Terrible story in the ODT about the lived experiences of refugees felling to NZ to live as beneficiaries, only to realise that NZers fucking hate beneficiaries…
Dunedin promises to be a safe haven for refugees from war-ravaged Syria. New Zealand promises the same for asylum seekers from many spots in a conflict-stricken world. But despite the best intentions, is the system failing them? Bruce Munro investigates.
…sadly NZers have a sick fetish to bash the dirty filthy bennies, 30yrs of a de-unionized workforce has led people to look at the low wage pittance they are paid weekly & then the welfare cheque with envy.
National play to this dark anger with draconian welfare policies focused on punishing beneficiaries and frightening them into not seeking help.
Doesn’t it say something about us as a people that refugees fleeing war crimes become beneficiaries here and are shocked to realise that NZers actually hate beneficiaries and have shaped the provision of welfare into a weapon to beat them with, not help them in any way shape or form.
When you live in a neoliberal culture, your success is all your own, it has nothing to do with prebuilt privilege, likewise if you are poor, that’s your choice as well.
This is what we are. This is who we is.
