history

Categories under history

Ratana and The Treaty of Waitangi

Written By: - Date published: 5:25 pm, February 6th, 2024 - 10 comments

“My understanding is a guy came out as a prophet of his own religious movement in the 1870s. And politicians feel a strange obligation to be there every year. I’ve never felt that.” David Seymour is shallow as a birdbath.

The Mind of Xi Jinping

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, July 5th, 2023 - 17 comments

An excellent interview with a well-connected American who would like to see the US and China work together, and knows Xi Jinping well, provides some real insight as to why he is a serious leader. Interviewed today by Richard Harman, Tim Groser backs it up.

Taihoa on AUKUS Pillar 2

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 pm, April 24th, 2023 - 63 comments

Andrew Little says our government is willing to “explore” participating in AUKUS Pillar 2, but “foreign or local voices would not be a factor.” Our leaders will decide he says. I say “taihoa.”

A Lone Voice of Sanity on Ukraine

Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, February 26th, 2023 - 76 comments

Historian Malcolm McKinnon in Thursday’s DominionPost states that “caution is needed when crafting victory over Russia as the primary war aim in Ukraine.” Truer words were never spoken, as western hysteria rejects calls for peace and escalates to wider war.

In praise of Michael Hudson

Written By: - Date published: 3:32 pm, November 3rd, 2022 - 39 comments

82-year old polymath Michael Hudson is my favourite economist. He currently lectures in China to million-strong audiences. His latest book is The Destiny of Civilisation: Finance Capitalism, Industrial Capitalism or Socialism. His latest article is well worth a read.

Anzac Day

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, April 25th, 2022 - 13 comments

A more sombre and quieter Anzac Day today with planned ceremonies being pared back in this post Covid world.

What Do We Keep?

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, February 7th, 2022 - 37 comments

The things we don’t regret keeping are a strong measure of what we don’t value. COVID’s 2 year anniversary asks us this simply through what events we commemorate.

Government to issue an apology for the dawn raids

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, June 15th, 2021 - 23 comments

The Government has announced it will publicly apologise for the treatment of Pacific people in the 1970s when they were harassed and discriminated against by the Police because of the place of their birth and the colour of their skin.

Paora Goldsmith, Māori history and identity politics

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, February 4th, 2021 - 73 comments

Paora Goldsmith thinks that learning about Māori history is engaging in identity politics.

Parihaka

Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, December 30th, 2020 - 8 comments

A post reflecting on the history of the Parihaka settlement, how local Taranaki Iwi were treated appallingly by the Crown and the Government, and how the settlement amount paid is but a miniscule amount of the damage actually caused.

“Beyond Jacinda” – Colin James and Cr Tamatha Paul

Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, December 3rd, 2020 - 20 comments

Colin James and Councillor Tamatha Paul will discuss Colin’s paper “Beyond Jacinda” on Monday 7 December at 5:30pm at Baptist Church, 46-48 Boulcott Street Wellington. It will also be shown on Zoom and available on YouTube. Registration links below. All Welcome.

Covid-19 vs 1918 influenza

Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, August 15th, 2020 - 67 comments

Reading a number of articles in the NZ Herald in recent days calling for change in how we handle outbreaks of covid-19 in NZ. The implied precept is the damage covid-19 poses to the population of NZ over time is less than the immediate economic damage. That covid-19 is like the flu and results in herd immunity. However it is far worse than the influenza pandemic of 1918, much longer lasting and we probably won’t reach herd immunity naturally for generations. 

The “Others”.

Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, April 25th, 2020 - 20 comments

“Othering” has long been a staple of Governments that want to remain in power for the benefit of an Oligarchy, an “Elite”, a small ruling class, or the ones with, “the money”. Deflecting blame for economic and social issues on, an ethnicity, a class, the elderly, the poor, the young, the unemployed, young solo mothers, the disabled, immigrants, or any other convenient group that can be demonised. Very soon more of us may become the “others” we didn’t care about.

This Is Who We Really Are

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, April 5th, 2019 - 146 comments

As we prepare for ANZAC Day, the Kapiti RSA has been viciously attacked for wanting to show solidarity with NZ’s Muslim community. Maggie writes about what that means and suggests who we really are.

