What the US can learn from New Zealand political discourse

[Dr Grump]

I was watching the Rigby World Cup (like for or so years ago?) in the hotel bar at The Hague (Netherlands) a few years ago (four or five years?). I lived many years in the South, but I was born in Michigan (kaz is for Kalamazoo), so I'm a Northerner, and always will be. The main people I was talking to were a British couple and a very Southern sounding American from Houston.

Anyway, the British man made a reference to the man from Houston and me both as "Yanks." The man from Houston looked at her and very politely but very indignated said, "Sir, I am no Yankee. Enunciating every word of that clearly. LOL.

It was so funny, the English couple both looked very confused. Then they both looked at me and I said "Oh, I'm a Yankee." That didn't reduce their confusion, LOL.

Just FYI. Yankees are:

Yankees are from New York or New England. They call themselves Yankees, there is no confusion.​

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From the north but not New York or New England, we are aware that Southerners and Brits call us Yankees and we aren't in any way or at all offended by the term. But we do not call ourselves or consider ourselves "Yankees." When you get out further west, Northerners are not considered "Yankees." I'd say the line between Minnesota and the Dakotas would be the line where Southerners stop calling anyone Yankees no matter how for north they are​

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Southerners - Call anyone from the north Yankees. This is not a compliment. It may or may not be meant as insulting, but it's never a compliment​

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British - Yanks are any American. I is not an insult​

And now you know, the rest of the story, LOL

Well, when I use the term, I don't mean it in an insulting way. Like Americans call the British, Brits. To those outside of the US, all Americans are Yanks. And yes, I know that to those south of the Mason Dixon line they don't care for the term that much. Now, if they were to call you a Sepo....then, they are being insulting...

 

[kaz]

Well, when I use the term, I don't mean it in an insulting way. Like Americans call the British, Brits. To those outside of the US, all Americans are Yanks. And yes, I know that to those south of the Mason Dixon line they don't care for the term that much. Now, if they were to call you a Sepo....then, they are being insulting...

You're a strange guy. Instead of just saying, "agreed, outside the US Yanks just means American," you explain to me what I just said

 

[miketx]

There is nothing as corrosive and damaging to the American political discourse as the right wing alternative facts machine.

“When you look at the numbers, New Zealanders have essentially been satisfied with their government since 1999,” said Stephen Mills, the head of UMR, Labour’s polling firm. That period had spanned two Labour and two centre-right National prime ministers – including Ardern – all of whom had led fairly moderate governments.

“A huge reason that our politics is not so extremely polarised and so far out there is because we no longer have Murdoch-owned press in New Zealand, and it’s never taken a foothold,” said David Cormack, the co-founder of a public relations firm and a former head of policy and communications for the left-leaning Green party.

Why New Zealand rejected populist ideas other nations have embraced

We learned total commie scum are not wanted.

 

[Frankeneinstein]

There is nothing as corrosive and damaging to the American political discourse as the right wing alternative facts machine.

“When you look at the numbers, New Zealanders have essentially been satisfied with their government since 1999,” said Stephen Mills, the head of UMR, Labour’s polling firm. That period had spanned two Labour and two centre-right National prime ministers – including Ardern – all of whom had led fairly moderate governments.

“A huge reason that our politics is not so extremely polarised and so far out there is because we no longer have Murdoch-owned press in New Zealand, and it’s never taken a foothold,” said David Cormack, the co-founder of a public relations firm and a former head of policy and communications for the left-leaning Green party.

Why New Zealand rejected populist ideas other nations have embraced

what you describe is textbook liberal authoritarianism...if we were to eliminate all forms of left wing media in this country we too would be a content satisfied lot who could read, watch and hear about how happy we are...with no rebuttal.