I’m so tired of you America
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- Date published:
12:04 pm, January 28th, 2019 - 61 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, Donald Trump, International, Politics, us politics -
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With Rufus Wainwright coming to town in early March, here’s a song about the politics of the United States that’s a decade old, but has weathered well into the age of Trump:
You can decide if you prefer the orchestrated George Michael version.
It’s not that hard most mornings to get struck by a sense that our little country is one of the last of the functioning democracies. Plenty of damage done here. Plenty good done here better than much of the world. It’s OK to say that.
It’s getting harder to even wake up and hear of the latest outrage to political decency in the United States. Many would prefer to have their existing prejudices about the United States government perpetually reinforced; that it never did any good, that its actions in the world are never intended for good, that it always damages the world. Plenty including Hardt and Negri, Chomsky, and Greenwald, can take you there if you want.
Wearingly, we’ve got several years of Trump’s politics whether he stays or goes. His presence, his actions and the court cases to come loom so powerful that U.S. politics and media discourse about politics will be irrevocably darkened. It’s not a side-show; it’s his necessary task to liquefy public life and public accountability in order to sustain his share within the global 1% and the interests of all others within that 1%.
Wainwright is singing of codes within such practices for weaponising evangelical Christianity through racism, homophobia, and misogyny as America does now so efficiently. Beyond specific politicians, this song speaks to a particular disgusted weariness.
Wainwright’s video pitches his plight from a concrete cell.
George Michael goes full operatic, amplifying the symbols into loudspeakers.
The words roll melancholic down either way:
I may just never see you again or might as well
You took advantage of a world that loved you well
I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down
I’m so tired of you America.”
Sometimes songs say it better than the theory.
I’m so tired of you America.
61 comments on “I’m so tired of you America ”
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New marine protection areas and restrictions on fishing are among a raft of changes being put in place to protect the Hauraki Gulf for future generations. The new strategy, Revitalising the Gulf – Government action on the Sea Change Plan, released today, draws on input from mana whenua, local communities, ...3 hours ago - Speech to AI Forum – Autonomous Weapons SystemsAI Forum New Zealand, Auckland Good evening and thank you so much for joining me this evening. I’d like to start with a thank you to the AI Forum Executive for getting this event off the ground and for all their work and support to date. The prospect of autonomous ...14 hours ago
- New Zealand boosts support to Fiji for COVID-19 impactAotearoa New Zealand is providing additional support to Fiji to mitigate the effects of the current COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable households, Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Recognising the increasingly challenging situation in Fiji, Aotearoa will provide an additional package of assistance to support the Government of Fiji and ...20 hours ago
- Round 2 of successful energy education fund now open$1.65 million available in Support for Energy Education in Communities funding round two Insights from SEEC to inform future energy hardship programmes Community organisations that can deliver energy education to households in need are being invited to apply for the second funding round of the Support for Energy Education in ...21 hours ago
- New Ngarimu scholarships to target vocational trainingAssociate Education Minister Kelvin Davis today announced three new scholarships for students in vocational education and training (VET) are to be added to the suite of prestigious Ngarimu scholarships. “VET learners have less access to study support than university students and this is a way to tautoko their learning dreams ...21 hours ago
- Recognising the volunteers who support our health systemNominations have opened today for the 2021 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards, as part of National Volunteer Week. “We know that New Zealanders donate at least 159 million hours of volunteer labour every year,” Minister of Health Andrew Little said in launching this year’s awards in Wellington. “These people play ...1 day ago
- Drug Free Sport supported to deal with new doping challengesDrug Free Sport New Zealand will receive a funding boost to respond to some of the emerging doping challenges across international sport. The additional $4.3 million over three years comes from the Sport Recovery Fund announced last year. It will help DFSNZ improve athletes’ understanding of the risks of doping, ...1 day ago
- Government support for South Auckland community hit by tornadoThe Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to support Auckland communities impacted by the Papatoetoe tornado, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. “My heart goes out to the family and friends who have lost a loved one, and to those who have been injured. I ...2 days ago
- Celebrating World Refugee DayWorld Refugee Day today is an opportunity to celebrate the proud record New Zealanders have supporting and protecting refugees and acknowledge the contribution these new New Zealanders make to our country, the Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi said. “World Refugee Day is also a chance to think about the journey ...2 days ago
- Face to face meeting delivers significant progress on NZ-UK FTANew Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’ve held constructive and productive discussions towards the conclusion of a high-quality and comprehensive FTA that will support sustainable and inclusive trade, and ...3 days ago
- Government taking action to protect albatrossNew population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross showing a 5 percent decline per year highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Dr Ayesha Verrall says. The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross ...4 days ago
- Adoption laws under reviewNew Zealand’s 66-year-old adoption laws are being reviewed, with public engagement beginning today. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government is seeking views on options for change to our adoption laws and system. “The Adoption Act has remained largely the same since 1955. We need our adoption laws to reflect ...4 days ago
- Wider roll-out of cameras on boats to support sustainability and protect marine lifeUp to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels will be fitted with on-board cameras by 2024 as part of the Government’s commitment to protect the natural marine environment for future generations. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker today announced the funding is now in place for the wider roll out ...5 days ago
- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announcedNew Zealanders over 60 will be offered a vaccination from July 28 and those over 55 from August 11, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The rollout of the vaccine to the general population will be done in age groups as is the approach commonly used overseas, with those over ...5 days ago
- New Zealand introduces Belarus travel bansNew Zealand has imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime, following ongoing concerns about election fraud and human rights abuses after the 2020 Belarus elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The ban covers more than fifty individuals, including the President and key members of ...5 days ago
- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...5 days ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...5 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to lift on TuesdayFollowing a further public health assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria has been extended to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues ...5 days ago
