Finally, Cuba.

Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, December 18th, 2014 - 145 comments
Categories: International, us politics - Tags: ,

I was born in June 1959. In October the following year, the United States put an embargo against Cuba, and it has remained in place ever since. The main reason appears to have been for purely US domestic reasons. Certainly there doesn’t appear to have been any real reasons for the embargo for many decades. Furthermore…

The UN General Assembly has, since 1992, passed a resolution every year condemning the ongoing impact of the embargo and declaring it to be in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.[2]

Today it appears as if President Obama in the USA is intending to lift the substantive parts of the embargo. From the Huffington Post

Officials said Wednesday that talks will begin to normalize full U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations, according to the AP. The U.S. also will aim to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months.

“We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries,” Obama said Wednesday, noting he’s instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to begin the discussions to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Obama said he instructed Kerry to conduct a review of Cuba’s designation as state sponsor of terror. He also said the U.S. is “taking steps to increase travel, commerce and the flow of information to and from Cuba,” noting the changes will make it easier for Americans to travel there.

“Neither the American nor Cuban people are well-served by a rigid policy that took place before most of us were born,” Obama said, describing the steps being taken to improve relations as the beginning of a “new chapter.”

It will be a problem getting through determined opposition in congress. There are many people in congress who have built political capital based on opposition to Cuba.

145 comments on “Finally, Cuba. ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    18 December 2014 at 7:48 am

    Now that’s some good news. Yay!

  2. karol 2
    18 December 2014 at 7:54 am

    I agree the end of the embargo against Cuba is welcome news.

    I tuned in to Al Jazeera this morning in the middle of Obama’s speech on it. I had to turn off because it was too much dubious spin. No doubt it was necessary to try to win over the Republicans. But it was all about the US being the beacon of free speech and democratic rights – the rights to unions, etc.

  3. Murray Simmonds 3
    18 December 2014 at 7:54 am

    My guess is that this will be all about opening up access to Cuba by the American and European multinationals who want to get in there and make a buck.

    By ” . . . an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests . . .” Obama of course means the interests of the big multinational corporations.

    • Ovid 3.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:00 am

      Jeeze, that really is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t proposition. Maintain the embargo and the US is pandering to Florida’s Cuban community. Normalise relations and Obama is a corporate puppet. Can’t they be doing it because, for once, common sense has prevailed?

      • locus 3.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 9:32 am

        ovid.. i like the history behind your tag. btw there’s a great sweet wine you can buy in Constanta called ‘tears of ovid’ 🙂

  4. Tiger Mountain 4
    18 December 2014 at 8:19 am

    The Cubans have demonstrated great solidarity with people all over the world in practical ways and provided leadership that has been adapted to various Latin American countries.

    ‘Normal’ relations are of course necessary on standard grounds of travel, technology and trade etc. But hopefully the Cubans don’t get swamped by the consumerist advance guard of gadgets and social undermining in the guise of ‘democracy’.

    Oh well, Fidel will at least likely see the yanks pull their heads in a bit in his lifetime. Viva Cuba.

    • Gosman 4.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:11 am

      The examples from former communist countries suggests that once the Cubans start to experience what they have been missing for a number of years they will want more of it and will likely demand an end to the privations forced upon them by a failed ideology.

      • mikesh 4.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 9:15 am

        One tends to suspect that any disadvantages experienced by the Cubans were due more to the US embargo than to “failed ideology”.

        • vto 4.1.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 9:18 am

          Good luck with that line. Some simply refuse to think about whether that was a factor. Those of an ideological fanatical bent

          • Gosman 4.1.1.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 9:46 am

            Give me an example of how the embargo impeded Cuban economic development in a way that couldn’t be worked around then. Surely that isn’t too difficult to show.

            • felix 4.1.1.1.1.1
              18 December 2014 at 10:02 am

              Gosman just wants someone to say trading with the US would have been helpful.

              Then he’ll extrapolate that as some sort of admission that ALL trade under ALL conditions is ALWAYS helpful to EVERYONE.

              Then he’ll accuse anyone who responds of reversing a position they’ve never held.

              So here we go. Being able to sell their products to their nearest and richest neighbour would have been helpful.

              You can take it from there on your own, Gosman.

              • Gosman …
                18 December 2014 at 10:22 am

                If we are to believe the views of someone like DracoTBastard (By the way where is Draco?) it is more beneficial for an economy to be isolated and economically self sufficient than being open to trade and investment with other nations. Many leftists seems to share similar views to this from what I can tell.

                [lprent: Even commenters get to other things on the odd occasion. Authors and mods certainly do. I know that I’m rushed off my feet trying to get stuff done before year end ]

                • felix …
                  18 December 2014 at 1:51 pm

                  And there you go, as predicted.

                  1) You’re drawing a false dichotomy between either total embargo or totally unregulated corporate heaven.

                  2) For bonus points, you’re trying to ascribe a view you think you remember reading somewhere to whoever you’re talking to now.

                  Gosman, I get it. You’re of the opinion that totally unregulated markets are always the answer to everything, and anyone who disagrees is a communist.

                  But why would anyone bother arguing with such an absurd, abstract, unrealistic, ideological brainfart?

                  • Gosman …
                    18 December 2014 at 2:19 pm

                    You’re mistaken if you think I am arguing for total free trade, (which would be virtually impossible to ensure). However Freer trade is usually more desirable than less free trade.

