On its last voyage the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the entire population of Rongelap. Cancers, birth defects, and genetic damage had ripped through the population after US above-ground nuclear explosions.
A few things I will be heading to over the coming 5 days in Auckland. A documentary on climate change on pacific islands. Phil Goff on foreign affairs. And the Inaugural Keith Locke Memorial Debate. Moot is “China is a threat to regional peace”. I kind of got caught up in each of these for one reason or another…
ANZAC Day.
Never Again.
Jacinda Ardern is “gravely concerned.” Peeni Henare was ‘”caught off-guard.”. Barnaby Joyce feels “intimidated.” Solomon Islands PM Sogavare found it “insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs.” I think he is right.
With the last flights coming out of Kabul, it’s time to review whether this US attitude to the world is a good idea.
Fresh from a claim that the Ministry of Education is trying to persuade kids not to eat home made lunches, David Seymour has taken aim at a new target, a radical education policy that intends to teach our kids about racism and inequality and what has happened in the country’s past.
In its new integrated defence and foreign policy strategy, Britain intends to raise its nuclear warheads on Trident from 180 to 240. What a waste. It also intends to “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific, sending the New HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier here later in the year to give a message to China. It should read its history.
The Trump administration has declared war on China, and there is much speculation in the punditry as to whether or not this is a new Cold War similar to that waged post World War 2 against Russia. In my opinion, the 19th century Opium Wars may offer a more appropriate analogy, albeit with a likely different outcome.
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
Winston Peters went to Washington last December to see US VP Mike Pence and invited the US to engage more in the South-West Pacific without informing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Patrick Smellie described this apparent oversight as “deeply worrying.” Even more worrying is what Peters said when he was there.
I’m not a great fan of George Monbiot. And Alex Jones is rubbish. But …
Southern and Molyneux are coming to New Zealand to exercise their freedom of speech by insulting diverse cultures and attacking multiculturalism.
Some things that President Trump won’t do as when meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.
In spite of all the sharp intakes of breathe going on across media outlets, there will be no war between Iran and Israel. Here’s why.
2018 marks several anniversaries of Karl Marx whose significance for the critique of capitalist society is hard to diminish. But what now for his beliefs?
I am inclined to believe that there are at least some New Zealanders who are as “racist as fuck”.
I suspect I’m in the same boat as most when I say my knowledge of Zimbabwe is neither broad nor particularly deep. But anyway. Here’s some initial thoughts on current developments.
Despite expectations to the contrary Robert Mugabe has refused to resign as leader of Zimbabwe.
One of our key political challenges now is to broaden the understanding of what matters.
America is experiencing difficulties because of the celebration by the right of statutes of their racist heroes. Why does New Zealand not have this problem?
“Here’s a new idea for the Tories: Why not ask a simple question every time you propose a course of action: Is this morally just?”
Walking back the last 5 plus years of escalating military, economic and diplomatic proxy war between Russia and the United States will be difficult. But it has to be done.
The Standing Rock water protection movement continues in the face of increasing state violence.
Hillary Clinton’s no-fly zone policy for Syria as declared in the second presidential election means air war with Russia.
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity advise Obama that the best way to get out of the dangerously escalating hawkish jam that parts of his government have put him in is to meet directly with Putin.
When highly educated people end up being idiots, and uneducated people end up being smarter.
Julian Assange is a true hero, says Jill Stein unequivocally, along with other whistleblowers who have had the audacity to challenge the status quo establishment.
The Canary: independent UK news media successfully using a democratic, socialist model. And succeeding within the highly commercial world of the MSM.
The major powers are ramping up the stakes in Syria in a big way.
658 deaths due to terrorism in Europe and the Americas. 28,031 terrorism deaths in the Middle East and rest of the world.
The attempted military coup appears to have been quickly and effectively put down by pro-Erdogan forces.
Jeremy Corbyn’s full response to the Chilcot response. Corbyn says that the Iraq war “was an act of military aggression launched on a false pretext” and that he apologises for it on behalf of Labour, who was in Government at the time.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and London voted to stay in the EU. Every other region voted BREXIT. The Midlands and Yorkshire overwhelmingly so.
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke
Last week, Andrew Little gave Phil Goff permission to vote with National for the TPP. Bryan Bruce asks if it is time for all MPs to be given a conscience vote on the TPP.
When a corporation launders its earnings in a tax haven, it is completely upfront about where the money came from and who it belongs to, which differentiates the activity from “money laundering.”
