And the greatest sin, is that the very same people who are at the cause of the problem, the council of Karens, are also NIMBYs who never take accountability for their actions, so as soon as they are pressed up against the consequences of their actions for long enough, they will simply uproot, move and repeat the process elsewhere.
Your post nearly brought tears to my eyes. I lived in Wellington for five months in college and I regularly walked home alone every night without fear. I never thought things would go wrong so fast.
Yeah I was astonished too. I do believe it is possible to rectify (and there is still much there that is great), but administrators and councillors need to get a backbone. My guess is the younger generations who grew up with it will be sick of it once they are of age, and hopefully that’s enough to shift policy. Of course, it could get worse also. Think Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles.
I haven't been to California in over 20 years, and I'm refusing to go back again until things are better. It would just be too sad, and it also doesn't sound safe.
Nice essay; I could comment on much. Instead I'll just go on a tangent regrading the map opening your post
Have you seen the early Wyld map of NZ. There's a lot of interesting features. For e.g.
1. Was made after the Cook map, but is very different.
2. The Lake of Greenstone (inland from where Palmerston now is) is exactly where Oceania Gold's Macraes gold mine is.
3. The south coast of the SI and associated rivers are very interesting. The implication is this area was mapped and I would be surprised if the cartographer was lying because intentionally falsifying maps at the time carried the death penalty.
I lived in welly-wood from 1997-2008 with 3 yrs away- 1 in ashvegas and 2 in australia - Perth and Kalgoorlie of all places. Lived in the USA - DC for 15 yrs now back in the small fishbowl that is the Tron, probably unwillingly due to other family. Welly used to be the Melbourne or Copenhagen of NZ- trendy, walkable, safe, blanket man was studied by clinical psychs like yourself and was an icon and one of a kind. Now, woke religion is exactly as you say, pounamu wearing male feminists exactly right. Woke has permeated the cities of Nz that’s for sure, good to see your vivid descriptions are running through others like minded. Maybe, just maybe Trumps ripping asunder of the seemingly entrenched woke mindset that has spread here from both the USA and that other sick little island the Uk, with more substacks and dare I say it maybe even an opinion piece in a msm Herald or RNZ guest speaker we might start to reach the sheltered hairy footed hobbit New Zealander who thinks they are well informed watching that little black screen in their lounge for 30 mins of news, and then hours of sitcoms, Netflix and reality tv. Here’s hoping!
Please read Ayn Rand's two great novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I think you will then see what is truly happening in your country and the world. You are John Galt. I am John Galt (in spirit within my female form). And NURTURE overwhelms NATURE every time. We are all human beings. Once we realize that, they can't push their groupthink on us.
I don’t know what Wellington was like in the past, but I’ve been living in the city for about two and a half months now and compared to cities in the United States, Wellington seems to be cleaner and safer than most of the cities in the U.S. I’ve visited or lived in. However, the search for New Zealand culture and cuisine has been difficult. Finding American fast food is easy and American music is typically playing at the New World and on the streets.
When I first arrived, I was surprised to see the pride flag everywhere, reminding me of San Francisco, but that was a short-lived phenomenon.
Nevertheless, there certainly are problems such as the numerous homeless sleeping on the streets and the random vagrants engaging in panhandling or shouting at those passing by.
I guess many of us are attracted to the idea of the Shire and I’m looking forward to finding out what life in New Zealand outside of Wellington is like.
Well said. Wellington is a decaying city filled with Cains. For many years now the place has been dominated by hand wringers and pencil pushers looking for somebody else to pin their resentment on. The white coloniser, the oppressive male, the ruthless capitalist, the religious conservative - anyone but themselves. As long as this culture or spirit of resentment resides over the city it will remain a shit hole. Praying for a Wellington comeback!
What's even worse is that when I arrived back home I watched the Hurricanes v the Highlanders on TV. Highlanders were pipped by a last minute try. Surely a conspiracy.
It is disappointing how the quirky hipsters and hippies of Wellington have morphed into this new species of homo chemicus. I moved up from Christchurch in 2011 for uni and immediately noticed how much more 'PC' it was in the capital, though the vibe was generally pretty good. But, especially since COVID, things have gone downhill.
