Oh shit
Matt McCarten writes:
It can be boring when someone talks about themselves. Today I’ll take the risk.
I know I get into scraps and sometimes overstep the mark in clipping my opponents – and there’s always a few of them waiting impatiently for my demise.
They may not have to wait too much longer. I was diagnosed a year ago with the killing kind of cancer.
I’m only sharing this as the news seems to be getting out and some people seem to think I’ll soon be taking to my bed and softening my political views.
No such luck, I’m afraid. Most cancer sufferers think they can beat the odds. Why should I be any different?
Again, words are so inadequate. I both like and respect Matt McCarten and am incredibly saddened by his news.
I hope Matt stays around to see a Labour/Green Government elected. I reckon that is on track for 2020, so no skivvying off before then 
September 5th, 2010 at 11:17 am
That’s tough news. I’m helping support my mother through something similar. It’s not all bad, it gives you time to sort stuff out. I’ve thought about it a bit lately, I think I’d prefer it to having the switch turn off without warning. Maybe.
That deserves attention.
September 5th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Interesting that our second biggest city is run by one Mayor who in the last 24 hours appears to have done a good job.
Looks really hopeful for Auckland. Imagine the chaos that would be Auckland if it had happened there instead.
Pete you are thread jacking. Take your crap to GD.
Stick with the topic.
McCarten is like many Kiwi’s suffering from an ever increasing disease in our country. The hospitals are struggling to keep up and so are the hospices.
The question should be why so many Kiwi’s are suffering from this disease?
September 5th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Just so alarming and indeed sad that we lose so many folk to the myriad forms of cancer.
There has got to be some progress on this complicated science soon. Surely.
ETS or massive Cancer research push. One that looked actually like folks lives depended on it would be welcome!
September 5th, 2010 at 11:46 am
That was a direct quote from the linked McCarten article. It’s an issue important to McCarten, when people are faced with their end they realise they have limited time to achieve things and want to try and do some good while they can.
It’s a many faceted disease with many causes. It is prevalent now because of the success of medicine – people survive other things much more now, in the past many died before cancer could come into play.
September 5th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Cancer kills more people for a few reasons:
1. Other things are killing people less. Everybody has to die of something, knock out some of the easier diseases, more people die of cancer
2. Diet and general health. As I read somewhere recently, if you only eat things your grandmother would have recognised, you’ll generally be OK. Stuff that comes out of boxes, particularly stuff that magically stays fresh for weeks, not so good.
3. More awareness. People go to the doctor for things they used to just die of.
If we were going to spend a lot of money on trying to fix a disease that kills lots of people, we might start with malaria. Or hunger (is that a disease?) I’m pretty sure they’d be easier to solve.
September 5th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Because the death rate will always total 100%.
Every life saved on the road, from Heart Disease, or violence, is a life eventually lost to cancer.
Reports of increasing cancer rates always have to take into account our safer and longer lives.
September 5th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Hey,if everyboby lived long enough most or many would die from one form or other of cancer. It’s sadly natural to a large extent. Sure if you can avoid the obvious like smoking, poor diet etc it would save a lot of grief personally ,financially and to govt budgets,that’s blatantly obvious.
In the meantime all the best to Matt and family.
September 5th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Sonny Blount “Every life saved on the road, from Heart Disease, or violence, is a life eventually lost to cancer.”
Thats ridiculous. There are still numerous people who simply die of old age.
September 5th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
All the best to McCarten in his road ahead. Many do beat it.
My dad (non smoker) died of throat cancer 6 weeks after diagnosis at the age of 56 yet my mum (40 a day + smoker) was diagnosed with lung cancer at 40. She had a lung removed and for obvious reasons couldn’t have the other one removed even though it was riddled with the rust. She was closed up and sent home to die, nothing else to see here. She went on to see her 69th birthday and died of complications after a stroke in the end. Go figure.
I was lucky enough to get home to Ireland and spend the last few days with both of them so in that respect it is better than a sudden death, you do get to resolve stuff that otherwise you wouldn’t.
September 5th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
How many? Surely there is still some cause of death. Heart failure and respiratory infections are common with old people.
Old age isn’t listed as a cause of death on this table.
September 5th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Yup. Dying of old age means some part of your stops working. It stops working because of old age, but the death certificate will say heart attack, kidney failure, liver failure, whatever.
September 5th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Euthanasia. the answer to all illnesses
September 5th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Even though I don’t agree with everything Matt says or does he is tough and a battler and I certainly respect that, so hopefully he gets through it, am sure he will.
September 5th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
yeah yeah “old age” isn’t the “official” cause, but the point remains there are numerous other ways to die other than heart disease or cancer (or road deaths and violence). And I do know old people who have gone to bed one night and simply not woken in the morning for no other reason than their time was up. No idea what the “offical” reason on the death cert read.
