Intimidated by Laws intellect, umm no frankly. I have had dealings with him in the past and was not particularly struck by his intellect; cunning, sure, but intellect, no. Actually, even his cunning is somewhat over-rated, he’s got a few tricks sure but is unable to build or sustain coalitions and is a little too impressed by his own reflection. I have read some of his more recent writing though, and I agree, he can be quite erudite on the issues he writes about. I was surprised by some of the ommissions in his biobabble though.

David, I do recall your run-in’s with Laws, all the more reason I’m surprised by your referencing his opinions.

“The King is dead. Long live the Queen.”

However in this instance he does have a point, regardless of how cruedly he puts it, about the King of Tonga.

Laws is a poor man’s media whore, his fifteen minutes of fame was cut short when he and Antoinette Beck forged their signatures to whatever school-yard scam he had running. Let’s not forget that he was ejected by NZF; I think he wore Dress for Less in a strictly Hallensteins caucus!

If the present fiasco with our own power mad leaders continues it may well be appropriate to fly the flag upside down…the international signal for a vessel in distress.

I would not advocate such things, nor would I advocate such comments as Laws has made about the King of Tonga. Comparing him to Mugabe is like comparing Helen Clark to Hitler.

I think it is very unfair to prejudge the new King so early in his career.

Whatever one may think of the King of Tonga, he was not a despot or tyrant. In our great and glorious land, people still live in similar conditions (e.g. ordinary members of the Exclusive Brethren cult) that is quite legal under our law. Tonga just happens to be a Pacific country that is still to a large degree a very traditional Polynesian society. Democracy will come just as it has in other Pacific Polynesian countries and the former King helped to move his country in that direction while improving the lives of a great many ordinary Tongans.

Aside from grounds of charity, lest they become complete failures, and then breeding grounds for something dangerous and nasty.

And Michael Laws is an ugly pale faced worm.”

Hey, I agree on both accounts.

I do feel stabbed in the back by this government’s attitude to the law.

I, like alot of other Kiwi’s, are definitely starting to feel robbed.

and theres a sneaking suspicion that power may have been riipped out of SOMEONES hands.

Allah protect us.

Dictator, Someone who keeps winning democratic elections.

you forgot to add

With stolen money.

Allah protect us.

And Michael Laws is an ugly pale faced worm.