- Prime Minister mourns passing of Dr Sir Ian HassallPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is mourning the passing of Dr Sir Ian Hassall, New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner and lifelong champion for children and children’s health. As a paediatrician Sir Ian contributed to a major world-first cot death study that has been directly credited with reducing cot deaths in New ...6 days ago
- APEC structural reform meeting a successAPEC ministers have agreed working together will be crucial to ensure economies recover from the impact of COVID-19. Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, chaired the virtual APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting today which revolved around the overarching theme of promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth ...6 days ago
- Digital hub to boost investment in forestryA new website has been launched at Fieldays to support the forestry sector find the information it needs to plant, grow and manage trees, and to encourage investment across the wider industry. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says the new Canopy website is tailored for farmers, iwi and other forestry interests, ...6 days ago
- Government continues support for rangatahi to get into employment, education and trainingOver 230 rangatahi are set to benefit from further funding through four new He Poutama Rangatahi programmes, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “We’re continuing to secure our economic recovery from COVID by investing in opportunities for rangatahi to get into meaningful employment, education or training ...6 days ago
- NCEA subjects up for consultationThe education sector, students, their parents, whānau and communities are invited to share their thoughts on a list of proposed NCEA subjects released today, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. This is a significant part of the Government’s NCEA Change Programme that commenced in 2020 and will be largely implemented by ...6 days ago
- Major investment in plantain forage programme aims to improve freshwater qualityThe Government is backing a major programme investigating plantain’s potential to help farmers protect waterways and improve freshwater quality, Acting Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri announced at Fieldays today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund is contributing $8.98 million to the $22.23 million seven-year programme, which aims to deliver ...6 days ago
- America’s Cup decisionThe Minister responsible for the America’s Cup has confirmed the joint Crown-Auckland Council offer to host the next regatta has been declined by the Board of Team New Zealand. “The exclusive period of negotiation between the Crown, Auckland Council, and Team New Zealand ends tomorrow, 17 June,” said Stuart Nash. ...6 days ago
- Food and fibres sector making significant strides towards New Zealand’s economic recoveryThe Government is backing the food and fibres sector to lead New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19 with targeted investments as part of its Fit for a Better World roadmap, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash said. “To drive New Zealand’s recovery, we launched the Fit for a Better World – Accelerating ...6 days ago
- Speech to He Whenua Taurikura – New Zealand’s annual hui on countering terrorism and violent...Check against delivery Can I begin by acknowledging the 51 shuhada, their families and the Muslim community. It is because of the atrocious violent act that was done to them which has led ultimately to this, the start of a dialogue and a conversation about how we as a nation ...7 days ago
- Cost of Government Southern Response proactive package releasedThe Government has announced the proactive package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million if all those eligible apply. In December, the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, David Clark announced a proactive package for SRES claimants who settled their claims before October 2014. It trailed the judgment ...7 days ago
- First period products delivered to schoolsThe first period products funded as part of the Government’s nationwide rollout are being delivered to schools and kura this week, as part of wider efforts to combat child poverty, help increase school attendance, and make a positive impact on children’s wellbeing. “We know that nearly 95,000 9-to-18 year olds ...7 days ago
- New support to reduce emissions from public building and construction projectsGovernment agencies are getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects. The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development say a new Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, ...7 days ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s first Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Prime Minister has opened New Zealand’s first hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which is being held in Christchurch over the next two days. The hui delivers on one of the recommendations from the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain ...1 week ago
- Speech to inaugural Countering Terrorism HuiE aku nui, e aku rahi, Te whaka-kanohi mai o rātou mā, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau whakapono, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau aroha, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, nāu rā te reo pohiri. Tena tātou katoa. Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e ...1 week ago
- Campaign shines a light on elder abuseA new campaign is shining a spotlight on elder abuse, and urging people to protect older New Zealanders. Launched on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office for Seniors’ campaign encourages friends, whānau and neighbours to look for the signs of abuse, which is often hidden in plain sight. “Research suggests ...1 week ago
- Farewelling sports administrator and philanthropist Sir Eion EdgarSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today expressed his sorrow at the passing of Sir Eion Edgar – a leading sports administrator and celebrated philanthropist who has made a significant impact both within and beyond the sport sector. “Sir Eion’s energy, drive and generosity has been truly immense. He leaves ...1 week ago
- Government to apologise for Dawn RaidsThe Government will make a formal apology for the wrongs committed during the Dawn Raids of the 1970’s. Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families. The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers ...1 week ago
- Humanitarian support for Bangladesh and MyanmarForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand is providing NZ $8.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and their host populations in Bangladesh and to support humanitarian need of internally displaced and conflict affected people in Myanmar. “Nearly four years after 900,000 Rohingya crossed the border ...1 week ago
- Poroporoaki: Dame Georgina Kamiria KirbyE Te Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Tuhi Mareikura, Te Kākākura Pokai kua riro i a matou. He toka tū moana ākinga ā tai, ākinga ā hau, ākinga ā ngaru tūātea. Haere atu rā ki te mūrau a te tini, ki te wenerau a te mano. E tae koe ki ngā rire ...1 week ago
- Feedback sought on future of housing and urban developmentNew Zealanders are encouraged to have their say on a long-term vision for housing and urban development to guide future work, the Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. Consultation starts today on a Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which will support the long-term direction of Aotearoa ...1 week ago
- Clean car package to drive down emissionsNew rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles start July 1 with up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used. Electric vehicle chargers now available every 75km along most state highways to give Kiwis confidence. Low Emission Transport Fund will have nearly four times the funding by 2023 ...1 week ago
- Progress towards simpler process for changing sex on birth certificatesThe Government is taking the next step to support transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, by progressing the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti announced today. “This Government understands that self-identification is a significant issue for transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, and ...1 week ago
- Our Mothers Deserve Better!
