Why are the greens like this? How is being prepared to defend ourselves and help our allies “a concern”?

  • @Xcf456
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    411 months ago

    There’s a reason given in the article you’ve linked:

    “China and the US are engaged in some kind of competition over the Pacific right now and New Zealand must display a principled, independent voice and lift our Pacific neighbours above the interests of these overly-militarised superpowers.”

    • @IlovethebombOP
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      -111 months ago

      In practical terms, what does that mean?

      And why does that preclude conducting training exercises with our allies?

        • @IlovethebombOP
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          111 months ago

          That doesn’t answer my question at all.

          In practical terms, what would the greens like us to actually be doing?

          Never mind their policy, what actual actions, if any should we be taking?

          • @Xcf456
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            411 months ago

            Your questions seem to be more of an excuse to rage on the Greens, rather than understand their positions.

            The policy doc I linked you to sets out what they’d do and prioritise - peacekeeping, disaster response, eez policing, stay out of the US China cold war as much as possible and look after ours and the Pacific Island’s interests first, support military deployment through international orgs and channels.

            You don’t have to agree with that but I feel like you’re on the verge of wilful ignorance here.

            • @Rangelus
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              511 months ago

              This is exactly the case. He wants to rage on the Greens, and is wilfully not engaging any thought into their position.

              It’s simple. The article states the Greens don’t think we should’ve been a part of the war games. This is in line with their policy. The whole “what should we do then” is just begging the question. The article, and OPs initial question, was around why the Greens don’t support these games. This is clear in both the article and their policy page, and thus that question is settled.

              • @IlovethebombOP
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                -211 months ago

                My point is, it’s very easy to say what we shouldn’t be doing, it’s much harder to come up with an alternative.

                Neither the green party, or the commenter I’m replying to, seem to have any idea what we should be doing instead, besides some very vauge and aspirational goals.

                • @Rangelus
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                  311 months ago

                  An alternative to participating in the war games? The obvious alternative is not participating in war games.

                  • @IlovethebombOP
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                    011 months ago

                    How do we get our troops this type of training otherwise?

                • @BalpeenHammer
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                  111 months ago

                  I think your point is that you are a right wing person who fetishises the military and wants the west to engage in an active war with China. Any policy or even speech that seeks any other way of relating to china is going to get vehement and loud pushback from you. You think the only way to relate to china is via the most violent way possible.

            • @IlovethebombOP
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              011 months ago

              I did read their document, it talks a lot about what they don’t want our military to be doing, and some vague mission statement about what we should be doing.

              Overall not a very informative document.

              • @Xcf456
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                211 months ago

                Most of the examples I pulled out were shoulds. It’s not the most detailed policy document but it seems pretty on par with some others I’ve seen across parties.

                I wouldn’t say the day to day messaging about the case for doing these exercises in the first place, or entering AUKUS and so on is particularly more detailed anyway. It usually boils down to traditional allies and ‘pulling our weight’ and so on.

                It kiinda feel like you’re holding an impossible to meet standard because underneath you just don’t agree with the position.

                • @IlovethebombOP
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                  211 months ago

                  I disagree, at least one example of what they think our armed forces should be doing to protect NZ and our allies is very easy ask, and yet you can’t.

                  Both their statements and your comments are a series of don’ts.

                  • @Xcf456
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                    211 months ago

                    How do the things I mentioned not constitute protect NZ and/or our allies. Policing the EEZ against illegal fishing is protecting NZ. Taking part in international peace keeping operations is supporting allies. They are also not ‘don’ts’