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Cohen Testifies: LIVE

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, February 28th, 2019 - 106 comments

Live video coverage of Michael Cohen’s testimony to the House Oversight committee

GCSB head Hampton gazumped by Pompeo

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, February 22nd, 2019 - 18 comments

On Wednesday GCSB chief Andrew Hampton told a Select Committee there was absolutely “no pressure” publicly or privately on his decision to block Huawei. On Thursday US Secretary of State Pompeo publicly warned that “United States would not be able to partner with or share information with countries that adopt Huawei Technologies Co Ltd systems.” What a difference a day makes.

Bernie runs again

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, February 20th, 2019 - 250 comments

Bernie Sanders has announced he will seek the Democratic candidacy for the presidency and has described Trump as being a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy.

What China crisis?

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, February 18th, 2019 - 52 comments

Claims that New Zealand is at a crisis point in terms of its relationship with China appear to be somewhat overegged.

Walls and Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, February 16th, 2019 - 54 comments

It’s been a horror week for two leaders and a leader who will never be leader.

TRP casts a wary and weary eye over three political zombies whose time appears up.

And, oh, Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Spark vs Spooks

Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, February 13th, 2019 - 66 comments

Spark wants Huawei’s 5G technology because its the best and the cheapest. The GCSB spooks don’t want us to have it because 5Eyes and because the US has yanked their chain. The Prime Minister says no decision has been made – the media and the world think it is a goneburger. We should support New Zealand’s Spark, not US corporate interests.

The problems with America’s political system

Written By: - Date published: 3:12 pm, February 8th, 2019 - 21 comments

In a series of simple questions shows all that is wrong with the American political system.

Trump restarts Nuclear Arms race

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, February 8th, 2019 - 58 comments

Donald Trump has announced that the US will be withdrawing from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Russia has also given notice. Stand by as the nuclear arms race restarts.

Trump’s brilliant strategy to dismantle US dollar hegemony

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, February 3rd, 2019 - 56 comments

Polymath economist Professor Michael Hudson’s latest article is a geopolitical panoramic masterpiece, sparked by outrage at a series of concurrent events on January 31 which he predicts means that 2019 will be the “year of global fracture.” Definitely worth a read.      

Auckland’s yellow jacket protest

Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, February 3rd, 2019 - 24 comments

Some observations on yesterday’s yellow jacket protest in Auckland. Basically it was pretty mundane but continued vigilance is important.

The world cannot afford to have billionaires

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, January 30th, 2019 - 246 comments

American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that it is immoral to have a world that allows for billionaires. She may well be right.

I’m so tired of you America

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, January 28th, 2019 - 61 comments

Every day it’s getting harder to even wake up and hear of the latest outrage to political decency in the United States.

Trump’s Worst Day

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, January 26th, 2019 - 141 comments

The Trump shutdown is over, as the doofus President waves the white flag. And in Florida, his trusted advisor Roger Stone is led away in handcuffs to face charges of lying to the Mueller enquiry. Good times, people, good times!

Venezuela Coup

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, January 24th, 2019 - 280 comments

A coup attempt is underway in Venezuala. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó has declared himself interim President. There is no immediate response from President Nicholas Maduro, who appears to still retain the support of the military.

Enter Sandmann

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, January 21st, 2019 - 220 comments

The young racist who was filmed smugly grinning at a native American elder has put out a statement justifying his actions. Trump will be proud. Bigly proud.

The stoopid it burns …

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, January 21st, 2019 - 80 comments

Donald Trump has tweeted that he wants there to be more global warming.

D Day for US shutdown

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, January 20th, 2019 - 160 comments

Donald Trump is to make an announcement today concerning the shut down. And Buzzfeed has suggested that the Mueller Investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting that Trump instructed his lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.

Is Brexit A Signal Of Decline?

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, January 18th, 2019 - 103 comments

What if Brexit is not a threat to democracy as a system of government or a threat to liberal values? And what if it is an example of British democracy’s best modern exemplars to the world of institutionalised democracy and the rule of all under the law since universal franchise was first granted?

Peters to Pence on the Pacific – a return to colonialism?

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, January 14th, 2019 - 120 comments

Winston Peters went to Washington last December to see US VP Mike Pence and invited the US to engage more in the South-West Pacific without informing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Patrick Smellie described this apparent oversight as “deeply worrying.” Even more worrying is what Peters said when he was there.

President Peaches

Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, January 12th, 2019 - 150 comments

I’m moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches! Donald Trump has yet another bizarro, almost Freudian, moment as his threat to invoke a national emergency to fund his wall falls flat. Peaches, people! Not impeachment, peaches!!!

Emergency Wall

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, January 9th, 2019 - 28 comments

President Trump is preparing the ground to use the State of the Union address to declare that the Congress delaying funding of the wall on the Mexican-U.S. boundary is a national emergency.

The Bigliest shut down ever

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, January 9th, 2019 - 95 comments

Donald Trump in the longest presidential temper tantrum every is refusing to reopen the US Government unless Congress agree to funding his Mexican Border wall.

Elizabeth Warren and Foreign Policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, January 9th, 2019 - 17 comments

An analysis of recent public comments made by Elizabeth Warren and the possible implications for New Zealand of a Warren Presidency.

Political punditry in 2019

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, January 4th, 2019 - 79 comments

The media has recently reviewed its predictions from last year and made a few new ones.  How did it go?  And what is going to happen in the next 12 months?

The Race To Replace Trump has Started

Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, January 1st, 2019 - 112 comments

Elizabeth Warren has announced that she will be seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to be the 46th President of the USA. With the Republicans unsure about whether Trump will run again due to the difficulties of campaigning from Federal prison, the Presidential election should be a shoo in for the Dems. Warren is just the first; there will be many more candidates who will see this as the opportunity of a lifetime.

Go Democracy Go!

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, December 26th, 2018 - 68 comments

It’s going to be a strong year for democratic politics.

Random 2019 predictions …

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, December 22nd, 2018 - 114 comments

What will happen in 2019?

New Zealand First or America First?

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 pm, December 19th, 2018 - 37 comments

In Washington last week Winston Peters urged America to involve itself more in the Pacific, in a speech the Prime Minister was apparently unaware of. Referring to Africa, John Bolton outlined what that involvement would mean – American interests first and only. Dangerous with the neocons in charge of the playpen.

 

The SPOTY’s 2018

Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, December 15th, 2018 - 39 comments

Here’s your chance to vote in the Standard’s Politician of The Year awards. The SPOTY’s are recognised worldwide as the leading indicator of political success in NZ and have been awarded annually for over two hundred years.

Now it’s your turn to prick the Thorndon Bubble, dear reader. Who’s your Politician of the Year?

Trump’s smocking gun

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, December 14th, 2018 - 82 comments

This week in America former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen admitted electoral finance violations by using campaign money to pay off two hookers to stop them going public during the last election campaign with news about Trump’s infidelity.  And Russian national Maria Butina was convicted of conspiring to infiltrate the NRA.

A Right Shambles

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, December 13th, 2018 - 34 comments

With the UK Tories self imploding, the US President contemplating jail time, Angela Merkel moving on and the conservative parties on both sides of the Tasman looking increasingly irrelevant, what should the left do to fill the gap?

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