What If Trump Wins Again?
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9:25 am, January 14th, 2024 - 65 comments
Categories: China, Donald Trump, Economy, Free Trade, global warming, International, trade, us politics, war -
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One of New Zealand’s best strategic analysts, Dr David Skilling, recently set out the risks we need to prepare for should Donald Trump win the U.S. Presidency again.
As he sets out the obvious reduced United States willingness to provide security guarantees to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, Dr Skilling also sets out that AUKUS may be renegotiated as Mr Trump seeks to show he is a better negotiator. The North Korean leader will be emboldened to attack Korea. In Europe, a rapidly withdrawing United States military presence would likely force a settlement in Ukraine favouring Russia. Xi and Putin will be delighted.
“In other words, a second Trump Presidency would lead to a substantial reconfiguration of the global economic and geopolitical system – accelerating some dynamics (global economic fragmentation) and reversing others (a coherent Western alliance). These are not implausible events, but simply assume a more disciplined implementation of actions and statements in the first Trump Administration.” – Dr David Skilling, January 12 2024, Substack
A Trump administration withdrawing from NATO would not be easy to achieve. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Senator Marco Rubio introduced legislation passed the Senate, designed to block any U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without two-thirds Senate approval or an act of Congress. Kaine told me he feels “confident that the courts would uphold us on that and would not allow a president to unilaterally withdraw,” but there would certainly be a struggle. A public-relations crisis would unfold too. A wide range of people—former supreme allied commanders, former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former presidents, foreign heads of state—will surely rally to make the case for NATO, and very loudly.
For us this signals that just as the European reliance on United States military bases and expenditure has sustained European security for over 80 years and would require continued sustained military expenditure from the EU to ward off Russia, so it is with New Zealand, Japan and Australia. An Australia less protected by the United States would need New Zealand to step up and spend more on its defence capability so that we in turn can protect our own sea lanes for trade (and those of our Pacific neighbours).
Other Trump policy positions would be easier to achieve. Bloomberg analysed truckloads of speeches and videos to distil his policy positions into some clarity.
In international trade, Trump has floated the idea of encircling the whole of U.S. industry with a 10% tariff, which would bring a fresh wave of disruptions to supply chains. If we can recall the impact to New Zealand of massive supply chain disruption across most of our manufacturing and construction base, under Trump prepare for it again.
Trump and Biden have been in lock step when it comes to a hawkish position on trade with China. The question is whether under Trump it will get to the point where New Zealand’s economy is damaged by providing ingredient or component parts for products and services with China, when U.S. trade with China is seriously curtailed with anti-trade legislation even more than it is now.
Sweeping executive orders to restrict immigration look likely if Trump regains the Oval Office, along with an order to end automatic citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants born in the US, though that will likely face legal challenges. “They want to feast off the sweat and savings of the American taxpayer,” Trump said at a rally in November 2023. “We’re not going to let it happen. I will end it all immediately.” Any Kiwi thinking they will still be able to emigrate to the United States should consider their plans carefully.
Trump would spurn Biden’s climate policies via measures that include rescinding energy regulations such as fuel economy and emissions standards. He’d also pull back out of the Paris climate accord, a move he made while in office last time. So the idea of sustaining COP accords would get very hard.
“When I am back in the White House, I will bring back a pro-American energy policy at long last,” Trump said in a video message released in November. If re-elected, he’s promised to remove all obstacles to massively ramping up drilling in the US for oil and natural gas. Another priority: doing away with incentives towards electric vehicles and clean energy.
Dr Skilling and Bloomberg are reminding us that New Zealand’s network of an international rules based trade-focused order that enables the free flow of capital and labour and goods will under Trump quickly crack. This a set of risks that New Zealand businesses should as much as they can prepare for. Sustaining disputes by law rather than by might may also be at risk.
New Zealand has gained prosperity over 40 years within a free flow of trade under peacetime supported by minor attacks to shipping and planes, low international trade costs such as tariffs, and confidence that international trade disputes will be settled by law rather than by might is at risk: all of that required a United States President prepared to support that.
