Key is relaxed about widespread refugee crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, September 1st, 2015 - 58 comments
Categories: aid, helen clark, International, iraq, john key, national, Syria, war - Tags:

refugees are human beings-1

In good old sleepy Aotearoa we do not really get a feeling for the extent of the refugee crisis that is unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa.  Three failed states, Syria, Iraq and Libya are imploding and millions of their citizens are on the move looking for a better life.

The causes are slightly different.  In Iraq through continuous interference and the undermining of a civilised society over a period of decades the administration has fallen apart.  George Bush’s and Tony Blair’s war on Iraq based on non existing weapons of mass destruction were the last straw.  Blair’s appointment as a Middle Eastern envoy was a joke and he failed miserably at the role.  If for no other reason than to see the look on Blair’s face I hope that Jeremy Corbyn wins UK Labour’s leadership contest.

In Libya a butchered military intervention did not bring freedom.  Instead it destroyed any chance Libya had of recovering from Gadaffi’s extremes.

And in Syria Bashar al-Assad had responded to an Arab spring by a brutal put down of any sign of dissent including the use of chemical weapons on its citizens.

The growth of ISIS in each of these states is of concern.  But the lesson has to be that the use of military force to shape or change a country is never going to work.

In Lebanon, with a population similar to New Zealand’s, there are now 1.2 million refugees.  Think of a New Zealand where every fifth person present is a refugee and this will give you an idea of the extent of the crisis.  In Turkey there are 1.6 million refugees.  Germany expects to take in 800,000 refugees this year.

And John Key’s response?

From Radio New Zealand this morning:

The Prime Minister is flatly rejecting an emergency intake of refugees despite the escalating migration crisis in Europe.

This year alone, the International Organisation for Migration estimates, 2373 people have died trying to reach Europe by sea, and 3573 in the past 12 months. Almost 300,000 people have arrived in Europe in 2015.

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out an emergency intake of refugees.

Amnesty International said the international community, including New Zealand, could not continue to turn its back on the situation.

It wants the Government to consider an emergency intake of refugees on top of doubling its annual quota of 750.

But Mr Key yesterday again said New Zealand was already doing its bit.

“Everyone accepts the enormity of the challenge of what’s taking place, but New Zealand can pride itself on the fact that it’s one of the countries that’s consistently taken refugees for a long period of time.

“There are quite a few countries that don’t take refugees,” he said.

Just like the Government’s response to climate change Key is relaxed because we are doing our bit.  The use of the word “bit” is rather appropriate.

He previously claimed that New Zealand accepted 4,000 refugees a year.  He had mistakenly quoted the three year figure and had included those allowed in under the Family Reunification policy but this would be a more acceptable figure.  If the figure was acceptable to him then it should be acceptable now.

Helen Clark is very discrete in discussing local issues but on her recent visit she said this:

I think of people from all parts of the world, fleeing all kinds of oppression who have come here, I think they’ve repaid us thousands of times….Having said that, don’t think it’s enough to add another 250 or another 500 to the refugee quota.”

Ms Clark, who is the administrator of the United Nation’s Development Programme, said Syria’s neighbours, in particular, needed more support.

“I don’t know whether it’s widely appreciated in New Zealand how great the burden on some of the neighbours is. Lebanon has a population the same size of New Zealand in an area that is probably smaller than the Waikato. They now have 1.2 million refugees from Syria,” she said.

Her comment made feel rather nostalgic for a time when our leader was a compassionate humanitarian who could see the good in all people and whose desire was to improve things.  Instead we have a leader who is totally indifferent to the plight of millions of people and believes that doing a bit is enough. And a Government that is willing to spend $11 million on a Saudi Sheep farming operation but do nothing extra in the face of one of the gravest humanitarian crises the world has ever seen.

58 comments on “Key is relaxed about widespread refugee crisis ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    1 September 2015 at 9:12 am

    These will be remembered fondly as “settled times” once peak oil bites.

    • maui 1.1
      1 September 2015 at 10:49 pm

      +1, people really need to look into self-sufficiency. Our economic, oil and food systems aren’t nearly as stable as most people think they are.

