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Hi and welcome to the 52nd edition of Werewolf in which we examine the collapsing state of the public health system. As our cover story reveals this month, highly capable foreign specialists (such as Dr. Alejandro Jimenez) are coming here to work in our DHB system with the best of intentions, but are leaving in remarkably short periods of time – because their work is chronically undervalued, because of cost cutting delays in the provision of essential equipment and staff, and because the DHBs seem more interested in coming in under budget than delivering an exceptional standard of care. Why isn’t this a political scandal? Because neither Labour nor National want to support any salvation programme likely to cost more money. So, there’s a silent crisis in our public health system – known only to the staff who work in it, and the patients who use it.

In this edition, we feature two stories by New York-based writer Richard McLachlan. Richard provides an excellent update on climate change politics triggered by the release of Naomi Klein’s new book on the subject. In his other article, Richard surveys and celebrates the styles of art evident in New York’s subway system. Public transport, public art – either way, its quite a ride. In a long, fascinating article, authors Ed Vulliamy and Helena Smith revisit the December, 1944 betrayal of Greece by Winston Churchill, who sold out our Greek partisan allies to neo-Nazis and fascist collaborators lest a liberated Greece should become too left wing for British sensibilities. In effect, Greece was the first shameful act in the Cold War carve-up of Europe. Around the same time, the great black entertainer and activist Paul Robeson was being effectively written out of history for his political views – but as Werewolf reports this month, a major film is about to be made of his life, and his persecution. In his film column this month, Philip Matthews chooses his Best Films of 2014, and in a separate article, Werewolf analyses the media-savvy, mega-reflexive world of Mockingjay Part One, the latest entry in the excellent Hunger Games series. In our music column The Complicatist this month, we celebrate the fantastically diverse music of Arthur Russell, recently the subject of a major 2-CD tribute album. In his satirical column this month, Lyndon Hood goes all Gilbert and Sullivan about the our modern major-politico – and it’s the only article in this issue that you can sing along with. In similar vein, we reveal the Tinder Profiles of some powerful people, who could well be wanting you to be their special someone.

Thanks once again to Lyndon for helping me post this 52nd issue online. If anyone out there ever wants to be involved and talk over some story ideas, contact me at gordon@werewolf.co.nz

Cheers,
Gordon Campbell
Editor, Werewolf