Unfortunately, the evidence is clear that running on vibes is a terrible way to maintain a city. While homo chemicus have flourished in their cushy government sinecures, sewer pipes have been bursting for years due to chronic financial mismanagement by the local government.
Things aren't that bad in the rest of Wellington region, but the city itself is in dire straits and everyone knows it. Pretty much every sane person I know has drifted out to the Hutts, Porirua, or one of the other outer suburbs if they haven't left the region entirely.
One reason, if you are meaning 'why' as in 'why would these people do this to the city', is that they, in their desire for power, have short-circuited the minds of the populace to go along with nice sounding but nonsense policies. Two decades ago we were rich and wealthy and had much leisure time. We could focus on 'helping everyone', even the previously thought to be helpless. Even violent criminals. Sexual abusers. This idea percolated over time as a 'nice-theory' into one that was accepted by most mainstream elites. Punishments were laxed, sentences were reduced. People's behaviour was explained away by a 'traumatic' past, a poor childhood. The contra-argument that most people who have been abused, for example, do not grow up to do abusers was ignored. We now have excuses for types of behaviour, for all types of classes and races. Nobody has responsibility anymore, values it, it sometimes appears to me.
And the greatest sin, is that the very same people who are at the cause of the problem, the council of Karens, are also NIMBYs who never take accountability for their actions, so as soon as they are pressed up against the consequences of their actions for long enough, they will simply uproot, move and repeat the process elsewhere.
Yup - in Wellington they live in the lovely Suburbia where there 'aint none of that criminal activitiy'.
In the U.S. it's the Californians and the New Yorkers who have spread their insanity.
Your post nearly brought tears to my eyes. I lived in Wellington for five months in college and I regularly walked home alone every night without fear. I never thought things would go wrong so fast.
Yeah I was astonished too. I do believe it is possible to rectify (and there is still much there that is great), but administrators and councillors need to get a backbone. My guess is the younger generations who grew up with it will be sick of it once they are of age, and hopefully that’s enough to shift policy. Of course, it could get worse also. Think Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles.
I visited San Francisco in the late 1980s. Enjoyed it immensely. Returned in 1999 for a visit and was shocked to see the change.
I haven't been to California in over 20 years, and I'm refusing to go back again until things are better. It would just be too sad, and it also doesn't sound safe.
Nice essay; I could comment on much. Instead I'll just go on a tangent regrading the map opening your post
Have you seen the early Wyld map of NZ. There's a lot of interesting features. For e.g.
1. Was made after the Cook map, but is very different.
2. The Lake of Greenstone (inland from where Palmerston now is) is exactly where Oceania Gold's Macraes gold mine is.
3. The south coast of the SI and associated rivers are very interesting. The implication is this area was mapped and I would be surprised if the cartographer was lying because intentionally falsifying maps at the time carried the death penalty.
3. Look at Fiordland.
https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/107366/to-the-right-honourable-the-secretary-of-state-for-the-colon-wyld
And there’s barely an Otago Peninsula
Huh maybe… I have a faint memory as a child of seeing a map of NZ with the south island being way too narrow. But this is fascinating.
I lived in welly-wood from 1997-2008 with 3 yrs away- 1 in ashvegas and 2 in australia - Perth and Kalgoorlie of all places. Lived in the USA - DC for 15 yrs now back in the small fishbowl that is the Tron, probably unwillingly due to other family. Welly used to be the Melbourne or Copenhagen of NZ- trendy, walkable, safe, blanket man was studied by clinical psychs like yourself and was an icon and one of a kind. Now, woke religion is exactly as you say, pounamu wearing male feminists exactly right. Woke has permeated the cities of Nz that’s for sure, good to see your vivid descriptions are running through others like minded. Maybe, just maybe Trumps ripping asunder of the seemingly entrenched woke mindset that has spread here from both the USA and that other sick little island the Uk, with more substacks and dare I say it maybe even an opinion piece in a msm Herald or RNZ guest speaker we might start to reach the sheltered hairy footed hobbit New Zealander who thinks they are well informed watching that little black screen in their lounge for 30 mins of news, and then hours of sitcoms, Netflix and reality tv. Here’s hoping!
