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Well, there's news: NZ drew most of its constitutional arrangements and cultural influences from Britain.

Regarding the hamburgers and softball, you can draw some vast theory if you like. I'd rather say that the Marines were made welcome here and that in return they taught us a trick or two.

I dunno, I'd consider calling in air strikes in Afghanistan fairly active, at least for the blokes involved. And my best wishes to them, too.

It's a stretch calling the Persian Gulf NZ's "area of vicinity".

There's a former World War 2 US Marine Corps base just up the road from where I live in New Zealand. They were a bunch of brave lads who trained here for a while and went on to fight their way through some tough times in the Pacific. They and their fellow US servicemen also introduced some strange foreign ways to NZ: things like milkshakes, hamburgers, coffee bars and softball. Some of them even took home Kiwi wives, which was the sore point behind a few legendary bar brawls.

I went to see an extensive museum exhibition telling the story of those Marines not so long ago. So they are remembered and honoured. Our gratitude to them for helping to "save our ass".

However, we also think we played a pretty fair role in any ass-saving that went on. More than 200,000 Kiwis served in the armed forces in WW2, not bad for a country of only 2 million. We suffered more than 11,000 dead in places such as Greece, Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Battle of Britain, the Pacific, and in the skies over Germany. It's worth remembering that we were at war for two years before the US joined in - and most welcome your boys were.

Obviously, you're excluding our troops in Afghanistan from New Zealand's "very public refusal" to send aid in the War on Terror. We've sent both a provincial reconstruction team and special forces engaging in combat. I could also point out our engineers who were in Basra with the Brits, NZ frigates and Orions in the Persian Gulf, and various interventions in "failed states" around the Pacific to stop them becoming havens for transnational crime and terrorism. But then you must know all that because you wouldn't post without first checking your facts, would you?

Wow, you must be a real hard man. Bet you wouldn't be all "wussy" and peacekeepery if you were on the PRT in Afghanistan or patrolling in East Timor. I'm impressed.

Call me silly but I've always been proud of our army whenever I've had anything to do with them, particularly the NCOs. They seem to put together a well-trained, professional, dedicated outfit. Especially considering the 20 years or more of shameful underfunding. And I know for a fact that there are blokes in the army who've faced situations that would have me shaking in my hunting boots. So I don't think I'll pour scorn on men who are serving in my name.

Nice touch, by the way, calling us "weasels" in the headline. Funnily enough, I've never heard any other New Zealander say that about their country.

We are indeed the last and smallest stop on the line, but Kiwis in 1941 still feared that the Japanese train would arrive. Guerrilla units were trained, weapons were cached in the mountains, aviation fuel dumps were created in secret for whatever remnants of the RNZAF and USAAF could get here, bunkers were built along the most likely landing beaches, and so on. I'm sure similar things were done in Aussie. No, we weren't bombed like Darwin was, but Kiwis were convinced that it was a war of national survival, the more so once Japan overran Singapore. There's a fair bit of hindsight involved in saying we weren't under physical threat. The necessity for NZ of forward defence with allies was well understood by the war generation. It's the baby-boomers who overturned that here.

But I know what you're saying about NZ's isolation, and Australia's proximity to Southeast Asia. You guys should remember that according to the NZ Labour Party we're all in a "benign strategic environment". Feel comforted?

Yes, our defence lads and lasses do a brilliant job, particularly given the lack of funding and equipment through the 1990s. Credit goes to the ones who hung in during some tough years. Hopefully the latest spending increases let them build a good base for the future.

I hope you enjoyed your trip here. But you didn't look hard enough at the memorials. They are indeed covered with the names of the young men who died in WW1. The small farming town I grew up in has one on a hilltop - the names are those of the families who still live in the district. Although it was built after WW1, on the other side you'll find the names of those who fell in WW2. And on some of the memorials you'll find sections for those who fell in Malaya, Korea and Vietnam. They are more than just WW1 memorials.

"Chunuk Bair" was filmed not too far from where I live. The Aussies have a film called "Gallipoli" that's better done, but on a similar theme.

Just to correct a couple of points. Before WW1, NZ sent troops to one British war: the Boer War. The "fuzzy-wuzzies" we were fighting were Afrikaaners - South Africans of Dutch descent. We were still sending troops to fight alongside the British as late as the Malaya emergency in the 1950s.

Even after WW1, NZ was most reluctant to sever links with Britain. The Brits passed a law in 1931 that allowed NZ to claim full independence. NZ refused to ratify it till 1947! I wish I could say we were keener to grasp our independence, but we weren't. So the Kiwis you talked to might have led you astray a bit.

Britain joined the EEC - which became the EU - in 1973. I agree - that was a real psychological shock to NZ, even though we'd had warning.

And most NZ lamb is in fact sold to Europe, despite quotas and tariffs. We'd love it if the major Western countries joined little ol' NZ in dropping most trade barriers - letting us earn all the money we work for - but we're not holding our collective breaths on that. NZ used to be a heavily-regulated, Socialist-style economy. That failed. We're now doing far better after free-market reforms. Even the bunch of loopy lefties in government at the moment don't dare change the economy back to what it used to be. Agricultural reform works. It was hard on our farmers at first, and it's still hard work for them, but they're now successful at growing and raising things that foreigners want to buy.

