Surviving New Zealand’s climate of fear

New Zealand reached a tipping point last year when it started mandating vaccines for healthcare workers, teachers, etc and sacked those who wouldn’t comply.

Getting rid of 1300 healthcare workers in a ‘pandemic’ after they had been working as essential workers thru the lockdowns should be enough on it’s own, for the average person to conclude that maybe the decision wasn’t driven by health, but by irrational fear, politics, and approval polls for the Government.

The Hysteria that currently dominates NZ decision making is like dealing with a desperate dangerous animal and is quite unpredictable.

This leads to the problem of maintaining a stable environment in the short to medium term, until the hysteria evaporates.

I used to watch TV shows that featured ‘Doomday preppers’, and thought to myself what a bunch of nutters they are. I’ve now revised my thinking somewhat…

So here is a list of useful strategies…

Set yourself up to be as self contained as possible.

Shop online  as much as possible. We even do supermarket shopping this way as it saves time, and it’s not always pleasant to go shopping anymore.

The only shops I go to are those with a low MZR (masked zombie ratio). These generally tend to be small private shops, rather than the big franchises  and nationwide chains.

Setup a home gym, rather than go to one, as you never know if you can use it tomorrow. (there was only about 8 hrs notice about the last lockdown)

For other sports, just buy the equipment. For example, we now have a kayak and boogie boards and just go to a beach somewhere. Forget about participating in team sports.

Make the house as secure and self sufficient as possible.

We put in security cameras last year for peace of mind, and a fireplace for heating and cooking in case the power goes out.

I’m not a natural gardener, but we now have one in our back yard.

Home school the kids. This is going to be a big thing in 2022, as a lot of teachers were sacked last year over vaccine mandates, and some are now offering online schooling.

When the school’s reopened in the last few weeks of 2021, less than 50% went back, and even then the kids were only there for a few days a week.

Our kids spent 4 months in lockdown last year, and their school was useless at doing anything online. Suffice to say, our kids deserve a good education and they are going to get one, if I have anything to do with it.

Does this all sound a bit paranoid?

Six months ago, I would have said YES, but in these insane times, maybe not so much now…

Sunny day rides

I usually go for a good ride to a different cafe in another place these days. My old cafe has decided to exclude unvaccinated people, and I wont support them because of their discrimination.

The new place is closer, and it’s a quieter ride there with less traffic. The cafe sits in a bush setting, so it’s a lot nicer than the old one, which was in a town.

Unfortunately, it’s not always open, and I’ve ridden there a few times to find it closed.

Luckily, I’ve been carrying a drink bottle around with me recently.

It is nice thou, to just relax in the shade, stare at the sky, and chill out…

If the Pandemic ends, the control ends.

This is shared from an influential blog in NZ, the author is an ex member of parliament

The BFD | If the Pandemic Ends, the Control Ends

Matt King

Northland is home. As a former police officer, detective and small business owner, I understand the local issues. I had the privilege of serving as the MP for Northland from 2017-20, which allowed me to connect with people from all walks of life across the length and breadth of the electorate. While I am not a sitting MP this term, I am still deeply committed to our region and our people. In addition to the various roles I have held, I have been a farmer for more than three decades. I am an independent thinker, and I believe in having a strong voice to advocate for the issues that matter.

As 2021 draws to a close, we can reflect on what has been, and what could be in 2022 and beyond. 

Since 2020, we have had five lockdowns in our commercial capital, thousands of businesses that have had to shut their doors across the country, hundreds of people who have missed important events with their loved ones due to COVID restrictions, one million Kiwis still overseas and wanting to come home, and a Government who holds the ultimate power – to the point that democracy has steadily been eroded. And all of this has happened with so few people noticing – or asking questions about how, why or for how long. Fear is a great way to control. If the pandemic ends, the control ends. 

We have had front-row seats as the drama and chaos of COVID has unfolded. It has been nearly two years of confusion, frustration, heartache and despair for many, as we have seen so many professions lose competent and highly valued staff in areas already experiencing skills shortages, due to undemocratic and draconian measures.

This is far more complex than whether or not you wear your seatbelt every time you get in the car. What happened to personal responsibility and critical thinking – why are we not asking what the actual issue is and whether the mandates being enforced actually solve the problem? We should be able to look at scientific literature and data with a critical eye. The silence from the medical community in many countries – including New Zealand, has been deafening. There is a duty of care and an oath that is taken when entering the medical profession. Valid concerns are not to be labelled or silenced – they should be treated with respect, care and assessed with transparency and genuine concern.

If we follow the science, then let us ask why. Is the psychological and economic impact we will see really worth these harsh measures?

What has been most alarming, is the unquestioning compliance from so many as increasingly draconian, non-evidence-based and destructive virus control measures have been implemented. 

When you have children unable to play sport or continue their team-based activities, is that really the isolation and division we want to teach our next generation as being accepted and normal? For something so apparently unchallengeable, it seems to shift and change uncomfortably from week-to-week, and for those of us looking beneath the surface to the plain data, we see the unchanging truth – COVID-19, as it turns out, has a much lower infection fatality rate than early predictions. It is less deadly than the seasonal flu in children. 

So, as we look to 2022 and start thinking about new year’s resolutions, let’s consider this – let’s resolve to put the chaos and disruption of 2021 behind us. Let’s reconnect, reintegrate, and regain the ability to critically think and critically debate. Let’s scratch beneath the surface and always ask “why?”. Some of us will always stand up for what we believe is right, despite push-back and attempts to discredit, because we need to be the voice for those who are not being heard. This is our time in history, and we have to choose which side of history we want to be on. If we follow the science, it’s easy to resolve that the time has now come to put the pandemic behind us – put the fear behind us, and let’s move on. Here’s to a great 2022.