Comrades.
Myself, all our bloggers and the mods took a couple of weeks off and we all happened to take the last weekend off. TDB missing in action for a couple of days seemed to have sparked some concern.
There was no conspiracy, we are all just exhausted from a bloody hard 2022 and needed to recharge our batteries for the coming election year circus.
We return in force today with John Minto’s scathing analysis of Labour and the Greens, Professor Susan St John’s evisceration of current social policy, Chris Trotter’s critique of Co-governance, Cannabis activist Chris Fowlie’s analysis of cannabis politics in 2023 and Ben Morgan’s oversight of the ongoing war in the Ukraine.
You like dem apples?
This is now the 10th year of The Daily Blog and every year I ask why the hell I keep doing this and look at all the other things I want to go and do, but then I see the stats for the year and we had just under 5million page views for 2022 and I’m reminded of the importance TDB plays in the ecosphere of the NZ political media landscape and recommit myself to push on while juggling the million other things we need to do to keep this project running.
Stop bitching we had a holiday and start donating!
TDB will return for Election 2023 with a passion to hold the political ideologies and party’s to account while calling it the way we see it.
We will return with the best weekly live-streamed political podcast (that’s not funded by NZ on Air) and bring new voices and wider analysis to the politics of this year.
We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves for this years coverage and will bring you insight and oversight from the Left as we face what will be the most important election in modern NZ history.
This is our country, this is our democracy, let the debate begin!
Here’s to Election 2023 and all the madness that comes with it.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media
I missed my daily fix and look forward to anew year of TDB. The standard of your contributors is without equal. This year us followers should look to lift the standard of our comments. Let’s employ some critical thinking and not descend into lazy slogans and personal attacks.
I missed my daily fix and look forward to anew year of TDB. The standard of your contributors is without equal. This year us followers should look to lift the standard of our comments. Let’s employ some critical thinking and not descend into lazy slogans and personal attacks.
Agree, sometimes last year things got a bit narly.
Welcome back Bomber Bradbury and all serious contributors and thanks for all you do to provide us with the TDB. Even slaves need a rest with bread and water. The cost of keeping one fed is becoming increasingly fraught as costs are severely eroding our incomes.
Looking forward to the TDB’s election night coverage on the working group and I would love to see Coilin James on board if possible. He was always impressive to watch before TVNZ demeaned itself and stopped doing things professionally.
A woke free night of results and intelligent analysis would be just the ticket.
2023 just would not be the same without T.D.B
We won’t know what is really happening in 2023 without TDB I think.
Ive been banned for a year from The Standard. Guess you got me to put up with during that time.
The Standard blog is rubbish – welcome millsy
” The Standard blog is rubbish – welcome millsy ”
I will second that !!!
Welcome back Martyn!
I missed your witty lines and sharp unique insights.
I’m so glad you are still around and can really appreciate your need for a break though.
We need voices like yours and the other contributors. Also the readers comments are good value too
Here’s to a great year ahead for The Daily Blog!
Cheers
Katy P
Happy new year Maryn.
Seems some have gotten a head start on the rest…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-raises-unprecedented-23m-war-chest-from-richlist-donors-before-election-year/77GGZL32JRDMRNAEFJ7B4TGAUI/
All the best Martyn, and the TDB community for 2023
A bitter sweet passing shot from one who’ll soon be moving on. The song below, written by yours truly, an obscure, life long fringe dwelling political animal & artist way back in 1986, just gets more topical by the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WbTqw5cQw
It was recorded as a demo in west Berlin in 1987. Later on, in the 90’s the writer came back to Godzone with outrageous dreams & plans for a very different NZ to what most kiwis would ever envisage. Sadly, most of his attempts at making a difference failed miserably & NZ continues to slide further into oblivion with every passing day. This disillusioned writer fled back to Europe many times since the 90’s, but some perverse kind of radical calling always drew him back to these windswept shores.
Finally, after almost 3 score & 10 this writer has finally written NZ off as an infantile, unimaginative uncourageous lost cause (failed state) nation. Have we not always been a conformist nation of followers of foreign dictates, socio-economic experimentation & fades, he muses?. Have we ever had the guts to blaze our own unique trail in the world, or even, heaven forbid, take radical, innovative steps towards self sufficient resilience & dare to lead the world in exemplary fashion? No, nein, kahore, non!!!!
Today, our nation is nothing more than empty shell of a self that should have been locally defined, legalised & independently realised decades ago. Yes, we’re floundering around in a no-mans land swamp; so as long as we allow ourselves to be led by a shallow, woke, inauthentic, virtue signaling, globalist elite propped up by an equaling slickening civil service & fourth estate, nothing will change for the better. Where’s the big picture vison that will inspire, motivate & enable us to make the transition from adolescence to mature adult nationhood? Will we ever see it shine forth from the murky, self righteous corridors of power? I doubt it.
There’s been no half measures with me, I’ve loved & hated NZ with equal passion. That said, my energetic love & anger have waned, so I can no longer muster the energy to fight for a better NZ, drift along in the hope that a truly great leader will emerge to spark a turn around, or live in fear that I may snap & lash out against myself or others.
So, what’s left then for a creepy, stale, pale male like me who once again finds himself confronted with the extremely challenging flight or fight dilemma? In my case its, jettison all my processions, reduce my life to a backpack again & flee this soul destroying, Mikey mouse land forever.
All the best to all long suffering kiwis, John.
I have my doubts if this long winded epitaph, or should that be eulogy, will see the light of day here, but who knows, a miracle may just happen?
Yes welcome back MB I look forward to my daily tonic of fun.
Gosh lifestyle you poor old thing life has let you down.
Welcome back Bomber. TDB was excellent last year as an elixir for the ‘invading silos’ that are gradually capturing much of New Zealand discourse – and The Working Group was even better in that regard. You certainly manage to muster the most wide-ranging (and sometimes thoughtful views) amongst your followers. Will donate when I can afford it. In the meantime, my invitation to visit the farm and drink from our streams still stands.