from my intent.

I did literally think how I could have said "some Churches" later that night around Midnight ... and how I'd been making lots of typos and small errors in the past few days...and how maybe people are under financial pressure so they are stressed out behind the scenes...and also how if we worry too much about dwindling money and rising costs - we start to live the consequences of our fear. Some Roman Stoic memes appeared on my timeline to remind me to not worry about the money...at like 4am.

But I was awake so I spent some time listening to a former Catholic Priest on a video in the dark - someone I knew years ago in the early 1980s - who had been convicted for sexually abusing a six year old, a nine year old and a sixteen year old, and I remembered his voice... after he'd sat in the armchair in our living room and spoken with my parents long before anyone knew a thing about any of that.

I thought maybe I should just leave that topic alone...it was too negative...I am sick of negative on some level ... and I did not want to offend anyone about churches again - given today is the day of celebration for some - and good news for many - and some priests wear white in some denominations.

I'm actually a fan of the teachings of Jesus about love and forgiveness ...the golden rule morality stuff...so it's easy to be misunderstood.

There wasn't much to talk about this morning when it came to politics...and I thought..what should I write about this morning?

I was almost going to post, "I have nothing to say" - which happened once in 2018.

It was only this morning - thinking what to say - that I recalled that link David Evans Bailey had sent me yesterday.

To be fair - neither he nor I follow Steven Braunias but I used to read his stuff a long time ago - he used to play games of table tennis against his subjects to find out about them - and he wrote sort of bio articles before he discovered the secret diary thing - but I had eventually lost interest I suppose.

As you know I did not immediately leap at the opportunity to say something about the specimen of writing put before me yesterday but I did try something new this morning - like seeking your feedback about it?

It was kind of like ho hum to me, although I could see some styling there...I was put off by the way it was off point though and I knew why it was off point ...but I did think okay ...what do you guys think?

So I put that feedback thing up - only to find I had once again drawn the ire of some again.

I was accused of inviting a pile on - on a fellow writer - one most likely far more respected than I might ever be - so I was like damn - really?

The reason I thought the writing was ho hum was cos well - it was about surfing on a fictional National Party narrative spin and I knew the story was essentially putting people crook - whereas I tend to try and dance closer to a spine of facts when making up satire.

Kind of like BS surrounding the truth.

Firstly the McAnulty thing ...the real spine should have reflected...the known facts rather than serving to make Nats laugh at something far from reality.

I knew for a fact that on 17 October 2023 , three days after the election, the Labour caucus voted in a two hour meeting for Chris Hipkins to remain as leader - and two weeks later on 7 November 2023 - his leadership was endorsed by the Labour Party. Media tried to find anyone who said nah - but it was a secret ballot and there was no evidence of disquiet.

Then I knew for a fact that on Tuesday 19 December 2023 Christopher Luxon made a smart remark in parliament where he said, "..I want to wish the Labour leader a Merry Christmas and the best of luck in the new year in whatever role Kieran McAnulty gives him"

This was pure fiction - but wealthy Nats roared with laughter so I suspect this was the birth of the myth - likely written by Luxon's spin doctors.

Keeping that myth alive has required it to be repeated and on 14 March 2024 when reflecting on his first 100 days Luxon said, "Chris Hipkins is a desperate individual, right?", and he said about the Labour retreat, "I notice it's in Kieran McAnulty's Wairarapa District which is lovely? - and the journalist remarked, "he said this in reference to his previous claims that McAnulty would take the Labour Leadership".

Luxon mentioned it again in parliament recently and Chris Bishop tried to pull the same stunt on TVNZ - where Kieran said he did not want the leadership.

Enuff said, the McAnulty thing was BS - so suggesting it was a "good one" did not impress me much - maybe it was outrageously funny to others...anyway ..Chippy had come out firing ...about Smoke free legislation and how the Nats could stand by and allow what was happening - killing NZers - and we all remember the red hot heat he brought to that speech in parliament ...

So I did not feel suggesting he was timid or hopeless or lonely was correct neither...it was just mischaracterisation.

Lastly the idea Chippy had his hat blown off by sharp shooting Luxon did not wash with - what we all saw in the Televised Debates before the election.

When Chippy took over the leadership from Jacinda, Luxon was spinning how it was more of the same, this is not a change and how he was not afraid of facing Chris Hipkins in the October election. However Luxon was a giant chicken and ran away from the Stuff Debate because he was taking a hammering on substance.

Luxon's slogans were exposed and Chris Hipkins exposed how he did not answer questions and in the second and third debate, everyone said Chippy was the convincing winner...not some guy with his hat blown off.

The election was not about leadership but resentment and a vote for change - and now that change looks pretty sick.

The slogans are all coming home to roost.

The way I see it Chris Hipkins gave a speech that resonated strongly with the base a week ago - and now we are seeing these undermining hit pieces - built on fiction - emerge...as Luxon's loses points and rates 4.6 out of 10.

There's trouble in Luxon's Cabinet - it's leaking - the tax cuts don't add up or make sense and Winston is running wild...the second 100 day plan has been delayed...there's no budget allowance numbers.

Keep it real even when it's fiction.

That's what I think, but I am probably wrong.

I've probably upset someone by saying so...you know how it is.

What's My Opinion then?

G