New Zealand itself is remarkably crisis match-fit having gone through serious crises about one every two years for the past two decades. So a Trump II Presidency doesn’t necessarily mean we enter some kind of polycrisis doom loop. It means that business and the New Zealand government must broaden its trade base away from the United States and China far faster than they ever have, accelerate our energy independence into electricity, confirm a broad set of materials supply lines, and prepare to secure our own sea lanes with stronger military capacity than we have now.
Preparing for the worst should be our default position in our trade, our savings, our immigration plans, our defence commitment, and in our relationships other than with the United States.
So New Zealand, prepare.
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- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...2 weeks ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cardsThe Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...2 weeks ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freezeCuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extendedThe Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Progress on climate will be undone by GovtNew Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...3 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuseTe Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...3 weeks ago
- Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...1 day ago - Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with GermanyForeign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...2 days ago
- Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of PlentyThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...3 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand China CouncilThank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...3 days ago
- Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi householdsThe Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...4 days ago
- Government recommits to equal payThe coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...4 days ago
- Transforming how our children learn to readStructured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...4 days ago
- NZ not backing down in Canada dairy disputeTrade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...4 days ago
- Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable childrenThe rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...4 days ago
- Streamlining Building Consent ChangesThe Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...4 days ago
- Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...5 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...5 days ago
- Accelerating airport security linesFrom today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...5 days ago
- Community hui to talk about kina barrensPeople with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...5 days ago
- Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into forceKiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...5 days ago
- Mining resurgence a welcome signThere are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...5 days ago
- Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first readingThe return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...6 days ago
- Government to boost public EV charging networkEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...6 days ago
- Residential Property Managers Bill to not progressThe coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...6 days ago
- Independent review into disability support servicesThe Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...6 days ago
- Justice Minister updates UN on law & order planJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...6 days ago
- Ending emergency housing motels in RotoruaThe Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...6 days ago
- Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and DubaiTrade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...7 days ago
- Education priorities focused on lifting achievementEducation Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...7 days ago
- NZTA App first step towards digital driver licenceThe new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...7 days ago
- Supporting whānau out of emergency housingWhānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...1 week ago
- Tribute to Dave O'SullivanRacing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...1 week ago
- Speech – Eid al-FitrAssalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...1 week ago
- Government saves access to medicinesAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...1 week ago
- Pharmac Chair appointedHon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...1 week ago
- Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisorderHundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...1 week ago
- New sports complex opens in KaikoheRegional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...1 week ago
- Diplomacy needed more than everForeign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...1 week ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery BelgiumAmbassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...1 week ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk BairDistinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...2 weeks ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, TürkiyeMai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...2 weeks ago
- PM announces changes to portfoliosPaul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...2 weeks ago
- New catch limits for unique fishery areasRecreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...2 weeks ago
- Minister welcomes hydrogen milestoneEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment BillThe coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...2 weeks ago
- Voluntary redundancies at Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment bring its tally of job los...
The latest round of voluntary redundancies at the ministry has lifted RNZ's count of public sector job cuts to more than 4000. ...22 mins ago - UK Tories perform badly at local elections; Labor still narrowly ahead in Australian polls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...33 mins ago - Hundreds of cities have achieved zero road deaths in a year. Here’s how they did itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Mclaughlin, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia Matthew Mclaughlin It’s National Road Safety Week and it comes on the back of a year in which 1,286 people died on Australian roads. The rising road toll – up 8.2% ...33 mins ago
- What does the new Commonwealth Prac Payment mean for students? Will it do enough to end ‘placement...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...33 mins ago
- Education, productivity and emissions: Three big problems NZ needs to fix, according to the OECDEconomic growth is sluggish - and the problems are a familiar list. ...1 hour ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9) An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...2 hours ago - ‘Don’t mistake Pacific leaders AUKUS quietness’ as support for NZ, says academicBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...2 hours ago
