International

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On the death of Joan Didion

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, December 29th, 2021 - 5 comments

We need to remember Joan Didion, who died December 23rd, as perhaps the best defensive pessimist we’ve ever had. She nailed the feet of her times down to the floor to make sure it talked and wept all its pain out. It’s not enough to call Joan Didion just a pessimist, because she wrote hard […]

Can Labor Win Australia Back?

Written By: - Date published: 1:07 pm, December 21st, 2021 - 37 comments

Coming up surprising quickly in 2022 is the Australian federal election – and Labor has a good shot.

Assange extradition judgment overturned

Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, December 12th, 2021 - 29 comments

I should have known not to be hopeful. British justice is an oxymoron which makes a mockery of official references to our ‘like-minded countries’ in the Five Eyes. The decision by senior judges in the UK to overturn a previous court decision not to extradite Julian Assange to the US is an example of state persecution of a person with the courage to speak out against crimes of the state.

Anarchy in the UK

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, December 10th, 2021 - 25 comments

Boris Johnson is on the ropes.  Not because of the disastrous effects of Brexit which only passed because of some of the whoppers that he told, but because of a Christmas party held last year at 10 Downing Street at a time when the UK was under a strict lockdown.

The Freedom Bus is on the move *

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, December 9th, 2021 - 44 comments

But special entry conditions including being double vaccinated or having a recent clear Covid test apply.

The US withdraws from Afghanistan and the inevitable happened

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 pm, November 29th, 2021 - Comments Off on The US withdraws from Afghanistan and the inevitable happened

The withdrawal in August of US and allied troops from Afghanistan saw the return of the Taliban in control of that country. This sadly was always going to be the outcome once the US and its allies withdrew.

British identity and The Second World War

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 am, November 27th, 2021 - 1 comment

With regards to Johnson’s own leadership to date, his government’s apparent support of herd immunity as the response to COVID-19 in early 2020 had much more in common with Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policy in the 1930s than the Battle of Britain.

Glen Greenwald on why he covers what he does

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, November 24th, 2021 - 46 comments

“From the time I began writing, I focused on what was being under-covered, not echo what everyone was saying”

Mothers of the Revolution

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 pm, November 20th, 2021 - 41 comments

Saw an inspiring premiere of this NZ -made movie about the amazing women of Greenham Common at the Wellington Film Festival today. Their years-long protest led to the INF treaty, a major advance in nuclear safety, now abandoned. Well worth seeing – a timely reminder in light of today’s news about NATO moving nuclear missiles around Eastern European nations on Russia’s borders.

The Freedumb Protesters give protesting a bad name

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, November 10th, 2021 - 58 comments

As a principle the right to protest is important.  But the freedumb protesters making outlandish claims and at the same time plagarizing the language of progressive protest movements deserves to be called out.

New Zealand’s New Low Carbon Economy Stays Difficult

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, November 7th, 2021 - 36 comments

Southland Mayor Gary Tong has justified felling a forest to construct a coal mine by saying “[w]e all want to make a cleaner, greener planet, but we can’t do it in five minutes.”

Even China is struggling with Delta

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, November 3rd, 2021 - 8 comments

China, which has previously successfully suppressed the Covid virus, is struggling with a delta outbreak.  And questions are being asked if suppression is still viable.

COP26 is on

Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, November 1st, 2021 - 39 comments

The show is now on for Conference of Parties 26 (COP 26), where countries show each other how they will achieve the Paris Agreement climate goals. How will we do? Set in Glasgow, it will bring together negotiators from nearly every country on earth to assess progress, and to determine the scale of sacrifice we’re […]

Jacinda Ardern: Tear Down This Wall

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, October 17th, 2021 - 109 comments

In the coming months Fortress New Zealand will be dismantled.  What will take its place?

More Promises from Prime Minister Morrison

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, October 11th, 2021 - 14 comments

So, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is preparing for a November resumption of international air travel.