                    What many left wingers have argued now and in the past (and Draco is but one proponent) is that nations do better when their economies are protected from the effects of foreign investment and trade. I believe Draco has stated on numerous occassions the solution to our problems is to make most of the stuff here that we currently get from overseas including Operating Systems for Computers as well as the Computers themselves. A number of people agree with this concept including (in the past at least) the Communist leadership in Cuba.

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:28 pm

                      So go and fucking argue with Draco you moron.

                      Everything in my comment above stands.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:40 pm

                      I’m quite happy making my point in this thread thank you very much.

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:44 pm

                      Then go ahead and make one.

                      So far all you’ve done is lie about what other people are saying.

                    • left for deadshark …
                      18 December 2014 at 5:45 pm

                      Gosman
                      No such thing as free trade,until their is free movement of labour.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      18 December 2014 at 11:48 pm

                      1. I’ve never argued for complete eradication of trade
                      2. Cuba used to do a hell of a lot of trading with the USSR – until it collapsed at which point the Cuban economy also collapsed. This is a danger of being trade dependent as the GFC just proved on a global scale yet again
                      3. Producing and using stuff here will always be cheaper in real terms than importing it due to the added costs of transportation
                      4. Researching and producing what we use here helps develop our society rather than leaving us as a bunch of ignorant yokels
                      5. I have said that foreign ownership needs to be banned outright because becoming serfs to foreign owners is bad for our society

                    • Gosman …
                      19 December 2014 at 8:25 am

                      That is exactly what I stated your position was. Thanks for confirming it. The question is do you think Cuba will benefit from trading with the US or should it attempt to make most of the goods it could receive from them in Cuba?

      • felix 4.1.2
        18 December 2014 at 9:19 am

        “privations forced upon them by a failed ideology.”

        That’s no way to speak about your global corporate masters.

      • locus 4.1.3
        18 December 2014 at 10:07 am

        hmm… i figure you’re tr0lling so that you can have a sneer at all the the things that went wrong under commun1sm, but i understand your need given the massive failings of the capitalist ideology just acrosss the water.

        The ‘failed’ ideology in cuba gave us some great cigars, an iconic leader, free health care and good education for all cubans, self-sufficiency in a consumerist world, fantastic street musicians, a place of inspiration for poets and writers, and a society where kindness and friendliness to strangers are still seen as a virtue.

        Yes – loss of free speech ultimately the main problem with a one-party dictatorship – but widespread poverty is largely the result of the US embargo for more than 50 years, and the resulting ‘do anything to make a living’ has led to social ills like prostitution and increased crime.

        I sincerely hope this change doesn’t open the doors to unbridled capitalism and US exploitation

        • Gosman 4.1.3.1
          18 December 2014 at 11:07 am

          The Cigars were something Cuba was known for prior to Castro taking power.

          The iconic leader was brutal and anti-democratic.

          Free health care has massive downsides of low pay and shortages of medicines.

          Good education has not led to good jobs or a dynamic economy.

          Self-sufficiency has not stopped many Cubans desiring the consumerist items you bemoan.

          Street Musicians and poets and writers have restrictions on what they wish to perform and Cuba does not seem to have more or less in this area than say Ireland which doesn’t have a brutal totalitarian communist dictatorship.

          They may well be kind and friendly to strangers but they also have neighbourhood committees that report on any counter-revolutionary behaviour of citizens.

          Loss of free speech is the least of the problems with a one party dictatorship. Being locked up for having views contrary to the party is much worse.

          As I have pointed out Cuba has had plenty of opportunity to trade with the rest of the world. Indeed that is what they did for 30 odd years until the fall of the Soviet Union.

          Prostitution and increased crime is more the result of the distortions imposed on the Cuban economy by their Marxist ideology rather than any embargo.

          • locus 4.1.3.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 11:42 am

            If you comment on capitalist countries with similar constraints to those faced by cuba over the past 50 years I would be interested

            After Haiti suffered under pap doc (right wing dictator) they ‘benefited’ from US ‘largesse’. Where are they now?

            • Richard McGrath 4.1.3.1.1.1
              23 December 2014 at 10:18 am

              Haiti are in the ‘repressed’ category in the Heritage Foundation’s index of economic freedom rankings, along with Cuba. No freedom – no prosperity.

  5. Macro 5
    18 December 2014 at 8:37 am

    The US and the rest of the world for that matter has a great deal to learn from Cuba, because Cuba represents the future that awaits us all. Cuba is the way forward if this world is to survive beyond the demise of cheap fossil fuel. Cuba has had virtually none since the embargo began – and survived. It survived by throwing away the majority of Capitalist doctrine, strengthening the Commons and by collective action in the face of oppression from a bully US. Today its public health service is amongst the best in the world – far better than for the average citizen in the States for instance – and free. Cuba’s carbon footprint is one of the lowest in the world but ranks a little below NZ on the UN scale for High Human Development and well ahead of Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Cuba has life expectancy and infant mortality rates almost identical with the US which has the highest GHG emissions per capita in the world.

    • Tracey 5.1
      18 December 2014 at 8:42 am

      This is not a loaded question but do they have unfettered freedom of speech?

      • Huginn 5.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 11:50 pm

        No, Cubans do not enjoy free speech; not by any stretch of the imagination. Neither do they enjoy freedom of movement, even within Cuba.