- Labour says Government's water plan will see some councils 'left out in the cold'Meanwhile, the party and National are also odds about whose plan to fix the pipes will cost more. ...3 hours ago
- The climate cost of your digital lifeHow worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...3 hours ago
- Three fact-checking challenges in Southeast AsiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...3 hours ago
- Houston area’s flood problems offer lessons for cities trying to adapt to a changing climateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, Professor Emeritus of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan Pavement can leave floodwater with nowhere to go. Chengyue Lao/Xinhua via Getty Images Scenes from the Houston area looked like the aftermath of a hurricane in ...3 hours ago
- The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project sends a clear warning to other woul...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia. (Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...3 hours ago
- Many immigrants to the US are fleeing violence and persecution − here’s how the federal governme...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Chair in Global Migration, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University The men’s dormitory at a new center for asylum-seekers in Portland, Maine. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Immigration has become a defining issue ...3 hours ago
- LIVE TODAY: A View from Afar – A Moment of FrictionThe LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...3 hours ago
- How to make the most of oyster seasonThe Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...4 hours ago
- Auckland University staff appeal over Gaza protest in solidarity with studentsAsia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...4 hours ago
- How the Student Volunteer Army is helping high schoolers give backThe Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...5 hours ago
- Here’s what happened when I replaced my personality with the Meta AI chatbot for a dayKeeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...5 hours ago
- MP Jamie Arbuckle to keep two jobs – and two salariesJamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...5 hours ago
- What Australia can learn from Latin America when it comes to tackling violence against womenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...7 hours ago
- A tax on sugary drinks can make us healthier. It’s time for Australia to introduce oneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Leah Newhouse/Pexels Sugary drinks cause weight gain and increase the risk of a range of diseases, including diabetes. The evidence shows that well-designed taxes can reduce sugary drink sales, cause ...7 hours ago
- As New Zealand CBDs evolve post-pandemic, repurposing old or empty spaces should be on the drawing b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...7 hours ago
- Nuclear power makes no sense for Australia – but it’s a useful diversion from real climate actio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Wlad74, Shutterstock Opposition leader Peter Dutton argues Australia needs nuclear power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. But nuclear power is not feasible for Australia. It is too slow, too ...7 hours ago
- Australian churches collectively raise billions of dollars a year – why aren’t they taxed?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...7 hours ago
- Real comedy, real trauma: how Baby Reindeer and Feel Good are forging a new television genreSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University Netflix Comedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...7 hours ago
- Tense office dynamics draining your soul? Kink can help with thatThe workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...7 hours ago
- Old, more polluting ships serving NZ could be a barrier to climate goalsThe Climate Change Commission is floating the idea of bringing international shipping into New Zealand's carbon-cutting targets. ...9 hours ago
- A week on, the school phone ban is (mostly) winning praiseEven if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...9 hours ago
- Could Wellington be the next region to ink a water deal with the government?Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...9 hours ago
- Award-Winning Musician Ria Hall Announces Candidacy For Mayor Of Tauranga
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...10 hours ago - Teachers don’t want the new histories curriculum to be ‘rebalanced’The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...11 hours ago
- At last! The kiwi is getting its comeuppance For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...11 hours ago
- An incident at Glenmark station in Canterbury
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...11 hours ago - An obscure climate accounting decision with billion-dollar consequencesOpinion: For a country that trades on its reputation as a trustworthy international counterpart, we must follow through on our climate commitments – or face serious financial risks The post An obscure climate accounting decision with billion-dollar consequences appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- Officials set aside environmental benefits of waste-to-energy facilityA $350 million waste incinerator is a step closer, but questions marks remain over its environmental benefits The post Officials set aside environmental benefits of waste-to-energy facility appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- Auckland’s decades-old stadium shuffleIf building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...11 hours ago
- Federated Farmers’ support for fast-track bill ‘ambiguous’Fed Farmers’ oral and written submissions on the fast-track bill contain no definitive indication of the group’s support. Board member Mark Hooper clarifies. The post Federated Farmers’ support for fast-track bill ‘ambiguous’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- How advertising, not social media, killed traditional journalismComment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...11 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 6 MayThe post Daily crossword, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- Political donations: people power no match for big businessAnalysis: Experts are renewing their calls for a cap on donations as the gap between the left and the right widens The post Political donations: people power no match for big business appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- New Kiwi gymnast flips for Olympic dreamFor the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...11 hours ago
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Trump would demand NZ and Australia become dictatorial fascist states just like what Putin is doing to former soviet controlled countries and dependencies like Cuba , Venezuela, Hungary 'Assad Syria the Yemen, Iran, North Korea and it's close ally China.
We would have someone like the Reversnd Brian Tamaski installed another Malignant Narcissistic fwit.
Donate to the democrats influence any US voter the only chance we have.