China and Real Estate Developers

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, October 10th, 2021 - 17 comments

Speaking of contagion, China is dealing with an outbreak of real estate market ebola.

Chevron v Donziger

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, October 9th, 2021 - 12 comments

Despite spending over two years on home detention Attorney Steven Donziger, who successfully sued Chevron for the environmental carnage caused by its activities in Ecuador, was sentenced to the maximum jail time for refusing to hand over devices containing confidential client information protected by attorney client privilege in a prosecution mounted by lawyers with Chevron links before a pro Oil industry Judge.

Goodbye Gladys

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 2nd, 2021 - 41 comments

Mike Hosking’s go to female Politician Gladys Berejiklian has resigned in disgrace after the Independent Commission against Corruption announced a formal inquiry into her involvement in preferential grants given to organisations in her former boyfriend’s seat from which it is alleged he attempted to receive a commission.

China, Australia, and Coal Energy

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, October 1st, 2021 - 31 comments

China, which previously banned coal imports from Australia, is running out of coal.  Will Australia uses the resumption of coal supply as a diplomatic play?

Highway to the Danger Zone

Written By: - Date published: 12:51 pm, September 29th, 2021 - 25 comments

I never thought I would see the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of the United States military essentially being a witness against the previous President of the United States. Yet here we are.

Germany Votes: Where To Now

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 26th, 2021 - 22 comments

Germany is up for Federal election tomorrow and it’s pretty important for the stability of the European Union.

The Golden Ticket

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 24th, 2021 - 110 comments

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern claimed yesterday that a very high vaccination rate in New Zealand would represent a “golden ticket” and make level 4 lockdowns redundant. What could that mean that’s positive for New Zealand?

CPTPP V Nuclear Submarines

Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, September 19th, 2021 - 41 comments

In a piece of incredible timing, on the same day as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom announced their defence technology procurement pact and pissed off ally and competitor alike, China formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Porgressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

No Nukes!

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 17th, 2021 - 148 comments

Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have publicly announced they have formed a new security grouping that will assist Australia in the construction of nuclear powered submarines.

Trump’s not so bad: the nuclear holocaust edition

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, September 15th, 2021 - 52 comments

An occasional series

Terrorist attack – Law changes may not have helped deal

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, September 7th, 2021 - 15 comments

A proposed urgent change in the law concerning preparing to commit a terrorist attack may not have stopped the New Lynn attack from happening.

The Top 20 Biggest U.S. Military Interventions, Best to Worst

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 31st, 2021 - 76 comments

With the last flights coming out of Kabul, it’s time to review whether this US attitude to the world is a good idea.

Ardern Needs to do More Than Manage Crisis

Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, August 25th, 2021 - 24 comments

For a country that has sought to form advantage for itself with strong and hard COVID-19 lockdowns, we’re not gaining any more advantage than yet another binge-purge cycle of supply tension and shortages, rapid economic downturn softened by tens of billions of subsidy, followed by unsustainable booms, over and over again.

The mysterious socialist hermit kingdom

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, August 25th, 2021 - 111 comments

Various commentators including Nigel Farage have claimed that New Zealand’s Covid elimination strategy is a failure.  Our death rate and the possibility that we can again return to a normality that other nations can only aspire to suggests they are wrong.

China reports zero local symptomatic Covid-19 cases for first time in weeks

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, August 24th, 2021 - 55 comments

You probably won’t see this in our local media, as our pundits today debate whether it is time to ditch our elimination strategy and Australia gives up on it. China is also well ahead on ensuring its vast population is vaccinated as well.

The Covid vaccine may not be the nirvana

Written By: - Date published: 12:47 pm, August 21st, 2021 - 151 comments

Claims that a comprehensive vaccination scheme will allow life to get back to normal ignores the experience of Israel, which despite having a large proportion of its population vaccinated is having a surge of new infections of Covid that is stretching its health system.