Site BLOG PAGE🔎 SEARCH  Ξ INDEX  MAIN MENU  UP ONE LEVEL
 OJB's Web Site. Version 2.1. Blog Page.You are here: entry255 blog owen2 
Blog

Add a Comment   Up to OJB's Blog List

Choosing Our Friends

Entry 255, on 2005-11-24 at 17:24:37 (Rating 3, Politics)

Our new foreign minister, Winston Peters, has decided he wants to "repair" New Zealand's relationship with the United States. Assuming we actually have a relationship in need of repair, this seems like a good idea. Of course we should have a good relationship with the US, not only is it the most powerful country, but it has always been a close ally and friend.

The current perceived problem dates back to the 1980s when New Zealand refused visits from American warships unless the US could state they were not armed with nuclear weapons. This was extended to also cover nuclear propulsion. Since the US had a "neither confirm nor deny" policy on this subject we effectively banned all ship visits.

Since then New Zealand has given only conditional support to US activities. For example, we sent troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan, but only after the wars there were over (at least officially, since they seem to be ongoing) to help clean up and assist with security. Our government certainly has major differences to the Bush administration. New Zealand has strong support for environmental issues, peace-keeping, and social equality. These all seem contrary to the policies of the current government in the US.

The discussion today seemed to polarise opinion. First, were the people who supported continuing our current direction by continuing to refuse nuclear ship visits, and to treat American military ventures with caution. Second were the group who say economics is more important than morality. They say we should do whatever is necessary to get a free trade agreement with America.

I'm not necessarily a supporter of free trade, but even if I was, should we sacrifice doing "what is right" to make more money? Maybe we should copy our friends in Australia (who do have a free trade deal) and join America with whatever military actions they require. Or maybe not. A lot of people admire New Zealand's position on these issues - including many Americans - and when the administration there changes maybe we will be able to maintain out moral beliefs as well as improve our friendship with America.


There are no comments for this entry.


You can leave comments about this entry using this form.

Enter your name (optional):
Enter your email address (optional):
Enter the number shown here:number
Enter the comment:

To add a comment: enter a name and email (optional), type the number shown, enter a comment, click Add.
Note that you can leave the name blank if you want to remain anonymous.
Enter your email address to receive notifications of replies and updates to this entry.
The comment should appear immediately because the authorisation system is currently inactive.

I do podcasts too!. You can listen to my latest podcast, here: OJB's Podcast 2024-08-22 Stirring Up Trouble: Let's just get every view out there and fairly debate them..
 Site ©2024 by OJBWeb ServerWhy Macs are BestMade & Served on Mac 
Site Features: Blog RSS Feeds Podcasts Feedback Log04 Nov 2024. Hits: 49,699,528
Description: Blog PageKeywords: BlogLoad Timer: 12ms