Elizabeth Warren and Foreign Policy
An analysis of recent public comments made by Elizabeth Warren and the possible implications for New Zealand of a Warren Presidency.
politicans
Donald Trump
Political punditry in 2019
The media has recently reviewed its predictions from last year and made a few new ones. How did it go? And what is going to happen in the next 12 months?
Trump’s smocking gun
This week in America former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen admitted electoral finance violations by using campaign money to pay off two hookers to stop them going public during the last election campaign with news about Trump’s infidelity. And Russian national Maria Butina was convicted of conspiring to infiltrate the NRA.
US turnout – the single advantage of having a stupid elected monarch
The voter turnout in the US mid-terms was the highest that it has been in a hundred years. For the first time that I think Donald Trump, the elected monarch of the strangest “democracy” on the planet actually achieved more than boasting and meaningless hand-waving. Of course that appears to have been an unwelcome accident to him.
The dinosaurs are clinging on
The Trump administration has produced an official report outlining the perils of climate change which the POTUS has rejected. And in Australia the dinosaur Liberal Party has suffered a huge loss in Victorian State elections, the loss of their Parliamentary majority and ScoMo has criticised school students taking direct action against the Government’s totally inadequate policies.
America First!
Actual press release from the Trump White House.
Has Julian Assange been charged?
In breaking news it appears that the reason for Donald Trump’s grumpiness may have been the impending release of news that Julian Assange has had charges laid against him.
14 Million Yemenis and a Diplomatic Nightmare
In Yemen right now, children are living in the worst humanitarian crisis we have seen in the last 100 years.
Rude ‘n Terrible?
Trump’s…I don’t actually have words for this little escapade.
Jeff Sessions resigns as Attorney General
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has resigned at the President’s request and has been replaced by someone who thought that Mueller’s investigation into POTUS went too far.
Why this mid term result?
What can we take from the US mid term election results?
The United States mid term elections
The US mid term election results are due out today and should start to appear after 12 pm NZT.
Morongate
In America a young 20 year old Trump supporter has been branded with the hashtag morongate for the most inept dark op smear you could ever imagine happening.
Brazil turns right
Brazil has elected as its next President a 63-year-old former paratrooper who built his campaign around pledges to crush corruption, crime and a supposed communist threat.
Democracy and peace in the USA
In the land of the free and the brave there is news of voting machines changing votes from Democrat to Republican candidates, mass stripping of voting rights and closing of voting booths in Democrat areas, and right wing extreme violence caused by escalating rhetoric from the POTUS.
Saudi Arabia Admits Killing Khashoggi
Saudi Arabia sensationally fesses up to killing missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But it was all his own fault, apparently.
Shake It Up, Taylor Swift, Shake It Up
There is a long a proud history of musicians adding their weight to the Democratic cause in the United States, but Taylor Swift’s recent action is about as on-message as you can get.
At least Labour wants to save the planet
The Government is consulting on changes to the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Bill to prevent further offshore drilling permits being issued. Locally the right are saying it will make things worse. And in the US of A the Trump administration has conceded that out of control climate change is inevitable.
It’s America Again
It would fit the karma of a leftie universe if the United States was now suffering from its political choices. But it’s the reverse: the United States economy is roaring and President Trump is starting to be rewarded for delivering what he promised.
Meanwhile in America …
America has had an interesting week with Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court all but confirmed, Donald Trump’s finances being the subject of an intensive review by the New York Times and Trump being filmed boarding Air Force One with a piece of toilet paper stuck to his shoe.
Trump laughed at for waving his toad at UN
What can one say about Trump’s daft bragging at the UN, that raised a chorus of laughter at what he was saying. Clearly his toad is out of control.
The War on Drugz
Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand will not sign up to Donald Trump’s global call to action on drugs. Will Simon Bridges do the responsible thing and agree with her that the announcement is a misplaced attempt to continue the currently failing approach to drugs?
Tilting at Windmills
The Donald found a real one!
US Mid Terms; Obama Enters the Ring
America gets ready to rumble in the November mid terms, as Barack Obama enters the ring. At stake is control of both houses and the fate of the Trump presidency.
The Trump New York Times Op ed
Donald Trump thinks that the anonymous opinion writer in the New York times may have committed an act of treason. Others think that this is an act of loyalty to the country.
Worst campaign video ever?
Repbulican Ron Desantis has released what may be the worst campaign video ever.
Business confidence verses business certainty
Lately the news has been all doom and gloom about business confidence. But what is the reality? And should we worry what an Australian Bank is telling us?
Manafort convicted and Cohen takes deal
In Trump’s America Paul Manafort has been convicted on eight counts and Michael Cohen has entered into a deal with prosecutors admitting campaign finance breaches at the behest of “the candidate”.
Is Tova O’Brien really a closet leftie?
Matthew Hooton has claimed that Tova O’Brien is an extreme left-wing, anti-National Party journalist intent in bringing Simon Bridges down. Hyperbole much?
United Sanctions of America
The US State department has announced sanctions on Russia for the use of Novichok nerve agent. The ruble has plunged, the Russians are furious and Donald Trump is saying … nothing.
Wanna know why?
Should we defend global institutions?
With the world facing environmental, economic and social crises now more than ever before is a time for strong international institutions.
The Pied Piper
If we’re living in a global village, is the name of the village Hamelin?
World peace may be needed to deal with climate change
Imagine what we could do about climate change if there were no wars.
Brexiting the EU
In the United Kingdom Theresa May is facing a confidence threatening Brexit crisis, the organisers of the Vote Leave campaign are facing prosecution, and an opinion poll suggests that a significant proportion of the electorate are willing to shift right to achieve a hard Brexit.
What is eating Mike Hosking?
Mike Hosking appears to have entered into a particularly dark time.
Trumputin
Donald Trump has directly contradicted the collective decision of the United States Security agencies by denying that there was Russian involvement in the last US general election.