Democracies are in the worst danger since Hitler came to power.
Many New Zealanders support Trump.
They believe he’s the voice of reason.
I enjoy watching the ‘out in the field’ interviews at Trump rallies. When questioned about why and how Trump is so great, how he is the ‘voice of reason,’ his supporters are quite entertaining.
They all know how wonderful he is, how brilliant, and how he has done all these amazing things for America. When it gets down to “What do you mean” and “Explain that,” they’re not so good. The “But that happened under Obama,” only sometimes flummoxes them.
In that sense, here and in the US he is seen as the voice of reason whatever that voice is saying. And in that sense it is a cult. Whatever he says is gospel.
Trouble is, Robert, look at the alternative to Trump. Is Biden, or Schumer, or any of the other "Democratic" Party leaders either reasonable or moral?
Biden is more moral and more reasonable than Trump. By a long measure.
The US doesn't get third party choices because their system is FPP.
Biden is more moral and more reasonable than Trump. By a long measure.
In what way could Trump's conduct possibly be worse than Biden's conduct during this genocidal rampage in Gaza?
As terrible as Trump is, how is Biden in any way better, leave alone "by a long measure"?
🙄
Now I agree that Biden needs to stop the export of war material to Israel immediately, but if you were to actually open your eyes to what Biden has attempted to do within the US for ordinary citizens – but largely thwarted by a republican dominated house/senate you would see that he is vastly different to that buffoon Trump.
Quite right, Macro, Biden and the Democrats at least have a notional commitment to the public good—in the United States if nowhere else—while the Repugs, both the Trump Repugs and the Never-Trump Repugs, are a purely destructive organization. Noam Chomsky several years ago said the Republican Party is the most dangerous organization in the world today.
My problem with Biden and every single one of his political colleagues and advisers is the point you mentioned first: his failure to "stop the export of war material to Israel immediately."
There you go, it wasn't that hard.
Note, Ad, that the Democratic Party's commitment to workers is notional only. They're still dominated by the likes of Charles Schumer, who came up with the brilliant notion in 2016 that Hillary Clinton didn't need working people's votes, and should target donations from Wall Street instead.
Very bad move.
Note, Ad, that the Democratic Party's commitment to workers is notional only.
I believe he is recognizing that in order to maintain USA's economic dominance he has to reestablish its manufacturing base, which, decades ago was handed over to China and other low wage countries. That's probably the reason for his apparent favouring of the workers.
Biden favouring the workers by telling them to go back to work 😂😂😂
given you are posting with a pseudonym, if your email address is genuine, I suggest next time you comment you use a fake one (which is fine to do on The Standard).
"Biden is moral and reasonable than Trump"….this is actually said without the slightest flinch, about the primary enabeler of the most violent, brutal, disgusting genocide….and not after the fact, while it is still actually happening…how many children, men and woman do you think will die today Ad? …because of Biden and the Democrats..and not Trump.
Here is your morality in full display….
‘Not seen since Vietnam’: Israel dropped hundreds of 2,000-pound bombs on Gaza, analysis shows
https://edition.cnn.com/gaza-israel-big-bombs/index.html
…these are just a small part of the munitions rushed to Israel. by Biden… and you still offer this moralless cover for a party of murders..I mean this seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you liberal's?….the way you people torture and flay the skin off logic, right out in the open, to somehow make the sick fantasy that a moral Western democratic world even exists in your own heads, even in the face of what everyone in the world can see and read in broad daylight is astounding, and shocks the senses…..
Trump the Republician Party, Biden and the Democratic Party are both one in the same as far as Geo-Politics go….the scourge of the entire planet, there will never be peace while these bloodless goons remain the hegemony…..
When one reads your comments and cuts away all the froth…what you are left with is defending a ongoing genocide, defending the violent, undemocratic iron fist of Western hegemony, because it is supposedly good for world trade and most especially for people like you and your class.
Trump and Biden agreed on leaving the women of Afghanistan to their fate.
They are both messing with the WTO, one as an isolationist, the other as pro American worker.
They have a similar at arms length with China approach, with an American industrial revival aspect.
But Biden actually ended the bombing of Yemen of SA and facilitated a truce within Yemen (to enable aid and deal with a famine). This lead to China brokering Iran and SA talks.
