Trump may be an idiot, but the man does what he says he’ll do. James Allen is a fan and he’s the best legally trained commentator I ever seen (no offence intended…)
But you are so right about Luxflakes. The man is proving to be both a coward & a fool. Seymour’s Bill will gain support from the public. There is a clear shift worldwide that would have come sooner but for the leftie media bias. But come it has. National will lose many votes over this. The majority of folk in NZ are decent family-focused folk. They had enough of woke BS. Rather late first my liking but at least they’re now waking up.
Thanks for your comment which is much appreciated.
The Haidt error was a result of fumble fingers and poor proofing.
I have a copy of "Coddling of the American Mind" on the shelves.
Inexcusable.
On the shift, I wonder what many workers in Auckland are going think about the exercise in performance politics crossing the Harbour Bridge this morning and delaying attendance at work, appointments etc etc.
Good question re the bridge! Not sure it’ll help their cause much at all…. And I just noticed reading Speccie this morning that it’s ’Allan’ not ‘Allen’ for the learned law professor. D-oh, glass houses and all… 😀
Thanks David. I feel that your views concur with a stream of thinking I've been picking up as Ive read through the accumulating analyses of the US election results...... and I like your tie-in with NZ. Thanks also for the references for ongoing reading. Just a couple of points I had a response to, in the description of Trump (which I think was pretty accurate): that he is a crook, and authoritarian. I've heard and read a number of comments about Americans not liking the "lawfare" that was conducted against Trump as a political weapon by the Democratically-aligned, rather than from any real desire to uphold the law. A useful piece I read on this was by a senior lawyer and legal analyst called Elie Honig in an online magazine or platform called The Intelligencer. Trump may be a crook but in this case, it was opined, Americans didn't like the law itself behaving rather crookedly against him.
As for him being authoritarian, I would say that in the past few years the increasing authoritarianism of the Left across Western democracies, including the Democrat camp in the US, has stood out significantly by contrast. Such as been the impact on Americans, which you note, that Trump's authoritarian tendencies must have appeared insignificant.
I am looking a little more closely at the NZ situation. Simon Wilson speculated on whether Trump could succeed in NZ. He is able to identify the problems but is so woke and progressive that he cannot see the answers.
Yes the authoritarians I've observed are generally from the Left..Ardern here for eg, look at Albanese over the ditch right now. Starmer...I don't see DT in that way. The lawfare was/is egregious, even some Dems conceded that like the Cuomos.
Still reading this - your observations are amazing. I think there was so much tension building up between the left and right and then Trump cooking french fries at McDonalds, and looking perfectly at home while at it, and hopping in the garbage truck which he admitted was so high he might not make it, broke the tension. He is clever and funny as well, but a loose canon. Lets hope the people who changed the direction as you described it will not allow him to do things which affect their future. Your statement of "Peters has resurrected so often he would make Christ envious" is priceless!
Thanks for your comment and glad you liked the article. I was going to use a zombie metaphor for Peters but they only leave the grave once. What I ended up with and what you find amusing sort of wrote itself. I was worried I might “offend” someone but my concern was obviously misplaced.
I mentioned that comment to a couple of friends later on this evening and their reaction was to immediately explode with laughter. I wouldn't worry about offending someone.
Even your "zombie metaphor" statement is more of the same. We need humor in this crazy world these days. I really enjoyed and learned a lot from other viewpoints you included and yours. I am still reading some of the links. I lived there for almost 30 years before moving back here; same age as Winston actually, so I watch U.S. politics very closely.
I think your comments on "reading the room" are spot on. The most surprising thing I've noticed in all the analysis about the election ( or at least that I've seen) is that all the breast-beating re Harris's defeat seems to centre on "Where did we go wrong?" with very few references to "What did Trump get right?"
Trump may be an idiot, but the man does what he says he’ll do. James Allen is a fan and he’s the best legally trained commentator I ever seen (no offence intended…)
But you are so right about Luxflakes. The man is proving to be both a coward & a fool. Seymour’s Bill will gain support from the public. There is a clear shift worldwide that would have come sooner but for the leftie media bias. But come it has. National will lose many votes over this. The majority of folk in NZ are decent family-focused folk. They had enough of woke BS. Rather late first my liking but at least they’re now waking up.
ps Haidt, not Heidt. Brilliant man.
