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From the interviews I have read in the mainstream media my feeling is that many of the actual anti-mandate protesters are struggling with a shift in world view. Small business owners, nurses, teachers, .. professionals who up to now have been used to feeling that they are in control of their lives and secure in the knowledge that the system operates to their benefit. Suddenly that control has been rudely taken away, because of something which probably doesn't feel particularly real to them.[1]
At a personal level, that has to feel really unfair and hurtful. And it is, in the way life often is. I sympathise in that I really don't know how I would cope if my job or ability to work was suddenly taken away. It's not comfortable to think about. But it is always a possibility at the back of my mind, so I like to think I am as prepared as I can be, because I know our social support systems while not perhaps currently actively hostile to those who need or want to change or withdraw from employed life for whatever reason are not actually particularly supportive.
My sympathy for those-of-those involved in the current protests ends about there. Requiring vaccination for those interacting with others is a perfectly proportionate response to a global threat which unchecked, would see our health system overwhelmed and, since we're not special at a human or infrastructure level, thousands dead from Covid and more from an overwhelmed health system unable to provide lifesaving care for other conditions when they needed it. Even if you view vaccination as a big experiment, it is the largest medical experiment in the history of the world. The numbers are in. The individual risk from the vaccine is miniscule. The numbers are also in on the individual risks from actually catching Covid. They're /much/ larger.
I live with an immune-compromised family member who can be laid up for a week with a common flu, barely able to stagger to and from the bathroom. We have several other friends who are in similar situations. The risks of coming into contact with Covid are very real to us. We paid attention to those numbers. We are all vaccinated.
But I'm getting sidetracked and preaching to the choir. Allowing legitimate protest means allowing for the element of disruption which comes with that, but the bulk of the people currently disrupting Wellington businesses (and having little to no effect on the day-to-day running of the country) are not anti-mandate except as a side-effect of whatever they are anti-or-pro. They've merely jumped at the chance to hitch their wagon to something bigger, and in the process proven what most of us already knew to be true; that our police and justice system are not equipped or prepared to deal with an actual occupation of any size over a few hundred people.
I do have a great deal of sympathy for the authorities in this situation; their inaction comes down to logistics[2]. For a start, if they did (could) move in and make mass arrests without triggering a riot (at least one, given the satellite occupations in other centres around the country), where would they put that many people for the length of time it would take to get them through our already overloaded justice system. What precautions would stop those people just going straight back whenever they were released which don't basically involved shutting down Central Wellington even more thoroughly, if perhaps more politely, than the occupiers have. Wait it out, at least until the protest is no longer the cause célèbre and not being swelled by a few thousand casual attendees each weekend (suggesting there are at least that many in range to swell the ranks / cause trouble elsewhere if enforcement action began).
Mass punitive action I believe is what many of the fringe elements want - knowing full well that NZ is /not/ the authoritarian state they claim (even in most comparable democracies they would have had the water cannons at least turned on them by now[3]. But if they can force us to call in the army, to make mass arrests, to set up a system of expedited "hearings" to process the volume - well then, /now/ we have the trappings they are protesting against.
No. That's not how we do it here, even if we could. But however this plays out, how do we stop it happening again /without/ moving in that direction?
The answers to that question I believe are not to be found in the list of (unmeetable) demands put forth by those attempting to provide some order/legitimacy to the occupation, but in the commonalities which have drawn the newly disenfranchised to the already (unfairly) disenfranchised to bring together a critical mass which outside elements have then been able to subvert. A lack of support from the establishment, not for their opinions but for actual day-to-day living.
Some of the answers are to be found in every review of the social welfare system for the past several governments. Give people outside the workforce enough to live with dignity. In this approximate circumstance, take away the fear of losing /everything/ because your employment is no longer viable for whatever reason, including personal choice. Make that choice, or that inevitability, less stressful. Leave mental room to look around[5].
Labour is taking this opportunity to push through their work insurance scheme, which, although as I understand it still terrible for those in temporary or gig employment and might not cover someone being made redundant over a matter of personal choice like getting vaccinated, is a step in the right direction. But it is still directed at those already in work and will do nothing for those who already feel locked out of the workforce. How many of the disaffected at occupations around the country are actually there because they lost their job or are afraid the mandates have destroyed any chance they have of getting one? I have no numbers, but a solid expectation that it is a tiny minority with a raised profile because the mainstream media have actually sought them out to tell some of their stories. Now how many simply have no expectation of being able to work or live within the system anyway? Maybe work on fixing /that/.
Put money where mouth is when saying that looking after others is /valued/ in NZ. The pandemic is forcing the government to push money at the struggling health system, better late than never but much more needs to be done. Give the DHBs or whatever is coming to replace them the funding to pay nurses and other caregivers[6] what they are due; enough that they can lives lives without stress outside what is a very stressful occupation. We should not be having strikes over health system pay and conditions during a pandemic, but that is on /government/, who control the availability of funds despite the polite fiction of it being a DHB issue, not on the staff themselves driven by desperation to resort to these measures.