My civics – the New Zealand civil war

Written By: - Date published: 5:19 pm, November 18th, 2018 - 67 comments

While looking at a missing post on Briefing Papers, I ran across some material on deficiencies in our current education regime looking at our civil war in the 19th century. So I wrote this post about why I personally think that it matters.

Litigation and equal pay – a history of the 1950’s equal pay campaign

Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, August 28th, 2018 - 3 comments

Forward In 2016 I wrote the below dissertation as part of my History Honours degree at Victoria University.  This dissertation explores the 1950s equal pay campaign, and specifically looks at the Jean Parker Case. Jean Parker was a PSA member employed at IRD, who like Kristine Bartlett 60 years later, won a landmark equal pay legal […]

Autonomy.

Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, May 27th, 2018 - 29 comments

So women in ‘half’ of an island have bodily autonomy.

Democracy, Faux Democracy and Terror.

Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, March 19th, 2018 - 37 comments

Facebook, Putin, poisoning and Ghouta have all given fairly extensive media coverage of late. Nothing much on Afrin. Afrin has just fallen to terrorists backed by Turkey.

Update: the photo used for this post is of the The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA), who are part of the International Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Forces fighting in Syria.

RIP Jim Anderton

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, January 7th, 2018 - 67 comments

Jim Anderton has passed away. A politician of passion and principle.

The Yellow Peril?

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, November 15th, 2017 - 338 comments

What’s with the academic panic epidemic about China? Two in our media in the same week, referencing each other with vague warnings about the Chinese bogey. It’s not quite Lionel Terry in Haining Street again; more likely in my view a case of singing to someones else’s geopolitical tune. No prizes for guessing whose.

 

RNZ: The 9th floor – Clark

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, May 5th, 2017 - 29 comments

“We don’t have a written constitution so nowhere is it written down what are the powers of the Prime Minister. It’s partly your personality. It’s the skills that you’ve got and it’s how you use the office”.

RNZ: The 9th floor – Shipley

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, April 28th, 2017 - 85 comments

“During the day we spent with Shipley she said New Zealand needs to take the “blowtorch” to middle class welfare, with student allowances and healthcare areas where middle and higher income earners should pay more.” “I believe in leadership, not political occupancy.”

Anzac Day

Written By: - Date published: 6:01 am, April 25th, 2017 - 28 comments

There is a list of Anzac Day services here, and a list of peace vigils here.

An appropriate day to contemplate “the meaning of honour”.

RNZ: The 9th floor – Bolger

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, April 21st, 2017 - 12 comments

“He says neo-liberalism has failed and suggests unions should have a stronger voice. He says Treaty of Waitangi settlements may not be full and final and that Māori language tuition should be compulsory in primary schools.”

Slack on Dagg and English

Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, April 18th, 2017 - 21 comments

There was (among the usual dross) some great stuff in the papers over the Easter break. Here’s David Slack with some observations on Fred Dagg, NZ, and Bill English.

RNZ: The 9th floor – Moore

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, April 14th, 2017 - 45 comments

Guyon Espiner’s excellent RNZ series The 9th Floor, consists of interviews with five ex NZ PMs. Here’s Mike Moore.

RNZ: The 9th floor – Palmer

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, April 9th, 2017 - 70 comments

On RNZ Guyon Espiner is running what will be a fascinating series, The 9th Floor, consisting of interviews with five ex NZ PMs. First up on Friday was Sir Geoffrey Palmer, “reflecting on the revolutionary fourth Labour government and his year as one of its three Prime Ministers”.

Waitangi Day 2017

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, February 6th, 2017 - 19 comments

Well the lead-up to Waitangi Day this year has certainly had its fair share of drama!

You can read Andrew Little’s thoughts on the day here: Andrew Little: Waitangi a day for all of us to come together

Our most effective Prime Minister

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, October 1st, 2016 - 234 comments

Ad ranks post second world war according to criteria which produces some interesting result.

Anzac Day 2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, April 25th, 2016 - 62 comments

Today is Anzac Day, 101 years since ANZAC forces began the Gallipoli campaign.

Thoughts about a poppy

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, April 23rd, 2016 - 61 comments

Back in my youth I decided that there were things that were worth fighting for when it became necessary. It is a viewpoint that I have never had to change, and it shows in what I do. If you want a society worth living in, then you need to make sure that it either stays that way, or moves towards it. Less memorials and more effort is a better way to remember our dead and maimed.

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