New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delays election over Covid-19

I know I am way late to this debate but being an aussie that has taken an interest in America since his mid teens it's easy to point out the differences

So as previously said moving the date of the US election is not an easy thing, everything based around the constitution is pretty rock solid. I mean if Trump says that he'll delay the election then that becomes hypocritical to his stance on lets say amending the 2nd amendment

yes NZ and Aus have a similar system where the date is picked by the PM and it's in a window of around 6 months or so if I am correct. So the change of date is an easy one

I read most of the comments on here and I have to say there are some delusional people here on this forum as i have previously stated. So lets get into some things. regardless of a delay or cancellation of the election in the states, trump is out on the (23?) of january if there is no election. Then I believe pelosi becomes president until it's all soughted out.

Some one said that it was delusion to say that trump knows he's possibly going to lose, well here are some more facts for you the states that he is polling better in AND trumps disapproval rating is high, are the states he needs to win to win re election, wisc, ill, penn, mich and maybe florida. are the states he needs to win. then there are states that are now starting to swing blue, arz, nev, tex, gor, if he loses just one of those it's bad for trump, I have been watching this closely and if biden wins wisc, mich, penn and one of the other states mentioned, it's all over, I have predicted for the last 2 years it will be between, 15 to 40 or so electoral college votes to the dems. It will be close though.

as for the moving of the election down here, I said and didn't vote in our local counsil elections because, who cares? it should have been delayed, but we have a state election coming up and if there were a federal election I would call for measures like, have the voting over 2 days to spread out the number of people going to the polls or god forbid, more people absentee vote and instead of fighting it and calling it rigged, work with who you need too, to make sure it's not rigged, instead of trying to rig it yourself by knee capping the USPS. no Trump supporters seem to bring that up do they that Trump could very easily look like the good guy for once and give national directives to make sure people don't get 2 voter forms and that all votes get in on time and counted on time. It's pretty simple

So comparing the 2 systems is pretty irrelevant really. lots more I could get into but would get way off the topic

originally posted by: DaRAGE
Because the people of the USA are a bunch of stupid assholes. The people of the USA are absolutely OBSESSED with politics.

The people of New Zealand are reasonable people. One month... Who cares?

This, it's basically a massive difference in mindset in the southern hemisphere from the northern one. A mindset I've seen many from outside of AU/NZ not get until they moved and lived here for a while.

We're all pretty loyal to our countries in the south, but we don't tend to be brainwashedly patriotic. Think the AU/NZ advantage is we've been exposed to so much more 'culture' than our own as we grow up. I mean we get a lot of media from the U.S, Canada, England, etc growing up along with our own countries content.
Yet I get the impression in the U.S they don't get much in the way of Aussie and Kiwi content outside of Babe and Crocodile Dundee.

You see often online, even here on ATS the whole "oh you're not American? Then shut up you don't matter." When sometimes you have a better view when you're on the outside looking in. That many's brains stop working at their borders. (Applies to many Northern Hemisphere nations, that half of the world which seems to be cause of most of the worlds problems.)

We tend to be a lot more chill, and laid back by comparison to the rest of the world. Maybe not having other countries directly on our borders and being fairly isolated has helped a lot in that regard as well as being fairly 'young' civilizations.

Sadly though, there are some trying to bring the U.S's problems to our lands.... Aussie BLM for example.... *rolls eyes*
It's a cancer for our societies that we need to stamp out before it takes root, but sadly I don't think that will happen.
Especially as most of the worlds media is very much U.S owned and driven. Media the younger folks are now plugged into 24/7, hence why the problems of other countries are becoming our problems. Even though those problems do not exist here. Outside of peoples heads and desire to be special little snowflakes.

You get raised your whole life being told 'you're/we're number one!!!' you begin to believe it after a while, like any form of brainwashed indoctrinated extremism.

Maybe it's time we stopped letting the U.S and China etc bully us. Trade sanction threats etc, that kind of thing. (The way anyone would treat an 'ally' hey?)
And started trade sanctioning them back. We, well Australia at least have the means to survive on our own, thanks to having a low population. Cut them off from our Uranium, beef, steel, grain, wool, etc. and stop being part of the very manipulated in the favour of certain countries BS Stock Exchanges. Leave the North to their games they've been playing for millennia.
NZ is like our little brother, we'll no doubt have your backs. (I have always said we should approach NZ and offer them to become our 8th state and territory we're that similar and close to each other. Can only see it as a win win.)
Maybe make a Southern Hemisphere coalition and send the northerners packing back to their crappy war filled part of the world.

