After nearly six months of easy government, National is finally being called on its new "centrism", thanks to the US formally requesting NZ troops to fight its losing war in Afghanistan. The majority of kiwis want nothing to do with the US's war and hate the idea of kiwis killing and even dying to defend theocracy and spousal rape, but National's base is reflexively pro-US and sees our role in the world as being a loyal little US vassal, willing (and eager) to die on demand for the profit of their American overlords (and possibly kiwi farmers - the vile old "blood for butter" mindset that saw us die for Britain too). Whichever way they decide, one of these groups is going to be seriously pissed off, so its no real surprise that they're prevaricating. But eventually, they're going to have to make up their minds and choose: between the centre and the right, between New Zealand and America. And they'll have to suffer the electoral consequences of that decision in two and a half years time.
Unfortunately, judging by their decision on the United Nations conference on racism, they'll be backing the US. Let's just hope no-one gets killed as a reuslt of their cowardly subserviance.
