I appreciate Pete McKenzie’s thorough outlining of recent events in US/NZ military relationships (“Our very special friend”, May 18), and while aghast at the idea that NZ might get closer to the US militarily, I agree with his final statement that “NZ must choose: it can no longer pursue a foreign policy of independent drift.” What might this independent policy look like if it isn’t a “drift”?
First of all, to follow the US, which is systematically destroying trust in international humanitarian law and undermining the UN, as shown in its support for Israel’s deadly war on Gaza, is ignoring the fact that the unipolar world that had the US as the only superpower is dead. A multipolar world is emerging, which foresees a world based on mutual respect for and co-operation with all countries, which is vital when we have climate issues.
For NZ to now cosy up to US hegemony, with Donald Trump as a potential president, is not reading the world correctly. As the
