What the World’s reaction to our lockdown for one case says about them

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
32
3705

Some around the world have freaked out at NZs decision to lockdown based on one case of Covid.

These global critics are shocked that we have a Government prepared to put the people before the economy. This shock says more about them than it does us.

NZ is a place that believes in looking after one another. The compliance with lockdown rules, our collective agreement to be good neighbors and citizens by not making each other sick, our willingness to curtail our own liberty for the collective good – this is who we proudly are and we should see criticism of that to be a projection of the critics own hollow values rather than an indictment of our own.

When history reviews this time, China will declare their brutal authoritarian approach to Covid was the success, but here in NZ we can hold our heads up high that we were able to defeat it not by crushing civil rights, falsehoods and violent police action, but via kindness, empathy and a belief that a well informed citizenship will act in good faith for the collective good.

A liberal progressive democracy can triumph at the hight of a pandemic while maintaining our cherished civil liberties.

We should be proud of our kindness, it is our strength, not our weakness.

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32 COMMENTS

  1. The current narrative largely is look at the UK, they’ve vaccinated and got on with it, “learning to live with covid”. Good unrealistic British stiff upper lip and all that. Covid loves that approach.

    And as per the UK’s brutal history, its important you ignore the climbing negative stats and don’t worry about those sick, dead and dying, just so long as it does not affect you.

    Expect an article from Richard Prebble calling us pussies for not being more fiscally aware.

  2. Let’s see how this kindness goes in 12 months time when we are locked down while everyone else has got back to a semblance of normality. Our King Kanute approach won’t work. Sprinkle in incompetence and let’s see how we are travelling as a national into the medium term.

    Wait till +40 year old housewives are told their vaccination doesn’t mean squat diddly do……

    • I’m sure back in March 2019 when we were the first OECD to go into lockdown, many others made that ….’ in 12 months time when we are locked down while everyone else has got back to a semblance of normality’…..Though the UK is more open today, they are NOT even remotely back to their pre covid ab-normality days. And C-19 is running rampant, so they may well go back into lockdown fairly soon.
      So hold onto that schadenfreude for a tad longer.

    • You do a good job of showing your lack of understanding regarding the reality of getting the virus for a decent proportion of the population… Reality.. We can feed ourselves easily, and make anything that was imported in the foodstuff line.. We can make practically everything else if it comes to that.. It may not look like what we are used to, but it will still work… Your assumption that you can predict the future as in “Wait till +40 year old housewives are told their vaccination doesn’t mean squat diddly do”, is egoism, and shallow egoism at that… The last thing this country needs are pseudo intellectuals who consider themselves prescient.. The more half baked “reality scenarios” put about, the more likely there will be those who do stupid and damaging things because they wanted to believe what said “intellectuals” spouted without due diligence on the thinking part… Yes, I realise that the comment section on this site is no more than ego priming as a rule, but that’s no excuse…

  3. One case has become twenty two and counting. Hardly surprising the U.K. is in the mess it’s in.
    My brother n law in the U.K. is resigned to getting the Delta variant as it rampages throughout. He has been vaccinated but such is the determination by Government to let it run it’s course, the best he can hope for is mild illness.
    A comment on Newshub sums it best for me, by going hard and going early

    “A UK resident defended Ardern, commenting: “Well, we lost 150,000 people, they lost 26”.

    • Hey Bert – 100% with you. It is a bit ironic that the critics (oh, how boring and predictable they are) criticise yet probably envy us because of the “go hard, go fast” edict of the Government which allowed New Zealand to open for business much earlier and in a far better state than the rest of the world. Our economy has been booming and the latest unemployment figures were down to 4%.

      The critics are those who remain smug in their arrogance and ignorance and choose to criticise those who do better than them.

  4. Bomber, go outside smell some fresh air.
    Lockdown has affected your mental capacity like so many others.

    Lockdown is an emergency process to give some breathing space for medics etc to ramp up.
    IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE COUNTRIES HEALTH PROBLEMS!!!

    There are so many examples around the world of lockdown failures, from UK, to Victoria, to California and many many other places.

