More Than Christians Were Insulted
Christians shouldn’t feel singled out. The Opening Ceremony was thoroughly post-modernist and PoMo is all about deconstructing traditional values. In that, at least, it was successful.
Culture
Stop Being So Nice All the Time!
When good people stand by and do nothing, their communities will be consumed.
What Is Behind Kamala’s Laugh
Uncontrollable and inappropriate laughter is not among the many leadership qualities Americans look for in a president.
The 33rd Olympiad Opening Ceremony Was Depraved
A celebration of a tiny segment of society that some view as outrageous and inappropriate and yet the participants demand we permit.
Young Japanese Revive the Film Camera
Young Japanese are rediscovering the simple joys of film.
Tantrums From Debs and TPM
Next time these risible claims surface, instead of throwing up our hands in horror, we should just laugh loudly and ridicule their stupidity.
Dealing With Today’s Small Māori Fringe
We can count ourselves lucky that the Māori Party fetches only three per cent of the total vote at election time and that, overwhelmingly, a majority of New Zealanders possessing some Māori ancestry give them a wide berth.
Get Rid of the Māori Seats
Democracy is one thing. Using it for vile purposes is quite another.
The Coming Populist Revolt in Australia
Gary Johns Gary Johns is Chairman of Close the Gap Research Populism occurs when the masses revolt against the elites’ view of the world. Elite opinion does not often deal directly with popular opinion, that is, with the people who have to pay for elite opinion. When elites get it
This Is Not Us
Parlermaid The Settlement Centre Waikato (SCW) in Hamilton, New Zealand, is a place of unity and one which welcomes all people, regardless of their religious or political beliefs, ethnicity or country of origin. A key feature of the newly redeveloped SCW are the ethnic panels that externally wrap the building
They’re Old and They Want It All
My readers know me only too well. As an astute BFD reader commented on my recent piece about the generationally divided, two-speed economy: I just said to my wife yesterday that it was about time for Lushy’s annual boomer baiting. Annual? I can and must do better than that.
Going on Gut Reactions
Chris Trotter Democracy Project As angry Trump supporters filed out of the Butler showgrounds, many paused to hurl abuse at the media pack. As they vented their anger upon the assembled “mainstream” journalists, I couldn’t help recalling the behaviour of an even angrier crowd as it filed out of
What Seinfeld Learned While Reading Marcus Aurelius
Jon Miltimore Jonathan Miltimore is the Senior Creative Strategist of FEE.org at the Foundation for Economic Education. Emperor of Rome from 161–180 AD, Marcus Aurelius is remembered as the “Philosopher King,” largely because of his classic work Meditations, a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy that delves into such themes
A Nation Reinvented: 40 Years On
Richard Shaw, Massey University It’s easy to look back at the bad haircuts, beige clothes and brown Beehive carpets and chuckle. But whatever one’s views on its aesthetics, the Fourth Labour Government – elected 40 years ago on July 14 – was no laughing matter. After nine years of economic
When Family Connections Are Closer than You’d Like
The widespread adoption of DNA testing from genealogy websites has had some intriguing outcomes. Law enforcement have used family trees to trace down suspects in cold cases, most famously the Golden State Killer. On a more personal level, DNA tests have rattled skeletons in family closets, unearthing unexpected siblings, secret