...21 mins ago - Hauraki Gulf Bottom Trawling Restrictions A Win, Now Let’s Go FurtherGreenpeace is welcoming the Government’s Sea Change plan, announced this morning, which details how the depleted Hauraki Gulf will be brought back from the brink. Jessica Desmond, ocean campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, says she’s pleased to ...31 mins ago
- Bringing out the real flavours of South Auckland, one food enterprise at a time
An innovative business accelerator programme is not only helping people get a foothold in the hospitality industry but, as Justin Latif reports, it’s also changing the way South Aucklanders think about their local cuisine. When it comes to food in South Auckland, greasy corner-store takeaways or brazen fast-food franchises might spring ...33 mins ago - A Positive Change For Tīkapa Moana, The Hauraki GulfWWF-New Zealand is thrilled to finally see the Government take action to revitalize the Gulf – based on Tai Timu Tai Pari/Sea Change - the Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan. We appreciate the hard work put in to get this across the line because there ...1 hour ago
- Medics arrive in Fiji to help with covid – $10m support from NZ
RNZ Pacific The New Zealand government is ramping up its support to Fiji, which is in the grips of a covid-19 pandemic crisis. Another 126 new cases of the virus were reported in the Pacific nation today. The New Zealand government is now allocating up to $10 million towards Fiji’s ...1 hour ago - West Papua unhappy over never-ending MSG membership tragediesANALYSIS: By Yamin Kogoya in Brisbane When I ring home to West Papua, my village people often ask me about the rumours that they have heard, of an upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting. They ask, “When is the MSG meeting?” and if West Papua will be accepted as a ...1 hour ago
- Fiji family mourns death of mechanic killed in NZ tornadoRNZ Pacific A Fiji family is mourning the loss of their son after he was killed in the devastating tornado that hit South Auckland on Saturday. Mechanic Janesh Prasad was working at a freight hub when the tornado swept him up and he struck a container. Prasad was carrying out ...1 hour ago
- 166 more covid cases in Fiji as community spread ‘broadens’By Lice Movono, RNZ Pacific correspondent in Suva Fiji’s covid-19 cases continue to escalate as medical authorities have recorded another record breaking 166 new people now infected with covid-19 and a death at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in the capital Suva. The Fiji government has stopped providing information ...1 hour ago
- https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2106/S00166/.htm...2 hours ago
- West Papua closes national mourning for Pastor Nafuki – prays for MSGBy Benny Mawel in Jayapura The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has held national mourning ceremonies at the weekend for the death of Vanuatu independence campaigner Father Allen Nafuki and prayed for the Papuan people to be accepted as full members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The ...2 hours ago
- Journalists are not going to stop tweeting. But should media outlets exert more control over their p...By Rodney Tiffen, University of Sydney “Not a great week for journalism at the ABC”, News Corp’s Sharri Markson tweeted earlier this month, when the week was barely a day old. It is hard to remember the last time a News Corp columnist declared it was a great week for ...2 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The case for and against the “They Are Us” film2 hours ago
- Volunteers: Red Cross’ Most Important And Unique AssetThis National Volunteer Week, 20 to 26 June, New Zealand Red Cross joins the whole of Aotearoa in celebrating the contribution of volunteers to make the country a better place for everyone. As an organisation that is driven by a network of more than 11,000 ...2 hours ago
- Kidz Need Dadz Working To Support New FathersIt's an exciting time in life becoming a new dad. But it can also be a daunting one, with the family dynamic changing forever. But what is well known is that from early pregnancy through to the first parenting months, an involved father can support ...3 hours ago
- New Poll Shows 63% Of Kiwis Oppose Auckland’s Cycle BridgeExclusive polling commissioned by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union shows that nearly two-thirds of Kiwis ‘oppose’ or ‘strongly oppose’ the Government’s planned $685 million cycle and pedestrian bridge for Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour. ...3 hours ago
- Greenpeace Congratulates New All Blacks Team, Renews Call To Dump INEOS Oil Industry SponsorGreenpeace is congratulating the new All Blacks team named last night, and renewing its call on NZ Rugby to ‘keep oil off the All Blacks’. Last week Greenpeace called on NZ Rugby to dump its pending sponsorship deal with the notorious UK petrochemical ...3 hours ago
- Emily Writes: I tried to review a book about sleepAfter five weeks she’s still on the third page.This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.The book is called Sleep Easy. Its cover is a night sky with a moon that says “The Six-Week Sleep Programme Backed By Science”.I love science.Bernice Tuffery the author says she took charge of her ...3 hours ago
- Dust from exploding stars is raining down on Earth. I hunt it to learn how the elements were madeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominik Koll, Dual PhD Candidate, Australian National University Dominik Koll, Author provided It is all around us. Every day in our lives we are in contact with it. In fact, we are made from it: ancient stardust. All the ...3 hours ago
