Waatea News Column: Kindness towards South Auckland whanau more important than ever
People are angry.
They have a right to feel that anger.
The mistakes and breaches of self-isolation in South Auckland played out in real-time in front of the entire nation is humiliation beyond comprehension against a rising tsunami of righteous anger empowered by genuine self-sacrifice.
We are all hurting from another Lockdown and hearing how the foolishness of one has damaged all the rest of us is as disappointing as it is infuriating but before we cast unkind words and before we allow those frustrations, hurts and fears to landslide into something ugly, let’s remind ourselves kindness isn’t easy, and it is in these exact moments that we must strive to be kind.
There have been issues regarding the Auckland DHB Community outreach.
The Measles epidemic proved that!
The lack of young people directed communication in one of the youngest electorates in the country alongside a lack of information in different languages alongside a DHB who wasn’t door-knocking have all served South Auckland, a part of the city with the highest proportion of front line staff living in it, very, very. very poorly.
That’s not to excuse the behaviour of the young person who has put us all at risk, but I would remind everyone that young people think they are bulletproof and that a hateful pile on calling for vengeance will ensure the next person who makes a mistake doesn’t tell the truth when telling the truth is the most important thing in a pandemic.
A public flogging will only scare others into silence if they make the same mistakes and that fear could cost us.
So kindness not only helps ease the anger, but it makes us stronger the next time there is a breach, because whether we like it or not, there are going to be these risks until the country is vaccinated, and even then that doesn’t include mutation variants or acknowledge that it will have to be an annual vaccine.
This is the new normal, and it will be with us until we hit 75% herd immunity.
Kindness will sustain us through that far better than bitter fury.
First published on Waatea News.
Long range weather forecast for New Zealand for March 3:
Large Blame Storm centred on South Auckland, is expected to continue for the rest of the week, possibly spreading to other low decile centres.
Anyone who thinks we are going back to a pre-Covid ‘normal’ when vaccines become readily available is seriously uninformed/misinformed/deluded. We have entered the time of collapse, during which all the phony economic and cultural narratives that have been foisted on us over preceding decades fall apart.
During this time of collapse, it would be nice to think that people are going to be kind to one another.
However, the neoliberal system has taught people to be selfish and unkind, and it’s going to take a lot to rectify the massive damage done by neoliberalism. Indeed, some of the damage done by neoliberalism is so great -especially the environmental damage, health damage and mental damage- it can never be repaired.
‘Interesting’ times, as all the official narratives fall apart and institutions attempt to hold back the tide, promising to do ‘whatever it takes’ to prop up dysfunction in the face of reality.
‘Yesterday the RBA left its interest rate settings unchanged but it did extend its bond-buying commitments by another UA$100 bln and said it is prepared to do more “if necessary”. It is trying to keep its three year Government bond yield at a target rate even in the face of the international reflation trade. It might need an even larger commitment and is pledging “whatever it takes”.’
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/109316/wmp-jumps-21-leading-dairy-prices-higher-us-retail-sales-slip-nyc-pmi-sinks-rba-declares
And presumably, we will be paying a lot more for dairy products (or stop eating them) as the worldwide food crisis worsens.
‘Dairy prices have leapt in the overnight auction by a spectacular +15%, the biggest jump in 6½ years to their highest level in 7 years. The sharp shift higher was led by a spectacular rise for WMP which was up +21%, and butter which was up +13.7%. Other products only had modest lifts in comparison. This auction was an unusually long one, taking 2:53 hh:mm to complete and although a regular number of bidders competed (180), only 86 won any product (the fewest in eight years). That is an unusually large set of bidders who left with no product at this auction.’
Since we live in a take-from-the poor-and-give-to-the-rich system, I think we are going to need more than just kindness. I think we are going to have to subsidise food, or issue food stamps.
We can be sure the government WILL NOT promote Permaculture or Powerdown.
I totally agree; the best we can do is to understand how this has occured and learn from it.
You’re right of course Martyn. No use beating the kid black and blue for one trespass, even though we are all paying the price. Let’s all learn from this and move on. More challenges to come.
Yep.
It can become very tedious, being kind all the time when some people are so stupid and don’t use their common sense you can still be kind but be bloody annoyed as many NZers are.
Open up the borders to Ozzy. I need out. NZ is just for the rich. Jacinda Antoinette has ruined this once fair country.
That thing had the option of giving the rich an extra $200k or bump up the benefit $50. She chose to give the rich an extra $200k. A labour leader did that? The rich already have security, happiness, wealth. The poor have nothing and absolutely no security yet that thing thought it was better to make the rich richer. I am done with this so called Labour Party.
You mean the LINO party? Yes.
If you have a NZ passport you can leave for Australia already.
Depending on which state you are heading to, whether you have been in Auckland in the last 14 days, and whether you are arriving from Auckland, you may even be exempt from having to quarantine on arrival. Safe travels.
Ozzy is worse than us sending back made in NZ crims but designed and plied their trade in Aus. Aussie is not a fair country either.
Ozzy is my only hope. I honestly have no future here. I am begging them to let me in.
I hope you realise that if you go to Ozzy you will pay tax but recieve no benefit whatsoever . If a disaster strikes like a flood or fire and you are out of work you get no benefit .If you fall ill no compensation no ACC . If you get caught drunk driving you can become unwanted and shipped back to NZ without time to sell up.
If you are so weak you cannot survive in this country you will be eaten alive in Ozzy . The rich over there can buy political favours and corruption is rift in the police and government. For all its flaws NZ is fairly free of corruption .