One takes GW seriously, the other not so.
Biden's diplomacy as per Israel in Gaza is most likely firmer than Trump's would have been (who was the most pro Israeli POTUS in history).
Trump is less likely to support aid to Ukraine and thus expect the EU to carry the burden or take in Ukrainian refugees. If the GOP blocks supply in the House, the difference is insignificant.
Neither has a policy to manage the South Korea, Taiwan and South China Sea issues of our region – thus the regional arms build-up.
Maybe Trumpian US military support withdrawal has any bearing on Gaza – but I doubt it – and indeed so does Netanyahu as of yesterday's statement.
How might one measure the use of the US as a military threat? On balance how many regional wars across the world one would expect to occur as a result of that?
Regions at risk of civil and then international war in a major US withdrawal would be:
– Strait of Hormuz, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, and its primary oil access for the whole of Asia and Oceania
– Taiwan, Japan, China
– South Korea, North Korea, China
– Iraq, Turkey, Syria
– Golan Heights, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt
– Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova,
– Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia
One might ask how much worse it can get.
The answer is: very very very much worse.
You are quite mad.
It's not just me thinking like this.
https://www.politico.eu/article/can-europe-survive-trump-ii/
“It’s a form of sleepwalking,” said Ulrich Speck, a foreign policy analyst based in Berlin. “We have [French President Emmanuel] Macron’s form of sleepwalking, which dreams of autonomy and sovereignty. We have German sleepwalking, which is denial. And then we have British sleepwalking, which is detachment.”
And we have Oceania sleepwalking, which is Chinese cash helps us sleep.
US Imperialism remains the lead enforcer and enabler for Capital and international Finance Capital. There is no good spin that can be put on that.
You call it spin when it's the measure of how the world already rotates.
Ulrich Speck. He sounds like he could be related to Richard Speck.
"It's not just me thinking like this"…..this is the best your thinking partner can offer on Gaza…
"Many are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Haven't seen any calls on Hamas to surrender."
Maybe you need to find yourself a slightly smarter 'thinking' buddy there pal.
It's interesting that you both use sleepwalking as your analogy…..you obviously don't or more likely can't see yourself, that to still regard western hegemony as the higher form of world rule at this point in history, could only be maintained by remaining every day in some sort of strange daydream state of unreality yourself.
Thanks for that, Adrian. My hunch was correct, it seems: Herr Speck might well be an incarnation of Richard Speck.
What double speak.
What on-going genocide?
It uses a pretence of a class basis for rejecting collective security (as per Ukraine) when led by a coalition of democratic nations.
But no problem with the Vietnam level bombing on urban centres of Syria by the Russians in favour of a one party rule continuance in an internal civil war.
World trade is practiced by parties who want it.
Biden may be more moral than Trump. And yes a Trump administration will be worse than a Biden administration. But genocide can not be forgiven. And Biden and the Democrats will be punished for it.
The question for this country's politicians, 5 Eyes military and intelligence leaders, will be will we continue blindly following behind the dystopian neo-fascist Trump administration as we have blindly followed behind every other US administration since the end of the British Empire as the world hegemon?
Or will we; Instead of kowtowing and forelock tugging to the biggest bullies on the planet, chart a more independent foreign policy?
https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/02/09/maori-party-adopts-swiss-neutrality-policy/
confidence that international trade disputes will be settled by law rather than by might is at risk: all of that required a United States President prepared to support that.
A U.S. President prepared to support international law? If that were ever the case, then we would not have had the six decade long illegal blockade of Cuba, nor the undermining and destruction of democratic governments from Haiti to Brazil.
Neither would the U.S. have spent the last seventy years funding Nazi groups like the Azov Brigade in Ukraine and honouring the memory of collaborators like Stepan Bandera, and genocidal regimes in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
A U.S. President prepared to support international law? Which one was that again?
The one that has propped up the UN and all its components institutions with massive funding and diplomatic support for 7 decades.
Also the one that enabled GATT from which our dairy experts flourished.
Also until Trump supported international trade dispute resolution, which we have done very well from.
If you're grumpy about Brazil, Brazil are doing fine.
You'll only notice US absence if Trump gets in unrestrained. Cuba will be but a wry smile.