- Our research shows COVID has made Australians more conservative and care less about othersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Anne Lee, Professor in Marketing, Founding Director of the Centre for Human and Cultural Values, and Director of Research at the UWA Business School, The University of Western Australia James Gourley/AAP The COVID-19 pandemic has already changed so many ...3 hours ago
- Media reports about vaccine hesitancy could contribute to the problemSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heather Green, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University Alongside logistical and supply issues, vaccine hesitancy has been a notable hurdle in Australia’s troubled vaccine rollout. The news the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) now recommends Pfizer over AstraZeneca ...3 hours ago
- A controversial US book is feeding climate denial in Australia. Its central claim is true, yet irrel...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Science, Griffith University Ben Rushton/AAP My heart sank last week to see conservative Australian commentator Alan Jones championing a contentious book about climate science which has gained traction in the United States. BenBella ...3 hours ago
- The government linked the cost of university teaching to funding and student fees, but the numbers d...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith A Houghton, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University Shutterstock Our newly published research on the costs of university study fails to support estimates used by the Australian government to justify its Job-Ready Graduates Package. The legislated policy directly linked funding ...3 hours ago
- Wallets on wheels: city visitors who use e-scooters more spend moreSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abraham Leung, Transport Academic Partnership (TAP) and Transport Innovation and Research Hub (TIRH), Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University Shared e-scooters are becoming common across Australia and in major cities around the world. Initial safety concerns about e-scooters left some ...3 hours ago
- Sanctions against Myanmar’s junta have been tried before. Can they work this time?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Htwe Htwe Thein, Associate professor, Curtin University STRINGER/EPA Myanmar’s democracy movement wants the international community to get tough on the military junta. But if history is any indicator, that’s not going to happen. Western nations have responded with suspending arms ...3 hours ago
- Unearthing Falerii Novi’s secrets in the hot Italian summer: an archaeologist reports from the digSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emlyn Dodd, Assistant Director of Archaeology, British School at Rome; Honorary Postdoctoral Fellow, Macquarie University; Research Affiliate, Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens, Macquarie University Shutterstock Located about 50 kilometres north of Rome, the ancient city of Falerii Novi lies buried ...3 hours ago
- Live updates, June 22: Melbourne travel restrictions lift, but travellers warned to stay alertWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 22, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.50am: Melbourne travel restrictions lift, but warning for travellers still in placeQuarantine-free travel with the Australian state of Victoria will resume from 11.59pm tonight, almost a month after ...4 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Despite more money, mental health facilities still in crisisGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Mental health facilities still in crisis, government expert warns of years of Covid restrictions, and ACC biased against women and ethnic minorities.Often when discussing mental health services, a very broad brush can be taken. So to start discussing the crisis in ...4 hours ago
- DoC’s Mackenzie project dubbed a ‘disaster’
A $2.6 million Mackenzie Basin project abandoned its business case, lacked oversight, and achieved little. David Williams reports A drive for greater protection in the fragile South Island high country turned into a “complete disaster”, according to a review ordered by Department of Conservation senior managers. The external review report, ...6 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 22 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...6 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Tuesday 22 June
...6 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 22 June
...6 hours ago - Sorry, grim reaper. New Zealand First is alive and kickingWinston Peters is up for the fight. A new president is ready to go. If NZ First can avoid the mire of the culture war and deliver a positive message, there’s life in the party yet, writes Josh Van Veen, a NZ First supporter and former parliamentary researcher to Winston ...7 hours ago
- Wellington city councillors need to ask themselves: who are you really serving?The consultation process for Wellington’s spatial plan has been captured by nimbys, argues Neale Jones of the campaign group A City for People. Will the council this week have the courage to put people’s lives ahead of the look of their houses?This week Wellington city councillors will vote on the ...7 hours ago
- TV chef: The secret to selling to the world's biggest market
Norma Chu says Chinese Gen Z shoppers are driving consumer trends, and what they’re after might be exactly what New Zealand businesses can offer. Covid-19 has made Chinese consumers more health-conscious than ever before, and the country’s youth are driving a trend towards sustainable and environmentally-conscious brands, says an online ...7 hours ago - A dream of Putaruru
Richard Von Sturmer completes his trilogy of evocations of Waikato towns The first thing I see on my approach to Putaruru is the town’s sign, a large circular sawblade imprinted with the blue waters of the nearby Waihou River. In my dictionary of Māori place names Putaruru means “the home ...7 hours ago - Chicken and egg problem of EVs