  2. BM 2
    1 September 2015 at 9:31 am

    Have the media asked for Andrew Littles opinion.?
    Is he for or against?

    Myself I’m against, let Europe sort it out and once everything has settled down repatriate the refugees back to their home countries.

    Much easier to do that from Europe than NZ.

    • CrashCart 2.1
      1 September 2015 at 10:09 am

      Yes because Europe has a great record of sorting things out in the Middle East.

      My guess is you really don’t give a shit about anything that doesn’t directly impact you so bringing more reugees here would actually make it a problem you have to consider. So screw Europe and the Middle East BM is enjoying his comfortable life in NZ.

    • Tracey 2.2
      1 September 2015 at 10:27 am

      Where do you go for your information about stuff BM?

      In April this year Little said we need to increase our quote to help out

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67910538/Call-for-Government-to-lift-refugee-quota

    • Arthur 2.3
      1 September 2015 at 12:23 pm

      “Evil is the absence of empathy.”

      Attributed to American Chief Justice Robert H Jackson at the Nuremberg Trials.

    • McGrath 2.4
      1 September 2015 at 12:39 pm

      Taking more refugees is not a vote winner for JK and his support base, which is why it was kicked to touch with great haste.

      Personally I’m against bringing in any more refugees. Call me harsh, but this is Europe’s problem and not ours.

      • McFlock 2.4.1
        1 September 2015 at 12:47 pm

        I wouldn’t say “harsh”.
        “selfish and short-sighted”, though.

        We could easily double or treble our refugee intake without significant negative social impact, and lots of positive results.

      • Pat 2.4.2
        1 September 2015 at 1:03 pm

        I guess climate change is the EU, Chinas and the US s problem too eh?

        • McGrath 2.4.2.1
          1 September 2015 at 1:13 pm

          In a word, yes. Without EU, China, and the US doing anything, NZ’s contributions are minimal at best.

          • Pat 2.4.2.1.1
            1 September 2015 at 1:19 pm

            I see your logic….. you are obviously a person of deep thoughts.

          • Tracey 2.4.2.1.2
            1 September 2015 at 4:07 pm

            Lucky for you and John the rest of the world doesn’t feel that way about us or we wouldn’t even be at the TPP table

            I wonder how we got onto the Security Council, or why we wasted so much money doing that?

      • Corokia 2.4.3
        1 September 2015 at 3:50 pm

        Following your line of reasoning there McGrath, when sea level rise makes low lying Pacific islands unihabitable New Zealand won’t ask for any help in resettling the climate refugees, after all it will be our Pacific problem and not Europe’s.

      • Tracey 2.4.4
        1 September 2015 at 4:07 pm

        Yeah, anther 250 would wreck NZ forEVER!

        And yet, we have expectations of being treated well within a worldwide community but under this PM we only do the obvious “what’s it worth in monetary terms” stuff.

    • Molly 2.5
      1 September 2015 at 2:10 pm

      And our lifestyle and choices contribute nothing to civil unrest in these countries?

      Inconceivable!

    • Foreign waka 2.6
      1 September 2015 at 5:46 pm

      Coalition of the willing, first to destroy and last to rebuild. A sign of the bagage that is the source of the flood of refugees.

  3. tc 3
    1 September 2015 at 9:32 am

    Key’s just playing the numbers as all bankstas do, the folk upset by this probably don’t vote for him and the ZB rantland rednecks would love it.

    CT would be giving him the thumbs up and wonder how they’re advising Cameron to spin it in the CT UK division.

    Big issue in Europe this summer with the Ultra’s etc flexing their muscle, mostly by probably throwing molotov cocktails at refugee locations in Germany. Banners at Budelsiga games this weekend taunting the brits for not taking enough so the scene is set.

  4. Bill 4
    1 September 2015 at 9:35 am

    This three minute film “Where are the Syrian Refugees?” is informative and precise.

    http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/where-are-the-syrian-refugees/

    In summary.

    Pop Syria 20 million.
    Refugee numbers now. 12 million. (8 million internally displaced and 4 million spread across Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan)
    250 000 have made it to the EU.

