Egalitarian Lock Down
April 22, 2020
By NZB3
A minor theme during this Lockdown has been the plea of regions to have their economic liberty restored rather than held back by Central Government. Why should the West Coast or the Chathams or Stewart Island or Gisbourne etc. be in detention in involuntary solidarity with everyone else?
It’s one minor theme for all of New Zealand but a really big deal for those regions who would like to get on with life and not be held to the same low standards of everyone else. The injustice of holding some back because of the situation of others would be obvious but I think enough people have been indoctrinated at Government schools so that we just don’t see it. How often were we punished or kept in as a whole classroom but the blame was put by the teacher on just one or two kids?
16 April: “One of the issues is”
A reporter put it to the Prime Minister that the West Coast wanted out of the Lock Down. The Coast has few cases and can easily control its borders because the geography makes it a simple matter. The local economy could start to re-build at its own pace rather than wait for the rest of New Zealand to be ready to do the same.
The Prime Minister ducked the quesiton twice but in doing so responded with a plea for other regions who did not have such easily sealed borders. It’s as if it would be “unfair” for The Coast to be released from political control that served no purpose to them. Is the PM saying that Coasters need to be discriminated against as some kind of Affirmative Action to favour everyone else?
Q: The West Coast is asking to be given more leniency as they have few cases and can geographically lock their region down by shutting all roads…
A: No decisions have have been made on either whether we’re moving or whether we’re moving particular regions
Q: …likely that you’d do move, do, regional shifts between alert levels and there easy geographical measures that can be….
A: One of the issues is that some regions may be in the same boat but may have multiple roads in. And and so how do you then treat those parts of the country?
Coasters pay all their lives for their remote isolation, it’s a choice that comes with advantages and disadvantage. Here’s one time where there is a big advantage to being away from it all but the PM seems to want to undo earned advantages and a geographical edge by putting a political brick on Coaster’s heads. Can’t have any poppies growing taller than any other poppies just on principle, eh?
21 April: “We’ve been very genuine”
The following responses were offered by the Prime Minister..
- I’ve never ruled it out, I’m not ruling it out
- We haven’t done it this time
- We’ve been very genuine in looking into viability..
- Some areas can more easily be done than others
- It gets a bit complicated
- Online commerce would advantage some not others
- Freight logistics would be affected
- It isn’t right with the ‘general move’ we’re doing
The Prime Minister often tries on a bit on neuro-linquistic programming, I’ve noticed. That’s what the ‘we’ve been very genuine’ line was: She’s conditioning you how to think about her record and supplying all those sycophants out there with some pre-prepared language.
The rest is all Sophistry too. Asked why something is not being done with a remark that it hasn’t been done this time or that it’s complicated or easy or not easy…that’s all wishy washy talking a lot but not saying anything. Part of how a clever politician gets out of questions is to simply reference a bunch of vague categories as a substitute for ever exploring any content.
For those who implicitly trust the PM it’s enough to be reminded she is genuine, has a ‘general move’, and that the proposal is too “complicated” and “logistical” to work this time.Those who don’t believe what they’re told are left to try to imagine what the PM could be referring to by these categories using one part of their brain so they can argue against them with another part of their brain. While you’re arguing with yourself she slips out the back door, never having had to even present more than 0% of the debate you’re now having with yourself!
One thing stood out this time, as before: Egalitarianism. The most positive argument the PM made was to appeal to the idea that everyone must suffer equally. If Tom from Greymouth can climb a tree or swim a stream he may not be permitted to do so because other kids from other parts of New Zealand can’t do it too. Instead of rewarding or praising people who can achieve we are to lock them up, a sacrifice to some god of fairness that looks down on us and hates a Tall Poppy.
Losing our Localism to increasing Central Government Control has been going on ever since Hobson took over. We hit a horrible mark when the provinces were abolished in 1876 and every bit of civic energy and institution and community has been amalgamated and gobbled up ever since. The ultimate end is that all individuality, all identity, be subsumed into one world central government. You can’t get any less Anarchistic than that.
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Ref. Video lifted (and aplified 5 times so you can hear the reporter’s voice!); c.34mins; COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) update – 16 April, 2020; Youtube
Ref. Ardern and Hosking go head to head on ‘two business days’ language, c7am, 21 April; Newstalk Zb
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