The world in 6 months
In six months time the world could be in a very precarious position.
Politics
Deep stuff
Remarkably Hopeful
We will probably never get over the feeling that somehow, if enough people just banded together, it would all get better again, like we did when the United Nations charter was struck.
Why the Wellington protestors are wrong
The Wellington protest has exceeded any moral mandate to protest.
They Are Us
The people camping outside Parliament are also us.
We are better than this
Trying to remember the numbers of protestors in Wellington are small in number compared to the rest of us
100 Things We’ve Lost
Over the past two years we have lost so many things that are not coming back.
The right to protest
Complaints that the police are unnecessarily interfering with the Wellington Convoy’s right to protest appear to be vastly overstated.
Chloe Swarbrick Needs A Reset
Chloe Swarbrick has requested that the government help Auckland central’s restaurants. But in a post Covid pre climate change world this is not going to help.
What Do We Keep?
The things we don’t regret keeping are a strong measure of what we don’t value. COVID’s 2 year anniversary asks us this simply through what events we commemorate.
Going cold turkey on Spotify
Neil Young’s decision to withdraw his music from Spotify because of its insistence on highlighting self declared idiot Joe Rogan has seen a number of people either cancelling their subscriptions or considering alternatives.
Weird stuff Jacinda Ardern has been accused of
It appears that social media allegations against Jacinda Ardern are becoming more and more extreme.
The problem with middle of the road politicians
Joe Biden is struggling to get his agenda passed by the American Legislature. Because of two Senators, one with significant coal interests and the other Senator more willing to protect the rights of a minority of Senators to hold up legislation than the rights of a minority of Americans to vote.
Let’s help Tonga
In 2010 the poor but proud Island Nation raised $705,000 to donate to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund. If New Zealanders were to reciprocate their generosity we would donate over $30 million. It is time for us to return the favour.
The Department of Earthly Gifts
Where western minds are busy arguing if indigenous knowledge is science, botanist and first nations woman Robin Wall Kimmerer exemplifies how to do both at the same time.
Unwanted guests?
When I heard US Secretary of State Blinken’s take-away line from his D.C. press conference on RNZ’s news bulletin today on events in Kazakhstan ‘I think one lesson in recent history is that once Russians are in your house, it’s sometimes very difficult to get them to leave’ I wondered what the Iraqis would think.
Book Review Helen Kelly: her life
The Helen Kelly biography by Rebacca Macfie provides a clear and intense overview of what has happened to New Zealand society over the past 40 years from a time of high union membership and equality to now where unions struggle and inequality is significant.
On the death of Joan Didion
We need to remember Joan Didion, who died December 23rd, as perhaps the best defensive pessimist we’ve ever had. She nailed the feet […]
Die Hard is a Christmas movie
Here at the Standard we choose to debate the important issues of the day. What needs to be done about climate change, how the Country’s covid response is going (remarkably well and don’t believe the naysayers), and which National faction is leaking and undermining which leader. But there is one debate that is currently raging that has until now not been addressed …
No One Cares
I had reason to visit Waitara in Taranaki recently, and I don’t want to sound like there’s a different world still operating … […]
Fonterra’s Capital Restructure
Fonterra is in the middle of a big restructure of its capital. It is still the case given its dominance over us that where Milk Supertanker Fonterra goes, we go.
In December 2022 We Will Be …
A year ago we were preparing for the America’s Cup and threading our way through the latest crisis quite well. What will we be planning next year?
Time for Auckland to go back to level four?
With daily Covid infection rates in Tamaki Makaurau increasing it may be time for the Government to consider a short sharp lockdown to try and arrest this increase and to let vaccination rates improve.
China and Real Estate Developers
Speaking of contagion, China is dealing with an outbreak of real estate market ebola.
Highway to the Danger Zone
I never thought I would see the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of the United States military essentially being a witness against the previous President of the United States. Yet here we are.
Germany Votes: Where To Now
Germany is up for Federal election tomorrow and it’s pretty important for the stability of the European Union.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori
Te Wiki o Te Reu Māori is coming to a close. The past week’s events highlight the resurgence of and dependance on Te […]
We are stuck
New Zealand has one of the most concentrated and oligopolistic economies in the world, and also one of the least commercially protected societies. […]
When We Needed Electricity, it Was Shut Off
Minister Woods and Prime Minister Ardern have been reduced to asking a series of questions about why Transpower got major electricity providers to drastically cut power last night.
Our modern Olympics
The Olympics is an opera that runs on one orchestrated symbol after another, and this Tokyo Olympics is a superabundant tragedy.
Why we debate
Explorations in debate culture, how to argue well, and what we do on The Standard.
The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill
Why the proposed changes to the law relating to gender identification is not such a bad thing. The law allowing this has been in place since 1995, but the process is confusing, intimidating, and time-consuming.
America’s Democratic Decline Really Matters
With the United States Supreme Court allowing individual states to choke voting rights into bare consciousness, that country is accelerating its democratic decline. That matters for every democracy including ours.
Make the film and be damned
A company wants to make a film about the Christchurch mosque massacre on 15 March 2019. Maybe it should do.
The America’s Cup is just another spinoff
We need less presumed hold over Team New Zealand, and more encouragement of more spinoff businesses that make their way in the world.
RIP Don Clark
A guest post about West Auckland Labour stalwart Don Clark who died recently.
The Non-Partisan Populism of Popper’s Paradox
When democracy and free speech are hijacked to silence others, they can no longer support their principles and become a contradictio in terminis.