Self-destructive stupidity, New Zealand style
Written By:
- Date published:
5:51 am, August 27th, 2023 - 25 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, China, defence, FiveEyes, helen clark, Iran, Japan, Korea, Peace, Peace, Russia, Spying, trade, uk politics, war -
Tags:
By Tim Beal, cross-posted from Pearls and Irritations
‘Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad’
What a pity it is that we no longer believe in capricious gods because that would offer a good explanation for the otherwise quite perplexing habit of governments, with intelligent and informed people theoretically at their disposal, to embrace policies which are manifestly an example of self-destructive stupidity. Clever people doing stupid things.
New Zealand’s latest Defence Assessment is a case in point. The public face of it – The Defence Policy and Strategy Statement 2023– was launched by Defence Minister Andrew Little. On the occasion he pontificated:
As we see conditions changing, not just in the Pacific but in the broader Asia-Pacific region, we have to be thinking about what that means for us.
“If for example, conflict does break out in the South China Sea, where $20 billion worth of our exports goes through every year, we have a stake and the nature of our relationships with our partners means we may be called on to play a role should conflict breakout.”
This is a very bizarre statement. $20 billion of New Zealand exports may go through the South China Sea, but Little omits to mention that some 70% of that goes to China. By ‘playing a role during a crisis’ he means assisting the US military whose function would, of course, not be to keep China’s trade routes open but to close them. The South China Sea, like the Straits of Malacca, is a choke point for China imports, not least oil from the Middle East, and a key objective in conflict, or even crisis, would be to close it off.
If the defence minister had said that the Yellow Peril had to be stopped at all costs and that NZ would need to be prepared to sacrifice its foreign trade that might be considered paranoid, but would at least have an element of logical argument. But to say that the best way to preserve the trade is to destroy it suggests a deep dissociation from reality.
That, unfortunately, is par for the course.
Little is quoted as claiming “we do not live in a benign strategic environment” and that touches on the core issue. The New Zealand ‘national security industry’ has a fundamental problem; the country has no credible natural external enemies. Its geographical isolation means that it has no territorial disputes and it offers no locational advantages on a strategic chessboard, unlike for instance the Korean peninsula where Russia, China, Japan and the United States meet and contest.
There are only two countries which could physically coerce New Zealand – Australia and the US. A cynic might ask, why bother? Australia owns it economically (all the major banks are Australian for instance) and the US controls it politically (think Vietnam, Afghanistan, South China Sea). No other country has the ability or any conceivable motive to threaten New Zealand and none has done so publicly. The only exception would be Japan, and that, significantly, was within the context of a war with the United States and its allies.
The stated threat-perception of the military is shared by the spooks. New Zealand’s Security Threat Environment 2023 just released by the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) solemnly tells us:
There are a small number of states who conduct foreign interference in New Zealand but their ability to cause harm is significant. This report highlights the activities of three states in particular: the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia
Iran? Really? And how did the US, the UK and Australia escape their attention?
This is the first time that SIS has ‘shared’ its threat assessment with the public. There may, of course, be a real assessment that SIS keeps under wraps but its Director-General, Andrew Hampton, claims:
Our goal for this report is for it to be a starting point for a greater level of awareness and a healthy conversation.
A ‘healthy conversation’ is perhaps the last thing they want but the first is clearly the raising of the perception of threat from designated enemies, and an associated campaign against dissenters who might challenge the official narrative.
So we have the spooks conjuring up imaginary (but useful) threats and the military beating the drums of war, with a focus on China. Not merely are the threats bogus but the possible consequences – economic and perhaps military- are disastrous. It is significant that a senior minster is proposing increasing military expenditure during an election year.
The governing Labour Party is facing defeat, the health and education sectors are in crisis, there are huge costs arising from climate change and yet he is squandering money which could both help the country and assist election appeal. To sacrifice national interest is one thing, but to risk electoral defeat is another, and indicates considerable pressure from Washington
How do we explain all this nonsense? There are many threads in an answer but they would all lead in the same direction towards imperial strategy.
New Zealand (and Australia) have always been cogs in an imperial strategy. From the beginning of European settlement until the Pacific War it was centred on London, since then on Washington. In terms of fantasy the present situation is reminiscent of the Russian Scares of late 19th century which had the gullible believing ‘The Russians are Coming’ and which left a number of unused (but, like AUKUS, no doubt profitable) forts on the coast of New Zealand and Australia. In terms of consequence it is akin to the string of imperial wars which has left cenotaphs in the cities and towns of New Zealand (and Australia) and so many bones overseas. Bad as those wars were, one with China would be far more consequential; this time the enemy can retaliate.
Why the talk of war? US hegemony is under threat from the rise of China and although the challenge is primarily economic, technological and diplomatic, militarisation is so deeply embedded now within the US political and economic structure, that the response is overwhelmingly military and coercive. Since the US is in relative decline, its subordinate allies become ever more important, hence constructed war fever in NZ and Australia.
Clearly the sensible thing for New Zealand to do would be to nudge America into the peaceful acceptance of multipolarity; Singapore’s Kishore Mahbubani provides an example.