New Zealand's participation in WW2 was clearly about self-protection, not just about protecting others. It was part of the collective security of the British Empire, on which our trade routes and economic life then depended. And it was understood as such. New Zealanders would not have been prepared to make such sacrifices otherwise.

I'm interested that you trace NZ's current policy back to World War 1. I'm sure there were strong pacifist sentiments in NZ between wars. But pacifism and isolationism were a common reaction to WW1 - think of the efforts Britain took to avoid war with Germany prior to WW2, or indeed the fact that the US didn't join the war till attacked in 1941. None of that stopped young Brits, Americans, Kiwis, Aussies, Indians et al serving their countries with distinction from 1939-45, and for many of those countries again in Korea and Vietnam.

I don't agree that WW1 "soured" NZ on Britain. As he declared war in 1939, our Prime Minister said we "range ourselves without fear by Britain. Where she goes, we go; where she stands, we stand." Sound sour to you? I'd be tempted to look much later for the psychological break - probably to Britain joining the EEC in the early 1970s.

Gidday BFPRufus. If you don't mind, I'll have a crack at answering your questions.

In practice, the situation is a bit murky. After NZ refused nuclear powered and armed ship visits, the US suspended its Anzus security obligations to NZ. This hasn't stopped NZ servicemen participating in US-led operations in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, or in Aussie-led operations in East Timor. The US has banned NZ from many training exercises - the Americans make exemptions case by case. The intelligence sharing side of things has apparently been little affected. NZ has not withdrawn from Anzus - I think a withdrawal would have to be formally lodged with Australia, from memory.

Regarding the total Anzus situation, the Australia-US leg is obviously closer than ever. In fact, it could be argued that NZ's effective withdrawal (which is more or less what it was) had benefits for the US-Aussie relationship.

NZ and Australia have a Closer Defence Relationship agreement.

As far as I'm aware, NZ did not invoke Anzus after 9/11. However, it has sent special forces to Afghanistan. They are now home while they refit and retrain and do all the things that military units do to stay in peak shape. NZ still has a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamian province - interestingly, led by a Muslim officer (A Kiwi who converted).

As for your final point, the US or any country is perfectly within its rights to reject ship visits. No one is disputing NZ's right to do so, just whether it's sensible or in the long-term interests of either NZ or the US.

IMHO, Naturalman's post sets out the position very well. Strewth, an Aussie who isn't one-eyed!

For all Winston's weaknesses - and he is an odd choice as foreign minister - he does come with a couple of advantages if New Zealand is to solve its little impasse with the US. First, he's nearing the end of his career and he might be thinking of his legacy. And second, with his brand of nationalism he can't credibly be accused of selling out New Zealand - which is the stick that the media would use to beat National with.

Unfortunately, Helen Clark has been able to form a government in New Zealand. However, she has had to turn to a couple of smaller, more right-wing parties to do it - including that of Winston Peters.

This should help curb her dabbling in social engineering legislation. It could also mean the government is quite volatile, with bitter public rifts - especially as the next election approaches. Maybe this government won't see out its full three-year term.

And apologies if this story hasn't been posted quite right - it's the first time I've given it a go.

Oh, we're still a proud country, mate. I wouldn't weep too many tears.

Yes, the current Labour Government thinks that tree-hugging for Kofi Annan is the only suitable activity for a defence force (funnily enough, it doesn't seem to play as a recruiting slogan).

And yes, the previous National Government (equivalent to your Liberals) woefully neglected the defence force.

But you might like to think over how the Aussie mission in East Timor would have gone without the Kiwi troops - there quickly, well-trained, and for several battalion rotations. After all, Australia isn't exactly flush with infantry itself. On that score, I note you haven't posted The Australian's report on the Aussie army's recruiting "challenges". Maybe both countries are facing the strain of booming economies, higher wages in the civilian sector, and low unemployment.

Now for some good news. Both Labour and National have promised spending packages to rebuild the NZ armed forces. Better late than never, I suppose. And there are signs that the US and NZ are about to start work on where-do-we-go-to-now discussions. The US recently invited NZ to participate in the Proliferation Security Initiative, and Ambassador Swindells gave a careful speech on closer ties. It's worth a read on the US embassy website, www.usembassy.org.nz (sorry, I don't post often and haven't figured out links.)

Enjoy the NRL final. Cheers.

I was interested in the "takes no risks" part of your post.

I guess that's what New Zealand's SAS are doing fighting alongside US special forces in Afghanistan - taking no risks. And I suppose that is why President George W Bush has given the NZ SAS a unit citation - for taking no risks.

It's easy to take cheap shots at New Zealand - I'm a Kiwi and I get frustrated by the level of doolally, tree-hugging unreality among certain sections of the Labour Party, the Greens and their fellow travellers here. I know the point you're making. I'd just ask you to also consider that our troops are serving alongside yours (I'm assuming you're American) in a theatre of war. And are doing a fine job.

All the best to our boys a long way from home. Kia kaha.