    To take care of our fellow life travelers we need to be compassionate and show respect.
    NOT arrest then for going out on a paddleboard or not wearing a mask at the petrol pump.
    That is draconian and statistically makes no difference to the big picture.

    I have no problem with a 3 or at most a 7 day lockdown while this useless MOH get their shit together.
    But a strategy for general health.
    No way.

    • You’d kill people. Although they’re just public health guidelines it’s actually not a law with penalties unless it can be proven that someone is negligible. That’s when it becomes murder so Go ahead sunshine.

        • Frank, you are a fan for higher taxation and I am with you on that. Progressive taxation watered down by NACT would have given scope for wider Pharmac funding so NACT are the murderers on that count and many others.

    • Sure for general health we need a better health system.

      Better drugs for those with diabetes (cheap drugs lead to earlier decline and then to dialysis – and those in poor health may struggle even with vaccination) and a significant increase in medical staff.

  5. It isn’t simply a choice of the people or the economy; In the almost immediate longer term it is in the interests of the economy just as much.
    D J S

  6. The main problem with this covid is if it is left to run its course the hospitals could not cope and those needing hospital treatment for other complaints will not be able to get treatment. If this centric can be avoided by mass vaccine or lockdown then so be it. All people need to look themselves in the eye and ask if they are happy for someone to die due to their selfish actions

    • Our approach is informed by our under resourced health system and a population in poor health (legacy of poverty/poor housing) – the Swedish (and Japanese) option is only available for some.

      I suspect that even when we are vaccinated, our poor level of staffing will cause us problems maintaining health care (worn out staff and deferred operations exacerbated by a decline in primary care capacity in some areas).

      For example, at the moment we lack the spare capacity to test and vaccinate at the same time.

  7. I’m going to make a prediction: Level 4 Lockdown for at least 4 weeks. Then 4-6 weeks of Level 3. And that is assuming the lockdown even works for controlling the Delta Variant. If not, a new “Level 5” lockdown might be invoked, which will put everyone under effective house arrest. At that point we might as well be China.

    • I’m not qualified to make a prediction. I’ve no training in epidemiology.
      But I know when to shut up and listen to those that do.

      • Prediction’s are harmless. You can base it on prior experience (here) and world-wide data. I hope I’m 100% wrong BTW, but (as a scientist) I know how to parse what’s in front of me.

  8. Absolutely support what the govt is doing. Pathetic lockdowns like in Sydney are Clayton’s lockdown and are useless. Jacinda and co got it right and we will be out of this lockdown sooner than Sydney that has been pissing around since mid June.

    NZders seem to get what is at stake and thankfully the vast maritime of us are compliant, cause thats what works

  10. Covid is why Labeen is popular. Once they start their social engineering on speech and ideas and surveillance state and more taxes, popularity wanes, but while on Lockdown caring for people’s welfare, free holidays for many blue collar workers (most of the countries white collar workers now continue to work on-line through Covid).

    The bonus for many in NZ, is because the neoliberals can’t get their cheap workers through as fast as they discard their olds ones, they have to value their current workers and be more careful with them which makes workers feel more secure. No wonder many Natz and exploiters and woke media are splitting tacks!

    • I visited Spitbank when it was a Museum. It hadnt been converted into a hotel at that stage and ervything was original. It mounted 22 of the guns you see by the flagpole in Albert Park. Much larger in real life than in the photos. An amazing place. A shame the trust that owned the museum couldnt keep going. At the time the much larger one mentioned was owned by a cult.

  12. Making exceptions for the rich by keeping the borders open and ex-pat kiwi who want to shoot home to buy a house and then bugger off again will be her downfall.

    Shut’em down for 12 months.

    • Denny how did the Delta variant get inside our borders. Our vigilance needs more resources and much better investigation into each prospective person entering out compulsory quarantine regime. Staff on airlines and in quarantine management along with hospital security for staff dealing with all suspected Delta cases have leaky procedures at present which has been shown.
      No favours or exceptions for returning Kiwis who should be bound to stay here and not use our border resources repeatedly. No favours and stuff those who try.

Comments are closed.