Phil NZ capitalism IS dominated by US imperialism.
The reality of that is what motivates the anti-neo-liberals and the economic nationalists like CAFCA and Kelsey to see something 'progressive' in defending NZ as a capitalist country.

You won't get them to abandon this undeniable aspect of reality by counter-posing an unreal fanciful picture of a NZ imperialism standing up to the US as some sort of major threat to the Pacific. For every token raised finger (no nukes, no Iraq) there are profound fawnings, SAS in Afghanistan, UN cops in Lebanon and Timor holding hands with NATO and Aussie imperialism, and there are the Waihopais and spy sagas from Sutch to Zaoui.

If the NZ imperialists are so independent how come they have no say over the local siting of a global positioning system that steers the US nukes to their targets?!? Imagine Putin or Ahmadinajad saying OK to such installations and they are not even imperialists.

NZ's sucking up deputy dog posture is readily explicable in terms of its semi-colonial status. Most of the key sectors of the economy have been foreign owned since colonisation. Take the Banks. We will one day.

It wont be long before the last big holdouts, the dairy farmers, accept tradeable shares so that Fonterra can become an internationally owned corporate.

How come the richest people in NZ made the billions from selling up undervalued state assets and are now living overseas? Is Graeme Hart a NZ imperialist?

Face it Phil, NZ capital is owned or 'dominated' by overseas monopoly imperialist capital. Homegrown capitalists are puny or gone overseas to join the big boys and girls. That's why the economic nationalists have such a hard time finding a national bourgeoisie to latch on to and are now desperately trying to dream up a local Chavez (maybe Matt) who can take power by the ballot and roll back the neo-liberals of all colours.

It makes it easier for us revolutionaries to prove that the only way to defeat international monopoly capital is to expropriate it regardless of the nationality of the owners, and we should start right now with the big bosses who casualize and impoverish NZ workers to extract their super-profits.

Dave Brown CWG