Author Archive

The death of Holden

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:01 am, February 18th, 2020 - 43 comments

Thousands of households across New Zealand heard the announcement of the complete death of the Holden marque this week, as the death of one of the greatest binaries and one of the most closely teased and contested brands of all: Holden versus Ford.

China: Guns, Germs, and Steel

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, February 14th, 2020 - 34 comments

The coronavirus outbreak that exploded three weeks ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has prompted the most severe Chinese government actions in three decades.

Will Bernie Sanders unseat Donald Trump?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:30 am, February 8th, 2020 - 52 comments

It will take a full renewal of democracy in the United States. So how does Bernie beat Trump?

The big State Media Merger?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, February 8th, 2020 - 27 comments

Looks like there’s a ways to go before New Zealand gets an integrated state-backed broadcaster. But the Government’s recent proposal is a big step in the right direction.

Mike Moore

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:30 am, February 3rd, 2020 - 104 comments

It’s not often you find New Zealanders who give every single breath they have to the left and do it with resounding and even global success. Such a person was Mike Moore.

Chinese New Year

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:26 am, January 27th, 2020 - 15 comments

With China’s New Year arriving, and a terrible flu virus struggling to be contained within it at the same time, it’s time to reflect again on China’s future and impact for New Zealand.

Royal Move

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, January 10th, 2020 - 28 comments

It’s great to hear Prince Harry and Meghan quitting as senior royals and going off on their own. Maybe others in the Royal Family should think of doing the same.

LBJ Redux

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:07 am, January 7th, 2020 - 36 comments

What if the American assassination of General Soleimani results in the complete withdrawal of US troops from the Middle East?

Goodbye 2019

Written By: advantage - Date published: 3:04 pm, January 1st, 2020 - 8 comments

Throughout the world 2019 was the worst year for the left since 1979. What will 2020 bring?

What if Trump wins again?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:30 am, December 29th, 2019 - 124 comments

We may as well prepare ourselves for Trump overperforming his popularity again and winning. We’ve had to deal with left’s retreat in most of the world in 2019. So let’s prepare and plot some likely accelerated changes in Trump’s second term.

The future of Capitalism

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:00 am, December 23rd, 2019 - 128 comments

2019 has been a remarkable year for those wanting social, economic, and environmental renewal. The level of protest remains high, the idealism as strong as ever, but the ferment is not generating progressive wins, is weakening democratic reflexiveness to challenge, and is weakening pan-national institutions. It’s not that easy to get on the shelves here, […]

What next after the White Island silence?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:22 am, December 15th, 2019 - 60 comments

At 2.11pm on Monday December 16, New Zealanders are being invited to hold a minute’s silence to respect those who have died in the White Island/Whakaari explosion. Once that’s over, it’s time to start turning to what might occur to prevent this kind of disaster happening again.

Is it better to deliver in Government or better to shine?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:00 am, December 14th, 2019 - 180 comments

Let’s frame this in leftie terms: can you get in, do grunty policy moves, and stay popular?

Bouganville and Brexit

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:19 am, December 12th, 2019 - 2 comments

The island of Bouganville has just had a vote towards independence from Papua New Guinea. The result has interesting similarities with the Brexit vote.

Can UK Labour do it?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, December 9th, 2019 - 164 comments

Very unlikely. From the polls taken in the UK few hours ago, the Conservatives are in for an historic fourth consecutive term in Parliament.

Whither Warren?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:40 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 20 comments

Is it too early to call negative odds on Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy?

Labour Conference

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:10 am, November 30th, 2019 - 97 comments

It’s a weird moment for the Labour Party at Conference this weekend.

Never Trump

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:06 am, November 23rd, 2019 - 46 comments

There is tremendous momentum within the Democratic Party right now with recent gains in Kentucky and Louisiana and Virginia. But in the battle to get rid of Trump they can still blow it.

Common-wealth Government

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:14 am, November 18th, 2019 - 16 comments

Advantage is testing an idea out. What will a common accountability framework for the government look like?

Maybe Nancy was right

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:43 am, November 10th, 2019 - 81 comments

There is a very good chance that the upcoming impeachment trial of
President Donald Trump will turn into one massive campaign launch –
one which significantly increases his chances of winning a second
term.

Dunedin’s Hillside Rail Workshop

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:00 am, November 4th, 2019 - 15 comments

Good news for Dunedin and the Country as the Government has announced a $20 million upgrade of the Hillside Rail Workshop.

Brittle cities

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:30 am, October 29th, 2019 - 10 comments

It is pretty hard to miss a variety of cities around the world going nuts for apparently minor offences.

The Government-Auckland relationship

Written By: advantage - Date published: 1:22 pm, October 25th, 2019 - 26 comments

The Sky City National Convention Centre fire brings the Government Auckland relationship to a very sharp edge. It was tense before. It’s worse now.

Dunedin’s Aaron Hawkins

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:37 am, October 13th, 2019 - 23 comments

Dunedin is going to be a very interesting test of politics and opportunity over this coming three years for this new mayor.

$7.5 billion surplus

Written By: advantage - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 8th, 2019 - 101 comments

The Government has announced a $7.5 billion dollar surplus. Is it time to start spending?

China independence day

Written By: advantage - Date published: 4:17 pm, October 1st, 2019 - 91 comments

October 1st is the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. They like to make it a big day, bigger than the United States’ July 4th. It’s called Golden Week because they all really holiday and reconnect across the country. They shop like lock forwards pack down. It’s massive. As the 70th event, it […]