Stranger Days
It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong.
I'm gonna try real good
Swear that I'm gonna try from now on and for the rest of my life
I'm gonna power on, I'm gonna enjoy the highs
And the lows will come and go
And may your dreams
And may your dreams
And may your dreams never die
Songwriters: Ben Reed.
These are Stranger Days than I thought I’d see in my time.
Not the ongoing wars nor the looming spectre of climate change; sadly, they were predictable.
In some ways, things have turned out better than I hoped. As of the time of writing, there hasn’t been a nuclear holocaust - and that seemed almost inevitable when I was a kid.
I was born a quarter of a century after the Second World War, a little more than half a century after the Great War. Given that trend, it seemed pretty likely I’d see a worldwide conflict, but this time with nukes.
Fortunately, during my time, the powers that be have mostly chosen to do their fighting in other people's countries, with other people doing the dying - it’s generally better for re-election.
Bad things will always happen. Plagues, pestilence, nazis, and neoliberals, but after a setback or two, humanity mostly manages to recover and actually improve things.
It’s two steps forward and one step back. Currently, we are in the stepping-back phase of the cycle, where things worsen temporarily as progress is resisted before moving forward again once people regain their senses.
Whew!
But life under this government feels different. We’re not taking a single step back; it feels like we’re sprinting blindly backwards. Things don’t seem temporarily bad; the normal rules don’t apply, and we’re heading for unchartered territory with diminished certainty of a return to forward motion or to “normal”.
Yesterday, I hit a wall.
Most days, I look at whatever deplorable things our government is doing or the awful events worldwide, and I take it head-on with humour to lighten the mood and venom to spit. But yesterday, I read something, and instead of my usual response of fury in the face of bullshit, I ended up with my head in my hands.
It felt like the things we’ve watched aghast from afar, the politicians in the US who put the interests of corporations so cynically ahead of those of people, are here now. Put there by our fellow citizens, most of whom, if the polls are accurate, would do the same again tomorrow.
In the scheme of things our government has done, the story I mentioned doesn’t particularly stand out; however, it felt like a new low.
I know these things shouldn’t shock me any more, but WTAF? These politicians are prioritising the profits of multinational dairy corporations, selling out to the lobbyists ahead of the nutritional needs of babies.
Nothing is safe with these guys; forget selling their own grandmothers; these guys are willing to sell out our children for profit. I appreciate the formula is not going to kill these kids; it’s not melamine, but how is this a tradeoff to even consider?
The day before, Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Perry Turner resigned at Nelson Hospital. Constantly used for Emergency work, Dr Turner hardly got to perform the surgeries that would use his skills and alleviate the suffering of those waiting. So, he resigned reluctantly to work in the private sector.
Now, instead of having a highly skilled surgeon, the sole spine surgeon in the region, without time to perform operations, no one is available to carry out these surgeries - so tough luck if you need one.
Our health system is falling apart, and we cynically suggest that the government is allowing it to fail on purpose so they can privatise it.
Regardless of what they have planned if anything, staff are overworked and leaving, patients aren’t getting the care they need, and I can’t see how anyone thinks this is okay.
It’s not about whether Labour or National are in charge. When all the arguing over tax rates and regulations is done, when you forget all the politics, we all need good-quality healthcare.
Some of you may have seen coverage of United States Senator Cory Booker, who gave a record 25-hour-long speech this week and said, “It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong.”
Much of this is not about left or right; as Mr. Booker puts it, it is about the difference between right and wrong and what our current government’s doing is wrong.
It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong.
Mr. Booker is more generous than I am; I would say, “It’s left or wrong.” Not out of blind loyalty to the red or green teams but because I believe people are the most important aspect. This isn’t like choosing a sports team; it has meaning.
Decency and fairness, caring for others, acknowledging past wrongs, and making efforts to address them are values that our government and its supporters would cast aside as past their use-by date, as having gone too far when we’ve only seen such small steps.
Curious about what might have led others to feel the same way, I posted:
What’s the worst thing this government has done? The thing that has upset you the most?