Economists identify market failures behind the low uptake of electric vehicles by starting with the problem rather than simply imposing a solution, says Eric Crampton ...7 hours ago - Betrayal and perfidy: From Ancient Rome to the USSR
Critic's Chair: Guy Somerset revels in the betrayals and counter-betrayals of Domina, the latest drama on ancient Rome - and in the great lies revealed in a series of documentaries on the Soviet Union Scholars of the Roman Empire, by which I mean those of us who have watched the BBC’s ...7 hours ago - From the Social Welfare to the Social Insurance state
The Budget's signalled move towards an unemployment insurance scheme could open opportunities to expand the principles of the ACC scheme to even more of the welfare system, Peter Davis argues An intriguing suggestion in the Budget was the proposal to explore moving to an ACC-style unemployment scheme which would be ...7 hours ago - Internet censorship provisions to be scrapped
The Government has halted enactment of online filter that human rights advocates and tech experts alike had opposed ...7 hours ago - Turn on, tune in NZ: Opportunity to run clinical trials into psychedelic drugs
NZ has a chance to attract venture capital running clinical trials into psychedelic drugs to treat mental illness ...7 hours ago - Open government is 'fundamental to democracy' – so pressure to get it right
Civil society groups tell government to slow down, do it once, do it right – or risk 'feeding cynicism' about open government strategy ...7 hours ago - Govt seeks no condition on TV3 local news in Discovery buy-out
The Government is spending $55 million to help New Zealand media provide more public interest journalism, but when it had the chance to make sure TV3’s new owner, Discovery Inc, stays committed to local news, it demurred. Discovery’s New Zealand boss, Glen Kyne, recently revealed the global giant’s strategy to ...7 hours ago - Ories rugby trio hone in on a home World Cup
Black Ferns trio Ayesha Leti-I'iga, Amanda Rasch and Joanah Ngan Woo have at least three things in common. They all star for the Wellington Pride women’s team, play their club rugby for Oriental Rongotai and are hoping to be part of the 2021 Rugby World Cup on home soil. But all ...7 hours ago - A modular solution to the housing crisis
There's a factory in Christchurch that could help solve the housing crisis by churning out modular homes - but a reluctance to adopt this building method means its future is unclear. Ever since The Detail ran a podcast about the high cost of construction we've been inundated with messages from ...7 hours ago - Business coach's firm fined for paying six staff less than minimum wage
Entrepreneur Logan Elliott’s events firm has been fined $20,000 by the Employment Relations Authority ...7 hours ago - Curious case of the upside-down over-supply labour list
The Ministry of Social Development's excess labour list contrasts starkly with the day-to-day reality hospitality employers say they face. Hospitality employers have been voicing the plight with labour shortages for more than 18 months. Desperate bosses have launched a petition calling for the Government to consult the industry on its proposed immigration reset ...7 hours ago - The secret to expanding EVs – wireless charging
Wireless charging stations set in the pavement for vehicles to park over are closer than you think, for both cars and heavy transport vehicles. Professors Grant Covic and Nick Long and Dr Doug Wilson explain. Urgent action is needed to increase the ease of owning and operating electric vehicles (EVs), ...7 hours ago - View from The Hill: Nationals give Scott Morrison a muscle man to deal with – especially on net ze...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra One central reason why the Nationals have installed Barnaby Joyce, with all the risks and baggage he carries, is because they want someone who’ll stand up to Scott Morrison. The minor Coalition partner is after ...11 hours ago
- What are the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines? And how effective are they? Two experts explainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hart, Clinical researcher, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Rahmat Gul/AP/AAP Last weekend, China reached a milestone of having administered more than one billion doses of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, the majority of which were developed by local companies Sinovac and ...14 hours ago
- Covid-19: New Zealand, Australia medical experts arrive in Fiji
A team of Australian and New Zealand medical specialists have arrived in Fiji to help contain the escalating Covid-19 outbreak there. ...14 hours ago - Covid-19 in Fiji: New Zealand provides $10m to support responseA team of Australian and New Zealand medical specialists are also on their way to help the Pacific nation, which recorded 166 new cases just yesterday. ...16 hours ago
- Aussie kids are some of the least active in the world. We developed a cheap school program that gets...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taren Sanders, Research Fellow, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Australian children are among the least active in the world. In a recent study, Aussie kids ranked 140th out of 146 countries for physical activity. ...17 hours ago
- Mahia residents descend on Auckland to protest Rocket Lab links with US militaryProtesters gathered at Rocket Lab’s Auckland HQ today in opposition to the company’s work with the US military, while the Green Party announced a member’s bill to ban military launches from New Zealand. Protest songs echoed down a quiet cul-de-sac in Mt Wellington this afternoon, as around 30 people turned out ...18 hours ago
- Climate could provide Peters and his party with a platform for warming voters and bouncing back at t...
