Within one of the globe’s most aggressive nanny states, where citizens and the economy have endured a stifling series of Covid-19 related lockdowns mandated, the people of New Zealand face a bureaucratic inferiority complex, and basic rights hang in the balance. The tyrannical head of the unitary style of government, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is once again raising eyebrows in the true free world, as the latest viral scoop to originate on the island nation is that a grocery store chain has decided to remove knives and scissors from its shelves in a curiously insufferable response in the wake of what authorities have labeled a violent terrorist attack.
The focus is now on Ardern and whether or not she will make a reactionary move in adopting policy to limit Kiwi’s access to sharp objects on a consumer level. Of course, this is entirely a disturbing possibility as the Prime Minister first signed strict gun control mandates into law in 2019, banning most firearms, magazines and parts. The scope of the anti-gun measures have only increased exponentially in the last two years, with a second wave of “gun confiscation” threatening to turn law-abiding citizens into felons. Interestingly, the growing magnitude of firearms prohibition has coincided with the coronavirus outbreak and the propensity of Parliament to bubble wrap citizens in multi-layered restrictive measures designed to protect individuals from themselves.
In the aftermath of the knife attack, where an alleged Muslim fundamentalist stabbed six individuals, the leadership at supermarket chain Countdown had employees pull out all knife and scissor inventory from its 184 stores. The laughable gesture, saturated with elements of virtue signaling, mirrors the ideology of Ardern’s decrepit and overbearing politics. “We made the decision to temporarily remove all knives and scissors from our shelves while we consider whether we should continue to sell them,” stated Kiri Hannifin, Countdown’s general manager for safety.
Obviously, the Hannifin and the board at Countdown have not been following the headlines of the current knife crises plaguing London, as citizens are now left in limbo as the incompetence of lawmakers cratering to the visceral, rather than logic has resulted in an explosion of violence. With complete disrespect towards the group, and in advance towards Ardern, the obliviousness to the UK plight seems impossible in a news cycle enhanced and virtually guaranteed by social media. However, the possibility exists that moderation algorithms at F***book and Twitter in colliding with ambiguous community polices have buried all evidence of the resounding chaos in Great Britain.
With the acclaimed New Zealand government response to the pandemic emanating from prominent progressives, a performance that has withered as socialized medicine has led to only 29% of the population being fully vaccinated, elected officials are now trying to justify their controversial decision to kill the tourism industry through smoke and mirrors, and tax payer dollars. As the money from international travelers pre-Covid accounted for 5.5% of the nation’s GDP and 13% of the workforce, Parliament is proposing a campaign to buyout the ravaged industry, while at the same time endorsing facets of the environment movement by minimizing infrastructure and access at popular natural areas and monuments. The printing money scheme will certainly not lead to any sort of inflation and other severe consequences. As with the militarized obstinance towards self-defense and free will, the country rivals an overprotective and sanctimonious baby sitter reaching their grubby hands into the beaker and fiddling with human nature. The egregious societal engineering project is not for the greater good or the celebration of the individual, but a mawkish display of moral superiority and endorsement of tribalism.
Unfortunately, the New Zealand model of authoritarianism, which places shackles over the basic rights 4.9 million, is embraced by many radicalized US politicians influenced by the special interest lobby. As Ardern, before Covid-19, had no problem appearing on American popular late night television shows to bash politics and politicians, maybe the best course of action is to sit back and watch the self-destruction from an ocean away? Amid the assault on fundamental rights and the prevalence of mistruths and incredulous sanctimony, it is difficult to generate a perceptible level of empathy for those entertaining the idea of sporks, while prohibiting the buttering of bread.