These are some of the replies:
Backtracking on their election promises around cancer drugs.
The attacks on all things Māori; the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. They have enabled and encouraged racists.
The un-mandated level of change at pace across so many ministries destabilises the country and invites the same from the next government.
Forcing structured literacy and mathematics on professional educators.
Cancelling the ferries and pausing the Dunedin hospital, wasting time and money while pretending to be better money managers.
Raising speed limits will cause more deaths and accidents, especially near schools.
Feeding our tamariki cheap, inedible food.
Smoking legislation, in part because it came so quickly, and it shocked me. Even family members who smoked were angry; they had hoped their children would never start.
The ruination of a once top-of-league public health service to a third-world type service in half a term. They don't care because they think everybody should have private insurance.
Borrowing for tax cuts for landlords
The long-term damage of the Regulatory Standards Bill, and I despise what they have done with public housing, social services, charter schools, etc. I haven’t mentioned the attacks on Māori or the Rainbow community because it is beyond politics. It is evil.
Allowing David Seymour to be more than 8% worth of this coalition - the level of destruction that vile little man has inflicted on our country with his racist attacks is going to leave long-lasting effects.
Their first hundred days. Eliminating everything Labour had put into action. Cancelling everything that was trying to reverse inequality in NZ and instead making it worse.
The removal of funding for respite care and other services for many with profound disabilities
Increased homelessness, doubled meth use, job cuts for thousands of good people, yet punishment for those who dare claim benefits. Then there's Atlas...
Our country cannot afford another four and a half years of this government. If we give these guys a second term, it will take a generation to undo the damage done, and as I said back at the beginning, I’m not sure some of the things that we who recall a more egalitarian New Zealand miss will ever return.
After a breather yesterday, I’m back in the saddle and will continue highlighting the awful and the positive. Because what’s the alternative? Looking away and putting our heads in the sand?
But I need your support.
People tell me they enjoy my writing, and the free readership of this newsletter is increasing, but new paid subscriptions fell off a cliff four months ago. With the trend the way it is, it feels like I’m working hard only to go backwards.
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Have a good day, all you lovely people. I hope you’re warm and dry on what is a grotty Friday, at least here in Tamaki Makaurau.
Today’s clip is from Skeggs with Stranger Days, a wee cracker of a song, I reckon.
I'm gonna power on, I'm gonna enjoy the highs
And the lows will come and go
And may your dreams never die.
Yes, this lot cause constant heartache. Keep trucking Nick. We need you. There is so little funding by this so called Government, that the system is grinding to a halt. Businesses are falling over, Departments overwhelmed and misery is rife with winter beginning. Thank you Jacinda Ardern for the "Winter Warmth Payment " which runs from 1 May through to 1 October. This is the difference between penury and survival for many. There are wonderful people out there who are helping each other for as little money as they can manage, and even doing free stuff. Some are paying it forward to give others hope. We have had our hedge cut by a lovely person who realised it was beyond Norman at present. Another who provides us beautiful dry wood for the really cold winter weather here in Rotorua when 7 deg needs more than a heat pump,, gave us a 50kg 'extra ' bag for our years of support. We are having single friends come to dinner regularly, and we and friends meet and have lunch once a fortnight at one or other cafe's, trying to support our tourist town workers on a Monday or off week Tuesday. The reporters telling of individual hardship, systems failing has begun. I think we have some really good voices out there. Thank you Nick for all you do. It is hard when the misery of their meanness is compounded by the loss of friend or family, it makes the landscape appear bleak. We need to be the light as well as the protest. It does the heart good to help someone, and brightens the day when people shine their light as well. People are good and do usually come down on the side of good not evil, as crowd sense prevails. Kia kaha arohanui .
Well stated Nick. I, too, read the report on ACTs MP Andrew Hoggards in his role as a Minister of Food Safety. Improving the health of Infants by introducing a higher standard of produce should be paramount yet this recommendation was declined. I find that abhorrent.