However, at the moment New Zealand is following Australia on a suicidal path, with just a few signs of dissent within the political elite. Let us hope that the malevolence of the gods will be foiled and doubts, such as that expressed by former Prime Minister Helen Clark, will grow and develop into a movement for resistance to the US, for enlightened self-interest and the pursuit of peace. Those hopes will only be fulfilled if we are able to break through the twin carapace of propaganda and censorship to raise public awareness of the self-destructive stupidity of current policies.
Tim Beal Author, Researcher, Educator; Asia specialist. Tim is a retired NZ academic who has written extensively on Asia, with a focus on Northeast Asia. He also has an interest in imperialism, again mainly in respect of Asia but recently, also inevitably encompassing Europe. More at http://www.timbeal.net.nz/geopolitics/
25 comments on “Self-destructive stupidity, New Zealand style ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Fact brief – Is climate change a net benefit for society?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...9 hours ago - National’s Water Done Well Will Cost Ratepayers More
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...13 hours ago - Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Is Causing Economic Chaos
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...19 hours ago
- The ‘China’ challenge: now a multi-generational test for Australian strategy
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...21 hours ago - White Rabbit
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...22 hours ago - Why Has The World Forgotten About Hollywood?
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...24 hours ago
- Viennese Refugees Who Changed the Way We Think
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...1 day ago - Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1496): A Complete...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...2 days ago - Hamish Campbell Lied About His Links With Two By Twos Cult
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...2 days ago
- Is Shane Jones The Most Corrupt Politician in New Zealand?
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...2 days ago
- Good Friday
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...2 days ago - Luxon Turns A Blind Eye to Homelessness
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...2 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to April 18
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...2 days ago - Simeon Brown Has Caused The Doctor’s Strike
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2025
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications: Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...2 days ago
- Whatever Happened to Cactus Kate?
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...2 days ago
- Sovereign capability can benefit Australia—up to a point
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...2 days ago
- David Seymour’s Charter School Rort
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...3 days ago
- Flexibility and awareness will help India deal with Trump (again)
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...3 days ago
- Inflation data confirms real terms minimum wage cut
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Kicking the can down the road again
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...3 days ago - The Spirit for Australia: why Canberra should pursue the B-2 bomber
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...3 days ago
- A bit more unpicking of RB spending and the Funding Agreement
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...3 days ago - A successful COP31 needs Pacific countries at the table
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...3 days ago
- Brown unveils unfunded health plan for small NZ
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...3 days ago - Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that ...3 days ago
- NZ Must Undertake a Peacekeeping Role in Trump’s Wars
Donald Trump’s return to the White House and aggressive posturing is undermining global diplomacy, and New Zealand must stand firm in rejecting his reckless, fascist-driven policies that are dragging the world toward chaos.As a nation with a proud history of peacekeeping and principled foreign policy, we should limit our role ...3 days ago
- Donald Trump’s first three months: rude, raucous and rogue
Sunday marks three months since Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. What a ride: the style rude, language raucous, and the results rogue. Beyond manners, rudeness matters because tone signals intent as well as personality. ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Left’s Electability Crisis, And The Abundance Ecotopia
There are any number of reasons why anyone thinking of heading to the United States for a holiday should think twice. They would be giving their money to a totalitarian state where political dissenters are being rounded up and imprisoned here and here, where universities are having their funds for ...3 days ago - Taiwan: the sponge that soaks up Chinese power
Taiwan has an inadvertent, rarely acknowledged role in global affairs: it’s a kind of sponge, soaking up much of China’s political, military and diplomatic efforts. Taiwan soaks up Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that ...3 days ago
- Women in combat roles strengthen our defence force
The Ukraine war has been called the bloodiest conflict since World War II. As of July 2024, 10,000 women were serving in frontline combat roles. Try telling them—from the safety of an Australian lounge room—they ...3 days ago
- China targets Canada’s election—and may be targeting Australia’s
Following Canadian authorities’ discovery of a Chinese information operation targeting their country’s election, Australians, too, should beware such risks. In fact, there are already signs that Beijing is interfering in campaigning for the Australian election ...3 days ago
- Climate Adam: Climate Scientist Reacts to Elon Musk
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From "founder" of Tesla and the OG rocket man with SpaceX, and rebranding twitter as X, Musk has ...3 days ago
- Rattus Interneticus: Otago’s Internet Saga
Back in February 2024, a rat infestation attracted a fair few headlines in the South Dunedin Countdown supermarket. Today, the rats struck again. They took out the Otago-Southland region’s internet connection. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360656230/internet-outage-hits-otago-and-southland Strictly, it was just a coincidence – rats decided to gnaw through one fibre cable, while some hapless ...4 days ago - Spin (and obfuscation)
I came in this morning after doing some chores and looked quickly at Twitter before unpacking the groceries. Someone was retweeting a Radio NZ story with the headline “Reserve Bank’s budget to be slashed by 25%”. Wow, I thought, the Minister of Finance has really delivered this time. And then ...4 days ago
- Little’s pitch
So, having teased it last week, Andrew Little has announced he will run for mayor of Wellington. On RNZ, he's saying its all about services - "fixing the pipes, making public transport cheaper, investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, and developing more housing". Meanwhile, to the readers of the ...4 days ago
- Our Rough Beast.
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming, 1921ALL OVER THE WORLD, devout Christians will be reaching for their bibles, reading and re-reading Revelation 13:16-17. For the benefit of all you non-Christians out there, these are the verses describing ...4 days ago - What does India Want? What is New Zealand willing to give?
