You have to be fantastically rich to get entry into Trump’s debasement rituals. Since I am roughly a trillion dollars less rich, and I’m guessing you are too, we either increase our credit card limits or try another way.

Read Josie's column about the tech bros, Trump and how to respond.

Words like “intersectionality” and “decolonisation” are used as a secret handshake to signal your membership of an exclusive club.

This week the government got rid of the “wellbeing” frameworks in the Local Government Act. Unless you're a psychopath, no one could disagree with social, economic, environmental or cultural well-being. But the inability to prioritise one well-being promise over another makes wellbeing a sloppy and imprecise word, backed by sloppy and imprecise thinking.

Same for critical race theory, donut economics, and circular economy. I know what a donut is. But shove these words together, and you're speaking English as a second language.

Obfuscating meaning ends up in the politics of diplomacy of the Ardern government. This was a theory of politics that sought to obfuscate differences rather than reveal them, avoid offence rather than argue the merits of a better idea. Making people feel kind was more important than hard choices to get results.

Peter Boghossian's alternative is to debate, engage, and listen better. Don't avoid tough conversations.

Peter Boghossian is the author of How to have Impossible Conversations. Josie's interview with him is here.

The police are facing some pushback after they took an organised cultural trip to China.

The Government has announced changes to the Local Government Act to encourage them to get back to basics.

Josie joined Trish Sherson and Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB.

Bank competition and the Government plans to inject more capital into Kiwibank.

Two new polls.

And Auckland Transport's 'bus to the mall' Christmas campaign.

Josie joins Ryan Bridge to discuss.

Dear Aunty, I’m in charge of a small navy. We recently sank a ship. Unfortunately it was one of our own. Any advice?

Aunty: Refuse to explain anything for weeks. Then send out a man in gold braid with a big extendable pointer, preferably on a Friday afternoon so the news will be buried over the weekend.

Blame the captain. Don’t release the investigator‘s report. Don’t explain why it wouldn’t be obvious to a bridge full of highly trained and experienced sailors that the autopilot was on.

Dear Aunty, I see the CEOs of KiwiRail and Transpower were paid more than a million and a half each. Is this a sign that austerity is tearing apart the public service?

Aunty: It’s a surprise the head of the navy isn’t further up the pay scale.

Look. If you paid less you might not find someone who could plan to spend $3 billion on interisland ferries that earn revenue of $150m a year, then run one of the old ones aground. Or topple a transmission tower and get fined for a grid emergency.

I don’t mind paying exceptional salaries for exceptional performers. If you see what I mean.

Josie answers all your questions here.