I’m so tired of you America

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, January 28th, 2019 - 61 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, Donald Trump, International, Politics, us politics - Tags:

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 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. DJ Ward 1
    28 January 2019 at 12:19 pm

    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.

    • RedLogix 1.1
      28 January 2019 at 12:40 pm

      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.

      • ropata 1.1.1
        28 January 2019 at 4:31 pm

        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

        • Wayne 1.1.1.1
          29 January 2019 at 7:41 am

          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.

          • left_forward 1.1.1.1.1
            29 January 2019 at 3:17 pm

            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.

          • ropata 1.1.1.1.2
            5 February 2019 at 11:43 pm

            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

    • Gosman 1.2
      28 January 2019 at 12:53 pm

      How is the US model any more or less able to cope than say the German one?

      • McFlock 1.2.1
        28 January 2019 at 12:59 pm

        German federal police receive a regular paycheque. Unlike some of the FBI agents who arrested Stone.

        • Gosman 1.2.1.1
          28 January 2019 at 1:37 pm

          I didn’t realise the FBI was part of the Government shutdown. You have evidence for this?

          • arkie 1.2.1.1.1
            28 January 2019 at 1:46 pm

            FBI Agents Aren’t Getting Paid During the Shutdown — and They Say It’s a Threat to National Security

            http://money.com/money/5509931/fbi-agents-government-shutdown-national-security/

            You understand how to google?

            • Gosman 1.2.1.1.2.1
              28 January 2019 at 3:16 pm

              Very interesting

              • McFlock …
                28 January 2019 at 3:22 pm

                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.

                • Gosman …
                  28 January 2019 at 3:31 pm

                  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?

                  • arkie …
                    28 January 2019 at 3:42 pm

                    It’s right there but you were distracted and had to quibble from point of ignorance.

                    German federal police receive a regular paycheque.

                    • Gosman …
                      29 January 2019 at 7:47 am

                      Correlation is not causation

                    • arkie …
                      29 January 2019 at 8:20 am

                      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”.

                    • Gosman …
                      29 January 2019 at 9:04 am

                      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

                    • arkie …
                      29 January 2019 at 9:37 am

                      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.

                    • Andre …
                      29 January 2019 at 9:58 am

                      @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.

                    • arkie …
                      29 January 2019 at 10:22 am

                      @Andre, Yes, and that’s another reason why the US model that allowed this kind of shutdown is more dysfunctional than other systems.

                    • McFlock …
                      29 January 2019 at 1:00 pm

                      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?

                    • Andre …
                      29 January 2019 at 2:17 pm

                      @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.

      • Ike 1.2.2
        28 January 2019 at 7:58 pm

        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

        • patricia bremner 1.2.2.1
          28 January 2019 at 10:32 pm

          Internal groups lobbying… we had external groups lobbying, we just didn’t know it ’till JLR.

  2. Gosman 2
    28 January 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Yet the US has achieved more good in the World thsn any other Superpower ever has.

    • marty mars 2.1
      28 January 2019 at 1:50 pm

      ‘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.

    • arkie 2.2
      28 January 2019 at 1:51 pm

      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?

      • Gosman 2.2.1
        28 January 2019 at 2:12 pm

        In World history there have been a number of Superpowers stretching back 5 to 6 thousand years

        • marty mars 2.2.1.1
          28 January 2019 at 2:24 pm

          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

          • arkie 2.2.1.1.1
            28 January 2019 at 2:29 pm

            What a surprise! One of Gosman’s authoritative half-answers is refuted by a simple google search!

            • McFlock 2.2.1.1.1.1
              28 January 2019 at 2:33 pm

              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).

          • Gosman 2.2.1.1.2
            28 January 2019 at 3:18 pm

            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

            • arkie 2.2.1.1.2.1
              28 January 2019 at 3:37 pm

              Your ‘evidence’ is a listicle!? lol

              • Gosman …
                28 January 2019 at 10:19 pm

                You mean as opposed to Wikipedia?

                • arkie …
                  28 January 2019 at 10:44 pm

                  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:

                  However, we should remember all superpowers ceased to be such at some point, and most often due to internal events. Even the greatest superpowers, no matter how dominant economically and militarily, should remember this.

                • marty mars …
                  28 January 2019 at 10:45 pm

                  Your link is dick. My link was accurate and included the definition and authoritative links and references.

                  You blew it buddy. Gos = credzero

    • Ike 2.3
      28 January 2019 at 8:21 pm

      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.

  3. DooDad 3
    28 January 2019 at 2:12 pm

    “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.”

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    28 January 2019 at 2:12 pm

    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!

  5. Jenny - How to get there? 5
    28 January 2019 at 2:31 pm

    Freedom!

    • Jenny - How to get there? 5.1
      28 January 2019 at 3:07 pm

      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.

  6. greywarshark 6
    28 January 2019 at 3:04 pm

    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.

    • Gabby 6.1
      29 January 2019 at 11:05 am

      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?

      • greywarshark 6.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 11:14 am

        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

  7. SHG 7
    28 January 2019 at 3:07 pm

    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.

  8. rata 8
    28 January 2019 at 7:33 pm

    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.

  9. DJ Ward 9
    28 January 2019 at 7:49 pm

    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.

    • rata 9.1
      29 January 2019 at 11:00 am

      Clearly America is a corrupt country.?
      Clearly you are being silly.

      • DJ Ward 9.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 11:10 am

        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.

  10. Andrea 10
    28 January 2019 at 9:00 pm

    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.

  11. greywarshark 11
    29 January 2019 at 8:52 am

    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?

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    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

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