    Syrian refugees aren’t allowed to apply for asylum through the embassies of European countries in the region around Syria. They have to make footfall in Europe to apply for asylum.

    The EU is planning to allow a global total of 20 000 refugees to apply for asylum without them having to be physically present in Europe. If that number was applied to only Syrian refugee numbers, it would account for 0.2% of the total, or1 in 500.

  5. Detrie 5
    1 September 2015 at 9:41 am

    Like many ‘great leaders’ Mr Key, like many politicians, simply has no empathy for others. He is there for himself and building a personal legacy – Like the new flag. Humanitarian issues like this are an evil distraction to him. Only ‘refugees’ bringing lots of money with them to buy up our homes, businesses or land are welcome here.

    • AB 5.1
      1 September 2015 at 12:24 pm

      Perhaps some re-balancing of the selection criteria for immigration is part of the answer?
      For years it seems we have used having money – and promises to invest money – as a qualifying criterion for immigration. I’m not sure this has served us well as it contains the assumption that the wealth of communities is driven top-down by the brilliant solo entrepreneur.
      This is pretty rare actually – far more likely it is driven bottom-up by an educated, healthy, happy, and engaged populace.
      So make the criteria skills first, and humanitarian need second. And make having lots of money a disqualifying criterion?

  6. Tracey 6
    1 September 2015 at 10:25 am

    Isn’t Key worried they will sail their ricketty boats here? Afterall if they can get here from Indonesia… the sky’s the limit?

    • Quasimodo 6.1
      1 September 2015 at 11:19 am

      .. as long as they don’t run aground in his electorate.

      No one seems to have noted the irony of the son of a refugee forbidding access to refugees in desperate situations.

      It does not say much about his moral and intellectual formation in a private Christchurch college, or his knowledge of the world gained through money trading.

      Those are obviously not the values the selection committee of the “National” party looks for.

      • tc 6.1.1
        1 September 2015 at 11:48 am

        Hypocrasy and pulling ladders up behind them are essential traits in keys govt.

      • Rosie 6.1.2
        1 September 2015 at 12:15 pm

        “No one seems to have noted the irony of the son of a refugee forbidding access to refugees in desperate situations.”

        I was wondering about that. It was his mother who fled nazi Germany wasn’t it?

        While it’s generally not wise to bring politicians families into the media, this should be an exception. Key needs to be asked why, when we supported war refugee’s from Europe do we now refuse to support refugee’s in this current crisis. The suffering of the two groups is the same.

      • Tracey 6.1.3
        1 September 2015 at 4:09 pm

        well observed

      • miravox 6.1.4
        1 September 2015 at 7:27 pm

        “No one seems to have noted the irony of the son of a refugee forbidding access to refugees in desperate situations.”

        Oh yes we have. Although the more times it’s noted the better, imo.

  7. Quasimodo 7
    1 September 2015 at 11:38 am

    German Companies See Refugees as Opportunity

    http://www.spiegel.de/international/a-361702.html

  8. Rosie 8
    1 September 2015 at 11:39 am

    Every night on Al Jazeera, they cover the refugee crisis in depth. Every night, of late they have been referring to this as the largest refugee crisis since WW2. It’s extremely depressing viewing. Seeing this and knowing we have a modest quota of 750, and theres nothing our government will do to increase that number is also depressing. We assisted European war refugee’s then, whats different now?

    Our PM is depressing the way he turns a blind to eye to immense suffering and misery and instead goes all gooey eyes over Richie McCaw. The guy has no idea about the priorities of humanity, only his vain self advancing priorities.

    He’s a bloody hypocrite as well. Plays the hero and sends NZ troops to Iraq to “train” troops there yet turns his back on the desperate civilians of that area. What level of incomprehension is that?

  9. hoom 9
    1 September 2015 at 11:46 am

    And in Syria Bashar al-Assad had responded to an Arab spring by a brutal put down of any sign of dissent including the use of chemical weapons on its citizens.

    This is written as if Syria is all Bashar al-Assads fault, which is bollocks.
    He is not innocent for sure but was Secular & Syria was quite stable previously.
    Its yet another US sponsored & armed extremist Islamic revolution gone terribly terribly bad.

