Jingle Hell!

This was the most striking headline I saw when the UK went into another abrupt lockdown. An attempt to counter a variant of the virus that apparently infects people faster and more easily. Christmas is “canceled” in most of the heavily populated areas of the UK and may even be the case in parts of Europe. The USA is having another spike and family gatherings will mostly not happen. Even Australia that often overshadows us here in New Zealand seems to be in panic mode again.

Is this due to mishandling of the situation or is it due to the large populations and the inability to impose controls and lockdowns with efficiency and effectiveness? It must also have something to do with the attitude of the populace and the civic responsibility displayed by them.

Here in Aotearoa – New Zealand it was relatively easy to lock down the 5 million people we have, and they responded with alacrity and mostly without protest. This could be attributed to the fact that the leadership was unwavering, and the messages conveyed made sense and were acceptable, to responsible citizens. The rural population had no problems as they are used to isolation on their farms and it was only the urbanites who found the going tough. Food supplies were never in question as the supermarkets obviously have great supply chains and logistics and it was only a perceived demand for toilet paper that created any drama! Money was also made available promptly by the state and here again, the usually moribund state machinery could not be faulted. Again, the reverse of economies of scale applied, the numbers were small enough to facilitate quick and effective action.

This was obviously not the case in the rest of the world. The Countries that went hard and went early managed to have some sort of control but those that dithered and wavered and now paying a terrible price. A terrible year is only set to become worse for most of them.

The Kiwis’ are now in the middle of their Christmas break and road trips to their holiday “batches” are in full swing. We had the West Indies cricket team over here and dispatched them with a sound trashing (both test matches resulting in an innings victory for the Black Caps), a sad outcome for what was once considered the best and most exciting cricket team ever. Poor leadership, lack of commitment, and motivation seemed to be the issues, there was no lack of talent, particularly among the younger players.

We now have all 52 members of the Pakistan team here! After initial Covid infections brought over by them but managed due to strict quarantine and self-isolation laws in this country the tour is happening, and the grounds are full of spectators. The Pakistanis’ and full of theatrics and drama, tailored no doubt for the television cameras but their actual performances to date have been disappointing. Some players tried to disregard the quarantine procedures and threats to discontinue the tour by the NZ government was the only factor that brought them back into line and kept our community Covid infections at zero.

Although Kiwi rugby fans were disappointed at losing hosting rights to the “Tri-Nations Rugby Championship” to Australia due to what was deemed by the world rugby governing body to be “too strict quarantine regulations”, in retrospect being able to celebrate Christmas with our friends and families, was worth more than watching a few rugby matches live. Particularly since the All Blacks won anyway!

What is really happening in the Pearl? It is virtually impossible to get a clear picture by reading the newspapers or following social media. There are supporters of the current regime who say that everything is under control and the situation hunky-dory. There are others who claim that the supermarkets have nothing on the shelves and that people snatch things from each other when shopping. I am told of open robbery of coconuts and other produce from plantations, that nothing can be done about. Quarantine according to some, is a great experience and there are hardly any shortcomings, others describe hell on earth and total disregard for human emotions or physical comfort displayed by the enforcing authority. The number of active cases, community infections, and even deaths related to the virus seem to be total guesswork.

If the prophets of doom are correct, shouldn’t we declare a state of disaster and ask for foreign help before it is too late? Is even day to day survival while sinking into a mire of debt, lack of foreign currency, with no plan for how to get out of it sufficient? Meanwhile, the wolf packs of those seeking separate states and more rights and freedoms for their various ethnicities are gathering steam.

If this is not the case, shouldn’t the message with “real” examples be conveyed to the people? Tell us if we don’t have community infections and prove it. What about the vaccine, when are those in the Pearl going to get some, and what is the plan for who will get it first? If we are not told, the obvious assumption that one family and those freeloading off the state in that edifice built by Geoffrey Bawa on the Diyyawannawa will be reached. The result of this assumption been reached by the populace may prove to be the proverbial “last straw that broke the donkey’s back”! Give us a real date for when we can re-open the airport and expect tourists to come back, back it up with reasons based on logic and not hearsay or speculation. Leadership is not simply fighting fires on a daily basis, leadership is showing direction and giving the people something to aim for, with hope, for the future.

The people have voted overwhelmingly for this leadership. The leadership has scorned and spurned an offer from one superpower. We are in debt to a level that makes repayment almost impossible to another. We don’t have oil to even stir the interest of any of the other major economies of the world. We do have plenty of sunshine and the monsoon winds to look at harnessing for power generation and even export. Hydropower is already well established but needs to be modernized and made more efficient. Talk about clean green plans for saving on our crippling fuel bills and air pollution, demarcate lands for solar farms and windmills, plan for the next decade as they are doing over here in Aotearoa. It is what keeps people going… hopes for the future!

Are miracle Ayurveda cures for pandemics and treasures from the land of the Nagas, truly sufficient in this day and age and for our “literate” population?!!

Where are we headed for Sri Lanka and what are we going to do about it?

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