In addition to funding for current staff and to make healthcare again look like a financially viable career we need training for new staff. There is already a shortage nationwide and we can't just (dupe and) import skilled workers to patch it any more, not that we should have been relying on that the first place. I do not know what our capacity for health workforce training is (although I have friends who can probably tell me) but I know it takes years (that we really don't have now) /and/ qualified educators many of whom are probably in demand back in the system right now.
Granted IMVSO someone who refuses[7] to get vaccinated has no place working in modern medical care, but if they really feel the need to work perhaps they could fill a space left somewhere else by someone who will. And it's not just the primary/hospital side of things either. We had a mental health crisis in this country even before the stress brought on by the pandemic. We desperately need more trained counsellors.
Around the world the pandemic has highlighted inequity. Inequity is fuel to the fire of those feeling disenfranchised and angry, and to professional shit-stirrers. In New Zealand we're actually in a good position to address that, especially right now with a somehow well-performing economy while so many of the politically vital middle class / small business actually have to look at the uncomfortable reality that "that could be me". The solutions lie not in how we treat and respect /workers/ but in how we treat and respect those who /for whatever reason/ are not currently able to work.
~~~
[1] I have to remind myself that in NZ, I and those in my social circles are probably exceptions in having friends overseas and connected overseas who have lost loved ones and seen the carnage first hand :(
[2] More cynical people have suggested that the protest being allowed to reach critical mass for an occupation also comes down to the establishment not recognising the threat early enough to diffuse it; because right-wing/white threats still aren't taken seriously (yes there are a lot of Māori present on the ground, but they didn't bring the copied-from-overseas white-propagandist slogans, threats and and slurs)
[3] Do we even /have/ crowd-control water cannons in NZ?
[4] Loss of custom from outside events - from extended roadworks (something small businesses in Christchurch know well) to global events curtailing travel, is something which should be on every small business SWOT* sheet IMO
* Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
[5] There are lots of ways this could have affected how the past couple of years have played out if businesses had actually been able or encouraged to rationally shut down instead of struggling to survive in an environment where demand has evaporated[4]. There would have been a lot less stress in the country if there had been less need to focus on the immediate issue of making a living.
[6] And for ghods sake /recognise and reward/ the family caregivers; some of whom have been fighting for proper recognition for years. This would also send a strong message that caring of other is /something we value/ in New Zealand.
[7] I categorically separate "refuse" (based on some stated moral position) from "is unable to" (based on solid medical precedent). In my experience those who are /unable/ to get vaccinated are very aware of the risks this poses to themselves and others.
At a personal level, that has to feel really unfair and hurtful. And it is, in the way life often is. I sympathise in that I really don't know how I would cope if my job or ability to work was suddenly taken away. It's not comfortable to think about. But it is always a possibility at the back of my mind, so I like to think I am as prepared as I can be, because I know our social support systems while not perhaps currently actively hostile to those who need or want to change or withdraw from employed life for whatever reason are not actually particularly supportive.
My sympathy for those-of-those involved in the current protests ends about there. Requiring vaccination for those interacting with others is a perfectly proportionate response to a global threat which unchecked, would see our health system overwhelmed and, since we're not special at a human or infrastructure level, thousands dead from Covid and more from an overwhelmed health system unable to provide lifesaving care for other conditions when they needed it. Even if you view vaccination as a big experiment, it is the largest medical experiment in the history of the world. The numbers are in. The individual risk from the vaccine is miniscule. The numbers are also in on the individual risks from actually catching Covid. They're /much/ larger.
I live with an immune-compromised family member who can be laid up for a week with a common flu, barely able to stagger to and from the bathroom. We have several other friends who are in similar situations. The risks of coming into contact with Covid are very real to us. We paid attention to those numbers. We are all vaccinated.
But I'm getting sidetracked and preaching to the choir. Allowing legitimate protest means allowing for the element of disruption which comes with that, but the bulk of the people currently disrupting Wellington businesses (and having little to no effect on the day-to-day running of the country) are not anti-mandate except as a side-effect of whatever they are anti-or-pro. They've merely jumped at the chance to hitch their wagon to something bigger, and in the process proven what most of us already knew to be true; that our police and justice system are not equipped or prepared to deal with an actual occupation of any size over a few hundred people.
I do have a great deal of sympathy for the authorities in this situation; their inaction comes down to logistics[2]. For a start, if they did (could) move in and make mass arrests without triggering a riot (at least one, given the satellite occupations in other centres around the country), where would they put that many people for the length of time it would take to get them through our already overloaded justice system. What precautions would stop those people just going straight back whenever they were released which don't basically involved shutting down Central Wellington even more thoroughly, if perhaps more politely, than the occupiers have. Wait it out, at least until the protest is no longer the cause célèbre and not being swelled by a few thousand casual attendees each weekend (suggesting there are at least that many in range to swell the ranks / cause trouble elsewhere if enforcement action began).
