It has been an upsetting week. Expectations got turned upside down, uncertainty about the future now abounds and (in the opinion of most New Zealanders at least) what was right and reasonable lost out to what most appealed to the great unwashed, no matter how plausible or truthful.
Donald Trump is now the president-elect of the United States and like it or not, we’re all on board for what promises to be a bumpy ride.
But while much could be said (and certainly is) about the dire global consequences of the election, I’ve decided that in the spirit of making the most of what you have, the result is a wonderful opportunity to focus on just how developed we are in New Zealand compared with the so-called “leader” of the developed world: America.
So here, fellow Kiwis, are some great reasons to be really, really, REALLY happy this week.
1. We’re not building a wall.
As a coastal nation geographically distant from other countries, New Zealand has never faced problems with border hopping.
But despite this we have a “say hello” rather than “wave goodbye” immigration policy and a proud tradition of opening up our borders to those in need. This year 70,000 new migrants have been welcomed, mostly from India, China, the Philippines, UK and South Africa.
2. We don’t ban people because of their religion.
Provided he’s true to his word (which, fortunately, is not at all guaranteed), President Trump will shortly begin banning all Muslims from entering his dominion and monitor those already there.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand we’ve had an almost 30 per cent increase in the number of people affiliating with the Muslim religion since 2006 – almost 75 per cent of those made up of people born outside New Zealand. Assalamu alaikum, y’all! Continue reading
- Eva Bradley is Hawke’s Bay Today Weekend columnist
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