If you're grumpy about Brazil, Brazil are doing fine.
No thanks to the United States.
Brazil exports US$75.7 billion per year to the US and its going up fast. No trade isdue except upside.
The only issue in the last decade was dealng with the Trumpist Bolsonaro. But sure you're likely to get more autocratic in Brazil and elsewhere if Trump gets in.
The Washington regime was relentless in its rhetorical and diplomatic onslaught against the democratic governments of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and of Dilma Rousseff. Washington was unwavering in its support of the Temer coup regime which ushered Bolsonaro's horrific reign.
Dilma Rousseff was even in South America's standards one of the most corrupt politicians we've yet seen, and was appropriately chucked out for being essentially bought and sold by Petrobras. That didn't need any help from the US.
US-Brazil relations have been excellent since 1995 and has been a strong ally since 2019. Clinton loved Cardoso. Bush 1 loved Cardoso. Bush 1 was annoyed by Lula, but Bush 2 loved him. Obama adored Lula. Trump loved Bolsonaro. Biden loves Lula.
No shortage of love for several decades, with appropriate ups and downs for an independent country with its more neutral international relations particularly as a BRICS member.
Your broadside against the democratically elected Dilma Rousseff and your rehearsal of those entirely specious right wing talking points could have come straight from a Bolsonaro, or a Temer, speech.
US-Brazil relations have been excellent since 1995….
U.S. government relationships with Brazilian governments were strong after the U.S, military dictatorship it helped to install in 1964. The U.S. political establishment was startled and affronted by the election of Lula in 2003, just as they were by the elections of democratic governments around the same time in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
You claim that Obama "adored Lula." Lula himself did not agree. Even the dependably servile to power Grauniad had to admit that….
You've gone in 3 paragraphs from "the undermining and destruction of democratic governments from Haiti to Brazil" …
… to "Lula himself did not agree" about liking Obama as much as Obama liked him. It just turns you into a trite schoolyard US-hate-reflex. Please.
Rousseff was part of the largest corruption case in South America. She stank. She went down for it. Lula himself was sent to jail for corruption, and after several years in jail his case was only quashed not because of lack of evidence but because the convicting court lacked the correct jurisdiction. There's whole books on it; not just the "Car Wash" scandal but also the corruption of office itself.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35810578
Don't ever try and make out that South American politicians are somehow more innocent than US politicians. They ain't. Even if they are left leaning.
Now you can check out which trade institution the US didn't essentially create, which have in total stabilised world trade to the direct benefit of New Zealand:
The entire political economy of world trade is predicated on US structural funding and presence.
In trying to bolster your charge against Dilma Roussef, you have not made a wise choice by quoting the notoriously biased British state media organ. Its coverage of Dilma Roussef was, and is, about as fair and ethical as its treatment of Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange.
Don't ever try and make out that South American politicians are somehow more innocent than US politicians. They ain't.
That is quite correct, in the case of the South American politicians that the US armed and diplomatically and militarily supported—Trujillo, Pinochet, Galtieri, and the democracy-hating lunatics in the Venezuelan extreme right.
Even if they are left leaning.
No, the left leaning politicians are all democratically elected. They got there because they were popular, unlike the monsters foisted on them by Washington.
The term for Rouseff's crimes are called "fiscal pedalling". The sources are numerous if you don't like the BBC. She was Chairwomen of Petrobras from 2003 to 2010. Some of those years at the same time as running Lula's office.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Dilma_Rousseff#:~:text=In%202011%20and%202014%2C%20Rousseff's,an%20example%20of%20fiscal%20pedaling.
Maybe you prefer The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/31/dilma-rousseff-impeachment-brazil-what-you-need-to-know
Or Al Jazeera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/9/6/rousseff-lula-charged-in-petrobras-corruption-probe
Or Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1BH00T/
Failing that read the books. There's multiple of them to go into the detail. Or the case notes themselves. Really not that hard.
And disabuse yourself of the idea that the left are less corrupt than the right. They just have better policies on average.
… if you don't like the BBC
It's not that I don't like the BBC. I loved Dad's Army and all those Dennis Potter dramas, and Pennies From Heaven, and The Glittering Prizes. The Beeb used to do some brilliant documentaries as well: an outstanding one I remember was Alan Yentob's thoughtful and exhilarating series on modern architecture.
