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Latest FromJay Kuten

The disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured), raises a dark question for anyone who dares criticise governments or speak out against those in power: Will the world have their back? Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Now you see it, now you don't

17 Oct, 2018 10:00am
4 minutes to read

Trump, who admires strongmen, is not as interested in human rights as he is in power.

Senator Susan Collins is under pressure after voting to support Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: It's over? Judge for yourself

10 Oct, 2018 4:00pm
4 minutes to read

These hearings are not criminal trials. They are job interviews for high judicial posts.

Christine Blasey Ford and her attorneys Debra Katz, foreground left, and Michael Bromwich, foreground right, take a break during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington. Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Kavanaugh issues abound

3 Oct, 2018 5:00pm
4 minutes to read

Seating Kavanaugh would put the faith of citizens in the US Supreme Court in jeopardy.

Hey, now I'm a psychiatrist - Senator Rand Paul has taken to diagnosing Donald Trump's critics. Photo / Getty Images

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Psychobabble as a weapon

19 Sep, 2018 3:00pm
4 minutes to read

The Trump virus, once imbibed, erodes the spine, alters the brain and erases principle.

The controversial anonymous opinion article published in the New York Times on September 6.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Error to run spineless piece

12 Sep, 2018 8:00am
4 minutes to read

A genuine patriot would have resigned and then written his objections.

An American hero is farewelled. Family members follow a horse-drawn caisson that carries the casket of Senator John McCain, as it proceeds to the United States Naval Academy cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday, for burial. McCain died on August 25 from brain cancer at the age of 81. Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: The true definition of a hero

5 Sep, 2018 4:00pm
4 minutes to read

John McCain had the mark of genuine heroism — strong at the broken places.

Former Reserve Bank governor and National Party leader Don Brash.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Chester Borrows' admission of profiting from racism is welcome

29 Aug, 2018 8:01am
4 minutes to read

If we could bottle Don Brash's boring cadences, we'd have a cure for insomnia.

Fred Rogers, the friendly public face of religion. Photo / Reuters

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Religion in the public space

22 Aug, 2018 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

End-of-life issues are too important to be left to politicians with a religious agenda.

Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2013 version of 'The Great Gatsby', another cinematic effort that fell short.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Gatsby Redux

15 Aug, 2018 8:00pm
4 minutes to read

'The Great Gatsby' feels right for the times, although Gatsby is timeless.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Choice, dignity in death

8 Aug, 2018 4:30pm
4 minutes to read

Jay Kuten on the end of life debate.

Melania Trump, with the notorious Zara jacket, knows the importance of parental support for children. Photo / Getty Images

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: A deliberate act of cruelty

25 Jul, 2018 8:00am
4 minutes to read

We ought to declare Stephen Miller, author of the contemptible policy, persona non grata.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Chance can alter one's life

18 Jul, 2018 9:29pm
4 minutes to read

The iron rod ripped into his brain and exited through his skull, landing several feet away

Community groups march in downtown Miami, Florida on June 30 in protest against President Donald Trump and his administration separating refugee children from their families as they enter through the Mexico border seeking asylum in the US. Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Border crossing no crime for refugees

11 Jul, 2018 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

Separating children from parents is a terrorising technique of authoritarian states.

Cannabis is legal for medicinal use in New Hampshire, but bureaucrats have made it difficult to access. Photo / File

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Legal medicinal cannabis blocked by bureaucrats

4 Jul, 2018 6:00pm
4 minutes to read

Legal medicinal cannabis suffers death of 1000 cuts at the hands of bureaucrats.

Beehive syndrome sufferers: Chester Borrows and Harete Hipango.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Strange malady afflicts MPs

27 Jun, 2018 10:00am
4 minutes to read

Beehive syndrome occurs when elected members appear to leave their spines at the door.

Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are in damage control mode over American treatment of asylum seekers. Photo / AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: An evil of biblical contortion

20 Jun, 2018 6:00pm
4 minutes to read

A country's greatness can be measured by the way it provides for its most vulnerable.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Ireland rings changes to abortion law

13 Jun, 2018 8:00am
4 minutes to read

It is no great wonder that the edifice of church power has crumbled in Ireland.

'Roseanne' stars John Goodman and Roseanne Barr, a model for outrage all her life.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Racism a study in contrasts

5 Jun, 2018 10:00pm
4 minutes to read

Revising history is especially dangerous while the very nature of truth is under attack

Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust - a gasbag whose oxygen comes from media attention.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Dignity means having choice

30 May, 2018 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

Jay Kuten: The view from here

Chester Borrows former electorate office in Whanganui where he was MP for 12 years.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Lack of money means lack of freedom

16 May, 2018 8:00pm
4 minutes to read

Good advice for middle-class, well-off Kiwis, but what about those in struggle street?