Thanks for your comment which is much appreciated.
The Haidt error was a result of fumble fingers and poor proofing.
I have a copy of "Coddling of the American Mind" on the shelves.
Inexcusable.
On the shift, I wonder what many workers in Auckland are going think about the exercise in performance politics crossing the Harbour Bridge this morning and delaying attendance at work, appointments etc etc.
Good question re the bridge! Not sure it’ll help their cause much at all…. And I just noticed reading Speccie this morning that it’s ’Allan’ not ‘Allen’ for the learned law professor. D-oh, glass houses and all… 😀
Thanks David. I feel that your views concur with a stream of thinking I've been picking up as Ive read through the accumulating analyses of the US election results...... and I like your tie-in with NZ. Thanks also for the references for ongoing reading. Just a couple of points I had a response to, in the description of Trump (which I think was pretty accurate): that he is a crook, and authoritarian. I've heard and read a number of comments about Americans not liking the "lawfare" that was conducted against Trump as a political weapon by the Democratically-aligned, rather than from any real desire to uphold the law. A useful piece I read on this was by a senior lawyer and legal analyst called Elie Honig in an online magazine or platform called The Intelligencer. Trump may be a crook but in this case, it was opined, Americans didn't like the law itself behaving rather crookedly against him.
As for him being authoritarian, I would say that in the past few years the increasing authoritarianism of the Left across Western democracies, including the Democrat camp in the US, has stood out significantly by contrast. Such as been the impact on Americans, which you note, that Trump's authoritarian tendencies must have appeared insignificant.
Thanks for your comment Sheryl.
I am looking a little more closely at the NZ situation. Simon Wilson speculated on whether Trump could succeed in NZ. He is able to identify the problems but is so woke and progressive that he cannot see the answers.
You're right about the authoritarianism and isn't this just the critical theory proponents playing out their dogma?
Yes the authoritarians I've observed are generally from the Left..Ardern here for eg, look at Albanese over the ditch right now. Starmer...I don't see DT in that way. The lawfare was/is egregious, even some Dems conceded that like the Cuomos.
Some comments on Albanese later this week as well as a piece in the Listener.
Still reading this - your observations are amazing. I think there was so much tension building up between the left and right and then Trump cooking french fries at McDonalds, and looking perfectly at home while at it, and hopping in the garbage truck which he admitted was so high he might not make it, broke the tension. He is clever and funny as well, but a loose canon. Lets hope the people who changed the direction as you described it will not allow him to do things which affect their future. Your statement of "Peters has resurrected so often he would make Christ envious" is priceless!
Thanks for your comment and glad you liked the article. I was going to use a zombie metaphor for Peters but they only leave the grave once. What I ended up with and what you find amusing sort of wrote itself. I was worried I might “offend” someone but my concern was obviously misplaced.
I mentioned that comment to a couple of friends later on this evening and their reaction was to immediately explode with laughter. I wouldn't worry about offending someone.
Even your "zombie metaphor" statement is more of the same. We need humor in this crazy world these days. I really enjoyed and learned a lot from other viewpoints you included and yours. I am still reading some of the links. I lived there for almost 30 years before moving back here; same age as Winston actually, so I watch U.S. politics very closely.
Glad to be of service. More on these and similar issues to come although tomorrow’s article is in a very much lighter vein.
If I lived in the States I would not have hesitated to vote for DT, eyes wide open. Yes flawed, but not as flawed as her.
And the GOP knows what a woman is. Why in god's name would a woman vote for more of the utter intelligence-insulting nonsense of recent years.
Plus he's funny.
I think your comments on "reading the room" are spot on. The most surprising thing I've noticed in all the analysis about the election ( or at least that I've seen) is that all the breast-beating re Harris's defeat seems to centre on "Where did we go wrong?" with very few references to "What did Trump get right?"
Thanks Aroha. Yes - the response seems to be "how could this happen". The people spoke - thats what happened.
This is worth a read re the US election: https://musaalgharbi.substack.com/p/a-graveyard-of-bad-election-narratives?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=email
Thank you.
That is a very thorough fact based analysis
I am obliged to you.
Thank you. You’re intelligence is acute and your logic sound. Thoroughly enjoyed the read. Thank you
Thank you for your comment.
Much appreciated.
Great work, David.