Peters is back, the headlines shouted. Well, not quite. Winston Peters may have stepped into the political limelight again, after a spell in political darkness – but he and his party are a long way from Parliament. And even though he looks fit and well, can he – at the ...18 hours ago - Remembering Janet Malcolm: her intellectual courage shaped journalism, biographies and Helen GarnerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Communication, Deakin University Journalism has rarely had a fiercer critic, nor a finer practitioner than the longtime writer for The New Yorker, Janet Malcolm, who died last week aged 86. Some might quibble with the description of Malcolm ...19 hours ago
- Hopefully, Tomorrow Will Deliver A Positive Sea Change For Tīkapa Moana, The Hauraki GulfWWF-New Zealand is thrilled to finally see the Government launch its strategy to revitalize the Gulf – based on Tai Timu Tai Pari/Sea Change - the Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan, but it has taken too long. Since the time this project began ...19 hours ago
- Medsafe gives Pfizer vaccine provisional approval for ages 12+Medsafe has given the all-clear for New Zealanders as young as 12 to receive the Pfizer vaccine, but they cannot book in for a jab just yet. ...19 hours ago
- The National Party used to be known for its leadership stability — what happened?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Cockfield, Professor of Government and Economics, and Deputy Dean, University of Southern Queensland Mick Tsikas/AAP Barnaby Joyce is back as Nationals leader, after a spill in Canberra on Monday morning. This is the latest development in an unusually ...20 hours ago
- Live: Jacinda Ardern speaks at post-Cabinet briefingPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving her weekly post-Cabinet media briefing. ...20 hours ago
- Kita Mean’s wildest dream just came trueShe’s a winner baby! RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under winner Kita Mean stops by The Spinoff Studio to reflect on her journey to the crown. On Saturday night in Auckland, surrounded by a buzzing room of close friends, Kita Mean found out that she had been crowned the inaugural winner of ...21 hours ago
- Barnaby Joyce ousts Michael McCormack to regain Nationals leadershipSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Barnaby Joyce has blasted Michael McCormack out to seize back his old job of Nationals leader. Joyce’s win, which automatically makes him deputy prime minister, has major implications and challenges for Scott Morrison, who had ...21 hours ago
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It is an interesting veiw of how duopolies in politics trend towards tribalism. Compared towards the more representative models like ours that force cooperation between parties.
It is clear that the original US model is struggling with the 21st century enviroment. It seems to have become endless sideshows of denegration, entrapment, and scoring political points. The actual role of politicians seems lost in the propoganda.
Regardless of your political affiliations (for the record I supported Sanders), if you step back from the day to day drama and take a long view, you have to say the political duopoly model is fast outliving it’s usefulness everywhere.
In this regard the Chinese/Russian model, one party, one state has it’s clear attractions, although we also know this too in the long run a dead end.
The true role of politicians is to represent the interests of their whole electorate; not just special interest and identity groups. They’re not there to push ideologies.
capitalism is not compatible with democracy- the US govt/deep state ceased being democratic when it repealed Glass Steagall and eliminated Presidents who dared stand up to the military industrial complex
Capitalism is the only economic compatible with democracy. All democratic nations are capitalist to a greater or lesser extent.
In contrast all socialist nations are one party states.
The reason is simple, socialism is built on stopping people doing things.
How fascinating to see this view of a capitalist mindset.
It is grossly selective Wayne. For example, you have selected to overlook the socialist Nordic states after the war, or perhaps you are not aware of these models. Many other examples had little chance of survival following aggressive economic hit-man tactics and violent coups orchestrated by the so-called democratic and liberal nations of power (particularly the US). In a number of cases, these effectively overthrew democratically elected socialist Governments, in order to replace them with non elected puppets to steal collectively owned common resources from the people.
The reason it’s not compatible is that sans proper regulatory oversight, the bankers and business magnates always find a way to take over the levers of power, tilt the economy in favour of their mates, and disempower the working class.
Pretty much the situation in the West after Reagan and Thatcher and ya boy Roger Douglas tore up the social contract and pissed on it. The middle class and workers have been going backwards ever since.
Even in NZ, democracy is reduced to an expensive PR exercise, and the media is focussed on insubstantial trivia. It makes me sick
https://twitter.com/Tat_Loo/status/1092537137411452928
How is the US model any more or less able to cope than say the German one?
German federal police receive a regular paycheque. Unlike some of the FBI agents who arrested Stone.
I didn’t realise the FBI was part of the Government shutdown. You have evidence for this?
http://money.com/money/5509931/fbi-agents-government-shutdown-national-security/
You understand how to google?
FBI Agents’ association twitter feed ok for you?
Very interesting
They also deployed Coast Guard personnel who were currently unpaid.
People can only work without paycheques for so long, and a “partial” shutdown is like “just the tip” – you stay there long enough, you’ll have an accident with far-reaching repercussions.
