To go along with the second blog refresh this year, here’s something I’ve meant to knock off for forever and become an anchor for updates into the future. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, I spent the first four years of the blog archiving every good read from that year. However, that creates an unnecessary admin load while wrapping up each year at a time when I’d rather focus on my champs, chumps and ceremonies. I’m creating this as the final entry in that series so I don’t have to do this anymore.
This is the grand archive for every read from a year that is not 2020-2023, plus almost all the articles from those four years that I didn’t appropriately file away at the time, including 2023 post-election writing. Let’s be real, these are mostly niche American and Aotearoan resources I found while writing alt history. Whenever you need something to pass the time, come here and pick out a read!
All especially interesting or impressive picks will be bolded.
2000
New Republic [US]: This Man Is Not A Republican - a meditation on the uniqueness of John McCain before he even lost the 2000 presidential primary, never mind winning in 2008
2008
FiveThirtyEight [US]: Did Talk Radio Kill Conservatism?
NZ Herald: John Key: The man who would be PM
2009
FiveThirtyEight: A Thousand Little Pieces
“ “ “ “: The New Identity Politics Party
2010
FiveThirtyEight: Gingrich Sounds Amped to Run
“ “ “ “: Ronald Reagan Redux
2011
FiveThirtyEight: In the Land of the Salamanders, the Newt is King
2012
FiveThirtyEight: Why Romney Wants to Be Like Michael Dukakis
2014
Vox: How politics makes us stupid - I’m sceptical of 2010s-style “politics is an equation to be solved for by our current understanding of psychology” but this is always a good reminder that you can be loyal to one side and opposed to another, and should still remain a sceptical critic of your own
Buzzfeed News [US]: How Websites Today Would Report The Monica Lewinsky Scandal - unmitigated banger that I feel like Monica herself would appreciate
2015
FiveThirtyEight: Trump Would Lose Badly In A Third-Party Bid, But He Could Take The Republican Down, Too
New York Magazine [US]: The Importance of Donald Trump
The Federalist [US]: Military Strategist Explains Why Donald Trump Leads—And How He Will Fail
Pundit [NZ]: 2015: My year that was
2016
FiveThirtyEight: How Two Grad Students Uncovered An Apparent Fraud — And A Way To Change Opinions On Transgender Rights
New York Magazine: Hillary Clinton vs. Herself
2017
The Spinoff: I’m a data nerd and a data cheerleader, but still I fear Bill English’s datatopia - social investment is a favourite way for liberals to support a pathway for National towards using state funding to care for the most vulnerable, and this is a great argument that we shouldn’t assume this will work but that we also can’t wish this new epoch away
Politico: Nelson Rockefeller’s Last Stand - what really sparked my interest in keeping up with American politics was the dramatic clashes of the 1960s and this is one of them; this is the equivalent of if liberal MPs like Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop had been driven out of National by Muldoon, their wing never to return
The Spinoff: After the immolation: who will replace Andrew Little? - Stuart Nash lol
2018
The Spinoff: Simon Bridges needs to make friends. But voters know bullshit when they smell it - a good example of why major parties create clients less than seems strategically optimal
“ “ “ “: One year in, how have our Māori MPs and ministers rated? - I love granular information that makes a mixed bag rather than vague overviews to push a particular point
2020
E-Tangata: A man of contradictions - the second-best article I have ever read on Winston Peters, after The Boxer and the Towel: in an interview just before his fall from Parliament, Moana Maniapoto scrutinises the leader
American Heritage: Reassessing Spiro Agnew
2021
Stuff: MMP at 25: How an academic dream from West Germany changed New Zealand forever - part one of a four part series about MMP
2023
The Spinoff: Who are Labour’s lost voters? - I’m no gatekeeper, but I think anyone who wants to do some political analysis should get familiar with the average demographics of the swing voters
“ “ “ “: The two wildly different reactions to Matthew Hooton’s speech at Auckland Grammar [warning for mentions of SV] - fascinatingly reflective from one of NZ politics’ serial instigators
“ “ “ “: The big, multi-decade lie that underpins ‘the government’s books are in good shape’ - a very simple summary of one of New Zealand’s biggest and most overlooked problems
The Spinoff: The Sunday Essay: My stolen nose
Decider [US]: It Took Me Nearly 40 Years To Stop Resenting Ke Huy Quan
Business Insider [US]: I'm a Stanford professor who's studied organizational behavior for decades. The widespread layoffs in tech are more because of copycat behavior than necessary cost-cutting.
Politico: Want to see the hurdles Biden really faces in making progress on guns? Come to W.Va. - one of the best examples I’ve seen of how detached politics can be from real-world obstacles to change
Business Insider: I was a nun for 2 decades before leaving the convent to be with a woman. I stood up to the church for our right to love.
“ “ “ “: Do our schools work for boys?
The Guardian: I stopped trying to be a woman – and I felt resurrected, fully myself for the first time
Vulture [US]: The National Are Now a Parody Act
Politico: Russia Has a Vodka Addiction. So Does Vladimir Putin – But Not the Same Way. - alcohol remains one of the most underestimated tools of power in history
“ “ “ “: Kris Faafoi: Why I'd put money on Meka Whaitiri being back in Parliament after the election - xd
The Guardian: Protect ya king! Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA pairs bars and the board in speed chess tournament
The Spinoff: A kludgeocratic budget for the ages - essential reading to understand New Zealand politics and governance
The Guardian: I’m a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Right now, that’s as complex as you could possibly imagine
The Spinoff: No, the Greens don’t have a Labour problem - at the start of an article is a link to the first half of this debate; I prefer the Greens shouldn’t try to overtake Labour perspective, because I’m confused at what mechanisms would stop the Greens just becoming Labour 2.0 if they did that, but worth wondering at all around
The Press: Christchurch’s Parakiore sport centre a weeping stain in the rebuild story - a mark against Megan Woods
2024
Politico: How Justin Trudeau lost his grip - I remain fascinated by Trudeau, who has gradually transitioned from being in tune with the times to the last stronghold of a bygone breed of politician
The Spinoff: We don’t need another ‘Indian’ restaurant - read to the tune of “Another Brick in the Wall”
The Press: How the hell has Christopher Luxon got himself into this mess? - Andrea Vance is one of NZ’s best political observers and here she shows it
RNZ: Work and Income case manager tells client seeking housing support to 'go rob a bank' - reads like a Civilian headline
The Press: The Greens’ Swarbrick no-brainer is a headache for Labour - Ben Thomas my beloved
Newsroom: Teen offenders: ‘We are your future – whether we’re in jail or not’ - crime is one of the best examples of the human phenomenon of debating what people do without ever just talking to those people about the subject at hand
Stuff: Cancer couple’s relationship status and Givealittle funds hit welfare payments - a great example of how cracking down on welfare fraud sows chaos for vulnerable Kiwis
The Spinoff: A housing minister for the New City“ “ “ “: We’re spending billions of dollars to make traffic worse
Stuff: Can Chris Bishop pull a housing rabbit out of his hat? - super thorough rundown if you want to get up to speed on the housing crisis
BBC: Cold water swimming: From the desert to Welsh mountains - he is living my dream
Greater Auckland: NZ Government announces ban on walking - political satire is often insufferably bitter but this one’s light and fun
Neeeeeeeeeewstalk ZB: Why shouldn't Chch have a rainbow pedestrian crossing? - thanks claude
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