USA Archive

  • frog

    Bill Moyers on Obama and the US Healthcare Debate



    Many Kiwis won’t be familiar with Moyers, who has had a long career in US journalism. In the 1960’s he worked for JFK, founding the Peace Corp, and later as Johnson’s press secretary. Moyers then played a key role in establishing the Public Broadcasting System which has been his home almost ever since. Bill is also [...] read more
    September 12, 2009 7:07 am - No Comments
  • frog

    Denial is no longer an acceptable response



    Greenpeace ironically notes that New Zealanders should be seriously alarmed at the prospect of the National-led government damaging the country’s relationship with the United States. “New Zealand is at serious risk of becoming an international Pariah over climate, and jeopardising its international standing and trade relations. The last thing we want is to become the equivalent [...] read more
    November 19, 2008 12:10 pm - 51 Comments
  • frog

    A new lens for US trade relations



    Pundits are about the call the election for Barack Obama by the looks of it.  For the planet this is probably a good thing, with Obama having a  better platform on climate change, environmental standards and peace. The big story for little Aotearoa, is what this means for trade.  And Obama has been equivocal.  But occasionally [...] read more
    November 5, 2008 4:06 pm - 14 Comments
  • frog

    Queueing to vote



    It was astonishing to listen this morning to Morning Report’s Geoff Robinson interviewing US voters queuing for hours to be able to cast votes.  Every time I have ever voted I’ve just walked right in and had my name ticked off.  No queues.  Seeing Americans investing that much time in voting is a powerful reminder [...] read more
    November 5, 2008 12:40 pm - 10 Comments
  • frog

    The bailout



    Given the just failed US$700 billion financial bailout was about preventing widespread poverty and economic turmoil I’ve been wondering whether the money couldn’t be better spent in other ways.  Now that the bailout is dead maybe USA can afford to be inventive. For that kind of money you are talking about a fairly comprehensive free [...] read more
    September 30, 2008 10:43 am - 39 Comments
  • frog

    Wall Street socialism



    SolveClimate.com is asking why the American government will step to in to nationalise failing companies like AIG, but it won’t buy profitable companies before they go belly up?  And it’s got a suggestion.  Why not buy ExxonMobil? (After all it worked for Hugo Chavez!) In the current crisis in the financial markets, even free market [...] read more
    September 24, 2008 10:24 am - 80 Comments
  • frog

    Giving preferential trading rights to the USA



    I see a looming preferential trade deal with the United States is enough for Matthew Hooten to declare Phil Goff New Zealander of the year.  High praise indeed.  Although US trade deals don’t seem to have worked out quite so well for the much bigger economy of Australia (bigger than New Zealand that is, not [...] read more
    September 23, 2008 12:39 pm - 14 Comments
  • frog

    Oil politics backfire on the US



    Open Democracy’s Paul Rogers notes that as China looks to secure oil for it’s increasing consumption it is becoming a strategic power in the Middle East in exactly the way the US would not have intended or wanted. Three transnational oil companies – Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil – were all expected to complete deals by [...] read more
    September 6, 2008 9:50 am - 6 Comments
  • frog

    Protecting food safety



    Mother Jones has an icky story about imported Chinese food in the USA involving contamination, salmonella, bateria and pesticides. At one [poultry] plant, inspectors had found paint from the ceiling “on the table used for edible product,” while workers at another facility wiped down meat-handling areas with dirty cloths. Parts of a third factory, designated for [...] read more
    August 28, 2008 3:57 pm - 5 Comments
  • frog

    Not voting makes you fat?



    Of course, if you were to follow Citizen Kate’s directions at the end of her video for getting on the roll to vote you would accidentally end up registering to vote in the USA, so you are probably better going here to enrol. (If you do end up accidentally enrolled for the US elections, you [...] read more
    August 14, 2008 2:11 pm - 3 Comments
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