As I stated it is all very interesting. But what has that got to do with whether a two party system is more messed up than a multiparty one?
It’s right there but you were distracted and had to quibble from point of ignorance.
Correlation is not causation
Does not imply causation.
Jeez get it right.
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/correlation.png
…but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing “look over there”.
Way to miss the point. Just because the US has had a shutdown of the Federal government does not mean their two party political system is to blame
I missed the point?
Because the US shutdown was caused by political deadlock between two opposed parties…
You seem to believe correlation never implies causation.
It would explain some things though.
@Arkie, to be a bit detached about it, most countries don’t have any kind of mechanism by which the government can actually shut down. If the situation arises where legislation can’t get through, it triggers some sort of no-confidence and new election scenario. Or else some sort of stop-gap like the continuing resolution that just carries everything along on autopilot.
@Andre, Yes, and that’s another reason why the US model that allowed this kind of shutdown is more dysfunctional than other systems.
Our police are paid regularly. Aus federal police are paid regularly. Canadian police are paid regularly. French police are paid regularly.
I mean, there’s Venezuela, where police get regular paycheques of next to fuck all, but how many other countries on the planet fail to pay their police regularly? What makes the US different?
@McFlock, this shutdown weirdness is actually Jimmy Carter’s fault. He’s the one that got a new interpretation of the 1884 Antideficiencies Act.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_federal_government_shutdown
To be pedantic, the FBI aren’t really police. Police in the US are a state, county, city and other local authority function. They keep going during a federal shutdown.
I suspect there’s still a few african nations that don’t pay their police regularly and said police have a tacit understanding that they will supplement their income in other ways.
The US model is too open to corruption , lobbyists give huge sums to politicians who are then in their pocket. Some measure to restrict political donations and perhaps some state funding of candidates would go long way to improving things.
Re-instating Glass Steagall and bringing the intelligence agencies to heel would also be necessary for a working democracy
Internal groups lobbying… we had external groups lobbying, we just didn’t know it ’till JLR.
Yet the US has achieved more good in the World thsn any other Superpower ever has.
‘Good’ is very subjective and sorta worthless. I’d hate to weigh up anyone’s, let alone a countries, contribution to the world but if I did the case is wide open on the states imo. Some good, some bad and some very very ugly.
I didn’t realise there were that many Superpowers. US and USSR and maybe China? Or that ‘doing good’ was quantifiable. Obviously you have evidence for this?
In World history there have been a number of Superpowers stretching back 5 to 6 thousand years
Nah
“The term was first applied post World War II to the British Empire, the United States and the Soviet Union.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superpower
What a surprise! One of Gosman’s authoritative half-answers is refuted by a simple google search!
cue a debate on the meaning of the term, followed by a debate on the merits of US hegemony vs any great power from history (regardless of the result of the first debate).
None of which is relevant to whether the US and every other superpower should go fuck themselves and stop shitting on the rest of us (not that they ever will).
Well, the US is in the middle of thoroughly fucking itself right now. But it ain’t slowing them down any in their shitting on everyone else.
This cynical animated summation always amused me
From Wondershowzen
Yes that’s it in a nutshell LOL
+1
That is why from a purely self interested point of view NZ, and the rest of the world, should be taking note of the current chaos – because it is already destabilizing.
Perhaps the most serious move has been the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. US emission have been pdeclining over recent years, but under Trump they have begun to surge up again.
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/8/18174082/us-carbon-emissions-2018
McFlock +100
Regardless of when the term was first used there has been a number of Superpowers in World history.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-5-greatest-superpowers-all-time-12815
Your ‘evidence’ is a listicle!? lol
You mean as opposed to Wikipedia?
Ah of course.
At the bottom of a Wikipedia article there are references which link to prior publications which you can click-through and read further. These links are from a large variety of independent sources.
At the bottom of the listicle you posted were links to other listicles that this publication has published. What looked like references were links to Amazon listings. Relevant to the OP there was also this:
Your link is dick. My link was accurate and included the definition and authoritative links and references.
You blew it buddy. Gos = credzero
More good Really? Maybe as long as you re not Chilean ,Libyan ,Vietnamese, Yugoslavian, Nicaraguan, Afghani, Syrian, Congolese, Laotian, Cambodian ,Korean, Palestinian , Ukrainian, Iranian, Yemeni, Iraqi, Panamanian, Grenadian , Cuban, Mexican, Venezuelan or Native American . Oh and lets not forget the Japanese civilians unnecessarily killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“Yet the US has achieved more good in the World thsn any other Superpower ever has.”
As others have commented, “good” is a very subjective word. And as an American living in America, and one of the dwindling few who supports the US Constitution, these last few elections (well, probably back to Jackson, maybe) have been abysmal, from that perspective.
There is much to irk us Constitution-loving Americans: capitalism is anything but, political “choice” consists of THE two parties (and an ever more monstrous socialism) and Trump is what passes for “making America great again.”
So, yeah…you’re not the only one “tired…of America.”
Binary political structures are the problem. They polarise everything they affect. Democracy locks in everyone as victims of the consequent syndromes and the political behaviour they produce. Not just USA – look at Britain, Australia, as classic examples too.
