Archive for September, 2007

RNZAF to regain teeth?

Posted by Phil on September 27th, 2007

Soon after Labour came to power in 1999, the planned purchase of 28 F-16s by New Zealand’s air force was cancelled, and the A-4K Skyhawk squadrons, Nos. 75 and 2 – which represented NZ’s only attack or fighter capability – as well as the jet-training squadron, No. 14, were disbanded.  Since then, 17 Skyhawks and 17 [...]

4GW, Labour, New Zealand | 11 Comments »

Tracking Devices and Skygazing

Posted by Luke H on September 10th, 2007

The Press has a hilarious story about one Ralph Williams who outsmarted cops who placed tracking devices in two cars he used – he ripped out the devices, traced their transmissions to a particular police officer, and then placed the devices on Trademe! Williams said he found the devices concealed behind panels in the passenger-side [...]

New Zealand, Police, Science, Space, Technology | 3 Comments »

By popular demand: Hammes report

Posted by Phil on September 1st, 2007

Thomas X. Hammes speculates that a series of large explosions at major ports could effectively “end globalization”. My previous post, “Fourth-generation warfare expert to speak in Wellington on Monday”, generated some interest, and several people have asked me for a report. Well, I guess I did promise you, so here goes… As Shlok said, Hammes [...]

4GW, Black globalization, Catastrophes, Infrastructure, Resilience, Terrorism, Wellington | 9 Comments »

Poverty and Penthouses

Posted by Luke H on September 1st, 2007

Whenever Phil or I travel back to Taranaki to visit our parents we travel through Patea, a sad old town which is barely clinging to existence. They drove through small towns, through obscure side roads, through the kind of places they had not seen in years. She felt uneasiness at the sight of the towns. [...]

Catastrophes, Culture, Labour, New Zealand, Personal, Politics | 6 Comments »