        There’s a lot of good to be said about Cuba. High literacy; cheap, good quality health care – even within the limits of externally imposed economic constraints.

        There’s also a lot that isn’t working, eg housing, that comes down to an incredibly restrictive take on communism.

        I don’t think these are easily separated. It’s possible to greatly admire and utterly despise the Cuban govt at the same time, for the same reasons.

    • Gosman 5.2
      18 December 2014 at 9:07 am

      Cuba has enjoyed the oil largesse of first the Soviet Union and now Venezuela so you are seriously mistaken in your assertion that it has survived with had virtually none.

      • locus 5.2.1
        18 December 2014 at 10:18 am

        where have you been for the past 2o years Gosman?

        Not much in the way of support from the USSR since 1989 and as for Venezuela’s “largesse” to Cuba, you’re sadly mistaken, it’s been a 2-way street:

        “Hugo Chávez described Castro as his mentor. The bilateral relations that developed between Venezuela and Cuba after Chavez (1999) includes development aid, joint business ventures, large financial transactions, exchange of energy resources and information technology, and cooperation in the fields of intelligence service and military.”
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba%E2%80%93Venezuela_relations

        • Gosman 5.2.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 11:10 am

          Ummm… nowhere did I state that Cuba did not provide something in return for the oil. Whether it was a market price or not is debatable however what is clear is the Cuban economy has not done without oil as suggested by Macro.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 5.3
      18 December 2014 at 9:35 am

      Must be those power blackouts. There are some good things in Cuba, but a lot of bad things as well, which are swept under the carpet.

  6. Tracey 6
    18 December 2014 at 8:39 am

    How many terrorist acts have been linked back to Cuba?

    I guess they only embargo one nation at a time and it is Russia’s turn.

  7. Gosman 7
    18 December 2014 at 9:03 am

    Very good to see. Hopefully this will lead to a situation where the Cuban people are given the space to replace the system that has impeded their economic development for the past 50 years.

    • vto 7.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:07 am

      ha ha

      do you not think the US embargo has impeded their economic development?

      and whats the view like down there in that sand hole?

      classic

      • Gosman 7.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 9:09 am

        Please explain how the embargo has impeded Cuba’s long term economic development.

        • vto 7.1.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 9:11 am

          ha ha more classic gosman styles

          • Paul 7.1.1.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 9:12 am

            Ignore him.

          • Gosman 7.1.1.1.2
            18 December 2014 at 9:16 am

            So you can’t then?

            Unless you think having an open trading arrangement and access to US capital provides economic advantages. In which case you must then support the concept of the TPPA if not the actual substance.

            • vto 7.1.1.1.2.1
              18 December 2014 at 9:21 am

              yawn gosman.

              your debating techniques are entirely transparent and childish. Long recognised as unworthy.

              • Colonial Rawshark …
                18 December 2014 at 9:24 am

                This is Gosman’s way of saying: if you don’t like being economically strangled, you must therefore like being economically shot. At least, you must like it in concept.

                • Gosman …
                  18 December 2014 at 9:31 am

                  I find it hilarious that many hard core left wingers spend an awful lot of their time trying to stop free trade and investment agreements yet then bang on about the negative impacts of not having them on countries they believe represent something approaching their leftist ideals.

                  • vto …
                    18 December 2014 at 9:37 am

                    I find it hilarious how small the window is that right wing fanatics look out at the world through..

                  • Psycho Milt …
                    18 December 2014 at 10:14 am

                    Please look up an explanation of the logical fallacy “False Dichotomy,” then consider how it may apply to your rhetorical alternatives of economic embargo or complete absence of controls on trade.

                  • locus …
                    18 December 2014 at 10:23 am

                    ‘free’-trade Gosman? you must be joking

                    there’s no level playing field when it comes to negotiating trade deals with the US

                  • McFlock …
                    18 December 2014 at 12:57 pm

                    You’re a fucking liar, gosman.

                    Who here has been banging on about the lack of a free trade deal between Cuba and the US? Nobody.

                    I initially thought that maybe you had a particular interest in commenting so much on this thread, but then I realised that school holidays start around now.

                    Fuck off to some school holiday programme, dipshit.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 1:26 pm

                      Where have I lied?

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 1:54 pm

                      Just above, where you said that left-wingers have been banging on about the negative impacts of not having a free-trade deal between Cuba and the U.S.

                      Liar.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:04 pm

                      Do you not agree that certain people from the left are arguing that the US should free up trade with Cuba?

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:31 pm

                      Show me where someone in this thread argued for a “free trade and investment agreement” between the U.S and Cuba.

                      And put the goalposts back where you found them, liar.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:48 pm

                      I never stated they were. However getting an embargo lifted is essentially an agreement for freer trade. It is like being designated a Most-favoured-nation status by another country. All it means is there are less restrictions on business dealings between two countries. People arguing for a lifting of the embargo on Cuba are wanting business dealings between the two nations to be conducted in a freer manner than they are now. You can couch this in any way you like but the fundamental principles are the same.

                    • vto …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:48 pm

                      gosman, as stated earlier your debating styles are disingenuous, simplistic and distortionate. And as felix points out you keep moving the goalposts.

                      To the point though – You are trying to say that any trade between peoples is somehow comparable to current neoliberal “free trade” agreements. That is just complete and utter shite.