Love the optimism, let’s go!
Please read Ayn Rand's two great novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I think you will then see what is truly happening in your country and the world. You are John Galt. I am John Galt (in spirit within my female form). And NURTURE overwhelms NATURE every time. We are all human beings. Once we realize that, they can't push their groupthink on us.
I don’t know what Wellington was like in the past, but I’ve been living in the city for about two and a half months now and compared to cities in the United States, Wellington seems to be cleaner and safer than most of the cities in the U.S. I’ve visited or lived in. However, the search for New Zealand culture and cuisine has been difficult. Finding American fast food is easy and American music is typically playing at the New World and on the streets.
When I first arrived, I was surprised to see the pride flag everywhere, reminding me of San Francisco, but that was a short-lived phenomenon.
Nevertheless, there certainly are problems such as the numerous homeless sleeping on the streets and the random vagrants engaging in panhandling or shouting at those passing by.
I guess many of us are attracted to the idea of the Shire and I’m looking forward to finding out what life in New Zealand outside of Wellington is like.
Well said. Wellington is a decaying city filled with Cains. For many years now the place has been dominated by hand wringers and pencil pushers looking for somebody else to pin their resentment on. The white coloniser, the oppressive male, the ruthless capitalist, the religious conservative - anyone but themselves. As long as this culture or spirit of resentment resides over the city it will remain a shit hole. Praying for a Wellington comeback!
What's even worse is that when I arrived back home I watched the Hurricanes v the Highlanders on TV. Highlanders were pipped by a last minute try. Surely a conspiracy.
Judas ref
It pains to hear of the rot in NZ. Car c'est le shire du monde comme tu l'as dit.
It is disappointing how the quirky hipsters and hippies of Wellington have morphed into this new species of homo chemicus. I moved up from Christchurch in 2011 for uni and immediately noticed how much more 'PC' it was in the capital, though the vibe was generally pretty good. But, especially since COVID, things have gone downhill.
Unfortunately, the evidence is clear that running on vibes is a terrible way to maintain a city. While homo chemicus have flourished in their cushy government sinecures, sewer pipes have been bursting for years due to chronic financial mismanagement by the local government.
Things aren't that bad in the rest of Wellington region, but the city itself is in dire straits and everyone knows it. Pretty much every sane person I know has drifted out to the Hutts, Porirua, or one of the other outer suburbs if they haven't left the region entirely.
You were in wellys 2011 for uni? I was too! (2011-2014).
You're right. Many people are trying to get out of the inner city. I used to really enjoy the nightlife when I was at uni.
I actually started uni in 2012, 2011 was a typo. I did graduate in 2014 though, so we would have been there at roughly the same time.
That’s epic bro. I used to be a bit of raver, loved the club Sandwiches before the earthquakes screwed it.
IM off to NZ tomorrow ! Thanks for the heads up bro. I needed that information.
I won't be caught off guard.
I see what you see and I wonder, why?
One reason, if you are meaning 'why' as in 'why would these people do this to the city', is that they, in their desire for power, have short-circuited the minds of the populace to go along with nice sounding but nonsense policies. Two decades ago we were rich and wealthy and had much leisure time. We could focus on 'helping everyone', even the previously thought to be helpless. Even violent criminals. Sexual abusers. This idea percolated over time as a 'nice-theory' into one that was accepted by most mainstream elites. Punishments were laxed, sentences were reduced. People's behaviour was explained away by a 'traumatic' past, a poor childhood. The contra-argument that most people who have been abused, for example, do not grow up to do abusers was ignored. We now have excuses for types of behaviour, for all types of classes and races. Nobody has responsibility anymore, values it, it sometimes appears to me.
Thanks for your reply! I agree and, still though, I find it all weird! More and more I am thinking, this is a spiritual thing!
I think it definitely is!