The part of the BBC I don't like is their thoroughly discredited political wing. They bowed to Thatcher's demand in the 1980s to silence Sinn Fein spokespeople and have actors speaking their words instead. Their disgracefully biased coverage of the latest Israeli onslaught in Gaza is just the latest example of its craven submission to power. The great Tony Benn, one of the few British politicians with integrity, called them on their cowardice in 2009…
"The one that has propped up the UN and all its components institutions with massive funding and diplomatic support for 7 decades."
The one that will soon be rewarded for this massive funding investment, when the UN International Court of Justice delivers a grotesque judgement in favour of Israel continuing its genocidal war against the civilian population of Gaza.
The three headed hydra confabulation has no contingency fund to respond to emergency (climate change related) events
Auckland Super City – floods this year (what do comms do and when)?
Wellington Trains on too good a summers day?
What Cook Strait bridge (floods in the north could na get SI vegetables across the bridge)?
We’ve survived stuff because we do not plan to prevent …consequences of heavy trucks on roads, allow low bid bus contracts and wonder why we do not have enough bus drivers,
Western Auckland had been preparing for flooding for three decades and still got smashed: Project Twin Streams had stabilised and increased floodplain capacity but nowhere near enough. East Coast got smashed for nearly a year and would have been the case no matter what they'd done.
Then again it is already a known about how much there was to work on.
Link, after link, after link.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/05/23/aucklands-anti-flooding-plan-now-on-steroids/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/300891625/auckland-council-in-talks-on-moving-floodprone-roads-to-safer-ground
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-floods-tens-of-thousands-of-homes-across-auckland-prone-to-floods-water-and-wastewater-constraints-and-coastal-erosion/WI735MJYGVA6VBLQBPDO2YDVLI/
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/17-02-2023/why-do-we-still-build-homes-on-flood-plains
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/01/31/smarter-design-to-mitigate-auckland-floods.html
https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/media/je3potln/auckland-flood-response-review_january-27-29-2023.pdf
There sure is plenty to do in Auckland, agreed.
He will cite the winter under Joe Biden, as reason to isolate the US from global warming action, saying America is the land of exceptionalism.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/14/ferocious-us-winter-weather-could-see-low-temperature-records-set/
These sort of events you would think would change people's minds but it seems to do the opposite.
People turn inwards and don't work as a community to fix the problems but rather go I am OK Jack forget about the rest.
So that feeds into Authoritarianism.
U.S. carbon emissions shrank in 2023 for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, U.S. greenhouse gas pollution from energy and industrial activities fell by 1.9% despite the economy growing by about 2.4%. To put that into perspective: in 2023, the U.S. emitted as much carbon as it did in 1991, when the economy was about a quarter of its current size.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/good-news-bad-news-us-emissions-shrank-last-year-slowly-rcna132932
Had Biden got the support for his Build Back Better plan in the early years of this current administration, there would have been even more progress made on the climate front.
Blame Manchin for that
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4302952-five-times-joe-manchin-changed-climate-policy-senate/
I'm in the middle of a book on how far we have come in such a short space of time to address climate change. I'll do a review of its optimistic tone once I'm done but it's a useful corrective to the usual doom lop.
There's no what if's, Trump WILL win this year. Trump wont just win, he'll win the popular vote this time if Bidens on the ticket the democrats are going to be obliterated
Biden is lowest polling first term president in history.
Trump beats Biden with voters 30, independents, Latinos and Bidens lead with black voters is dissolving
Bidens age is one of the top 3 concerns of all voters.
Americans of all ethnicities and ages don't wanna fund Ukraine or Israel's military or pay for illegal immigrants and refugees while their services get cut in funding, they keep saying this and Democrats just cold heartedly screw over their voters
The economy is really bad for ordinary people and that's all that matters.
The dems are gonna lose all three houses.
Best President the Yanks never had was “Boynie” Sanders thanks to the DNC and collusion on the campaign trail in the Democratic primaries and Candidates like Mayor Pete and Elizabeth Warren with their staged withdrawals that helped elevate Joe from initial also ran.