                      Grow up.

                    • McFlock …
                      18 December 2014 at 2:48 pm

                      Do you not agree that certain people from the left are arguing that the US should free up trade with Cuba?

                      That’s not the same thing as “many hard core left wingers spend an awful lot of their time trying to stop free trade and investment agreements yet then bang on about the negative impacts of not having them”, is it, you lying fuck?

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:08 pm

                      I’d argue (and in fact have been) that it is essentially the same thing. What many people on the left are arguing is that Cuba should be able to trade with the US on the same level as other nations. They want the US to remove trading restrictions placed upon them. This is no different to NZ negotiating removing restrictions on NZ Goods in other nations – the sort of Free Trade agreements you deem to be neo-liberal and I just call Free Trade Agreements.

                    • vto …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:12 pm

                      Nope not at all. Nothing like it.

                      By your logic you would call someone trading with the local dairy the same thing as a neoliberal “free trade” agreement.

                      Sheesh

                    • McFlock …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:16 pm

                      Don’t be a moron.

                      Cuba losing its status as, for example, the ONLY nation on Earth embargoed by the US under the Trading with the Enemy Act is nothing like requesting a free trade agreement.

                      Anybody stupid enough to genuinely believe the two are equivalent would be incapable of writing a coherent sentence. You are obviously capable of writing a coherent (even if blatantly and egregiously untrue) sentence, therefore a reasonable conclusion to draw is that you, gosman, are either a fucking liar or a lying fuck.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:16 pm

                      Only if it involved nation to nation trading vto. Does your example of someone trading with the local Dairy involve nation to nation trading?

                    • vto …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:23 pm

                      Bullshite gosman.

                      Your argument is that any trading between nations is like a neoliberal “free trade” agreement in principle. Same principle applies to any trading between any entities.

                      So all trading of mankind since day dot is just like a “free trade” agreement in principle.

                      Ffs man, that is out there ……….

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:30 pm

                      I reject the concept of neo-liberal free trade agreements and in fact I don’t even think it is an official term used by proponents of them. They may well be a prejorative term for Free trade agreements by people on the left but as with the concept of ‘Trickle-Down economics’ it is a misnomer.

                    • McFlock …
                      18 December 2014 at 3:36 pm

                      Gosman:
                      Delete the term “neoliberal” then.
                      You are aware that a free trade agreement between nations is an agreement to mutually remove all tariffs and quantity restrictions on trade in the items outlined in the agreement?

                      As opposed to allowing trade, but with maybe import duties and restrictions on what products may be imported?

                      As opposed to the current US trade embargo against Cuba, where all trade is outlawed and even US tourism to Cuba is technically illegal?

                      You cannot be so stupid to have genuinely confused any of those three things.

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 4:08 pm

                      Of course he’s not.

                      But he’s stupid enough to think that anyone reading might fall for the deception as he lies his way through the thread.

                    • vto …
                      18 December 2014 at 4:09 pm

                      Well there we have it folks – trade according to gosman.

                      Anyone who indulges in trade with others tacitly supports “free trade” agreements.

                      Only on planet gosman

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 4:14 pm

                      But vto, he’s assured us that’s totally not what he means, in between saying exactly that and exactly that again…

                    • vto …
                      18 December 2014 at 4:23 pm

                      ha ha yep exactly. No wonder people lose their cool with him ….

                      …. it is like dealing with the EQC officers here in Chch – they will stand with you on the grass outside your smashed home and tell that the grass is not green….

                    • Gosman …
                      18 December 2014 at 4:49 pm

                      All Trade with Cuba is not outlawed. There are exceptions to the ban on goods services.

                      A free trade agreement is not necessarily an agreement for both sides to make concessions. If a country is very open already then they might not do anything different. The agreement then is just one side lowering barriers to trade and maybe a disputes resolution process.

                    • felix …
                      18 December 2014 at 5:19 pm

                      And anyone who bothers with you will only find that in a couple of hours you’ll be denying you ever said that too.

                      Just a pinhead dancing on a pinhead to cover up his dishonesty.

                    • McFlock …
                      18 December 2014 at 5:33 pm

                      All Trade with Cuba is not outlawed. There are exceptions to the ban on goods services.

                      Oh, fuck off. That’s like saying that a 100-year non-parole period isn’t a life sentence.

                      You know damned well the list of exceptions is so small as to be practically invisible – and does not include allowing the purchase of Cuban goods. Strictly one-way.

                      There’s a reason they have fuck-all trade with the world’s largest economy that’s also one of their closest neighbours. I repeat: the only country on Earth embargoed by the US under its trading with the enemy act.

                      Removing that situation is nothing like calling for a free trade agreement, and you fucking know it.

      • Gosman 7.1.2
        18 December 2014 at 9:09 am

        Please explain how the embargo has impeded Cuba’s long term economic development.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 7.1.2.1
          18 December 2014 at 9:32 am

          Shut off trade with US, eg sugar and even cigars

          • Gosman 7.1.2.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 9:52 am

            I believe the Cubans sell these to other nations instead.

            • McFlock 7.1.2.1.1.1
              18 December 2014 at 10:43 pm

              Did you just discard the concept of supply and demand, as well as argue that the embargo was without impact and therefore purpose, to suit your argument of the moment?