September 5th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
This is very sad news because if the worst happens we would have lost someone who despite his politics can display good common sense as well. I suspect the news is very bad. He should have been in the Labour Party, they could have found room for him and he would have made a bigger contribution. Minor parties are not the place for talented political operators like Matt McCarten. And I have affection for his stutter, it humanises him.
September 5th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Life expectency is constantly increasing thanks to medical science and improved diet. The longer you live, the more chance of getting cancer. Every time a cell divides, there’s a tiny chance of it going wrong. The longer you live, the more times your cells divide, the more times you spin the roulette wheel. Disregard ignorant luddites who say “eat only things your grandmother would recognise”. The advances of modern food science is a large part of the reason we’re living longer.
Anyway good luck to matt.
September 5th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
It’s impossible to dislike M-m-m-matt M-m-m-mccarten too much. He’s not a crazed robot like so many who share his views are. I hope he beats his cancer, or at least transfers it to someone who deserves it, like John Minto.
September 5th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Sad, I enjoyed his columns even if I completely disagreed with the majority.
Hope he pulls through.
September 5th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Matt, keep positive and keep laughing and loving. I hope you win the war and keep in good humor and spirts as you do so.
September 5th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
I have a mate with stomach cancer, has been given till Xmas. Lead the cleanest life of anyone I know, never smoked, drank in moderation, ate healthy food despite being on a limited income most of his working life. Life really is a piece of shit. Will not be leaving a wife and kids behind but many friends and family who will miss him. God have mercy.
September 5th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
tvb suggests:
Sadly, I think either his principles and beliefs would have been slowly eroded by the herd mentality, or it’d all have ended in a brief explosion before the ripples on the blancmange settled and Labour… National… Lab… err whichever one we were talking about went back to being an amorphous blob.
Sadly, minor parties are the only place talented, intelligent and principled people can find a home… have you looked at the line up offered by the “major” parties lately? (with a few notable and noble exceptions)
Good luck, Matt. My father beat it. And several heart attacks. And is still round, into his 90s, railing against most of the stuff you’ll hear me railing against. I put it down to sheer willpower, of which you too have heaps.
September 5th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I will show McCarten the same level of respect he showed the late Sir Ron Trotter at the news of his death.
No big loss…
I never liked the man before I found out he is sick and I still do not like the man know I know of this illness.
He is a nasty, spiteful and viscous piece of shit.
[DPF: Have you ever thought of just saying nothing, if you can't say something nice? There is no compulsion to comment.]
September 5th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
“I never liked the man before I found out he is sick and I still do not like the man know I know of this illness.
He is a nasty, spiteful and viscous piece of shit.
”
Wow, what does that make you?
September 5th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
What does that make me?
Somebody who likes to give the left a taste of their own medicine.
September 5th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
There’s not much I agree with Matt on, but that’s absolutely no reason to be spiteful towards that man. He’s ill, probably terminally ill and that’s a horrible reality for him and for his family. My thoughts are with him.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Yes, I find him very viscous too, given that viscosity is the resistance a material has to change in form. Jim Anderton tried to mould McCarten, and found out just how viscous he is.
Fot, King of the Non Sequitur and the malapropism.
We await with breathless anticipation a Spoonerism, to complete the set, from this shining wit (…think about it…)
September 5th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
I hear Fot is a cunning linguist as well.
Come here Fot, let me give you a hug. There, all better.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:24 am
You’ve got my vote Fot.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Contrast this to what Danyl Mc and Malcolm Harbrow (No Right Turn) said about Trotter dying and his idiot commenters readily agreeing to this act of cowardice and hoping for other right wingers to die. McCarten also jumped on the bandwagon. However whenever this happens to the left, we are a far more forgiving and nicer bunch of people.
Malcolm and Danyl, take notes. We may not agree with Matt but nobody here is revelling in his demise.
September 7th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Hi David,
Thank you for your kind comments.
The left is so soft and polite these days. The thought of retiring from life and not being able to give the right wing a good verbal smack every now and then, would make me spin in my grave.
I suspect the red socialist poison running through my veins will kill of the cancer cells anyway.
Some of your bloggers are coirrect saying my comments on Ron Trotter were a”vicious”. I retrospectively apologise for being a bit overboard. I stand by what I say about him but nothings lost by still being personally respectful. It’s the mongrel in me that gets out every now and then.
However as I’m not a hyprocrite so everyone has my consent to dance on my grave. In fact I’d be honoured. I’m not one who believes one should pretend someone is a saint just because they are dead.
In the meantime nothing has changed for me. I started this morning off with an invasion at the Westin Hotel which got the attention of the recievers and owners. So I’m now on my way to a meeting to see if there is a way where 100 workers don’t have to lose their jobs because two groups of capitalists are playing brinkmanship.
PS I was hoping for something a little more left by 2020 than a Labour Green coalition. Onward to the glorious workers’ revolution and the end of capitalism!