Never thought I’d agree with anything Trump says, but this week I found myself doing just that.
‘What?’ I hear you ask in disbelief. Can the man who has been variously described as ‘biased’ and ‘extreme left-wing’ by the occasional keyboard warrior really be agreeing with the man despised by almost everyone in the rational world?
Well, let’s start with what he said:
“New Zealand, New Zealand, it’s over for New Zealand, everything’s gone, it’s all over – they’re beautiful.”
Like most of what Trump says, it was hyperbole and a distortion of the truth. But then that is the way he operates. Lie and deflect.
His handling of the Covid pandemic in the US has been appalling. New Zealand on the other hand has had a very effective policy. While we have had a recurrence of the virus, quick action by our government will ensure it does not get out of control.
And that is because most of our politicians and most of our country are pragmatists. We may not agree on all ideas or policies, but most New Zealanders are rational enough and educated enough to understand the science behind the pandemic and the measures that are needed to keep it under control.
We also recognize that we have an obligation to our fellow citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable to a disease that we have never encountered before.
In the US, however, there is a sizeable chunk of the population that put their own self-interest ahead of the community. And that chunk has managed to elect a charlatan who is actively working against the interests of the wider community. Furthermore, he is aided and abetted by other politicians, lobbyists and some business interests whose agenda is to obtain more money, power, and influence.
Both New Zealand and America have elections coming up. Our election will be fair and valid. The one across the Pacific may well end up as a farce and be contested because Trump and his allies are doing their best to screw it up.
So, going back to his statement about New Zealand. I wasn’t insulted by it. In fact exactly the opposite. Trump only attacks those he fears or those who make him look bad. And by all standards, New Zealand is doing so much better than Trump right now.
And that brings me back to his actual words, he said – “They’re beautiful.”
He’s right. We are!