              You really are a stupid dickhead. Even a moron would be a better liar than you.

    • Murray Rawshark 7.2
      18 December 2014 at 10:33 pm

      The Cuban people have no desire to change the system of the US and A. Stop spreading your Cold War garbage.

  8. esoteric pineapples 8
    18 December 2014 at 9:08 am

    I like something I read a while ago (to paraphrase) – the Cubans only have to look at Haiti to see what they are missing

  9. les 9
    18 December 2014 at 9:13 am

    ‘take me to the April sun in Cuba’…Dragon a blast from the past.

  10. Paul 10
    18 December 2014 at 9:17 am

    A truly great international country.

    Cuban medical internationalism

    Cuban medical internationalism is the Cuban programme, since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, of sending Cuban medical personnel overseas, particularly to Latin America, Africa and, more recently, Oceania and of bringing medical students and patients to Cuba. In 2007, “Cuba has 42,000 workers in international collaborations in 103 different countries, of whom more than 30,000 are health personnel, including no fewer than 19,000 physicians.”Cuba provides more medical personnel to the developing world than all the G8 countries combined,although this comparison does not take into account G8 development aid spent on developing world healthcare. The Cuban missions have had substantial positive local impact on the populations served.

    Following the 2004 Asian tsunami, Cuba sent medical assistance to Banda Aceh and Sri Lanka.] In response to Hurricane Katrina, Cuba prepared to send 1500 doctors to the New Orleans; the offer was refused. Several months later the mission was dispatched to Pakistan following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake there. Ultimately Cuba sent “more than 2,500 disaster response experts, surgeons, family doctors, and other health personnel”, who stayed through the winter for more than 6 months. Cuba is helping with the medical crisis in Haiti due to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. All 152 Cuban medical and educational personnel in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince at the time of the earthquake were reported to be safe, with two suffering minor injuries. In 2014, Cuba sent 103 nurses and 62 doctors to help fight the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, the biggest contribution of health care staff by any single country.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_medical_internationalism

    • Gosman 10.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:41 am

      This article provides a balanced assessment of the Cuban health system

      http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/201265115527622647.html

      • The Murphey 10.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 9:55 am

        Q. Why are you so interested in this thread?

        Q. Do you believe that UK/US/Qatar (Aljazerra) is a trustworthy source of ‘news’?

        Q. What do you believe the Cubans have missed out on given the epidemic of inequality ravaging the globe as a result of the corporate capitalism which is destroying the earth and its inhabitants?

        • Gosman 10.1.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 9:58 am

          Because Cuba is a prime example of the dangers of left wing economic thought.

          They are as balanced, if not more, than the sources of news you likely use.

          If you think there is no inequality in Cuba you are seriously mistaken. You just need to see the difference between those earning convertible Pesos or US Dollars versus the rest to see that.

          • The Murphey 10.1.1.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 10:09 am

            Q1. That is no a response to the question. Your rationale is incorrectly placed not to mention laced with bias and lurching towards ‘thought police’ status

            Q2. Further bias confirmation and inability to provide reasoned response to the question. What you managed to accomplish was assumptions and deflection using the tactics which would be beneath the level found in a sandpit

            Q3. Continuing with the deflection this time using a confused line around currency exchanges

            Q.Are you taken seriously as a real boy on this site?

          • locus 10.1.1.1.2
            18 December 2014 at 10:26 am

            ah.. no explanation from Gosman as to why Cuba has miracuously punched above its weight in many ways despite absolute isolation from capitalist nations

            • Paul 10.1.1.1.2.1
              18 December 2014 at 10:44 am

              Of course not, and it’s clear he’s unprepared to find out or look at the issue without his neoliberal glasses on.
              So sad to see someone so blinkered.

            • Gosman 10.1.1.1.2.2
              18 December 2014 at 11:13 am

              Economically it certainly hasn’t punched above it’s weight.

              • locus …
                18 December 2014 at 11:25 am

                no – ‘economically’ you’re right, but it has different priorities – like 99% literacy

                • Gosman …
                  18 December 2014 at 11:44 am

                  Thus providing other nations well educated immigrants when they leave Cuba for a better life.

                  • locus …
                    18 December 2014 at 11:57 am

                    just like the Philippines ay – 4 million of them have left from their USA sponsored capitalist society to get a better life elsewhere – 78,000 left last year

        • wtl 10.1.1.2
          18 December 2014 at 12:21 pm

          Q. Why are you so interested in this thread?

          Gosman occasionally goes crazy on certain threads and ends up posting ~50% of hundreds of comments (some hobbit ones come to mind). I no longer bother reading any of his comments – its not worth the time or effort. I recommend you do the same.

      • miravox 10.1.2
        18 December 2014 at 10:33 am

        “This article provides a balanced assessment of the Cuban health system”

        It is a view, I’ll grant you that, and therefor valid, if not necessarily accurate (although it may be).

        How about checking like for like with, say, an ex-pat view of the Philippines health system

        http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/expathealth/9195995/Expat-guide-to-the-Philippines-health-care.html

        So infant mortality and life expectancy, the usual measures of national health are better in underdeveloped, isolated Cuba than in underdeveloped, globally integrated Philippines. I also know through personal connections that a Philippines family must provide in-hospital non-acute nursing care and be able to pay for surgery, that the vaccination schedule is variable, nor are mammograms (as per the Al Jazeera article) routine.