AOC just qualifies by age to stand but the DNC would not go there! And Alexandria was badly shaken by Jan 6, narrowly escaping death in her office. Biden is a major impediment for the Democrats and voters.
Trump should be in a cell not the White House, and would only win by default.
" thanks to the DNC and collusion on the campaign trail in the Democratic primaries"
Laughable nonsense very similar to Trumps denialism that he lost the election. Other candidates withdraw from the primaries all the time, always about no money coming in. Winnowing down to last 2 or 3 is how its supposed to work
Warren pulled out because she lost in her home state – to Biden
Look at the votes cast in the primaries , which the DNC cant 'manipulate' LOL
Clinton 16.9 mill
Sanders 13.2 mill
But no doubt any evidence to the contrary to you is proof of the opposite conspiracy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2016_Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries
Unemployment is low and wage growth is strongest at the low end, thus less wage inequality. Inflation is going down, without a recession.
The GOP is using the term Bidenomics as a negative, leading many to presume a recession, high unemployment and inflation is getting worse – and yet none of that is true.
It's nearly a year to go until the election, and any polling is entirely based on a theoretical Trump vs a theoretical Biden as neither is their party's nominee yet.
It'd be wise to take those numbers with a large dose of salt.
Yes, Biden has some problems. Some of them related to perceptions around his age. Others around the average voters' feelings about the economy.
But people also said his primary campaign was doomed, and now he's president. A lot can happen in 10ish months.
Turnout is king–a huge non vote, FPP/skewed electoral Collage, and voter suppression/gerrymandering are three complicating factors in US Elections.
According to various polls on women's health, minimum wage rise, union & gay rights etc. MAGA supporters are in the minority now, but, they do tend to vote like Natzos and boomers here.
It is way too soon to pick. Trump could yet get an orange jumpsuit, or Joe Biden drop out etc.
Yes.
Turnout was high in 2020 – easier mail voting. Woman sometimes have issues with voting on a working day – family, work and queues. About half the states have the vote on a working day.
Gerrymandering allows the GOP to get a House majority on a minority of the vote.
Biden's burned off almost all support from young people, and indeed any older person with a conscience.
America is a country of immigrants, with the exception of the locals that were already there when the now established immigrants recently arrived. Americans aren't "paying for illegal immigrants" because the border is not an open free for all. This is a tired trope. No social security number = no medicaid, no welfare, and no federal benefits. So what exactly are Americans paying for with this mythical boogeyman? Visa-mandated labour goes through the appropriately regulated channels and is not illegal. Have you had your place at Harvard triaged for an illegal immigrant, or your application to investment via a hedge fund 86'd by a refugee family because of affirmative action? Come on…
There's still some hope he won't.
New poll shows Nikki Haley could beat Biden by more than Trump (msn.com)
And now this very weird reason – an ad hominem attack to which Trump might be especially susceptible.
Will Americans Vote for a Man Who Is Now Widely Reported to Exude a Rancid Odor?
I remember reading about the conservative tendency to be more easily disgusted – be strange if it came back to bite Trump.
I knew there was a certain 'stench' around Trump, but that is all too weird.
Remember that dread feeling you had in November 2016? Get ready to feel that way all over again this November…
Dread? Not really. Despite my feelings about Trump, I had a sense of relief that the US dodged having Hillary Clinton as President.
It was the classic choice between two evils. Or perhaps it was Demonstably Evil versus Insane Clown.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matt-taibbi/insane-clown-president/
Yep. There are some quality people in the US political scene, but apparently none of them mad or corrupt enough to be elected president.
https://youtu.be/H3zN4-n8ZWg?si=UtJ_MKIfhTpLxZW8
BTW Ad…here is the type of person you seem to be happy to align yourself with in the defense of NATO….but then again brutal illegal sanctions in service of Western interests never seem to bother the Liberal Imperialist class conscious….as it turns out, nothing much does.
Countries dropping dollar neutralizes US sanctions, complains neocon Marco Rubio
"China and Brazil signed an agreement to de-dollarize their trade and use local currencies. US politicians like neoconservative Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio are furious, because it means they can no longer destroy countries' economies with illegal unilateral sanctions"
Rubio is a truly repellent individual, as well as profoundly ignorant. Look at the contemptuous way he behaves when confronted by Jewish peace activists…