  10. AB 10
    1 September 2015 at 11:57 am

    “Her comment made feel rather nostalgic for a time when our leader was a compassionate humanitarian who could see the good in all people and whose desire was to improve things.”

    But she was hated for “telling people what to think” eh? (Also known as having a different opinion from mine and expressing it in a way that sounds threateningly decent and therefore contains a hint that I’m a bad person.)

    I’d much prefer to get Richie’s opinion on it.

  12. dv 12
    1 September 2015 at 2:19 pm

    And yet both Keys parents were immigrants.

  13. Clean_power 13
    1 September 2015 at 4:30 pm

    Micky Savage: How many refugees are enough for you? How many should New Zealand take?

    • mickysavage 13.1
      1 September 2015 at 9:27 pm

      A lot more than 750. When humanity needs help we should do what we can.

    • locus 13.2
      2 September 2015 at 8:18 am

      New Zealanders could welcome one refugee family in every town in NZ. Would that be so difficult?

      There are 542 towns in NZ so a family of four in each town would mean 2,168 refugees. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_New_Zealand

      I am humiliated by the utterly selfish small-minded unstatesmanlike prime minister who currently struts around NZ doing dinner-party deals with crooks, bribing businessmen and believes 26 million on a flag is more ‘interesting’ than the global problem of refugees

      I’m angry that New Zealand currently has troops in Iraq, was complicit in Afghanistan, and has a prime minister who jumped up and down because NZ refused to be involved in the ‘coalition of the willing’

      and I am humbled by the response of the people around the world who are doing so much to take in refugees and deal with the disastrous outcomes of the West’s intervention in the Middle East –
      …… many of thes people are from European countries that had nothing to do with these wars or their outcomes ….

  14. Bill 14
    1 September 2015 at 6:25 pm

    Clubs and clubs?

  15. Mike the Savage One 15
    1 September 2015 at 6:51 pm

    Without any doubt, John Key’s “brighter future” requires immigrants that “pay their way”, those who “bring” talent, skills and INVESTMENT, into the country, including those with healthy bank accounts, that have enough credit to buy into the Auckland real estate market, or at least set up a 2 Dollar Shop or something else.

    People that have spent their last bit of money, to get out of Syria or Iraq, or some crisis regions in Africa, they are deemed to be a “burden”, I suppose, as they come with just their bare hands and may require a bit of up front investment, to integrate them, house them and get them up-skilled for jobs there may be.

    That is about the approach we must expect from Key and NatACT in government.

    Those expecting anything else are dreaming.

    JK did not make millions by being a humanitarian or human rights promoter, he comes from the currency trader, merchant banking and business background. “Capital”, including “human capital”, is only considered if there is a perceived immediate or soon opportunity to make use of it.

    Hence refugees cannot be a priority, the government prefers tens of thousands migrants that come in the “normal” way.

    But as for the man at the helm of the nation himself, I wonder, has he forgotten where he comes from, is he totally out of touch with reality? I leave this to the reader to decide.

  16. Mike the Savage One 16
    1 September 2015 at 7:09 pm

    “And in Syria Bashar al-Assad had responded to an Arab spring by a brutal put down of any sign of dissent including the use of chemical weapons on its citizens.

    The growth of ISIS in each of these states is of concern. But the lesson has to be that the use of military force to shape or change a country is never going to work.”

    I tend to disagree with the latter now, after much consideration.

    While I agree that it will hardly help to send “western” or other foreign troops into Syria, ways must be found to have opposition groups there united once for all, and to be assisted to take action, as those that believe that ISIS will simply sit down and negotiate to work out a future peaceful, fair, just and functioning state with others, are really out there dancing with the fairies.

    Jabhat al Nusra are another powerful group fighting in Syria, like many others, but are nowhere as extreme or ruthless as ISIS.

    It seems that some other groups cooperate with them, at least temporarily.

    The US and “west” have failed so far to work with and to support the right kinds of groups, and that is the major fail. We have some Gulf states interfere, but that is only “helping” some groups advance, but does not resolve the crisis.