This is why I have to leave. New Labour is a fraud and the rest of the world are starting to see it. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/03/01/nzho-m01.html
Since you hate Jacinda and Labour then bugger off to Aussie if they’ll have you. Aussie has had 25,000 cases and 909 deaths. Unemployment and their economy are currently not doing so well. Unless you are educated or work in the mining industry you’ll end up on the bones of your arse. Obviously you are an Act or Natz right wing sympathizer so youll find it better over there.
Oh… and Queensland has had less COVID deaths than NZ with the same population. NZ IS NOT SPECIAL….. EGOTYST.
Wow N.Z. v Queensland what a comparison!
YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL GREMLIN, but the I.Q of both countries will raise once you move to Ozzy.
Not much kindness down here in the far south, with all sorts of activities/functions/events squashed, and where we see South Auckland as a far distant blot on the landscape. Couldn’t they have ring-fenced Sth Auck with a level 3 or 4, and left the rest of us open and free?
that idea sounds familiar, let me try and recall…ah yes…Warsaw Ghetto, Bosnia, Soweto, Gaza…try again heartlanders before people start thinking y’all wear white hoods or something down there
I offer you the charity of my non-response
Sorry did you miss the memo that they now have things called planes that leave Auckland and arrive in the South Island within a couple of hours . You are not that far away.
Yes I know (and speaking myself as a former Auckland resident). It’s the impression of people down here I was trying to convey.
Follow the money
Is public health being sacrificed for the economy?
What is the real reason that the people at the centre of the latest community outbreak have been held up for public ridicule?
Are individuals being made responsible for a retreat from collective action?
The accepted incubation period for covid-19 is 14 days.
The government imposed a lockdown and then lifted it after an inadequate 3 days and then piloried a family who didn’t ‘self-isolate’ for the rest of the incubation period.
People were expected to self isolate for 11 days but not 14?
After embarking on a lockdown it is clear that the government quickly abandonded that strategy for one of asking people to ‘self-isolate’.
Why the change in strategy?
Was the government pressured and lobbied by the business community to abandon the lockdown for the good of the economy?
Prime Minister and school Principal clash over new strategy.
Jacinda Ardern and Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault have ‘frank and open’ talk about blaming families with Covid
“The people who have potentially not followed that advice and guidance are suffering, are hurting, and I don’t know any New Zealander that wants to deliberately hurt another one even more.”
Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault
“rule-breakers” faced “the full judgment of the entire nation”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-and-papatoetoe-high-school-principal-vaughan-couillault-have-frank-and-open-talk-about-blaming-families-with-covid/TUKJOI7MP7OD2ABCGVPFP3S5ME/
Follow the money
Is public health being sacrificed for the economy?
What is the real reason that the people at the centre of the latest community outbreak have been held up for public ridicule?
Are individuals being made responsible for a retreat from collective action?
The accepted incubation period for covid-19 is 14 days.
The government imposed a lockdown and then lifted it after an inadequate 3 days and then piloried a family who didn’t ‘self-isolate’ for the rest of the incubation period.
People were expected to self isolate for 11 days but not 14?
After embarking on a lockdown it is clear that the government quickly abandonded that strategy for one of asking people to ‘self-isolate’.
Why the change in strategy?
Was the government pressured and lobbied by the business community to abandon the lockdown for the good of the economy?
Prime Minister and school Principal clash over new strategy.
Jacinda Ardern and Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault have ‘frank and open’ talk about blaming families with Covid
“The people who have potentially not followed that advice and guidance are suffering, are hurting, and I don’t know any New Zealander that wants to deliberately hurt another one even more.”
Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault
“rule-breakers” faced “the full judgment of the entire nation”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-and-papatoetoe-high-school-principal-vaughan-couillault-have-frank-and-open-talk-about-blaming-families-with-covid/TUKJOI7MP7OD2ABCGVPFP3S5ME/
Team of 5 million vs. the team of 500
Pseudononymous Author, ADVANTAGE, writing at The Standard tells us the motives of the team of 500
“The entire statement they have put out seeks not to show any initiative, but simply to plead on behalf of their investments.
These then are not the commercial representatives of our much-vaunted Team of Five Million. It was the Team of 500 people Who Own 60% Of Our Wealth speaking…..”
ADVANTAGE
https://thestandard.org.nz/senior-business-leaders-call-out-to-government-again/
In this struggle between private wealth and public health, who will win, the team of 500 or the team of 5 million?
The real test for the government will be tomorrow Friday.
If the latest outbreak is still not contained, will the government lift the lockdown as these ‘Titans of Business’ want?
Or will the governmet put public health first?
Tomorrow will be the test;
If the outbreak is still not contained, will the government surrender to the power of big money and sacrifice public health on the alter of private wealth?
While vilifying individuals for government lack of resolve to stand up to big business?
“…These industries have successfully stalled public health policies for far too long in this country because they have deep pockets, powerful lobbying influence over government and very few scruples. I hope that uncovering these connections between big money, underhand PR and defamatory blogs is a wake-up call and we can begin to see better public health policies from Government.”
Professor Swinburn
https://www.healthcoalition.org.nz/dirty-pr-exposed-in-whale-oil-defamation-trial/
An Auckland coversation
Hardware store owner: If you were feeling sick would you stay at home?
Builder 1: yep
HSO: what about you?
Builder 2: yeah sure
HSO: Not if your in South Auckland, you’d go for a wander!