4 days ago
- President Trump is redefining America’s international role, and Australia has influence
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...4 days ago
- Simeon Brown Gaslights Doctors
Yesterday, 5,500 senior doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand voted overwhelmingly to strike for a day.This is the first time in New Zealand ASMS members have taken strike action for 24 hours.They are asking the government to fund them and account for resource shortfalls.Vacancies are critical - 45-50% in some regions.The ...4 days ago - ACT’s “Tough on Crime” Facade Crumbles with Jago’s Appeal
4 days ago
- Judith Collins’ Hypocrisy: War Drums Over Welfare
Judith Collins is a seasoned master at political hypocrisy. As New Zealand’s Defence Minister, she's recently been banging the war drum, announcing a jaw-dropping $12 billion boost to the defence budget over the next four years, all while the coalition of chaos cries poor over housing, health, and education.Apparently, there’s ...4 days ago
- Making the most of it
I’m on the London Overground watching what the phones people are holding are doing to their faces: The man-bun guy who could not be less impressed by what he's seeing but cannot stop reading; the woman who's impatient for a response; the one who’s frowning; the one who’s puzzled; the ...4 days ago - Maranga Ake
You don't have no prescriptionYou don't have to take no pillsYou don't have no prescriptionAnd baby don't have to take no pillsIf you come to see meDoctor Brown will cure your ills.Songwriters: Waymon Glasco.Dr Luxon. Image: David and Grok.First, they came for the Bottom FeedersAnd I did not speak outBecause ...4 days ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday, April 16
The Health Minister says the striking doctors already “well remunerated,” and are “walking away from” and “hurting” their patients. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Wednesday, April 16:Simeon Brown has attacked1 doctors striking for more than a 1.5% pay rise as already “well remunerated,” even ...4 days ago - Strengthening Australia’s space cooperation with South Korea
The time is ripe for Australia and South Korea to strengthen cooperation in space, through embarking on joint projects and initiatives that offer practical outcomes for both countries. This is the finding of a new ...4 days ago
- They Can Only Talk About One Thing
Hi,When Trump raised tariffs against China to 145%, he destined many small businesses to annihilation. The Daily podcast captured the mass chaos by zooming in and talking to one person, Beth Benike, a small-business owner who will likely lose her home very soon.She pointed out that no, she wasn’t surprised ...4 days ago - National’s Inflation Shame: Kiwis Pay the Price
National’s handling of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis is an utter shambles and a gutless betrayal of every Kiwi scraping by. The Coalition of Chaos Ministers strut around preaching about how effective their policies are, but really all they're doing is perpetuating a cruel and sick joke of undelivered promises, ...4 days ago
- Winston’s Mate Rhys Williams Has Been Unmasked
Most people wouldn't have heard of a little worm like Rhys Williams, a so-called businessman and former NZ First member, who has recently been unmasked as the venomous troll behind a relentless online campaign targeting Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle.According to reports, Williams has been slinging mud at Doyle under ...4 days ago
- Idiocy, Opportunity
Illustration credit: Jonathan McHugh (New Statesman)The other day, a subscriber said they were unsubscribing because they needed “some good news”.I empathised. Don’t we all.I skimmed a NZME article about the impacts of tariffs this morning with analysis from Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr. Kerr, their Chief Economist, suggested another recession is the ...4 days ago - US allies must band together in weapons development
Let’s assume, as prudence demands we assume, that the United States will not at any predictable time go back to being its old, reliable self. This means its allies must be prepared indefinitely to lean ...4 days ago
- I’ve been reading
Over the last three rather tumultuous US trade policy weeks, I’ve read these four books. I started with Irwin (whose book had sat on my pile for years, consulted from time to time but not read) in a week of lots of flights and hanging around airports/hotels, and then one ...4 days ago
- This is not the time for increasing Indonesia’s defence spending
Indonesia could do without an increase in military spending that the Ministry of Defence is proposing. The country has more pressing issues, including public welfare and human rights. Moreover, the transparency and accountability to justify ...5 days ago
- FSU Supports Chris Milne’s Right to Make Death Threats
5 days ago
- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...5 days ago
- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...5 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...5 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...5 days ago
- The Government is cutting, just as the economic recovery is stalling
The economy is not doing what it was supposed to when PM Christopher Luxon said in January it was ‘going for growth.’ Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short from our political economy on Tuesday, April 15:New Zealand’s economic recovery is stalling, according to business surveys, retail spending and ...5 days ago - For a safer Symonds Street
This is a guest post by Lewis Creed, managing editor of the University of Auckland student publication Craccum, which is currently running a campaign for a safer Symonds Street in the wake of a horrific recent crash. The post has two parts: 1) Craccum’s original call for safety (6 ...5 days ago - Tuesday 15 April
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff has published an opinion piece which makes the case for a different approach to economic development, as proposed in the CTU’s Aotearoa Reimagined programme. The number of people studying to become teachers has jumped after several years of low enrolment. The coalition has directed Health New ...5 days ago
- As China’s AI industry grows, Australia must support its own
The growth of China’s AI industry gives it great influence over emerging technologies. That creates security risks for countries using those technologies. So, Australia must foster its own domestic AI industry to protect its interests. ...5 days ago
- Luxon’s Economic Mismanagement
Unfortunately we have another National Party government in power at the moment, and as a consequence, another economic dumpster fire taking hold. Inflation’s hurting Kiwis, and instead of providing relief, National is fiddling while wallets burn.Prime Minister Chris Luxon's response is a tired remix of tax cuts for the rich ...5 days ago
- Girls and Boys
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girlsWho do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boysAlways should be someone you really loveSongwriters: Damon Albarn / Graham Leslie Coxon / Alexander Rowntree David / Alexander James Steven.Last month, I wrote about the Birds and Bees being ...5 days ago - Australia can learn from Britain on cyber governance
Australia needs to reevaluate its security priorities and establish a more dynamic regulatory framework for cybersecurity. To advance in this area, it can learn from Britain’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which presents a compelling ...5 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On Why The US Stands To Lose The Tariff Wars
Deputy PM Winston Peters likes nothing more than to portray himself as the only wise old head while everyone else is losing theirs. Yet this time, his “old master” routine isn’t working. What global trade is experiencing is more than the usual swings and roundabouts of market sentiment. President Donald ...5 days ago
- Why is there no progress in Ukrainian war peace talks?