    It will though only be possible to resolve the multi faceted war there by having local forces win it, or at some stage negotiate a peace.

    And without ending the war there, the flood of refugees will not stop, it will increase.

    The refugee wave into Europe seems to be part of ISIS’s strategy, thus overloading the patience and resources of many Europeans, and create tensions between groups in society and state governments, weakening the whole EU, and with that also NATO states. The disarray “the west” is in only gives them confidence and helps them to continue building their Caliphate.

    So some smart, effective and longer term measures must be taken, besides of humanitarian support, or soon we will have the right wing nationals win elections in at least some European states. Hungary building barb wire fences will then only be the “harmless” start to something, that may to some degree resemble what has happened before.

  17. miravox 17
    1 September 2015 at 9:41 pm

    So the New Zealand Prime Minister is refusing to bring forward a review on New Zealand’s refugee quota of 750 per year. He says New Zealand is “doing a good job”, without acknowledging those 750 places for refugees have not being filled in 3 of the last 6 years.

    This is despite an international refugee crisis that is considered the worst since the second world war. This prime minister is on record as supporting interventions in the Middle East that have destabilised the region and led to this massive movement of people towards safety in Europe, despite the perilous journeys they must make.

    At least Angela Merkel hasn’t forgotten her history

    “If Europe fails on the question of refugees, this close connection with universal civil rights … will be destroyed and it won’t be the Europe we want,” she said…

    Merkel was openly critical of the idea voiced by Slovakia on giving priority to refugees who are Christian. The chancellor said that Europe’s values are based on the dignity of every individual, and that saying Muslims are not wanted “can’t be right”.

    More people in Germany and Austria agree with her than I expected. I went along to the demonstration in Vienna in support of better treatment for refugees and was surprised that 20,000 people turned up – with only minimal police presence and we only encountered one lone voice in opposition (my partner was still in his office clothes so maybe this lone haranguer thought it was a bit safer to have a go at someone who looked conservative).

    The chant of the protest was “Internationale Solidarität”. The protest also highlighted the failure of the Dublin Regulation which states “The country that the asylum seeker first applies for asylum is responsible for either accepting or rejecting asylum, and the seeker may not restart the process in another jurisdiction “. This regulation has put undue pressure on Southern European countries and prevented refugees from joining family in countries like Germany. It also adds to the people smuggling business when refugees try to avoid being processed in the first European country they arrive in.

    The poignancy of Austrian trains laden with refugees out of Hungary and to safety in Austria and Germany unexpectedly arriving at the station the march started from, as the demonstration began, will not have been lost on many.

    New Zealand’s Prime Minister, with his policy briefing and his very personal connections with people escaping war and persecution knows what these people have been through. He knows why they’re leaving the Middle East. He has said so, and used the plight of the Syrian and Iraqi people to justify sending a contingent of the New Zealand armed forces to Iraq. It’s time for him to Get some guts over the refugee crisis and be a decent person. In his speech in parliament to support sending the army training personnel to Iraq, when talking about our independent *cough* foreign policy he said:

    New Zealand is a country that stands up for its values. We stand up for what’s right. We have an obligation to support stability and the rule of law internationally. We do not shy away from taking our share of the burden when the international rules-based system is threatened…”

    I believe playing a part in resolving the current refugee crisis, that in part is a result of foreign interventions he supported, is part of that obligation. It sickens me to think of what New Zealand’s values are if this in not true.

    If you can sell a flag that no-one wants “Double the Quota” shouldn’t be too hard for a politician of his calibre to sell to a possibly poorly-informed and reluctant NZ population. That he doesn’t even try is more than embarrassing, it’s shameful.

    • Macro 17.1
      1 September 2015 at 10:10 pm

      I believe playing a part in resolving the current refugee crisis, that in part is a result of foreign interventions he supported, is part of that obligation. It sickens me to think of what New Zealand’s values are if this in not true.

      Quoted for truth.
      NZ’s commitment to the world refugee problem, fostered by our PM, is shameful – there is no other word for it.