      • Paul 10.1.3
        18 December 2014 at 10:42 am

        Obviously given your prejudices in favour of neoliberal capitalism, you are too narrow minded to look at Cuba’s amazing health achievements.
        They make your US friends’ healthcare look miserable by comparison, despite the fact that the US is a wealthier country.
        Which country cares more for the health of all of its people?

        • Gosman 10.1.3.1
          18 December 2014 at 11:40 am

          The Cuban advances in health care and education were certainly impressive in the first few decades after the revolution. But as the economy has stagnated and declined as a result of their failed Marxist economic policies so too has the health and education systems.

          “And now health services and education are becoming harder to access and getting worse. Secondary-school enrolment is below its 1989 peak. There is a surfeit of humanities graduates and a shortage of agronomists and engineers. Although infant mortality has continued to fall, maternal mortality has risen. Many drugs are in short supply. Hospital patients sometimes have to bring their own sheets. There are reports of doctors starting to demand payment. On a weekday morning in a village in the inappropriately named municipality of La Salud (“health”), south of the capital, this correspondent came across an elderly woman who had hurt her arm and was whimpering with pain, having found no doctors in attendance at two health clinics.”

          http://www.economist.com/node/21550421

          • felix 10.1.3.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 8:14 pm

            Gee, imagine how much better they could have sustained those health advances if they weren’t locked out of the enormous market on their doorstop for purely stupid ideological reasons for fucking decades.

            🙄

  11. nadis 11
    18 December 2014 at 9:34 am

    This is a long overdue move and shows one of the positives of a two term limit on the presidency. If Obama was trying to get re-elected I’d be surprised if this initiative would happen.

    And at least we might see an end to all those poor desperate refugees rafting from Florida to Cuba in search of a better life. And luckily Cuba was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council – after all there are very few countries that have as proud a record as Cuba when it comes to standing up for individual human rights, promoting free speech, giving the right to free assembly, and allowing free movement of its’ citizens.

    http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/cuba

    • Gosman 11.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:45 am

      Of course that restriction on freedom is fine because they are protecting the workers paradise from the lies and machinations of the evil Capitalist’s.

    • les 11.2
      18 December 2014 at 9:54 am

      ‘rafting from Florida to Cuba in search of a better life’?

      • locus 11.2.2
        18 December 2014 at 10:39 am

        ah yes… the wonderful US of A where there was much more opportunity to earn a buck and not have to fund an egalitarian society /sarc

        but hey, most of the cubans who migrated to Miami in large numbers since 1950 had middle-class backgrounds with the financial resources to ease their assimilation and setting up of businesses – happlily accepted by the US who could portray them as exiles from a dastardly communist regime

        • nadis 11.2.2.1
          18 December 2014 at 10:53 am

          Don’t let facts or your irrational anti-US bias get in the way of a good rant. Can you provide a reference? I thought Cuba was a classless society, so interested to hear it actually has a middle class. Last time I looked it had two classes, the ruling elite and everybody else.

          • locus 11.2.2.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 11:11 am

            fair enough, I should have given my source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_migration_to_Miami

            you got me wrong…. i’m not biased against the USA, just making the point that the cuban middle class that were living well in the 50’s when Castro came to power and realised that they might have to sacrifice their comfortable lifestyles in the new communist regime – so the US was a potentially profitable and welcoming place to move to, given their money and eduacation

            • Gosman 11.2.2.1.1.1
              18 December 2014 at 11:23 am

              The Mariel Boat lift was in 1980. This was over 20 years after the Revolution. What class were the majority of the 125,000 who left Cuba at this time then?

  12. saveNZ 12
    18 December 2014 at 9:42 am

    Cuba has amazing health care. Due to the embargo’s they were forced to go into preventative care. Worked wonders. Just having healthy food, fantastic nurses and doctors – their health outcomes beat the US. If you want to avoid bad Health Outcomes just look at US and do the opposite. US spend more per person on Health and have poor outcomes. Just shows you how being enemy no 1 and isolated from Globalist Capitalism actually has benefited the average Cuban.

    Saying that good on Obama for trying to get rid of their embargo. I think the US could do the world a favor by having a good look at themselves. Far from being the pinnacle of hope and prosperity they have worsened the outcomes to the average American. Absolute Greed has not helped them. From Police Brutality especially against Black people, the completely useless ‘War on Terror’ that has multiplied the problem, the corporations that actually control the government policy through Lobbyists, the homelessness, lack of affordable Health care and so forth.

    If Obama wants to get out of the White House with any sort of integrity he needs to stop looking outside the US and look to clean up his own country, stop the spin doctors, lobbyists and Attack Politics and actually clean up the Corruption that is drowning the US. He campaigned on improving Health care in the US, but seems to have found it difficult to get the job done due to the enormous amounts of obstacles in his way – a bit like how signing the TPP will turn out to NZ. You are not in control of your own country anymore.

  13. James Thrace 13
    18 December 2014 at 9:43 am

    John Oliver is responsible for this. The man is a traitor to the USA!

    /sarc

    Seriously though, since Oliver pulled up an old clip of Obama talking about the lack of need for an embargo against Cuba and why it should be lifted, it was only a matter of time before it was lifted.

    Especially since North Korea was removed some time ago from the list of anti friendly countries against USA.