Thinking beyond left and right, we can envisage triadic political structures as the best alternative to polarisation. That’s when a third force triangulates the polarity and everyone sees a resolution and a way forward: liberation!
Freedom!
The thing about the song ‘Freedom’ by George Michael is that it relates to his legal struggle to break from his record contract. George Michael lost the court case, but it gave rise to the song. (out of pain and struggle comes great art)
George Michael’s struggle for artistic freedom was shared with Prince who had a similar legal struggle with his recording label.
Commenting on their shared experience George Michael said tongue in cheek that he was part of the world’s smallest persecuted minority. Multimillionaire recording artists.
Hidden in this humorous comment is a universal truth. That freedom and self expression is a deep and fundamental human need, even money cannot buy it.
And in the end capitalism just like communism denies individual freedom, to everyone, even the richest of us.
👍
Our input into Afghanistan as requested by USA.
Now request is for Iraq deployment, related to Iran, which we are not allowed to trade with. It all sound’s like a ‘beggar’s’ muddle, and we will be the beggar.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1901/S00103/gordon-campbell-on-the-us-exit-from-afghanistan.htm
As for New Zealand… we have very few (if any) lasting gains to show for our time, efforts and expenditure (of funds and lives) in Afghanistan. These outcomes should not be swept under the carpet. Shortly, the Ardern government is expected to renew our troop commitment to Iraq, and extend a deployment due to expire in June. There, too, it is hard to be optimistic. In Iraq we are sending trainers and spending millions to support the Iranian-backed regime in Baghdad, even while we are dutifully cutting off our booming export trade with Iran, for fear of incurring US sanctions.
That contrast is weird. Washington forbids us to trade with Iran, but they want our troops to risk their lives to support Iran’s political minions right next door, in Iraq. At times, our military must really resent being used as live bargaining chips in the casino of global diplomacy.
So far we’ve been rewarded with tariffs and meddling in our telecoms. What’s in it for us? We get to buy more overpriced underperforming aeroplanes?
I think Gabby we should be more open to the opportunities that being included in USA adventures give us. For instance, think of the theatrical performances by our troops while they are fighting overseas; they would be as good as real actors and we could build their exploits into a narrative and win a Cannes prize for movie making.
Our assistance in Afghanistan helping to rebuild infrastructure, that could be the background for a tender love story between a NZ soldier and a young Afghani woman, a Romeo and Juliet tear-jerker. We just have to be wider thinking about the economic advantages that can be drawn from having the world opened up (ripped down its belly) for us by our USA involvement in the historic events of our age. /sarc
I find it hard to simultaneously hold in my head my love and admiration for the theoretical USA, surely the noblest and luckiest nation ever conceived, and my disgust and loathing of the practical USA, a cesspool of ignorant cutthroat religious crazies.
+1
I am tired of being told that Presidents of the USA are America.
Just as much as I am tired of being told the Kardashians are the USA.
Tired of being told mass shootings are the USA..
Why do we accept such drivel.
Russia is the evil Mr Putin
The Catholic Church is all about child abuse.
China is a 24/7 sweat shop.
All these idiotic stereotypes.
Britain is all about Brexit.
Muslims are all terrorists.
Africans are all starving.
Central America is all drug cartels.
Are Kiwis that lazy that dumb that ignorant?
Apparently.
You forgot all men are Mysoginists, and women can multitask.
What’s your point ratty?
Clearly a very corrupt country.
Think about the “Iraq has weapons of mass distraction” Mueller probe. The lawyer tasked with writing it, Wiseman was at Clintons victory party. Hmmm maybe not a Neutral referee and wanting to get revenge.
Amazing how every single person involved from start to finish is a hate Trumper.
Clearly America is a corrupt country.?
Clearly you are being silly.
Nope. People as intimately involved as that should be excluded.
It’s like Labours Family Court review.
A panelist is from a law firm specialising in Lawyer for child.
The review announced intent to make Lawyer for child compulsory, and want them to have pay rises.
Corruption in my mind.
Do we really want to be republicans after the Queen passes on?
Really, really want to adopt a ‘system’ born of revolution and literate elites with stars in their eyes about the Romans? Who had slaves and a massive army and was quite exclusive about who could be a ‘citizen’?
Not even a ‘democracy’…
Are we kidding?
Are we so bereft of experiences now, and access to other cultural resources that underpin harmonious living between people and with the sustaining environment? Are we?
Let’s do something better. Preferably something that makes those of a political bent far less pervasive in society. Short-termist, middle of the road focus, more about stability than generating better ways to cope with massive problems. Just one way among so many others.
Revolution is NOT the answer. We’ve got a puncture. Time to change.
Have you no standards in the USA to follow for good outcomes from a working democracy? Now that you have overcome Russian ambitions for their nation, you seem to have stopped trying to aim for a good system yourselves. Is it that you have no convictions about the values and practices of your democracy and how it serves its people, which without Communism as an alternative, have been revealed in all their tatters. Are you instead a nation in a shallow groupthink denying facts, truth, pretending good intentions while delving deep in the shadows?