Disclaimer: While previous posts have been quite positive (for good reason) this one has much darkness brought to light.
The nice side of NZ (and why many typical Americans love this place)
1. Most every home looks to belong in an American gated community.
2. Most every auto is large & luxurious.. and many are pulling fishing boats or ATV's
3. The roads (even way out in the back country) are in pristine condition
4. Virtually no homeless
5. No blacks or mexicans (if you're racisit you might enjoy this) (I've seen 3 black people in the last month)
6. Lots of open space
7. Sooo many homes and lots of land for sale, for cheap
8. No predators, except hawks of which I've seen a few
9. Nearly no poisonous insects
10. Most people are extremely friendly & generous
11. Theft just doesn't happen. The topic keeps coming up in conversation everywhere I go.
12. No one wants a gun.
13. In South and East Auckland the pools and many gyms (and other fitness facilities) are FREE.
14. Community resource centers in many towns offer free health care, free counselling, and many other wondrous things.
14. Every cow I've seen seems very healthy (whereas on several cow farms I've been to in California, they had lots of cows with intestines hanging out of their asses & maggots crawling out of where their eyes used to be, all while still grazing along the fences along the roadside) Humboldt county especially.
The other side
1. Most of the 'open space' used to have forests
2. What's left of many of the forests looks like someone having a seizure tried to give a haircut
3. Clearcutting seems to be the only method for logging.
4. Nearly 5% of autos that pass me on the road are logging trucks (often aggressive towards bikes)
5. Nearly 2% of autos on the road are mining trucks (tend to be even more aggressive)
6. While there is a ton of open space, almost nothing is being grown except for cows
7. The 2 legit farms I've seen are growing exclucively GMO corn (seriously I've seen almost no crop production) These specific crops have been shown to kill butterflys and other non crop damaging insects.
8. Many of the streams & rivers stink of cow waste
9. With residential rubbish collection being expensive, many of the 'tucked away' (and not so tucked away) places that could be camped on are full of half opened trash bags, tore up carpets, electronics, and rotting animal remains.
10. Many, many times a day I smell death (rotting flesh) coming from a gully, behind some trees, or just laying there on the side of the road. Much of it is from the stripped bones of large sea creatures.
11. Very diseased chickens are left half dead on the side of the road flopping around in the afternoon heat.
12. In almost every restaurant and cafe food is VERY expensive, with 90-98% of dishes being meat based
13. Mining is rampant, with whole hills almost stripped away. Communities are posting signs stating 'no trespassing.. do not mine under our homes'
14. On many occasions ex-military (and friends of) have loathed their service saying the gov is lying to their people saying their role has been (at times) anything but peace keeping. Which NZ says it exclusively does.
15. Ex-Americans I've spoke to (liberal & conservative) have been very pessimistic about how quickly NZ is adopting US negative postures and habits.
16. People are getting very fat, very quickly.
17. TV is full of nasty programming.
18. The NZ gov is about to (please no) sell off the public power companies (Meridian Energy) which has enjoyed a 18% plus return for it's current stock holders
19. The NZ airline is about to be sold off as well.
20. Much talk about the huge and growing national debt, and what other natural 'resources' will 'have to be' privatized to help pay for the interest on the debt. (to who?)
21. Honestly, I have many other ugly things I have witnessed & learned since I have arrived. Yet, unfortunately it has just strongly encouraged me to want to hurry and LEAVE. These natural wonders & and the good nature/joyousness of the people are very likely to quickly disappear as things are sold off to the loan brokers. Wake up people!
Did you know that before the height of Rome, it was customary for all debts to be forgiven every several years in most every established society. Most all debts were to the government. When Rome came to power, it invaded many of it's neighbors almost solely to collect on debts. It pillaged the temples, libraries, town centers, farms, and whatever else could be found and stripped them off all their natural and acquired wealth. Everytime history repeats itself... the cost goes up. Please take peaceful and solid action now. Our very future (and so many species) depend on our quick action. Please. I did not, in my wildest dreams, expect to see so much uglyness here. Please take action now.
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