New_Zealand_Listener_09_14_2019

SEPTEMBER 14 2019 LISTENER 5

No longer is New Zealand a

lonely outpost of the British

Empire. We are intimately

engaged throughout the

world and highly respected

as an international actor. Our

major security threats are no

longer military acts demand-

ing countervailing force, but

environmental issues that

need global co-operation.

Recourse to old verities of

military alliances contrib-

utes little to addressing our

problems and threatens our

security by compromising our

independence.

Gray Southon

(Tauranga)

An entry on May 25, 1941, in

the Noël Coward Diaries reads,

“How horrifying to have to

read again and again during

this war that we have not

enough planes and equip-

ment.” Well, we won the war,

but at what cost?

Pamela Anderson

(Hamilton)

Our preparedness and strength

as a nation come from within:

from a bright, resourceful

people, a cohesive, well-func-

tioning society, a clean, green

environment and efficient

infrastructure.

We risk our inner core if we

choose to fund war machin-

ery over and above society’s

requirements.

A depleted, demoralised

society exposes us more to

threats than being unable to

patrol the Strait of Hormuz,

which even Germany and

France are declining to do.

Lynley Child

(Auckland)

WRITING THE HISTORY OF TRUMP

If the dust ever settles, we

might find that our best tour

guide to the monarchy (aka

presidency) of Donald Trump

has been Paul Thomas’ series

of Listener essays (“Absurd

person singular”, September 7).

It transpires that stand-

ard political analysis fails to

G

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(^) IM
AG
ES
TO ENTER Send your captions for the photo above to [email protected],
with “Caption Competition No 349” in the subject line. Alternatively, entries can
be posted to “Caption Competition No 349”, NZ Listener, Private
Bag 92512, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, or submitted through
listener.co.nz/win. Entries must be received by noon, Tuesday,
September 17.
THE PRIZE A collection of Jamie Oliver’s easy, healthy, flavour-
packed, accessible and affordable vegetarian recipes.
Caption Competition {[email protected]}
Emmanuel Macron: “I know the G7 is
a pantomime, but I didn’t think they’d
send Dozey.” – Rhonda Ramsay, Thames
Macron: “Quelle Horreur! He’s doing
a Winston!” – Brian Marks, Paihia
Vladimir Putin: “Wake me up when
Brexit’s all over.” – Rex McGregor, Auckland
Caption: “All quiet on the Western
Front.” – PM Lynch, Upper Hutt
Voice in headphones: “Once upon a
time, there was an oaf named Boris ...”

• Ann Love, Nelson

Macron: “His ego is this big.”

Putin: “Da, but brain size of pea.”

– Peter Scanlan, Lower Hutt

Putin, humming: “Back in the US,

back in the US, back in the USSR.”

– John Edgar, Christchurch

WINNING CAPTION

Tony Clemow, Kamo

explain the Trump phenome-

non. Thomas refers to Trump’s

“base” as “cultists” – and that’s

where any valid understanding

of the situation needs to begin.

It is inadequate to say that this

base are his “supporters” (just

as it would be to say that the

Vatican is a supporter of Jesus

Christ).

They worship Trump. He

is their cult leader, taking on

aspects of the divine. What we

might identify as irrational or

outrageous, or as failings, is

perceived by his worshippers

as triumphant indications that

their leader transcends mere

humanity and the pathetic

institutions that humans have

laboured to construct.

So, my advice to the

Democrats is to stop listen-

ing to political pundits. Bring

on board people who have

studied cults, their leaders, fol-

lowers and behaviours. What

you thought you knew about

Mussolini or Mao Zedong or

Idi Amin is irrelevant. The

“leaders” you need to focus on

include Charles Manson and

Jim Jones.

Arch Thomson

(Mt Wellington, Auckland)

LETTER OF THE WEEK

PINK AND WHITE FANTASIES

Oh, dear – yet another article

predicated on the possibility

Caption

competition

THIS WEEK’S PICTURE

FINALISTS

Poof!

And Syria

disappears!