I've never been! I'm jealous. We seriously considered moving there during the '80's, but got comfortable in Austin, instead. Considering how things are going in the States the last few years, and how much Austin has grown, New Zealand looks really good right now. I wonder if they accept a couple of retired liberal Texans? Doubt it. They'd scoop up our two kids, though.
Do you think the immigrants both illegal and legal who were here when your parents came here felt the same way about your parents?
We should extend that opportunity to many more, but our borders should be secure as well. Currently they aren't. Only in an imaginary world can this country sustain a border crisis without any negative effects. Being pro border security is not being against immigration. Being pro immigration should not mean being against having secure borders. There is a middle ground and if you sway too far from it you will find yourself in a radical situation that neither positive or good for this country.
I’m for greatly increasing immigration so it’s more in line with what the actual demand is to enter and from businesses who want to hire. I would support much greater border security on exchange for that. The biggest move we can make to improve border security is to increase immigration numbers to reflect the actual demand. They will reduce the black market of coyotes and other smugglers.
I don't think so, they came during a very different era. I've asked them if crossing was like you would see in the news, Harsh and treacherous and they both said not for them. I can't recall exactly would the experience was but I did not get the impression their lives were in danger. With that said, knowing them I highly doubt they would cross in current day. Since times were so different in the 80's I could imagine them having to face more racial discrimination than other illegals resenting them for coming over.
Are you sure??? You'll have to bend the knee to Dictator Jacinda by taking the jab, wearing a chin diaper, and saluting their new King.
Black market and Coyotes are probably my biggest issue with Biden and Dems at the time pushing this very pro immigration sentiment. It gave people the wrong impression on coming over. I could only imagine the atrocities some of these people have to go through for a chance to have a better life. Do they deserve that chance. Yes they do. Should they risk their lives for it, I don't know but I don't think they should be under any sort of impression that they will get that chance if they make the trip. Like I said, I think the country should be more lenient on Visas. People should have a chance to be a part of this country. While its not a solution it could save many lives.
Yeah I don't begrudge Salvy's parents for cutting in line. My parents won the green card lotto months before my dad's education visa expired. Sometimes my siblings and I talk about what life would be in Taiwan compared to here. It wouldn't be terrible compared to China or some other poorer nation, but not as great. I mostly don't have any ties I want to keep in Taiwan. I do think if I were Salvy's shoes, I'd be offended at some level with the Martha's Vineyard stunt because they weren't illegals but rather asylum seekers like his parents. No one cares what these asylum folk or his parents left behind because they're being paraded around as illegal law breaking line cutters. But it's political and admitting something negative about your side when you're feeling defensive is hard.
I'm very concerned about global superpower New Zealand setting the tone for debates about the internet.
Let's get more basic. What does 'evil' even mean to you? As the cliché goes, every villain is the hero of their own story. Nothing is inherently 'evil'. It just is what it is. Some say sharks and snakes are evil. Certainly, what they do doesn't align with what I do but that doesn't make them evil. "Evil" is just a construct in your own mind to elevate yourself over somebody else. You calling Arden evil says more about you, than her. In other terms, I acknowledge your opinion that your values don't align with Arden. The whole premise as the OP, conveys exactly zero facts.