    • Gosman 13.1
      18 December 2014 at 9:49 am

      The recently announced change in US-Cuban relations does not effect the embargo. To end that will require the support of Congress, which is likely to prove difficult to get.

      North Korea does not have diplomatic relations with the US so this is more than they have.

  14. Gosman 14
    18 December 2014 at 10:02 am

    This article gives a good background to this issue and the economic reasons behind the changes. Interestingly it was written in April of this year. Makes you wonder if they knew something was afoot.

    http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21600117-would-be-especially-good-time-change-americas-relations-cuba-if-not-now

    • locus 14.1
      18 December 2014 at 10:56 am

      Interesting commentary in the Economist… but no arguments provided as to how much ordinary cubans might benefit most from the removal of trade restrictions…. and the introduction of capitalist freedoms

      i’ve seen this in Romania and other ex-communist countries I’ve worked in – lots more stuff in the shops but most people don’t have jobs or if they do, are not earning enough to buy what is now being desirably displayed

      • Gosman 14.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 11:18 am

        As opposed to Cuba where there is usually nothing in the shops so noone can get stuff even if they had the money to pay for them. Of course there is always the ‘black’ market.

        • locus 14.1.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 11:22 am

          been to Romania have you Gos… spokenn to the locals? many think they had it better in the old days – apart from Ceaucescu

          • Gosman 14.1.1.1.1
            18 December 2014 at 11:32 am

            Your argument falls apart with your final sentence. However before that it is also seriously flawed as I could equally argue that many East Germans hanker after the ‘good old days’ of East Germany. They are not in a majority though. If the majority of Romanians wanted to return to the past then they would vote to reimplement the system. The fact they haven’t suggests the many Romanians you mention are similar to the many East Germans with a hankering for Socialism.

            • locus 14.1.1.1.1.1
              18 December 2014 at 11:50 am

              Romania has a multitiude of problems arising from their experience under a communist dictatorship, and many more from their current experinece under capitalism

              btw – Romanians are pretty disenchanted with their democracy … turnout in their last parliamentary election was 42%

              • Gosman …
                18 December 2014 at 11:57 am

                There is nothing stopping someone forming a party advocating a return to the social and economic policies of the past though.

                • locus …
                  18 December 2014 at 12:36 pm

                  Romania has adopted the neolib ideology of ‘small government’ , has a flat tax rate of 16% for personal income and corporate profits, and a programme of privatisation. Lots of hype but no improvement to ordinary Romanians’ way of life, increased corruption and political apathy.

                  So my referencing Romania in this thread is because I’m more than a little skeptical of cheerleaders for ‘freeing’ trade with the USA, as I suspect neoliberal ideology will be exported to cuba along with the many other ‘desirable’ US consumer goods.

            • locus 14.1.1.1.1.2
              18 December 2014 at 11:51 am

              Romania has a multitiude of problems arising from their experience under a communist dictatorship, and many more from their current experinece under capitalism

              btw – Romanians are pretty disenchanted with their current form of democracy … turnout in their last parliamentary election was 42%

    • Ad 14.2
      18 December 2014 at 4:49 pm

      The United States and Cuba make really interesting comparative studies because they are so extreme and can be tracked side by side for over 50 years.

      Both have strong central states in terms of military spending.

      Both very interventionist – (Cuba during the Soviet era).

      Situated just a few kms from each other.

      And yet look at their different societal results in terms of:
      – literacy
      – freedom of the media, and degree of media scrutiny of public affairs
      – public health statistics
      – income deprivation, and income disparity
      – poverty levels
      – right to judicial due process
      – freedom of religion
      – income and wealth mobility over time
      – physical mobility access, including public transport, cars, trains, buses, planes etc

      Sure, the comparisons are entirely fair, but I would have thought 50+ years is enough for some tracking data.

      Meantime, I recommend you get there via Toronto or Chile before all those old Havana Spanish facades get converted into Gucci, Dior, Prada, and Luis Vuitton, just as has been done recently to Auckland’s Queen Street.

      Cuba still has parts that are like New Zealand was prior to 1984, except with better music, dancing, and its own cool approach to being alive.

      • Gosman 14.2.1
        18 December 2014 at 4:56 pm

        Did you not read the links I provided on Cuba? The country has as much inequality by some measures as much the rest of South America and the much vaunted education and health successes are very much fading.

        • Ad 14.2.1.1
          18 December 2014 at 5:01 pm

          Yes thanks I did.
          That is precisely my point.
          Neither are shining examples of successful systems, and they have gone bad in different areas for different reasons.

  15. kiwigunner 15
    18 December 2014 at 10:48 am

    I spent five day in Cuba earlier this year travelling around from Havana with a tourist guide. I have to say that I had hoped to see a socialist success story, not in the sense of possessions and services but in terms of lifestyle and happiness and contentment. I was sadly mistaken. Short of a tobacco farmer who had a govt contract and seemed happy enough (though his home was third world and tree rat was on the menu) every single person we met wanted to move to the USA and were prepared to work their way through an expensive and lenghty application process to do so. I’m not commenting on the reasons behind all this but corruption was always mentioned. Food was quite scarce and the shops largely empty. The building works – lots of renovations of important buildings stopped half way through lack of funds. Petrol wasnt a problem but it was all leaded and with the old car fleet it was a dodgy thing travelling in their open coconut cabs behind a 1950’s ford whatever. In short it seemed to me the people wanted Cuba open again, and that it needed it. Sadly though, the history of Cuba before the isolation is filled with the worst of USA – drugs, the mafia, etc . Out of the frying pan…

    • locus 15.1
      18 December 2014 at 11:02 am

      i’m not sure that the communist dictatorship in cuba, rabidly opposed and constrained by the USA, should be likened to a socialist state like Austria or the Scandinavian countries for example

      • Gosman 15.1.1
        18 December 2014 at 11:16 am

        Especially considering the Austrian or Scandinavian countries are a long way from being Socialist. They still believe and support private property and free enterprise. These are all things that the Cuban Communists have either banned or actively discouraged by varying degrees over the past 50 years. Only recently have they started liberalising in any significant sustained manner.