Simon O'Connor is espousing the National Party's newfound concern for the elderly and sick.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Sham concern for the elderly

9 May, 2018 12:15pm
4 minutes to read

Research on laws in Canada and Oregon has found claims of elderly coercion are overblown.

A fallen idol, Bill Cosby leaves the courthouse after his conviction on three counts of sexual assault. Photo/AP

ENTERTAINMENT

Jay Kuten: Journey from acclaim to ignominy

2 May, 2018 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

Cosby created a fictional model that inspired others to become their best selves.

Mark Zuckerberg, the Wizard of Facebook, reassures the timid lions, tin men and women, and scarecrows of Congress that all is well.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: The Wizard of manipulation

18 Apr, 2018 8:00pm
4 minutes to read

The Facebook wizard has reassured the timid lions, tin men and scarecrows of Congress.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: End-of-life argument twisted

11 Apr, 2018 11:00am
4 minutes to read

A police squad stricken by a fictitious malady intimidates unsuspecting elderly? Really?

ALTERNATIVE: MP Maggie Barry is promoting an access to palliative care bill, not a right-to-die one

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Dying with dignity a must - and so is choice

4 Apr, 2018 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

MP's plan for mandatory palliative care denies patient's the choice to end their life

Barack Obama at Tara Iti Golf Club: Superstar trappings undermine respect for the man. Photo/file

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Presidential integrity for sale

28 Mar, 2018 4:11pm
4 minutes to read

Once people sought public office to serve others, not as a path to personal fortune.

Excessive: Surveillance at a public meeting on assisted suicide resembles the political use of police power.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Keep the police out of politics

21 Mar, 2018 4:00pm
4 minutes to read

We can't have politicised police; we must be sure police act for our safety not against it

Worker skepticism: A placard brandished by an anti-CPTPP protester in Christchurch last week.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Falsehoods flourish in 'news'

14 Mar, 2018 12:20pm
4 minutes to read

An MIT study shows falsehoods have far greater and faster reach than fact on social media.

Jacinda Ardern has urged us to keep government accountable.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Holding the Government to account

7 Mar, 2018 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

You can't begin to solve a problem if you're not willing to acknowledge it's there.

Court battle: Assisted dying campaigner Lecretia Seales.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Empowering the dying patient

5 Mar, 2018 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

War is too important to be left to generals, death too important to be left to medics.

Against: Harete Hipango's reply lacks fact-based reasoning. Photo/file

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Marijuana debate needs clear minds

21 Feb, 2018 7:40pm
4 minutes to read

We need reasoned weighing of medical cannabis, without politicians' thumbs on the scales.

FLOW OF LIFE: The Whanganui River sustains us and enhances all our lives. Photo/Beryl Cowan

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Ode to beautiful River City

14 Feb, 2018 9:00am
4 minutes to read

The best features of any city are its institutions and the people who make it what it is.

Cannabis has a proven record of treating many illnesses, yet only those patients expected to die within a year may be able to access it.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Cannabis bills both miss the point

7 Feb, 2018 8:00am
4 minutes to read

Both cannabis bills disappoint -- the case for a new law is proven.

Blind rage: Frances McDormand in a scene from <i>Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri</i>, which displays great performances but is an ill-conceived film. Photo/AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Revenge fantasy a moral mess

31 Jan, 2018 8:10am
4 minutes to read

Golden Globes 'best picture' winner is an ill-conceived revenge fantasy with a great cast.

Right to privacy: Will Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's new Government repeal the GCSB's authority to spy on New Zealanders? Photo/AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Will Jacinda curb the GCSB's powers?

24 Jan, 2018 8:10am
4 minutes to read

The current sexual panic in the US is a stark reminder of why privacy matters.

UNFAIR: Mark Wahlberg was paid 1000 times more than co-star Michelle Williams for work on a movie.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: #MeToo's misguided missiles

17 Jan, 2018 8:10am
4 minutes to read

The vigilante response ultimately protects no one, neither victim, nor accused.

Early prevention: Family violence has deep roots.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: White Ribbon empathy leads to solutions

10 Jan, 2018 8:10am
4 minutes to read

Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't keep a scorecard. Stay alert. Drinking is out.

Fentanyl: Highly potent and controversial.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Cannabis could save lives

3 Jan, 2018 8:00am
4 minutes to read

Patients who used cannabis for pain were less likely to use opioids, less likely to die.

Suffering: Whanganui man Keith Hindson was the patient in a medical misconduct case this month.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: The healing power of letting go

27 Dec, 2017 8:00am
4 minutes to read

Resentment binds the victim emotionally and psychologically to her wrongdoer long-term.

Senator Al Franken: Pawn sacrificed to checkmate a king? Photo/AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Republicans claim big wins

20 Dec, 2017 4:00pm
4 minutes to read

For all the talk in the media of the Republican Party's disarray, they seem to be winning.