President Trump’s hopes of ending the war in Ukraine seemed more driven by ego than realistic analysis. Professor Vladimir Brovkin’s latest video above highlights the internal conflicts within the USA, Russia, Europe, and Ukraine, which are currently hindering peace talks and clarity. Brovkin pointed out major contradictions within ...5 days ago - Ani O’Brien has Zero Credibility
In the cesspool that is often New Zealand’s online political discourse, few figures wield their influence as destructively as Ani O’Brien. Masquerading as a champion of free speech and women’s rights, O’Brien’s campaigns are a masterclass in bad faith, built on a foundation of lies, selective outrage, and a knack ...5 days ago
- Australian policy does need more Asia—more Southeast Asia
The international challenge confronting Australia today is unparalleled, at least since the 1940s. It requires what the late Brendan Sargeant, a defence analyst, called strategic imagination. We need more than shrewd economic manoeuvring and a ...5 days ago
- EGU2025 – Picking and chosing sessions to attend on site in Vienna
This year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will take place as a fully hybrid conference in both Vienna and online from April 27 to May 2. This year, I'll join the event on site in Vienna for the full week and I've already picked several sessions I plan ...5 days ago
- Bookshelf: How China sees things
Here’s a book that looks not in at China but out from China. David Daokui Li’s China’s World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict is a refreshing offering in that Li is very much ...6 days ago
- The Mirage of Chris Luxon’s Pre-Election Promises
The New Zealand National Party has long mastered the art of crafting messaging that resonates with a large number of desperate, often white middle-class, voters. From their 2023 campaign mantra of “getting our country back on track” to promises of economic revival, safer streets, and better education, their rhetoric paints ...6 days ago
- To counter anti-democratic propaganda, step up funding for ABC International
A global contest of ideas is underway, and democracy as an ideal is at stake. Democracies must respond by lifting support for public service media with an international footprint. With the recent decision by the ...6 days ago
- What was the story re Orr’s resignation?
It is almost six weeks since the shock announcement early on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 March that the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr, was resigning effective 31 March, and that in fact he had already left and an acting Governor was already in place. Orr had been ...6 days ago
- Monday 14 April
The PSA surveyed more than 900 of its members, with 55 percent of respondents saying AI is used at their place of work, despite most workers not being in trained in how to use the technology safely. Figures to be released on Thursday are expected to show inflation has risen ...6 days ago
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
- Release: Boot camps blog post fails to provide clarity
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...3 days ago - Release: Inflation rises and families feel the squeeze
Inflation is rising again and it’s landing hardest on families already stretched thin. ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt doesn’t know how to fund new hospitals
The Government’s health infrastructure plan is big on promises but coy on where the money is coming from. ...4 days ago
- Release: $10 million for only 215 students in charter schools
David Seymour is pouring $10 million into charter schools that only have 215 students enrolled. ...4 days ago
- Release: Food prices further stretching the family budget
Families already stretched by rising costs will struggle with the news food prices are going up again. ...4 days ago
- Release: Mental health staff and patients at risk without plan
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...6 days ago
- Release: Driver licensing proposal doesn’t put safety first
The Government’s proposal to change driver licensing rules is a mixed bag of sensible and careless. ...6 days ago
- Release: Students struggling as Govt sits on hands
The Government is continuing to sit on its hands as students struggle to pay rent due to delays with StudyLink. ...1 week ago
- Release: More must be done to stop children going hungry
More children are going hungry and statistics showing children in material hardship continue to get worse. ...1 week ago
- Greens continue to call for Pacific Visa Waiver
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...1 week ago - More children going hungry under Coalition govt
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...1 week ago
- Release: Longer wait for treatment under National
New Zealanders have waited longer to get an appointment with a specialist and to get elective surgery under the National Government. ...1 week ago
- Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins speech: Treaty Principles Bill second reading
Normally, when I rise in this House to speak on a bill, I say it's a great privilege to speak on the bill. That is not the case today. ...1 week ago
- Release: End to the Treaty Principles Bill, but challenges remain ahead for Aotearoa
Ka mate te pire I te rā neiThe bill dies today ...1 week ago
- Ka mate te Pire, ka ora Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty Principles Bill dead, Te Tiriti o Waitangi m...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...1 week ago
- Member’s Bill an opportunity for climate action
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Bill to make trading laws fairer passes first hurdle
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Reserve Bank acts while Govt shrugs
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Property Law Amendment Bill pulled from ballot
A Bill to protect first home buyers and others from bad faith property vendors has been drawn from the Member’s Ballot. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More children at risk of losing family connections
Karen Chhour is proposing to scrap Oranga Tamariki targets which aim to connect more children under state care with family and their culture. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker made a difference – Hipkins
The Labour Leader today acknowledged and celebrated David Parker’s 23-year contribution to the Labour Party and to Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker to step down from Parliament