      • Mike the Savage One 17.1.1
        2 September 2015 at 12:46 am

        I fear though, the PM is “mindful” of some polling, telling him, the majority of the population here, is not that keen on refugees, particularly not ones of the Muslim faith. As I observe it, people are rather self focused, and also more interested in the hoped for success of the All Blacks during the RWC, and some do take an interest in the new flag, plus other not so political matters, “having to pay” their taxes to help feed and integrate refugees is only on the minds of a minority.

        We can thank years, perhaps decades, of continued conditioning, that the greatest purpose of life for many is to look after oneself, and that greed is somehow “good”. The occasional “humanitarian” outpouring also seems to be a bit of tokenism, used as a bit of a feelgood factor.

        The New Zealand of 02 September 2015 is very different to the one ten years ago, it is one extremely different to the country and society 20 to 30 years ago.

        • Macro 17.1.1.1
          3 September 2015 at 10:16 pm

          What you say Mike is perfectly true – however it does not mitigate the fact that it is shameful. I am becoming less and less proud to be a New Zealander.

  18. Anthony Blomfield 18
    1 September 2015 at 10:17 pm

    Thank you The Standard for publishing this appalling situation in the middle East and our Goverments evil response to the refugees crisis. On this issue alone I am sick to think I ever supported Mr Key. This goes far past economical ideology past incompetence to complete incompassion … I am ashamed ashamed :-/

  19. AmaKiwi 19
    1 September 2015 at 10:24 pm

    “When they have made the world a solitude, they call it peace.”
    (Tacitus, Roman Senator 117 A.D.)

    Now the destroyers are overwhelmed with refugees whose lands they have laid waste to.

    Former Sec. of State Collin Powell’s warning before the overthrow of the Hussein regime: “If you break it, you own it.”

    My solution: Europeans hire huge passenger liners and send the refugees to the USA. Then see what the American public thinks of their Middle Eastern experiments like Operation Iraqi Freedom, the War on Terrorism, drones, depleted uranium bombs, etc.

    Those who broke the Middle East now own it. We did our small part to break it, too.

  20. weston 20
    1 September 2015 at 10:33 pm

    personly id like it if more refugees meant more small market gardens in and arround every town and therefore much greater participation made of village markets but if many more refugees meant bumping into another fedora arround every corner id find it tough going .I still think a large area of land preferably in australia matching the approximate environs of the countries displaced people have come from would be a better option As well it would be a much better use of money to spend it building a brand new city than on fences border guards and police and if transport was legitimately laid on youd get rid of the people smugglers too.Theres a shitstorm happening in the east that will proably only get worse and weare kidding ourselves if we think increasing our refugee take to 1000 or even 2000 would make any difference .Thats exactly the debate we will have though for months if not years

  21. Aspasia 21
    1 September 2015 at 11:14 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11506105

    Comments here demonstrate exactly WHY John Key is so relaxed. Ugly stuff!

  22. freedom of will 22
    2 September 2015 at 12:32 pm

    I don’t like sanctimonious hippies / left winger who crave for “world peace” yada yada to enforce other real tax paying citizens to pay for their dreams of having those illegal migrants / refugees / whatever-they-are-called to be taken into NZ.

    I don’t need to inflict self-harm to prove that I’m a good person, and I don’t want someone currently shamelessly sitting on his/her arses demanding Europe to pay for his/her lives to come to my neighbourhood to prove myself.

    For me, I simply don’t care. And I don’t want to be forced to do anything.

    If you love them so much, please donate your own money so they can have a life somewhere ELSE. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be forced to do anything contradictory to your free will. If you respect freedom and democracy, that’s the real way of resolving the issue.

    I suggest people should spend more time sorting out their Kiwisaver investment strategy given the current economic instability and your fund may well be losing money! The essence is, learn some economics and stop worrying about bs.

    • Foreign waka 22.1
      2 September 2015 at 6:17 pm

      And so you have left the genetic difference behind that makes up a human being.

      • freedom of will 22.1.1
        3 September 2015 at 10:51 am

        Tell me, how long are you going to live in this world? And why is everyone so distracted with things which are not their problems.