FALLEN STAR: Once a rising Democratic star, Al Franken is set to resign from the Senate following alegations of sexual misconduct. PHOTO/ AP PHOTOS

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Power without due process

13 Dec, 2017 2:30pm
4 minutes to read

Forced out by sex allegations without the chance to defend himself.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Creeping sex panic erodes critical thought

6 Dec, 2017 12:00pm
4 minutes to read

Did misogyny caused Clinton's defeat? Well, 53 per cent of white women voted for Trump.

Pointing the way: The miners who perished in the Pike River mine disaster have become members of all our families. Photo/NZME

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Safety first in the darkness

29 Nov, 2017 9:30am
4 minutes to read

What began as a local tragedy has become the continued mourning of a nation.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Orr's ugly moral relativism

22 Nov, 2017 6:00pm
4 minutes to read

RTL aims to control the choices that women are are all too often forced to make.

Change of the guard: National MPs Paula Bennett (left), Bill English and Steven Joyce look on from the Opposition front bench as Prime Minister Jacinda Arden takes the oath during the Opening of Parliament on November 7. Photo/file

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Dangers of empty obstruction

15 Nov, 2017 9:00pm
4 minutes to read

National seems to be stoking class warfare with the politics of resentment.

Personal choices: Jacinda Ardern has come under fire for the wrong reasons. Photo/file

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: RTL guilty of harassing PM

8 Nov, 2017 2:00pm
4 minutes to read

RTL can redeem itself by joining the PM in remediating poverty among living children.

Danger: Actions by the US Food and Drug Administration have resulted in monopolies on generic drugs and huge price hikes. Photo/AP

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Spit out TPP's poison pill

1 Nov, 2017 9:00am
4 minutes to read

We need to hold our new Government to the task of protecting our Pharmac scheme.

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson is owed an apology by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: When generals guard our peace

25 Oct, 2017 5:30am
4 minutes to read

General John Kelly needs to apologise. His honour and credibility are at stake

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Does Ombudsman serve public interest?

18 Oct, 2017 8:00am
4 minutes to read

If you're unhappy with the Ombudsman, who can you complain to?

Winston Peters: The most powerful man in New Zealand politics -- for now.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Peters - Will he or won't he?

11 Oct, 2017 10:00am
4 minutes to read

It seems unfitting that the final say on the next government should be left to one man.

HANDING ON THE BATON: Departing Whanganui MP Chester Borrows and his successor Harete Hipango.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Chester Borrows put conscience above all else

27 Sep, 2017 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

MP Chester Borrows -- a fair-minded man of conscience

FIGHTING 'COMMUNISM': A 1965 commemoration in honour of US soldiers killed in action in Vietnam, held at the Tan San Nant air base. GETTY IMAGES

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Blind loyalty holds -- even when it makes no sense

21 Sep, 2017 1:00pm
4 minutes to read

Political terms carry plenty of emotion but often little substance

Paula Bennett is cutting it fine with her comments on the 'human rights' of gang members.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Bennett should vacate House

13 Sep, 2017 3:23pm
4 minutes to read

Paula Bennett should resign.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Hurricane Harvey carries warning for us all

6 Sep, 2017 3:05pm
4 minutes to read

Harvey carries a warning for us all

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Social tsunami heads our way

30 Aug, 2017 8:30am
4 minutes to read

As the revolution in AI gains momentum, many highly skilled and paid jobs will disappear.

Paula Bennett: Weighed in the balance and found wanting.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Social disaster costs society

23 Aug, 2017 8:30am
4 minutes to read

We need leaders who have actual plans with time and date stamps, not vague policies.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: No short term fixes for pain

16 Aug, 2017 7:30am
4 minutes to read

In states with medical cannabis, the rate of opioid-related deaths fell by 16% to 34%.

Anti-addiction drugs: Suboxone (left) and Methadone.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Exploiters of the epidemic

9 Aug, 2017 8:30am
4 minutes to read

The pharmaceutical industry is upending capitalist theory. As demand rises, so do prices.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Economic cycle of addiction

2 Aug, 2017 8:30am
4 minutes to read

There's a connection between poverty and an increase in opioid prescriptions.

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Turning comfortably numb

26 Jul, 2017 8:30am
4 minutes to read

Over half the soldiers in Vietnam used heroin to cope with the stress of guerrilla warfare

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Zombie bill nightmare looms

19 Jul, 2017 9:30am
4 minutes to read

23 million of America's most vulnerable are facing loss of health cover.

Begetting violence: New Zealand and Australian troops at Gallipoli during World War I. The overwhelming Allied victory in the war may have led inexorably to World War II.Photo/file

WHANGANUI CHRONICLE

Jay Kuten: Nothing fails like big victory

12 Jul, 2017 9:00am
4 minutes to read

In war, the result of overwhelming victory is a precursor to disaster for the victor.