France's adventure in Mali is both a result, and potential cause, of instability, and highlights once again the often-forgotten issues surrounding foreign military intervention
Read MoreIt betrays a bad mind
Garth McVicar thinks that same sex marriage is just another part of a breakdown in moral values that causes crime. Silly Garth - everyone knows it's not wearing hats that causes crime.
Read More"Messing with Notre Dame football is a bad idea"
In the college football world, the made-up dead girlfriend of a superstar matters more than a real dead young woman. There's something a bit wrong about that.
Read MoreEasing back into the year + Parata & Sharples
Two leading politicians are staying put. Risky stuff. And what I'm doing next...
Read MoreNaming gay All Blacks? Bring It On!
Mike Lee's extraordinarily obtuse article in the Herald this week ignores the importance of rugby in Kiwi culture and the fight for gay rights. John Forde explains why the time is perfect for rugby to come out of the closet
Read MoreIn praise of Judith Collins
My last post of 2012 said some mean things about Judith Collins. Let me make amends by starting 2013 with some nice words.
Read MoreFiji’s dose of khaki democracy
Fiji is getting a strong dose of khaki democracy as its de facto military rulers shift from “go slow” to “go fast” on the road to elections they’ve promised next year. It’s a shift that could create big problems forNew Zealand.
Read MoreNemesis Narcissus
What does activism mean? How do we reconcile ego and eco, in 2013? And - with apologies for existential crisis - what exactly is my job?
Read MoreLook out! The Drones are here – and we’re not ready …
New Zealand Police aren’t waiting for major aviation safety and personal privacy issues about domestic spy drones to be solved. TV3 reports they’ve already purchased their first unmanned aerial vehicle. So, watch this space …
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday December 21
South Korea'a first woman president makes national security a top priority; China needs pro-growth policies and faster reforms, says think tank; Pakistan passes anti-terrorism communications bill; new rebel alliance formed in Central African Republic
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday December 19
Syrian rebels take control of Palestinian refugee camp; US and China deeply divided by deeply divided over how to tackle North Korea's rocket launch; Philippines passes landmark bill to provide sex education in schools; Mexico to form new security force to police violent regions; UK withdrawal from EU 'imaginable' says Cameron; and more
Read MoreGround shifting under resource management
2012 in review: text of my piece for the Resource Management Journal on the changing legal landscape, and writing loudly on the political wall
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday December 18
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party win election; North Korea commemorates one-year anniversary of Kim Jong-il's death; Taliban target US company in Afghanistan; EU and Singapore sign free trade pact; and more
Read MoreBinnie vs Fisher: the definitive guide
This is the last word on the David Bain case. There will never be, nor need to be, another thing written about it ever again. Do you believe me much?
Read MoreNew Zealand: this is your life
We might have fought over it, at the time. Sometimes, we fought bitterly. At Gallipoli, we lost; but we were on the right side of history, and we found a blood-coloured poppy, like a heartbeat in the dust. Later, it would dawn on us: this is who we are, New Zealand.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday December 14
Japan accuses China of violating its airspace; South Korean elections begin; Indian state of Gujarat holding key elections; Taliban could govern parts of Afghanistan under new peace deal; concerns for Hugo Chavez's health deepen; and more
Read MoreBeneficiary 'impact' highlights poverty of social policies
Auckland's first-ever beneficiary 'impact' demonstrates poverty of policies as well as of people
Read MoreCrowdsourcing the Binnie report (and the Fisher report on the Binnie report ...)
Want to say something about the Binnie Report on David Bain's innocence? Or Robert Fisher's review of that report? Or Judith Collins' handling of the whole matter? Here's your chance.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday December 13
North Korea launches rocket, angering international community; Xi Jingping calls for reform of Communist Party; US formally recognises Syrian opposition; Mali appoints interim prime minister; and more
Read MorePolice poised to push hundreds of firearms into the hands of criminals
The Police have, after intensive lobbying, achieved a law change that could end up putting more guns in the hands of criminals
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