  16. Gosman 16
    18 December 2014 at 11:26 am

    This article highlights the fact that Cuba is not some egalitarian paradise as suggested by some

    http://www.economist.com/node/21550421

    “The Gini coefficient of income inequality (where 0 represents complete equality and 1 complete inequality) rose from 0.24 in the late 1980s to 0.41 a decade later, according to research quoted in Espacio Laical, a magazine published by Cuba’s Catholic church. A confidential later study is said to have put the figure at 0.5, similar to the Latin American average of 0.53 in the mid-2000s.”

    This is higher than the levels of inequality in NZ.

    • Tiger Mountain 16.1
      18 December 2014 at 12:51 pm

      Well Gosman, how are the rellies in Paraguay? what a pathetic display you have put on today as per usual.

      “The Spirit Level” uses a UN human development and sustainability measure also and ranks Cuba very well in some respects. What is with “confidential” later study? Good luck to Cubans I say and may they become a society with certain consumer gadgets but retain socialist principles and internationalism.

    • ma rohemo 16.2
      18 December 2014 at 6:03 pm

      I knew a guy who was working for US companies in Cuba before the revolution.

      From his accounts a large majority of the country have done better than they would have if they had remained “working for the Yankee dollar”.

  17. McFlock 17
    18 December 2014 at 1:02 pm

    Good news about the relaxed embargo.

    And I must also say that regard for this pope continues to be growing for me. I’m still not into the magic book thing, but he seems to be following the vibe on the bumper sticker pretty well.

  18. mickysavage 18
    18 December 2014 at 2:58 pm

    This from twitter …

    “It’s a tough decision to normalize relations with a country whose police force routinely murders civilians, but Cuba made the right choice.”

  19. Sable 19
    18 December 2014 at 4:34 pm

    Yeah the US administration starts to look like a bunch of bigots and bullshit merchants when China gives Fidel Castro the Confucius Award for peace. I suspect they may also be afraid that Cuba will start to look at other nations to do business with, maybe join BRICS, shock horror!!!

  20. georgecom 20
    20 December 2014 at 10:06 pm

    Here is my take on the Cuba-US situation.

    Anyone who denies the impact of the US embargo on the Cuban economy is not being honest. Any one who tries to dress it up in terms of freedom or liberty, likewise not being honest. The embargo may have made sense up until the end of the 1980s. It was the product of the cold war and 2 superpowers. Cuba received economic patronage from the USSR and in turn provided the USSR with political bragging rights under the noses of the US. Since the demise of the USSR the embargo has been a fairly nasty bullying act from the US with its nose out of joint, intent on punishing Cuba for its impetuosity to challenge the US hegemony in what it has long considered its personal playground – Latin American politics. The embargo has cost the Cuban economy.

    And Cuba did build a pretty impressive health and education network from the 1960s to the 1980s. In the first few years following the Cuban revolution there was significant improvement in the living conditions for many Cubans. Since the end of Soviet largesse Cuba has done well in hanging onto what it has of its health and education system.

    I say done well because the economy is pretty sick. The US embargo has exacerbated this, the soviet style state socialism put in place the structural weaknesses that could not be overcome following the end of Soviet support. Trade with the USSR allowed the inefficient model of socialism to function, more of less, despite inefficiencies and mismanagement. Loss of that trade exposed the state socialism model to the realities of its contradictions without soviet money and expertise to paper over the cracks. Whilst building a very good health and education system during the 1960s-80s, basic infrastructure such as housing, water and sewerage did not seem to have been maintained. The loss of soviet assistance has seen a continual deterioration of infrastructure.

    The condition of state socialism is why Raul Castro has sponsored a series of economic reforms since 2008 . Amongst the problems are low productivity, workplace theft and lack of financial incentives. There is a cafe in Havana (one where I has perhaps the worst meal in my adult life) that lends out books and magazines. The operations of the cafe were controlled by one section of Havana government, the operations of the lending out of the books and magazine, another arm of local government. Castro put in place the mechanisms to transfer the running of many small state enterprises to worker collective. The particular cafe would be a good candidate.

    The recent Cuba-US announcement is not some instant panacea to the internal problems of the Cuban economy nor and end to US vindictiveness displayed in the embargo. Its a start of more work that needs to happen.

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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
    Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
    Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
    Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
    Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
    Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
    In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Are Computers Made?
    A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
    Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
    Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
    Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
    Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
    Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
    Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
    In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
    A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    “You talking about me?”  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • A crisis of ambition
    Roger Partridge  writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
    Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • The worth of it all
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
    Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
    The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago

  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    4 days ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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