Far right Canadian activist wants to come to New Zealand to insult local communities
Far right journalist Lauren Southern wants to come to New Zealand to give a speech which will no doubt insult various communities. Should we let her in?
International
US Democrats plan to start civil war today *
* according to Alex Jones on Infowars.
Mexico turns left
In Mexico a leftist Bernie Sanders like friend of Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as President in a landslide.
Petrol is going up, and up
Not all the current government’s fault, but the arrival of the fuel tax this weekend heralds a number of very sharp rises in what we have to pay in order to run a car.
And then there was….
The aftermath of Douma chemical attacks and Skripal poisonings…
Socialist candidate rolls Democrat heavyweight in primary
In a major upset the fourth ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives has lost a New York primary to a young latino woman who is a self described socialist as well as a Bernie Sanders supporter.
Full retreat
The United States Supreme Court decision to upheld Trump’s travel ban is but the latest example of bad news for international human rights we have had over recent times.
Flying Kites.
If we can’t see the wood for the trees, shouldn’t we simply step back a bit and look again?
Godwin’s flaw?
In which we discuss a number of quick hits: Trump thinks judges only exist to be bribed, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders can’t get a seat at a restaurant, and whether Godwin’s Law needs to be amended.
The Iraq War
Over the next week or two I will be doing blog posts about student politics and my time at university. Here is the first one…
Doofus of the week June 24, 2018
The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.
Immigration Now
Germany has one of the very few national-level consciences on world immigration, but that is now under threat. The Trump administration and his allies appear to be actively working to topple Germany’s Angela Merkel in favour of the hard right.
New Zealand basks in the birth of the Prime Minature
Day one of her life and New Zealand is basking in the birth of the Prime Minature.
The War on Carbon
Or a conscientious objection to any War on Climate Change, or War on Global Warming.
Children should never be used as bargaining chips
Donald Trump has announced a “backdown” of the policy of separating children of refugees from their parents at the US border. Instead they will be imprisoned with their parents potentially for extended periods of time.
Trump will be President until 2024
It’s time to see the strong possibility of a second term of Donald Trump as United States President. What would The World Look Like?
The United States is becoming a rogue state
The United States of America in its support for Israeli trashing of Palestinian rights and the withdrawal of support for the United Nations Human Rights Council as well as the mass incarceration of children of parents who have tried to enter the United States without permission is displaying concerning signs.
In defence of Eugenie Sage
Eugenie Sage has been criticised for granting OIO consent to the foreign buy out of a water bottling company and a piece of sensitive land. But from the looks of the details that have been released she may have had no choice.
This is a China Play
What was the game plan behind the Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting in Singapore yesterday?
New World Disorder.
Liberalism was meant to be the New World Order and even (so the briefly celebrated Fukiyama reckoned anyway) an End to History. Big stuff then. But it seems the placid and complacent consensus is fraying round the edges.
Donald Trump’s unusual diplomatic behaviour
Donald Trump has chosen to insult Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and buddy up to North Korean leader Kim Jon Un all in the same week.
Sonic Attack
What follows isn’t satire or parody. Apparently.
Who needs strategy?
Perhaps the idea that it’s necessary to have national objectives and realistic plans to achieve them, is overrated. Seems to be working for Trump.
Steaming cow poo.
Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth according to a Guardian headline.
Yeah. No it’s not.
Strange Democracy.
Quietly mulling on the difference between foreign interference (malign) and influence (benign).
Draining the swamp
One Nation has made an appearance in Aotearoa New Zealand, complete with all the nuttiness of its Australian counterpart, some Donald Trump insanity and some support for the hard right in the United Kingdom.
Bridges copies Bill Clinton on abortion
Simon Bridges has appropriated phrasing used by Bill Clinton in describing his position on abortion but made his personal view even more restrictive.
Autonomy.
So women in ‘half’ of an island have bodily autonomy.
Yulia wants to go home.
Oops. Was this desire meant to be in the script?
New Zealand trade negotiations with Europe
On Thursday 31 May at the University of Auckland, the Fabians are hosting Max Harris on the topic “Is it time for an independent foreign policy?” What would be the costs of a really independent foreign policy, over the benefits of salving our conscience with greater national independence? And where does Trade fit in?
What’s happening inside UK Labour.
Factional infighting within UK Labour.
Doofus of the week – May 20, 2018
Aaron Schlossberg, American Attorney and Trump Supporter, and someone who thinks people speaking Spanish to each other in a New York restaurant poses some sort of existential threat to the Union is this week’s doofus of the week.
Trump was right … and then …
Donald Trump has had a few months of being lucky with some luck Foreign Affairs wins and good economic news. But his wreckage-trail of his consequences is becoming longer and clearer.
Democratic Party thunks on Gaza
The “lesser of two evils” speaks its mind.
America’s Cares.
It must be nice to be breathing in that rarefied air that exists up beyond the reaches of here.
Sound news judgment?
The BBC thinks that depicting Jeremy Corbyn as a Russian stooge is sound news judgment.