Long-serving Labour MP and former Minister David Parker has today announced his intention to leave Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Flaws in Govt’s climate strategy will cost us money
The Government’s plan to achieve our climate goals falls short, and will cost New Zealanders money and jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill
Read the Green Party's differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill, prepared by Tamatha Paul. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori Urges Governor-General to Block Repeal of 7AA
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Abortion care quietly shelved amid staff shortage
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt guts Kāinga Ora, third of workforce under axe
The gutting of Kāinga Ora shows public housing is not a priority for this Government as it removes a third of the roles at the housing agency. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Thousands of submissions excluded from Treaty Principles Bill report
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uncertainty remains over the impact of tariffs
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Worst February for building consents in over a decade
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports Willie Apiata’s selfless act
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...3 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt health and safety changes put workers at risk
Changes to New Zealand’s health and safety laws will strip back key protections for small businesses and put working Kiwis at greater risk. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Kiwis worse off this April thanks to Govt choices
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Three more years for Interislander ferries
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Myanmar junta must stop the airstrikes
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National failing to deliver on supermarkets
National is paying lip service to its promises to bring down the cost of living, failing to make any meaningful change in the grocery sector. ...3 weeks ago
No feed items found.
- Palestinian solidarity vigil at Easter in NZ as Israeli bombing rages in Gaza
Asia Pacific Report Peaceful protesters in Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest city Auckland held an Easter prayer vigil honouring Palestinian political prisoners and the sacrifice of thousands of innocent lives as relentless Israeli bombing of displaced Gazans in tents killed at least 92 people in two days. Organisers of the rally ...3 hours ago - Labour’s Chris Hipkins stands by initial Covid response, but admits mistakes were made
Labour's Chris Hipkins shares on a podcast his thoughts on the government's Covid response and his journey as a politician. ...7 hours ago - Did Australia back the wrong war in the 1960s? Now Putin’s Russia is knocking on the door
ANALYSIS: By Ben Bohane This week Cambodia marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh to the murderous Khmer Rouge, and Vietnam celebrates the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces in April 1975. They are being commemorated very differently; after all, there’s nothing to celebrate in Cambodia. ...7 hours ago
- Trump executive orders roll back ocean fisheries protections in Pacific
By Gujari Singh in Washington The Trump administration has issued a new executive order opening up vast swathes of protected ocean to commercial exploitation, including areas within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. It allows commercial fishing in areas long considered off-limits due to their ecological significance — despite ...8 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 19, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 19, 2025. Google loses online ad monopoly case. But it’s just one of many antitrust battles against big techSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior Research Associate in Media and Communications, University ...14 hours ago
- Battlefield Remains Unearthed By Wildfires In Gallipoli Covered Over By Kiwi Team
New Zealand commemoration lead John McLeod said a small team, including members of the NZDF and the NZ Embassy, assisted in the covering up of remains that were exposed. ...15 hours ago - Four-Year Term Referendum Must Include Local Government
This Bill is a great opportunity to improve our system of government across all levels. Let’s make sure we get it right and give the public a say on a simple and enduring solution. ...15 hours ago
- Google loses online ad monopoly case. But it’s just one of many antitrust battles against big tech
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior Research Associate in Media and Communications, University of Sydney Tech giant Google has just suffered another legal blow in the United States, losing a landmark antitrust case. This follows on from the company’s loss in a similar case last ...18 hours ago
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to talk trade and defence with UK prime minister Keir Starmer
Christopher Luxon will meet with King Charles and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. ...22 hours ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Paddy and Amanda
Paddy GowerAmanda Luxon. I mean what can you say. Easter is a good time to publish my latest reckons at Stuff because without exaggeration or making too much of things, Amanda Luxon walks among us like Jesus but probably with better shoes.Jesus healed. How good is that? It’s really good, ...23 hours ago - Short story: The new man, by Owen Marshall
How can an afternoon be long when it starts at one o’clock and finishes at half past three? Beauden thought about that as he stood at the back of the classroom and looked through the large window to the upper grounds where his colleague Monty Spiers was taking a phys ed ...23 hours ago
- Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with The Artist’s Way?
Alex Casey delves into the enduring success of The Artist’s Way, a self-help book beloved by everyone from retirees to famous rappers. On the video call, my mum is gesticulating so wildly while recounting all her recent creative endeavours that she knocks her cup of tea over a work-in-progress jigsaw ...24 hours ago - Is this the great New Zealand dessert?
