Gordon Campbell on why New Zealand needs to change its Defence habits
In a flashback to the military displays of days gone by, one of our frigates recently joined a Carrier Strike show of force in the […]
Columns
Gordon Campbell on juggling Covid, and France’s Trump-like populist
It is the age-old Covid problem. How to balance the needs for firms (and schools) to re-open against the need to protect public health. In […]
Gordon Campbell on the perils of declaring premature victory
Sure enough, Saturday’s Vaxathon was a barrel of fun and a throwback not merely to the Telethons of the past. It also revived memories of […]
Gordon Campbell on the epic fails of Kris Faafoi
Ever since Winston Peters first breathed life into this government in 2018, its own branding has been all about social justice and how we all […]
Gordon Campbell on Covid mandates, and the Covid pill
The cliché about “living with Covid” will not mean life as we’ve known it, Jim. Vaccination is fast becoming a condition of employment, and also […]
Gordon Campbell on Korea’s global cultural domination, plus a K-pop playlist
So far, South Korea’s culture industries seem to be pandemic proof. They’re also winning huge global audiences, and not merely large domestic ones. In recent […]
Gordon Campbell on lifting the lockdowns, and the Covid pill
One can sympathise with firms struggling under the financial stress caused by Covid restrictions. Yet business (and other critics)appear to be demanding that the government […]
Gordon Campbell on National’s Covid re-opening plan
After banging for what has seemed an eternity about how the government doesn’t have a plan for removing restrictions and re-opening the country, National’s own […]
Gordon Campbell on living in Seymour World
So far, the horse race journalism surrounding the polling rise of the Act Party has not included much consideration of the policies an Act -influenced […]
Gordon Campbell on Covid vaccine inequality, plus Cowboy Bebop
Plainly, the Big Pharma model – where vaccine development, distribution, and pricing is left in the hands of the private sector – is not fit […]
Gordon Campbell on Canada’s election, and the AUKUS defence pact
Yesterday, Canada held an election in which everyone lost, including the voters. After holding its most expensive ( $C600 million) election campaign ever, the result […]
Gordon Campbell on the Great Covid Mask Debate, plus a music playlist
Ay caramba. Only yesterday, Otago University epidemiologist Dr Nick Wilson was still feeling it necessary to suggest that the government should maybe make mask-wearing compulsory, […]
Gordon Campbell on the moral and scientific case against Covid booster shots
A year ago, a Covid vaccine was still on humanity’s wish list. Now, we’re basing our economic planning – and the safety of opening our […]
Gordon Campbell on the Covid exit plan, and 9/11 media memories
Is it OK to feel nostalgic for the period only a couple of months ago, when the government seemed to have a plan for exiting […]
Gordon Campbell on Taliban hardliners, and a lockdown playlist of drug songs
Well, so much for early hopes that the new Taliban “caretaker” government would be more inclusive, and moderate. Instead, we’ve got a Cabinet that is […]
Gordon Campbell on why terrorism law changes can’t be rushed
Given the horrifying actions of the New Lynn supermarket terrorist, it is easy to see why the public and the government seem to have agreed […]
Gordon Campbell on the messaging to the vaccine hesitants
While the recent surge in vaccinations has been welcome, we’re still in the low hanging fruit phase of the journey towards 80-90% rates of protection. […]
Gordon Campbell on how New Zealand can get itself a safe, purpose-built Covid isolation facility
Over the past few months, one of the few things that the “Covid elimination” strategists and the “we have to live with Covid” advocates have […]
Gordon Campbell on why Judith Collins should consider the Canada model
For months now, Judith Collins has been doubling down on National as the party of angry talkback radio. If you’ve got a beef about Jacinda […]
Gordon Campbell on how Delta has changed the endgame for the pandemic
Lockdown vs Delta. Day by day, New Zealand is learning whether a Level Four lockdown can confine and eventually defeat the Delta variant. Yes, the […]
Gordon Campbell on “the old weird” music of America, with a playlist
Here’s some weird old music for the weird realities of lockdown. Like other key phases in popular music – jazz, country, rock’n’roll, punk, hip hop […]
Gordon Campbell on our polarised attitudes to the Covid response
Thesis meets antithesis again, this time in the pages of the New Zealand Herald. A week ago, Liam Dann wrote a column pondering how in […]
Gordon Campbell on the media’s handling of (a) the Afghan crisis, and (b) the hacked DHB material
Reportedly, there has been “chaos “in downtown Kabul and “chaos“ out at the Kabul airport. “Chaos” has become one of the go-to terms of modern […]
Gordon Campbell on the fall of Kabul
Like a giant Ponzi scheme, the 20 year experiment in nation-building in Afghanistan has come crashing down, in pieces. Since the US and its allies […]
Gordon Campbell on Labour’s cave-in to the business lobbies
At a time when New South Wales is in crisis over the Delta variant, it seems bizarre that our government is willing to risk heading […]
Gordon Campbell on how New Zealand is punching below its weight in Afghanistan
First Vietnam, now Afghanistan. For the second time in living memory, the West has been defeated by the guerrilla forces of a small Third World […]
Gordon Campbell on whether we’re punching above our weight, and should we care?
According to Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, the Olympic ideal was not about “winning, but fighting well. Life is not conquering, […]
Gordon Campbell on populism’s changing of the guard, plus a soul music playlist
The weekend’s Newshub/Reid Research poll results – Act up to 11.1%, National up 1% but still sitting at only 28.7%, Labour down to 43%, the […]
Gordon Campbell on the supermarket scam, and on Tunisia’s scrapping of democracy
Are we paying too much for our groceries? Hmm. Is the Pope a Catholic? Given that the two Australian supermarket chains that dominate our grocery […]
Gordon Campbell on the uncanny valley of Tokyo 2020
For all involved, this year’s Olympic Games have called for a willing suspension of anxiety. For now at least, the displays of skill and agility […]