OPINION
A growth in new-found friendships must be anathema to the Government, as the level of division among friends and family caused by the Labour Government has been unparalleled. In many cases the gulf between people has not gone away. Some may purport it has and naively or arrogantly believe we can move on. The division remains, but a rather extraordinary phenomenon has evolved.
Thousands of Kiwis are discovering new relationships
This Government took the opportunity Covid-19 gave to turn people against each other. The resulting chaos for families and businesses, and friends arguing, and relationships falling apart, must have warmed the cockles of the socialist Government’s hearts. The rules that then-Prime-Minister Ardern announced and that were cruelly taken up by members of the public were astounding:
- You can’t come to the street BBQ
- Your child can’t play in the football team
- You must not talk to your neighbours
- You must stay in MIQ while your Mum dies alone
- You can’t use the public toilets
- You can’t visit granny – and on it went.
It must irritate the Government that many readers of The BFD are finding comradeship with others at BFD regional sumps. One sump that meets monthly has experienced an exponential increase and, with no explanation, new people turn up every month. A growth rate of 1000 per cent.
It must rile the Government that thousands of New Zealanders joined groups like Voices for Freedom (VFF), named on a list of 13 groups in NZ branded ‘the disinformation dozen’, along with NZDSOS (NZ Doctors Speaking Out with Science) and NZLSOS, a similar group for lawyers.
The similarities with an Old Testament story come to mind.
Joseph was hated so much by his jealous brothers that he was betrayed and sold into slavery. Later he rose to being second in command in Egypt and later still said to his brothers when they desperately needed his help: You meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good. (Genesis 50:20)
Jacinda Ardern meant it for evil. She was happy to have two classes of people by dividing them, punishing those who didn’t obey, taking away their source of income and removing their freedoms. What Ardern meant for evil backfired as the situation turned against her – and she became unpopular. She resigned with rapidly declining polling stats, while Kiwis forged new friendships.
A recent excellent article on the BFD:
I agree with the writer when they say don’t apologise to me because I was right and you were wrong.
If you apologise to me, it should be based on the simple fact that you rejected me with contempt, because I had a different (albeit honest) opinion to you. (Emphasis added)
Kiwis have been forced to rethink friendships. Covid-19 killed some relationships, but new ones have blossomed.