Feijoa scholar Kate Evans reviews the dish everybody raves about at Metro’s 2024 restaurant of the year, Forest. People have been telling me I need to try the deep-fried feijoa dessert at Forest for about three years now. I’m embarrassed it took me this long, but it takes a lot ...24 hours ago
- ‘That’s not really who I am’: Colin Fassnidge on playing the MKR villain
Chef, author and reality television judge Colin Fassnidge takes us through his life in television. Colin Fassnidge is a huge television fan. He watches every blockbuster TV series the moment it drops and scores every single show on his Instagram account. It’s a habit that recently caught the attention of ...24 hours ago
- The legal loophole that allows certain streets to trade on Easter
Why are shops on Parnell Road allowed to open on Easter Sunday? It’s all thanks to an obsolete rule from the 1970s that’s been ‘frozen in time’. Originally published in 2023. Under our current trading laws, most stores are required to stay closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday (along ...24 hours ago
- Recipe: Ima’s hot cross buns
Yael Shochat, chef-owner of Auckland restaurant Ima Cuisine, shares the recipe for her hot cross buns – regularly voted among the best in the city. Originally published in 2019. HOT CROSS BUNS Makes 12 You may use equal weights of pre-ground spices, but you’ll get a much better flavour if ...24 hours ago
- End finally in sight for swimmer’s 38-year challenge
Gràinne Moss knows she can’t tackle the final leg of one of the world’s toughest swimming challenges alone.In her quest to complete the Oceans Seven marathon challenge, 38 years after she began, she’s enlisted the help of two remarkable women – one barely out of her teens, and the other ...24 hours ago
- What was HMNZS Manawanui doing before it sank? Calls for greater transparency
By Susana Leiataua, RNZ National presenter There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October — including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Manawanui grounded on the reef off ...1 day ago
- Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but it’s barely ahead in Freshwater
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor increased its lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put the party ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers ...1 day ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 18, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 18, 2025. Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but they’re barely ahead in FreshwaterSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $30) Haymitch’s Hunger Games. 2 Careless People: A ...2 days ago
- Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but they’re barely ahead in Freshwater
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor increased their lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put them ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers the ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘How to Make a Terrorist’ by Tusiata Avia
A new poem by Tusiata Avia. How to make a terrorist First make a whistling sound which is the sound of a bomb just before it lands on a house. Then make an exploding sound which is the sound of the bomb which kills a father, decapitates a mother, roasts ...2 days ago
- Compulsory consent education proposed for schools
More than three quarters of recent school leavers said they didn't learn enough about consent. ...2 days ago
- Energy and shipping decisions needed before meatworks – Chatham Islands mayor
Monique Croon says energy and shipping decisions are needed before a meatworks supported by the government can proceed. ...2 days ago
- Watch live: the 2025 NZ Scrabble Masters
The top-rated Scrabble players in the country go head-to-head this Easter weekend. Watch games live from 9.30am on the stream below. How does it all work? The Masters is different to most Scrabble tournaments in that it’s invitational, open only to the top-rated players in the country. The ...2 days ago
- Film adaptations of Jane Austen novels ranked from worst to best
Books editor Claire Mabey appraises all the Austen-adapted films from 1990 onwards to separate the delightful from the duds. For the purists, read our ranking of Jane Austen’s novels here. It is a truth universally acknowledged that not everything is created equal. Since 1990 there have been 12 attempts to ...2 days ago
- Table Service: Margot is the very definition of hospitality
To arrive through the heavy red door of Margot in Newtown is to be invited to the best dinner party in town, hosted by the best friends you haven’t yet made. Table Service is a column about food and hospitality in Wellington, written by Nick Iles. Hospitality is a term ...2 days ago
- Bestselling books at Easter
NONFICTION1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)A free copy of the author’s new memoir was up for grabs in last week’s giveaway contest. Readers were asked to share their feelings about Mau, a former broadcaster and one of the most powerful figures in the New Zealand #metoo ...2 days ago
- Rather than ‘de-extincting’ species, let’s save the species we have
Analysis: The announcement last week that Colossal Biosciences in the USA had “de-extincted” the dire wolf, which was last seen 13,000 years ago, was reported worldwide.The three wolf pups generated equal parts fascination and widespread scientific criticism. But is this actually de-extinction, and what are the implications for the potential ...2 days ago
- The best TV shows to binge this Easter
We recommend the best – and longest – television series to watch this holiday weekend. As the Easter holiday weekend descends and the weather turns a little grim, many of us will turn to the trusty old television for comfort and entertainment. If you’re lucky, you’ll have some time over ...2 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 18 April
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 18 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 18 April
The post Daily crossword, Friday 18 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Why Kinshasa keeps flooding – and why it’s not just about the rain
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gode Bola, Lecturer in Hydrology, University of Kinshasa The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in ...2 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Peter Dutton’s tax indexation ‘aspiration’ has merit – so why didn’t we...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big “aspirational” commitment at the back end of this campaign. He says he wants to see a move to indexing personal income ...2 days ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Barbecued Hamburgers and Churchill’s Bestie
Essay by Keith Rankin. Operation Gomorrah may have been the most cynical event of World War Two (WW2). Not only did the name fully convey the intent of the war crimes about to be committed, it, also represented the single biggest 24-hour murder toll for the European war that I ...2 days ago
- Public toilets could be the jewels in our cities’ crowns – if only governments would listen
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously ...2 days ago
- Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists
Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360info ANALYSIS: By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure ...2 days ago
- Why do scientists want to spend billions on a 70-year project in an enormous tunnel under the Swiss ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Charles, Accelerator Physicist, Monash University An artist’s impression of the tunnel of the proposed Future Circular Collider. CERN The Large Hadron Collider has been responsible for astounding advances in physics: the discovery of the elusive, long-sought Higgs boson as well as ...2 days ago
- Could you accidentally sign a contract by texting an emoji? Here’s what the law says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McKay, Professor in Business Law, University of South Australia Parkova/Shutterstock Could someone take you to court over an agreement you made – or at least appeared to make – by sending a “👍”? Emojis can have more legal weight ...2 days ago
This Australian comedy sketch sums it up nicely "Under this proposal we will spend $30 billion a year to protect our trading routes with China … from China. And that doesn't strike any at this table as odd?"