Mass punitive action I believe is what many of the fringe elements want - knowing full well that NZ is /not/ the authoritarian state they claim (even in most comparable democracies they would have had the water cannons at least turned on them by now[3]. But if they can force us to call in the army, to make mass arrests, to set up a system of expedited "hearings" to process the volume - well then, /now/ we have the trappings they are protesting against.
No. That's not how we do it here, even if we could. But however this plays out, how do we stop it happening again /without/ moving in that direction?
The answers to that question I believe are not to be found in the list of (unmeetable) demands put forth by those attempting to provide some order/legitimacy to the occupation, but in the commonalities which have drawn the newly disenfranchised to the already (unfairly) disenfranchised to bring together a critical mass which outside elements have then been able to subvert. A lack of support from the establishment, not for their opinions but for actual day-to-day living.
Some of the answers are to be found in every review of the social welfare system for the past several governments. Give people outside the workforce enough to live with dignity. In this approximate circumstance, take away the fear of losing /everything/ because your employment is no longer viable for whatever reason, including personal choice. Make that choice, or that inevitability, less stressful. Leave mental room to look around[5].
Labour is taking this opportunity to push through their work insurance scheme, which, although as I understand it still terrible for those in temporary or gig employment and might not cover someone being made redundant over a matter of personal choice like getting vaccinated, is a step in the right direction. But it is still directed at those already in work and will do nothing for those who already feel locked out of the workforce. How many of the disaffected at occupations around the country are actually there because they lost their job or are afraid the mandates have destroyed any chance they have of getting one? I have no numbers, but a solid expectation that it is a tiny minority with a raised profile because the mainstream media have actually sought them out to tell some of their stories. Now how many simply have no expectation of being able to work or live within the system anyway? Maybe work on fixing /that/.
Put money where mouth is when saying that looking after others is /valued/ in NZ. The pandemic is forcing the government to push money at the struggling health system, better late than never but much more needs to be done. Give the DHBs or whatever is coming to replace them the funding to pay nurses and other caregivers[6] what they are due; enough that they can lives lives without stress outside what is a very stressful occupation. We should not be having strikes over health system pay and conditions during a pandemic, but that is on /government/, who control the availability of funds despite the polite fiction of it being a DHB issue, not on the staff themselves driven by desperation to resort to these measures.
In addition to funding for current staff and to make healthcare again look like a financially viable career we need training for new staff. There is already a shortage nationwide and we can't just (dupe and) import skilled workers to patch it any more, not that we should have been relying on that the first place. I do not know what our capacity for health workforce training is (although I have friends who can probably tell me) but I know it takes years (that we really don't have now) /and/ qualified educators many of whom are probably in demand back in the system right now.
Granted IMVSO someone who refuses[7] to get vaccinated has no place working in modern medical care, but if they really feel the need to work perhaps they could fill a space left somewhere else by someone who will. And it's not just the primary/hospital side of things either. We had a mental health crisis in this country even before the stress brought on by the pandemic. We desperately need more trained counsellors.
Around the world the pandemic has highlighted inequity. Inequity is fuel to the fire of those feeling disenfranchised and angry, and to professional shit-stirrers. In New Zealand we're actually in a good position to address that, especially right now with a somehow well-performing economy while so many of the politically vital middle class / small business actually have to look at the uncomfortable reality that "that could be me". The solutions lie not in how we treat and respect /workers/ but in how we treat and respect those who /for whatever reason/ are not currently able to work.
~~~
[1] I have to remind myself that in NZ, I and those in my social circles are probably exceptions in having friends overseas and connected overseas who have lost loved ones and seen the carnage first hand :(
[2] More cynical people have suggested that the protest being allowed to reach critical mass for an occupation also comes down to the establishment not recognising the threat early enough to diffuse it; because right-wing/white threats still aren't taken seriously (yes there are a lot of Māori present on the ground, but they didn't bring the copied-from-overseas white-propagandist slogans, threats and and slurs)
[3] Do we even /have/ crowd-control water cannons in NZ?
[4] Loss of custom from outside events - from extended roadworks (something small businesses in Christchurch know well) to global events curtailing travel, is something which should be on every small business SWOT* sheet IMO
* Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
[5] There are lots of ways this could have affected how the past couple of years have played out if businesses had actually been able or encouraged to rationally shut down instead of struggling to survive in an environment where demand has evaporated[4]. There would have been a lot less stress in the country if there had been less need to focus on the immediate issue of making a living.
[6] And for ghods sake /recognise and reward/ the family caregivers; some of whom have been fighting for proper recognition for years. This would also send a strong message that caring of other is /something we value/ in New Zealand.
[7] I categorically separate "refuse" (based on some stated moral position) from "is unable to" (based on solid medical precedent). In my experience those who are /unable/ to get vaccinated are very aware of the risks this poses to themselves and others.
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