NZ’s foreign policy shift adds to piling flashpoints

As the new Government moves New Zealand more clearly into the American camp, we risk further division as a country – and must challenge efforts to enmesh us in alliances against our interests.

by Rob Campbell

I pick only one point from Rob Campbell’s terrific statement to comment on – Jacinda Ardern (remember her?)

‘while engaging in flirting – if not foreplay – with Nato in Europe.’

Up to now, since the Labour Party with Jacinda Ardern became the previous government, this country’s biggest problem has been that PM’s unthinking instinct to support NATO, a very aggressive militaristic organization. It was based on the PM’s understanding of ‘who we are’ as a people and our history. Remember that the PM’s response to the mosque massacre was ‘this is not who we are’. Fair enough assertion in that circumstance, though over the following weeks and months there was much welcome discussion about the colonialist nature of our history. But undoubtedly ‘who we are’ was fundamentally important to that PM. And when she realized that her understanding was incorrect, she resigned. So I think your description of ‘flirting, or ‘foreplay’, while clever and to a point insightful, is not personal enough to that PM to get at the best description.

Now we have a new government which has a better understanding of the shallow and dangerous nature of that understanding of our history because it reflects its own exploitation ideology. They instinctively understand that that philosophy will not be workable in the future so they know this is their last chance to implement it. And, of course, it is global, not just here and not just in the person of Donald Trump. This leaves a civilization, aware of the need to fundamentally change, rudderless and with weapons available to end it all.

This clear view reveals that it would not be unrealistic to call this a global suicide pact. There is no such thing as ‘nuclear deterrence’ and there never has been – it’s a figment of a collective insanity.