Beat me to it.
A more succinct summary of Keating’s interview about the submarines where he points out of the 3 partners billions are flowing out of Australia to the US and the UK.
You are with U.S. or agin U.S…..and despite the China trade we believe its more beneficial to be with them….who knows what is discussed in the darkened rooms.
Andrew Little said:
What he says is the truth. That is exactly how it stands. But it doesn't necessarily mean we will be sending military personnel and equipment to fight in the conflict. We may do a Helen Clark and instead send troops and medical personnel to help clean up the resultant mess.
It will be dependent on the outcome of the election. A NAct govt. will be in boots n’ all but Lab/Green will surely be far more nuanced than that.
"There are only two countries which could physically coerce New Zealand – Australia and the US."
The only country to have coerced Australia in the last three years was China through a high impact trade embargo on iron ore, coal, wine, barley, beef, cotton, lamb, timber.
New Zealand's vulnerability to trade with China is even greater than Australia's.
Romeo and Juliet's line "my only love is my only hate" applies because our only trade risk is also our only military risk.
That is a quandary entirely of our own making that Little is quite rightly preparing us to deal with.
To be clear, Tim Beale is a fucking idiot.
Beale presents a balanced and reasonable assessment imo.
Your case is very weak .Picking a 3 year window and a U.S inspired tit for tat sanction action by China re Aussie imports is not compelling.
The U.S and Australia are lockstep in foreign policy.
I'm sure you're aware of the sanctions the U.S imposed on NZ re nuclear warships and their relative indifference to the french regarding the Rainbow Warrior terrorism.
Former aussie P.M Keating put the so called China threat in perspective.
U.S influence is waning all around the world and the future belongs to the BRICS.
The writer proposes that Australia and the United States are internal threats to New Zealand. No evidence.
Go right ahead and name a naval+intelligence alliance other than the US that can assure our trade will get through to Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam when as they promise China invades Taiwan. It was that same US navy that defended our trade through WW2, the Korean war, the Malay Emergency, the Indonesian civil war, and the Vietnam War when threat to our trade was quite real.
New Zealand has successfully relied on the US-led Bretton Woods security-for-trade arrangement since before World War 2, and we continue to do so. 60 years ago that didn't matter when most of our trade went to the UK. Now, when about 80% of our trade goes to China, Australia, Japan, Korea, security of trade into Asia is paramount.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/-/media/2d8c1d99514049ae85778554a22ef821.ashx?sc_lang=en
The US actions against New Zealand for its nuclear-free ships policy solely limited military exercises with us. Not trade. Military relationships were re-established nearly 2 decades ago.
France is not in question in a US military alliance, obviously.
If you think US influence is waning, ask the Ukrainians or any European country, or China, or anyone who trades with us. The US is the only reason we have had a multilateral order that has enabled our trade and hence our country to flourish for the last 80 years.
Yet
You are pointing to a huge trade and military threat instigated by China against Taiwan. I agree.
No doubt Biden is having to work overtime to repair Trump's damage to the world system of trade. But Biden is trying to do something harder: replace the old paradigms of globalisation with a worker-centred trade policy that raises wages and taxes on multinationals right across the world.
The old institutional confidence post WW2 will never return, and there will be a heavier leaning on the US to sustain what is left of that old order. That's because no other country is replacing either the US dollar or the US economy or the US market command or the US military and diplomatic strength any time soon.
You seem to attribute some altruism re U.S foreign policy where none exists.
Every single year the U.S is viewed as the biggest threat to world peace.
Who is the biggest threat to world peace? – BBC News
'to be an enemy of the United States is dangerous,to be a friend is..fatal'-Henry K.
Has China invaded any countries since WW2,bombed anyone back to the Stone Age,made economies 'scream'?
The U.S protect their own strategic business interests ,ignore international opinion and will have to contend with a majority of the worlds population determined to be free of their military and economic interference.
No what the United States did after WW2 was this deal:
Come under a US-led military umbrella formally or informally, and the US will pay for securing trade among all participating markets which will make those participants rich – including US companies.
It worked quite well to protect us from communism, worked quite well to protect us from the collapse of communism, and is now still working sufficiently well to protect us from the global consequences of regional wars.
NZ has done exceptionally well out of that arrangement. No other country offered it and for the foreseeable future never will.
Yes we were on the winning side in WW2.
Not sure we needed protecting from Communism.
There's always a bogeyman to protect' us from.Red devils,muslim terrorists,etc.
U.S military might alone,expanding U.S business interests and bullying any opposition gave us uni polar world.
Why do you think the BRICS are moving away from this 'benevolent' empire?
