It Begins
International
us politics
The CIA files on NZ
The release online of a trove of declassified CIA documents includes several pertaining to NZ. The Herald’s David Fisher has given us a fine summary.
Obama orders early release of Chelsea Manning
In breaking news: Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence.
Women to protest Trump’s inauguration
Various events are planned in protest around Trump’s inauguration. One of them is a series of marches organised by and for women. There are (at time of writing) 386 marches organised world wide, including in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
The Trump Dossier
Buzzfeed’s release of the Dossier suggesting that Russia has considerable leverage over Donald Trump has caused ructions the effects of which will be felt for months.
Obama’s last speech
Tired of jokes about Trump and golden showers? Want to read a real political speech? Well here is the text to Barak Obama’s last political speech as POTUS.
The great Taxpayers Union fraud and corruption discovery
The Taxpayer’s Union has shown a concerning inability to comprehend in its criticism of MFAT for supporting an aid initiative to address malnutrition in Africa.
The CIA Director confirmation hearings
Mike Pompey is Donald Trump’s chosen head for the CIA. He is someone who believes in the mass collection of all metadata and combining it with all publicly available information. Are we going to see the unprecedented destruction of rights of privacy?
Spy vs Spy
It is MAD. In the frenzy leading up to Trump’s inauguration, we have the extraordinary spectacle of the CIA interfering in the US election by accusing the Russians of interfering in the same election. The CIA used only to interfere in other people’s elections. On the serious side this intervention means the war party hasn’t given up yet, no matter what Trump may say.
Changes in the United States
The implications for the world of Donald Trump’s forthcoming ascendancy to the office of President of the United States.
Hacking Schmacking
In all seriousness. Apparently.
Obama’s last days
Barak Obama is using the last few days of his presidency to do some quite radical stuff.
Israel threatens sanctions against New Zealand
Israel has responded to New Zealand’s principled stand in seeking to uphold the rights of Palestinian citizens by threatening sanctions.
Facebook, fake news and Donald Trump’s election
Donald Trump’s success in the recent Presidential Election may have had a lot to do with very judicious use of targeted Facebook advertising and the proliferation of fake news stories.
Reason #3751 progressives should oppose Donald Trump presidency
President Donald Trump reckons that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability to make the world come to its senses regarding nukes.
Keep it in the ground
In the last days of the Obama presidency the current President is taking steps to protect the Arctic from oil drilling.
Denial in Politics
There’s a lot of it around. The Democrats and their media and spook allies are in a complete lather over Putin’s supposed personal influence in the US election. Confident of victory and its spoils up till midday on election day, the Clinton team are incapable of assessing just what a debacle of a campaign they ran, still less what they need to do now. Lessons abound.
The first Trump ripple
Donald Trump’s telephone call with the Taiwanese president has created a response which it seems clear he did not anticipate.
The great US climate scientist witch hunt
Donald Trump’s transition team have been quizzing state employees of the Department of Energy about their beliefs and activities in relation to climate change. Is a clear out of those who believe climate change is a reality possible? And why is he refusing to investigate the possibility that Russia affected the Presidential election in his favour?
Trump’s broad international challenges
Barak Obama is leaving Donald Trump a number of international crises to face. What will the Donald do and will he make America great again?
Everybody wants a recount
US President elect Donald Trump has expressed support for a widespread investigation of America’s electoral system
America’s broken democratic system
Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.
Fidel Castro has died
Fidel Castro has died aged 90.
Post-US election post
A general discussion thread about the US election.
Angela Merkel’s values
Angela Merkel has offered Donald Trump close cooperation on world issues, but with a rather important tag.
As politicians go…(II)
Two paths. One choice.
As politicians go….
Following voters in the USA adding yet another to a growing list of defeats for the radical centre….
It’s time for a different story
A post-US election space for engendering solidarity and resistance.
I’m Arab and Many of Us Are Glad That Trump Won
A challenging and provocative piece on Trump’s election victory from an Arab perspective.
An interesting time for the Republicans
Trump is going to be a figurehead, not a president, leaving governance to an unfettered Republican machine. That machine is no friend of the disenfranchised, never was, never will be. How will Trump’s base react to being betrayed?
The Trump peace dividend: opportunity for rapprochement
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.
Lessons?
What can we learn from the election of Donald J Drumpf?
Where the Democrats went wrong
The reason for the Democrats losing the recent presidential vote is contained in this video.
Trump scooped up the white vote that Democrats abandoned
Trump laid siege to the Democrat’s “Blue Wall” and they didn’t respond to or recognise his strategem until far too late.
Don’t mourn, organise
What all good progressives should be doing in these POTUS Trump days.
Margins
1 in 100 US voters switch and the polls would have been right, and we’d be talking about progressive America, destroyed Republicans and the ‘blue wall’.