An effect on NZ, apart from that of tariffs which could be damaging, is the NATO threat ie we’ll have even more pressure applied to lift our defence capability, to pay our share and stop bludging. There was no “peace dividend” for NZ - successive governments had already taken that - and the bill must st now be paid. Three frigates or equivalent will cost about $10 billion, maybe more, let alone all the rest that will be needed.
Thanks Grant - a good summary. Some thoughts for what it is worth. What stands out to me is that Trump is a disruptor. He is not totally aligned with the neo-liberal approach of both the Democrats and Republicans who since the 1980s have embraced a market forces model as the best path to prosperity. This saw a focus on reducing deficits, controlling inflation, free trade and regulating the financial world to suit the interests of the corporate/business community. It worked pretty well until it didn't. The GFC in 2008 (and the bailing out of the banks by Bush and Obama) saw Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders build on the anger and activism of the Occupy Wall Street movement with policies to reform the financial system to make the economy address the needs of working people and address inequality. Warren and Sanders hammered Obama on these questions and they spoke for the white working class who were hit hardest by the economic problems in the 2010s and who felt disenfranchised. Hillary Clinton became the Democrat candidate in 2016 but she didn't speak for the disenfranchised white working class and when Sanders pulled out of the primaries, many them switched to Trump and the Republicans - Trump somehow managed to bring them inside his tent. By 2020, the only thing Biden had going for him among the Democrats (there were a lot of strong contenders in the primaries including Sanders who had considerable support) was that he could beat Trump. It is much the same question that the Democrats face now. It is not only a bit more dire now with Biden's health condition, but Trump chosing Vance as VP is likely to capture the same white working class vote that before 2020 supported Sanders. I don't share the view that Trump is more conservative - unlike all the other contenders - today and in the past - what characterises Trump is his unpredictablity - we simply don't know what he will do (or what he believes) except that he is able to allow a wide range of conservative voters to project whatever they choose onto him (eg the evangelical Christian community). He is a disruptor/outsider and in my view it is his unpredictability and absence of any clear philosophical direction that makes him stand apart from recent leaders and is such a concern.
A great summary, thanks Mark! I like your point that a wide range of conservatives can project what they choose onto him. I thought the weirdest example of that was the Israeli Temple group that struck a medal featuring the profiles of Trump and of the Persian King Cyrus – he who allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple. Very odd.
Thank you for the summary.
An effect on NZ, apart from that of tariffs which could be damaging, is the NATO threat ie we’ll have even more pressure applied to lift our defence capability, to pay our share and stop bludging. There was no “peace dividend” for NZ - successive governments had already taken that - and the bill must st now be paid. Three frigates or equivalent will cost about $10 billion, maybe more, let alone all the rest that will be needed.
Thanks Grant - a good summary. Some thoughts for what it is worth. What stands out to me is that Trump is a disruptor. He is not totally aligned with the neo-liberal approach of both the Democrats and Republicans who since the 1980s have embraced a market forces model as the best path to prosperity. This saw a focus on reducing deficits, controlling inflation, free trade and regulating the financial world to suit the interests of the corporate/business community. It worked pretty well until it didn't. The GFC in 2008 (and the bailing out of the banks by Bush and Obama) saw Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders build on the anger and activism of the Occupy Wall Street movement with policies to reform the financial system to make the economy address the needs of working people and address inequality. Warren and Sanders hammered Obama on these questions and they spoke for the white working class who were hit hardest by the economic problems in the 2010s and who felt disenfranchised. Hillary Clinton became the Democrat candidate in 2016 but she didn't speak for the disenfranchised white working class and when Sanders pulled out of the primaries, many them switched to Trump and the Republicans - Trump somehow managed to bring them inside his tent. By 2020, the only thing Biden had going for him among the Democrats (there were a lot of strong contenders in the primaries including Sanders who had considerable support) was that he could beat Trump. It is much the same question that the Democrats face now. It is not only a bit more dire now with Biden's health condition, but Trump chosing Vance as VP is likely to capture the same white working class vote that before 2020 supported Sanders. I don't share the view that Trump is more conservative - unlike all the other contenders - today and in the past - what characterises Trump is his unpredictablity - we simply don't know what he will do (or what he believes) except that he is able to allow a wide range of conservative voters to project whatever they choose onto him (eg the evangelical Christian community). He is a disruptor/outsider and in my view it is his unpredictability and absence of any clear philosophical direction that makes him stand apart from recent leaders and is such a concern.
A great summary, thanks Mark! I like your point that a wide range of conservatives can project what they choose onto him. I thought the weirdest example of that was the Israeli Temple group that struck a medal featuring the profiles of Trump and of the Persian King Cyrus – he who allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple. Very odd.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-group-mints-trump-coin-to-honor-jerusalem-recognition/
Very, very weird!!!!