Problem is, it's okay for them to threaten us, but as we've seen recently, they don't like the same back. Cut them off from our goods and services and we'll probably be invaded due to WMD's or whatever other imaginary crap they use to steal the resources their overpopulated lands require.

But yeah, changing a Americans mind, whether republican or democrat is like talking to a wall. They're all always right, all of the time. The programming is too ingrained in most of them. They don't know what to do without a 'team'. They'll ignore what is right in front of their own eyes if it doesn't match the way they want the world to be.
They tell themselves they're a democracy, the land of the free, when like every country on the planet they're an oligarchy with the elite playing them off against each other.

They go on about rights and constitutions and amendments, but do nothing to enforce them. Where's the militas? Wears the bearing arms against the enemies both foreign and domestic? Where's the democratic removal of corrupt politicians?

Maybe politics is such a huge deal for them because like the old men and women they elect, they're all full of piss, vinegar and hot air themselves.

Look how many here talk about shooting people, enemies of the state so to speak, for literally years, but not a single one has gone and got their 'liberty guns' and used them.

Look at their elections, how much of a show they are, how who has the most money and razzamatazz matters, how long they are dragged out for, compared to AU/NZ where as our elections are generally over before you even know they've begun. A month delay in their years long elections would be too much for their brains to process.

The U.S and pretty much most Northern nation looks as itself as not a member of a shared planet, a giant ball falling through space as it cork screws around a star, but instead they all think of themselves as their own little planets and anything outside their imaginary lines is an alien, something not equal to them and something to be feared.
While fearing their own at the same time.

If I only had a dollar for every American I met who thinks Aussies all live in the outback and Tasmania is in South America I'd be able to buy a house.

I'm starting to think honestly it's all a lost cause. Maybe it's time to sit back and let them have the apocalypse they seem to all so desperately want. Just request they keep it to their half of the planet.

Maybe it's just humans have hit their mental peak? This is as advanced as we're ever going to get, because despite using computers and knowing the Earth isn't flat and that space is virtually infinite, most really are still as primitive and have ways of thinking much like those in biblical times, despite it being 2000 years later.

Oh well life's short. Why work together and make our short stay here pleasant when we can be trying to cut each others throats instead. Why care about your fellow man, when you can hate him for not thinking like you instead.
Screw coming together when it is more fun killing other people because they worship a different coloured piece of cloth than you.

Yeah, let them go for it. If their apocalypse doesn't get us, maybe we can build a better world from the ashes they're all so keen to make. If they don't drag us further into the madness with them that is.

Maybe we should be using them as an example, use them as motivation to not make the same mistakes they're making, because I genuinely believe they're beyond help and you cannot help/save those who are not willing to help/save themselves as the old sayings go.

Heck just speaking about them in a negative light as I have will make most on both sides equally hostile, and combative instead of self reflective. Instead of going, "hmm maybe we have gone to #" it'll be the usual "We're not a stinky poopy pants! YOU ARE!!!" They'll misquote and cherry pick as they always do to change what is being said rather than take it head on.

That despite our countries not being full of rioting, regular mass shooting etc, how they're still better than we could ever be.

Let's just leave them in their little bubbles. After all they don't want them popped.

Dear America. I hope and pray you eventually find that common enemy you always seem to need to actually be a bunch of states that are 'united' occasionally.

Good post Atomic Roo

I too am also sick of the you don't live here so it's none of your business and my reply to that is when you stop asking for our support in the wars you wage is when I stop taking an interest in american politics, BUT not just that, the US seems to not understand how it's actions and policies have an effect on countries like australia. I also like holidaying in the states and when I go there I don't want to have to fear being murder for just walking down the street.

And you are so right about how could a country like australia or NZ ever be better than the grand old USA. like somehow they don't have mirror to actually looking at how bad their country has actually gotten. I remember the first time I traveled to the US and was so disappointed at perception vs reality and don't get me wrong there are some places in the US i love and will visit until i die but there is some serious systemic issues that have very simple fixes but because of stupidity and sheer stubbornness it will never change, and thats sad

but we are in the perfect position to look from the outside in because we don't take ourselves so seriously and that is hard for people so ingrained to see that maybe jussstttt maybe someone else might have a better perspective to you

a reply to: OzBoomer77

Thanks,agree with what you said. I grew up with "the wonderful world of disney" and other American TV shows that gave the impression the U.S were the number 1 western nation, a place to almost be jealous of. So close to a Utopia.