"weapon of war" is not in that UN speech full speech and transcript - Full speech: Jacinda Ardern addresses UN General Assembly | Newshub
Did New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Once Say, 'Unless You Hear It from Us, It Is Not the Truth'? | Snopes.com Context was missing from a video of these remarks that was reshared in July 2022. One day after tweeting the video, The Daily Wire issued a second tweet to correct that the remarks were more than two years old. Further, the video that was shared on social media did not include around 27 seconds that preceded the clip, in which Ardern spoke more about not being fooled by potentially misleading information on social media in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the afternoon of July 25, 2022, the conservative blog The Daily Wire reshared a video on Twitter that showed New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking to members of the press about the COVID-19 pandemic. The two highlighted moments were that Ardern said, “We will continue to be your single source of truth,” and, “Unless you hear it from us it is not the truth.” More than 16 hours later, The Daily Wire replied to its own tweet, adding a correction of sorts: “Note: This clip is from 2020.” However, by that point, several of the top replies to the original tweet showed that users appeared to jump to conclusions by believing that Ardern‘s remarks were new. Ardern: I’ve been watching for some days, and this is not unique to New Zealand, that, in the midst of what is a global issue, as you would expect, there are a number of rumors that would circulate. I am present on social media. I see it myself. I cannot go around and individually dismiss every single rumor I see on social media, as tempted as I might be. So instead, I want to send a clear message to the New Zealand public. We will share with you the most up-to-date information daily. You can trust us as a source of that information. You can also trust the director-general of health and the Ministry of Health for their information. Do feel free to visit it anytime to clarify any rumor you may hear. COVID19.govt.nz. Otherwise, dismiss anything else. We will continue to be your single source of truth. We will provide information frequently. We will share everything we can. Take everything else you see with a grain of salt. And so, I really ask people to focus. Reporter: The most egregious example of that appears to be this text which originated in Malaysia and has kind of become a viral hoax in Australia and New Zealand. How irresponsible is it… the people that are sharing that news of a lockdown imminent in New Zealand? Ardern: And look, that’s the kind of thing that adds to the anxiety that people feel. So I can tell you this message: New Zealanders must prepare, but do not panic. Prepare. And when you see those messages, remember that unless you hear it from us, it is not the truth. And I really ask people. Just visit COVID19.govt.nz. It has all of the up-to-date information and we will continue to provide everything you need to know.
There is no evil here. There is outrage though. So easily outrage by tweets that didn't even quote properly. This is today's reality with the mass easily fooled and manipulated to see evil where there isn't any and to see hate where there isn't any... to be outraged. Not that those don't exist, but boy do we now think they exist everywhere.
She didn't say it once, she said it (and had members of her government say it) many times. I posted two videos of separate instances where she said it. Those left fact checkers who try to say that certain revealing/embarrassing things were "out of context" are just trying to do damage control.
Yes, she said it in the context of covid misinformation. I don't understand NZ culture (seems quite awesome to me), but they had something like a 85% trust in their government during covid. That is probably why she can easily make such a statement within that context.
What about the fact checkers that actually provided the real context? That is was said in response to people issuing false statements about government position regarding Covid policies?
Are you disputing that some people/countries utilize the internet as a tool to gain tactical advantages?
If your parents came in the 80's Reagan was president and he signed the amnesty bill (that might've been what allowed your parents to become citizens) and also was very pro immigrant. Reagan in rhetoric and policy was more immigrant friendly than anything than Biden has done so why is Biden responsible for coyotes and Reagan wasn't for the human smuggling that happened in the 80's and later 90's? Also many people have risked their lives to come here before this past decade. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese Boat People drowned fleeing Vietnam in the 1970's to try to get here.
New Zealand is one of the places that I seriously considered moving to. What I can tell you is that it is a very good place to live from a global perspective BUT it isn't an oasis like the media and some markers like the WHO and others claim. New Zealand's markers such as education, life satisfaction, life expectancy, health, gender mobility and social unrest are very similar to the United States and is behind the US on a lot of those issues once you really dig into it. New Zealand is far better when it comes to murder rate. However it is worse when it comes to theft and assaults. It is about the same as the USA on rape and is slightly worse than the USA when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse.... but still in the same ball park. The USA is better when it comes to wealth accumulation and GDP per person..... and New Zealand has slightly larger homes and less terrorism threats. The biggest difference is that it is extremely hard to own a house in New Zealand. The cost is insane. For a home in one of the more populated areas like Auckland it is going to start at about $900,000 without taxes figured in, and remember in New Zealand the GDP is about 25% less.... so that is really about $1.2 million dollars to start, and then the taxes are really bad. Overall I enjoyed it and it is one of the 10-12 best places to live on the globe for sure - but it is a lot like the places in the Scandinavian countries. There are some very good things, but a lot of negatives that no one discusses. There is a lot of propaganda out there too that you don't realize until you spend times in other nations. For example I remember an article claiming that it is more expensive to live in the USA than New Zealand..... the numbers were comparable, but they failed to tell you that on average someone in New Zealand makes 66 cents for every dollar someone makes in the USA and in reality it is a LOT more expensive to live in New Zealand. I would rather be dirt poor in New Zealand though.... but middle class in the USA and rich in the USA.
