Yale University must really want to get defunded by the US Government. Its leadership has just given Trump the big middle finger. One may've thought Yale would balance their guest speakers so they reflected the entire political range to pre-empt moves against them by the new administration. But no. Yale goes and invites former NZ PM Ardern to give its Class Day Graduation Address 2025.
Ardern endorsed Democrat Karmala Harris last year for President. Yale describes Ardern as follows, "She embodies empathy & excellence, character & commitment, innovation & inclusion .. During her time in office, she .. navigated significant challenges, including .. a volcanic eruption and global pandemic. With a people-first approach grounded in kindness, she .. led an administration in which NZ reached a historic 50% representation of women in Parliament & government-appointed boards" (now I know why I was never considered for any of those positions, darn it). She also "secured historic international trade agreements". Seems Ardern is now a great defender of free international trade. Funny, I never thought of her as much liking markets, having viciously blamed former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson's Mother of All Budgets for the suicide of her neighbour in Morrinsville, and attacked folks like Sir Roger Douglas for wrecking NZ and creating poverty and inequality, which she had to fix, all because he embraced "neoliberalism" and small government and opened NZ up to .. more international trade and competition.
How can we interpret Yale's advertising blurb for Ardern? Seems its designed no less than to use Ardern as a weapon against the US President. Namely that Trump is her Opposite - he is everything she is not. He is non-empathetic; he has no character; he disdains excellence; he hates inclusion; he is anti free trade. When will this endless attempt of Ardern to keep telling the world that she is morally superior to the rest of us stop? I should've been more savvy & become a politician instead of embarking on an academic career. Ardern & her side-kick Finance Minister Robertson have taught me that you can have a much bigger academic career by becoming local Kiwi Labour Party politicians. That will get you to Yale, Harvard, Oxford .. and even Otago should you wish to retire as Vice Chancellor back to your old student haunts. What's next? Ardern may become my boss, so I'd better be careful. When that happens my types will be out on our ears for not symbolizing "empathy and excellence, character and commitment, innovation and inclusion", like she does. Gosh, even writing down those words makes me feel like a mean, horrible failure already.
How can we interpret Yale's advertising blurb for Ardern? Seems its designed no less than to use Ardern as a weapon against the US President. Namely that Trump is her Opposite - he is everything she is not. He is non-empathetic; he has no character; he disdains excellence; he hates inclusion; he is anti free trade. When will this endless attempt of Ardern to keep telling the world that she is morally superior to the rest of us stop? I should've been more savvy & become a politician instead of embarking on an academic career. Ardern & her side-kick Finance Minister Robertson have taught me that you can have a much bigger academic career by becoming local Kiwi Labour Party politicians. That will get you to Yale, Harvard, Oxford .. and even Otago should you wish to retire as Vice Chancellor back to your old student haunts. What's next? Ardern may become my boss, so I'd better be careful. When that happens my types will be out on our ears for not symbolizing "empathy and excellence, character and commitment, innovation and inclusion", like she does. Gosh, even writing down those words makes me feel like a mean, horrible failure already.
Professor Robert MacCulloch holds the Matthew S. Abel Chair of Macroeconomics at Auckland University. He has previously worked at the Reserve Bank, Oxford University, and the London School of Economics. He runs the blog Down to Earth Kiwi from where this article was sourced.
16 comments:
Brilliant. He’ll defund them too. Won’t be long before her Covid gravy train runs out. I hope she’s a good saver as her employment potential is no doubt limited.
Brand Jacinda.
That's all its ever been about. Increasing her brand on the world stage.
Becoming prime mincer was just another stepping stone to climb the world order.
Nothing sums her up better than an avowed socialist taking a damehood.
The lady is the biggest phoney ever to call herself a kiwi.
It should say...."During her time in office, she..navigated significant challenges, including..fleeing the country when she realized her "people" couldnt stand her or the way she governed because she wrecked the place". Maybe she'll get booed out of America as well.
There is a huge divide in society when Ardern is held up as a paragon of virtue. I thought she was a bird brain and an empty -headed woman. Nothing coherent or meaningful was ever uttered by Ardern. It's a pity she gained such a following overseas. Early on in her tenure, I tentatively commented under an overseas publication article on her, expressing my views. I received the most up-ticks. A very large number of approvals. Trump is not "woke". I don't think he even understands "woke", thank goodness.
When on TV she said sumpthink I knew she was a waste of space
Ms "Fake" Ardern personifies the deep rot of contemporary society in every way.
Why is this person still being discussed?
Her relevance has long since passed and time should now be allowed to let diminish into obscurity.
A mere footnote in the political history of a tiny nation that once produced a handful of scientists and explorers...
Until it finally imploded upon itself as it stumbled its way backwards to tribalism and superstition.
That's my prediction unless we can learn from the colossal blunders of an ex-fish wrapper and mend the horrific systems that allowed such mediocrity to pave that road to the brink of hell.
To Anon at 2.13pm
Because such people do not go away - they surface to do more damage elsewhere.
Many younger people in NZ have adopted the "Ardern empathy mantra".
Luxon, as PM, is conducting a dangerous and irrefutable double act: the great democrat on the world stage and the chief sponsor of the ethno-state in NZ itself.
In short, Luxon is following Ardern's legacy.
i suspect she is too wary of those affected by her kindness promotion to risk return to what was once placid Godzown. Life without her security detachment could be perilous. She would probably not have been less safe if she had reigned in the Treaty.
Didn't Trump call Ardern "birdbrain".
Correction... "socieddy"...its like "poviddy" and ... "empathy". There are STILL folk in NZ [good ejicaded folk too] who are duped by her.
She is a terrible woman. She behaves like an absolute coward, she destroyed this country and a few months before the election resigned and scamper like a rat elsewhere. Gutless and cowardly are her only qualities
I wonder which is the shorter queue. Those signing up for an advance copy of Jacinda's book or those waiting to join the Benjamin Doyle Appreciation Society.
So, a top rate politician ( by today's low standards).
Birdbrain is an insult to birds- remarkable creatures if you stop to think about them. Fundamental part of our ecosystem and its health not to mention the joy they can bring ( ok Alfred Hitchcock pre-empted the impact of a certain NZ elected figure).
Birds v Ardern - voting any one?
When will this endless attempt of Adern to tell the world that she is morally superior to the rest of us stop? I see this man is in to the endless twist Jacinda Ardern to make her look bad cult - Jacinda Ardern didn't SAY anything professor - quoted what the university said about her didn't you, not her words?
And becoming local labour politicians will get you to Harvard and Yale. Let's have a dose of petty sour grapes shall we. As you know she was a bit more than a local Labour politician, and surely to shake off all the dead beats here who resent her having a new life while you all wallow in your pathetic resentment, yes she found a new university life in the US. What would expect her to do prof McCullough- become an old bitter and twisted teacher at somewhere like Auckland university?
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