Thankfully I grew up and paid attention to the reality. Kind of relfected in modern U.S media. No more Utopia Disney and wholesome comedy etc, the shows, toxic comedy based on people being crappy to each other, fake 'reality' TV and much more pretty much reflects the way their society is.

As a kid the U.S was at the top of the list of my places to visit. Now I think I'd rather go to Iran for a vacation. Probably less chance of getting killed as a tourist there.

Sadly the U.S has literally become the stereotype many non-western countries have viewed it as for decades. It's living satire of what it claims to be now.
Even sadder, so many younger Aussies still wish to emulate them and embrace their madness.
Really time to cut them off (U.S Media) and get some Aussie culture back into our lives.

Says a lot I think using the media reference, that we can get U.S shows unedited and understand them, but when the U.S imports shows, they have to make a U.S version instead because other English is so alien to them. e.g U.S Kath and Kim, U.S The Office, U.S Wilfred. Heck so many U.S shows come here pre-subtitled because they cannot even understand each other. Amazing I on the other side of the planet can understand a thick cajun accent, but a yank the next state over cannot.

When you cannot even communicate and understand your own people it's no wonder things get like they are.

Yet you can move from QLD to W.A or W.A to QLD and the people will still sound and act the same, no universal translator required. I'm a sandgroper in QLD currently, and not one single banana bender has ever said "Your voice is funny, you're not from around here are you?"
(That's what a real united country looks like)

Maybe if Americans pulled their heads out of their collective backsides for a few minutes and took the time to look externally, they might actually learn a thing or two.

But I am not holding my breathe. Shame, geography wise the U.S is a beautiful bit of land, it's just the animals residing there that make it ugly.

a reply to: AtomicKangaroo

Shame, geography wise the U.S is a beautiful bit of land, it's just the animals residing there that make it ugly.

I kind of get most of what you posted - agree with parts of it and disagree with the rest, but I understand exactly where you are coming from and why you have come to the conclusions you have.

But that quoted sentence is a massive generalisation and grossly offensive to millions of honest, decent and genuine Americans who are no different either you or I.
I am the first to critisise America and Americans when I deem necessary but they share very similar values to us and their primary concerns no different; feed and house their families, help build a better future for their children whilst preserving their way of life yet at the same time being part of a vibrant and fluid society.

Sure, some American's are arseholes, perhaps even many of them.
But so are lots of my fellow Brits and some of the biggest knobheads I've ever encountered in my life have been Australians many who seem hell bent on playing up to the stereotyped Australian image.

a reply to: Freeborn

Yes, fair enough, look I get no nation is perfect, and not all people are bad. Every where has it's arseholes and stereotypes exist for a reason. But the U.S is constantly putting itself in the spotlight, stealing the center stage like no other country I can think of, forcing itself and it's ways onto others that is genuinely unique to them.

You cannot turn on the TV, the internet, open a magazine, listen to the radio without some good old U.S of A being there. I can go a week without hearing about Canada, Iran, China, etc etc. But I cannot go a day without having some 'Murica shoved down my throat. They're a country that is constantly interfering with other nations like no other country I can think of. (At least as openly as the U.S does.)

I admit I was mostly speaking in general terms, of the U.S as a whole, its identity and how it promotes itself to the world, more so than the individual people that live there. And aside from Falcon X launches I just cannot recall the last time I've seen anything positive coming out of the place.

And sure, they've become an easy target, because they've made themselves one.

And while yes I have met plenty of 'good' Americans, they all still seem to all share this same kind of ignorance to the outside world I mentioned compared to every other English speaking westerner from elsewhere I've interacted with.
The place as a whole has become a negative influence on the world and it sadly seems to just get more negative by the day.

I dunno how to put it correctly right now, joys of text communication I suppose. I'm much better at expressing these kind of opinions verbally. (I can just as easily criticize any other country including my own)
But truth is, they have more of an effect on the world than any other country and for a long while now that effect has been a largely negative one.

If they don't like the spotlight, maybe it's time for them to step out of it and take some time to self-reflect and work on becoming the alleged world leader they claim to be, because they're not living up to their self appointed titles and position, and people soon tire of the live as I say, not as I do.

They want to lead the world, then they need to lead by example, and recent examples have not been good.

a reply to: AtomicKangaroo
This ^^^^^^^
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