New Zealand is by a very long shot, the most geographically isolated developed nation in the world.
For that reason we’ve always suffered a sizeable brain drain as anyone with an ounce of spirit, leaves for the more interesting life the wider world offers.
Over the last six decades I’ve spent about half my life abroad. My now abandoned love of trout fishing initially kept me here, plus other things which are important to me which arose from my presence.
That said, I’m constantly astonished by our small country’s misplaced sense of importance. Take two letters from a recent NZ Herald.
A Craig Taylor of Mission Bay wrote, “The innovation ability of New Zealanders set us apart from the world”.
A Rose Lovell-Smith wrote “the world has taken notice of our management of covid”.
Yes Rose, it has indeed. We’ve been the laughing stock abroad all year over this. As Britain now moves on to delivering booster shots plus vaccinating teens, we’re measurably one of the world’s worst performers in handling covid, to a disgraceful degree.
The Economist for example, has cited New Zealand as the epitome of stupidity, destroying its economy in creating a hermit state, locked off from the world. Other foreign newspapers have simply laughed at us. I exclude the Guardian which constantly publishes New Zealand wonderfulness nonsense written by a lefty New Zealand journalist.
One thing is clear. Open societies in Europe and America are getting on with life. Nearly all of their covid deaths are people who refused the freely available vaccinations. There’s a desirable Darwinian element to this in getting rid of idiots.
Craig Taylor’s farcical assertion that “the innovation ability of New Zealanders set us apart from the world” is the sort of punching above our weight, number 8 fencing wire nonsense that has always been an embarrassment, reflecting a small irrelevant nation’s inferiority complex.
What is Craig referring to I wonder? Plastic animal ear tags perhaps, first created in Hamilton. Of the near 8 billion people in the world I’d be surprised if any are aware of this.
Our greatest innovator was Rutherford, he pioneering today’s nuclear power, one of mankind’s most amazing accomplishments. For decades it’s been the major source of electricity in France and to varying degrees in other nations.
Meanwhile the Prime Minister said the reason she turned down involvement with the new American, British, Australian military pact is the spectacularly ignorant reason that Australia is building a fleet of submarines, sinfully powered by nuclear energy. It’s unbelievable, demonstrating spell-binding ignorance. She should note that the founder of Greenpeace has devoted his life to promoting nuclear power, solely for environmental reasons. As it subsequently transpired, far from turning down the new military alliance with Australia, Britain and the USA, we weren’t asked. Thank God for that as any money spent on militarism is wasted money.
POSTSCRIPT
Well done to Farmers for telling their staff if they want to pretend to work from home one day a week, they won’t be paid for that day.
I’m wasting my time of course but a realistic government would say the same to public servants, particularly in the capital, most indulging themselves staying home five days a week in our government induced fear-ridden society.
Note, the latest country to join the ranks of adults in charge governments is Norway. They’ve announced no further covid restraints. Then again, being competent they’ve vaccinated everyone who wants to be vaccinated. Those who don’t can take their chances but not hold the nation to ransom, as is happening here with South Auckland maoris.