        This site is crammed with the typical left-wing/greenie uni student twitter hashtag activists type of people, and they are the exact kind who, instead of getting an internship to get the right network and starting a potentially well paid, excellent career (eg. STEM, med, dentistry, law, and finance, IB, and if parents are rich, business), they waste their time on those non-issues and trash talk John Key (who worked his way out of poverty and I respect him deeply for that) for not caring about those who are thousands of miles from us. I only left UoA less than five years ago, and I have seen those roaming around always getting “outraged” about something.

        If those people fail in their lives, they should have no RIGHT to claim others are screwing them, it’s simply because they are losing their mind and prefer to waste their preciously limited amount of time to inflict self harm (though I doubt those activists pay much tax because most of them are poor) and the rest of the population (forcing others to pay for those so called refugees, which I WON’T).

        That’s why I’m a libertarian: your life, your choice, your consequence, and no, you don’t get to protest about your own failures caused by your own doings.

        Though I doubt, in case we allow those refugees to come to NZ, they will live even close to where I am, I extremely dislike the idea of imposition of your desirable to those who think otherwise. That’s why I suggested, if you love them so much, donate your own money so they can start a life somewhere ELSE.

        And I do think some of those activists hate businesses, hate success, hate people pursuing their dreams so they want to drag everything down to their standard: make no money but provide free services for all and everything, which is insane and treacherous to the national interest of NZ.

        • Mike the Savage One 22.1.1.1
          3 September 2015 at 2:55 pm

          You live on a complacent kind of “mental island”, I fear.

          The day may come where you or any of your family’s offspring may themselves end up being refugees of sorts.

          I may just point out the actual arms race that is happening in various regions on this planet, and that today Mainland China is holding one of its largest military parades ever, to demonstrate the power the nation has built, and will not be afraid to use in future conflicts!

          http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/sep/03/china-military-parade-to-commemorate-second-world-war-victory-live

          http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-31706989

          Japan is worried about the increased military spending and is itself spending more:

          http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/31/japan-plans-largest-ever-defence-budget-to-counter-chinas-reach

          Russia is under Putin doing its bit:
          http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russian-defense-budget-to-hit-record-81bln-in-2015/509536.html

          While the US is cutting some spending, it is by far still the most powerful military force in the world, and over recent years the US government has intensified cooperation with allies in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, to improve military resolve.

          Trade is reaching its limits, in fact, trade is competition that at times resembles warfare without using violence. But all the so called FTAs are now not bringing that much in advantages for nations, particularly not the ordinary residents, and when trade is no longer achieving “growth” that benefits people, then pressures increase on governments, who have a habit of beating the nationalist drums.

          We are heading for a repeat of past great wars, I dare say to you, and the day will come for large scale conflicts at a scale not seen since WW2.

          Little New Zealand may consider itself far away from it all, but as resources, including such as fertile land and water in good climate, needed for growing ever more needed foods, become scarce, this little lot of islands will not benefit as much as in the past from isolation.

          Instead of joining the casino capitalism you seem to favour, perhaps prepare for some hard times ahead, and you may be one less desired specimen on a piece of land, that others may one day desire to call their own. Look for an example at Indonesia’s gradual, quiet colonisation of West Papua. Who says New Zealand, with NO significant defence force, that is not even able to scare off illegal fishing vessels from overseas, can remain to be a “safe” place forever?

          P.S.: Perhaps turn on the Chinese TV channels available on Freeview here in Auckland, or tune into one on FM radio, and listen to the endless anti Japanese “reflections” on the past war, which is understandable to a degree, but there must be better ways of remembering the past, I suggest.

        • Delia 22.1.1.2
          4 September 2015 at 12:02 pm

          What if I told you that New Zealand could face sanctions with trade if they are perceived to have broken refugee treaties? Would you give a stuff than? You think you are a libertarian, but all you really are an insular person clinging to his money saying ‘I am OK Jack’ believe me that is not how the Dutch and French Resistance pushed back the Nazi’s. You think you are cool, but really you are callous, people like you are a dime a dozen. Now you gave the Standard readers your opinion of them, now you have heard my opinion of you.