The S-Files

Yet Another Ideological Burp

Contra Celsum feels compelled to nominate Michael Cullen for an S-Award

Michael Cullen is the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, and the Minister of Finance.

Citation:
Dr Michael Cullen deserves to be recognized for drawing what is arguably the longest bow in human history. Hearing of the takeover of Wall Street Investment bank, Merrill Lynch, Dr Cullen wasted no time causally connecting that takeover-before-collapse with the fact that his political opponent, John Key once worked for the same Merrill Lynch—albeit eight years ago

Dr Cullen is reported as saying:

“Given his (John Key's) background and the fact that Merrill Lynch has just gone belly up, I would have thought New Zealanders should draw the conclusion that you wouldn’t put a man like that in charge of the New Zealand economy.”

Dr Cullen deserves recognition for his “ideological burp” on two grounds:

1.The allegation that his opponent cannot be trusted to be in charge of the New Zealand economy because he worked for a company years ago which has subsequently got into financial difficulties is so long and so tenuous that it can only be described as clutching at desperate straws.

2.Secondly, it invites reasonable assessment of Dr Cullen's performance as one who has actually been in charge of the New Zealand economy for nine years. During Dr Cullen's watch over twenty finance companies have collapsed, leaving mum and dad investors with huge personal financial pain and millions of dollars out of pocket. If John Key is somehow responsible for Merrill Lynch's difficulties because he worked there eight years ago, Dr Cullen must be totally and personally responsible for every finance company collapse in New Zealand during the time he has been in charge.

If John Key's competence to run the New Zealand is in question due to the purchase of Merrill Lynch, Dr Cullen's incompetence, malfeasance, and dereliction of duty in being in charge of the New Zealand economy must by now have been completely exposed. Voters who have lost money in finance company collapses and scandals are perfectly entitled to hold Dr Cullen responsible for their misfortune—by his own admission.

Dr Michael Cullen, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister: S-Award, Class II, for actions that have been Stupid, Short Sighted and Stupefied