If you still want a 'soviet' state, move to China. But everyone's moving the other way.
The unipolar world is the one that gave New Zealand the modicum of success it has. The US can live without the thanks of the hard left.
The BRICS are moving nowhere, are achieving nothing, and never will.
We've picked a side, same one we've had for 100 years, and it's working fine for us.
Never been to Disneyland…I'm sure I don't know what I'm missing.
Yes we've picked a side…they do speak english.All good.
"Has China invaded any countries since WW2"
Tibet. It's had a go or two at India as well.
It is unreasonable to suggest that because The USA has provided security for NZ since WWII that it will always do so and should always do so. The British empire did so before and then it collapsed. History is full of examples when the most powerful of a group of allies turned on its smaller allies after the war was over and circumstances changed. Athens did it to the other Hellenic states after the Persian invasion and The British empire did it to the American colonies after the Seven Years /French & Indian wars.
To say that NZ's security must be permanently provided by Washington is to say that NZ must permanently be a vassal state of Washington.
There has been a lot of talk recently that the NZ economy is too dependent on China and as such has become vulnerable to undue influence from Beijing. It's an interesting argument with some merit to it. However, defense and culture are just as important as the economy, maybe more so. How much of our defense is dependent on Washington, and how much of our culture is downstream from Hollywood and New York city? Diversify your portfolio and you will become more resistant to a downturn in the market or a collapse in any one of your investments.
"…peaceful acceptance of multipolarity"
The 'multipolar' term sounds lovely, but is used as doublespeak to encourage acceptance and normalisation of brutal authoritarians, police states, dictators and warmongering imperialists, IMHO.
Regional hegemon post western international order – purportedly "democratic and human rights" based. But often based on a global market capitalism/anti-socialist agenda.
A more constructive term would be diplomatic engagement with “non western actors”, rather than appeasement or confrontation.
Yes.
Agree the West's interest in human rights etc is extremely limited. But that doesn't make me like fascism etc, as an alternative.
I think the presumption made by the Singaporean cited, that China (falling below billion people) will supersede the USA as the largest economy is questionable.
It seems more likely an economic equivalence between USA, EU, China and India.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202307/1294857.shtml
He might also be underestimating the military side to it – given global warming and resource competition. Here Russia, Turkey, Israel, Iran and Japan are more important.
Reports of US decline are so 2016.
US manages to be energy and food production independent of rest of world, and at the same time retains:
– global currency of choice
– highest degree of innovation in the world
– strongest diplomatic influence in the world
– strongest military in the world, and strongest and longest military alliances in the world
– strongest cultural influences and media and social media power in the world
– largest economy in the world
– largest institutional influence over World Bank, UN, UNDP, and IMF
Hey check out all that Indian and Chinese assistance to Ukraine.
– global currency of little choice,thanks to the petro dollar…..in serial decline
– highest degree of incarcerating its citizens in the world
– most invasions of sovereign nations of any country
– biggest military expenditure in the world,with over 800 bases globally to enforce their doctrine.
– spread mass consumerism around the world and a debt based ,private banker ,crony capitalist diktat.
– largest economy in the world,at the expense of environmental vandalism,and the pillage and plunder of developing nations resources
– largest institutional influence over World Bank, UN, UNDP, and IMF…completely ignore international conventions when it suits…weaponise their domination of Swift,IMF,B.I.S
-is the biggest threat to world peace
-has crazy gunlaws where there are mass shootings every week
-experiencing an explosion of homelessness and a gaping chasm of inequality
-despised all over the world for hipocracy and regime change interference
-has carpet bombed so many countries there is a huge worldwide refugee problem
-has unpayable debt of ludicrous trillions that it inflates away
-is one of the most corrupt countries in the world with bought and paid for politicians.
-elects embarrassing presidents ,that are a laughing stock
I could go on all night.
It's a disgrace that when there is so much unmet need in NZ re housing, health, education, etc. Labour boasts about the billions of extra dollars it's poured into defence spending. Spending on defence is the biggest example of wasted government spending – it produces nothing of value to the non military world. Our Nurses & Teachers had to strike to get reasonable wage rises & prevent resignations yet without asking, Little offers extra pay & bonuses to a bunch of soldiers, sailors & airmen whose only job is to kill people. His rationale is that otherwise they'd leave the armed forces – who care? Let them leave.
The Australian skit summed up the stupidity of our position – our biggest trading partner is China, but we need to spend billions to help our allies 'contain' China. If China retaliates & reduces its imports of our products, are our 'allies' going to step in & buy more of our product? Don't hold your breath.
Leftists have always had a problem with defense spending as if pacifism is some sort of viable long-term plan and that a military is some sort of optional luxury. I think it was Machiavelli who said that a state without an army is like a palace without a roof, sooner or later the rains will come, and all your beautiful things will be destroyed.
New Zealand history short though it is gives us some good examples of this. The Moriori of the Chathams had a good run with pacifism before they got slaughtered enslaved and eaten and the harbor forts that Tim Beal doesn't seem to approve of worked perfectly well. A guard dog doesn't have to bite a burglar to earn his meat and biscuits, they just have to keep them out of the house.
The biggest threat to NZ I would think is imported right wing American (including prosperity) Christianity along with Russian propaganda pushing the same.
Certainly they wish to influence our political system and have done for some time.