Classic Kiwi feelgoodism. I am also a Kiwi (living on and off overseas for the last 15 years, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Australia, US, Germany, UK & Singapore) so hopefully can bring some balance to this discussion. I am perpetually in awe of and sick of the amount of dilusion the average New Zealander experiences and broadcasts (case in point). The average kiwi is also under a mighty misconception as to where they think they stand in the world (clue: on the arse end of it).
Facts, New Zealand is comprised of a largely low acheiving population, working menial jobs with poor productivity and extremely insular world views. New Zealands education system is largely underperforming and failing its students, hence the prevelance of weird national coping memes like sport and "worlds best at covid" and Mātauranga Māori, (take a look at the trend of the University of Aucklands rankings over the last decade, dont bother looking for the other Unis they are all 200+ & 500+). NZ's commercial landscape is an utter backwards wasteland with a system of Monopolys and Duopolys that ensure competition and fair market principles are never practiced and that top dollar is paid and extraordinary gross margins are retained. NZX is a joke of an exchange with a smattering of piss poor listings; All of this topped off with a brain dead political class and archaic public beuracracy. Simply put NZ has a fetish with incompetence.
* We have a socialised healthcare system where you get treated for free, it's not perfect but nobody has to sell their house to pay for treatment.
> Its still shit enough that most people pay for and get private insurance.
* We have a scheme called ACC where if you get injured and can't work they pay 80% of your salary while you recover.
> Cool, but again most people in the world get income protection insurance and pay much less tax, but I guess having something foisted on you gets you going. (Also ACC are out of control, they have assets far in excess of their actuarial obligations. Also fully captured by cronies, see recent exit of international portfolio manager Nicholas Bagnall to setup Te Ahumairangi Asset Management, ACC are now paying him in excess of $10m p.a. fees now, out - jobs for the boys... (PS his track record is shit, yet it was all pushed through without due process).
* We have an attitude of "Guns are a privilege, not a right".
> Cool. Hasnt always been that way, infact its more a recent phenomena which is really just the result of arse covering for the polices incompetence running background checks and you know doing what is their job...
* Lockdown's aren't popular here, but on the other hand we have a population of 5 million plus and so far only about 44 covid deaths.
>Congrats, Jacinda did a good job for a bit and then she and her ministers utterly dropped the ball, increased national debt by close to 2x, caused asset price inflation to all but surely lock out most of the next generation of New Zealanders from owning property, bankrupted 1000's of business, but hey thats all good you only had 44 deaths... Get some perspective, when are the borders opening again? must be nice to get out of Auckland some time, oh wait. Its a fucking shitshow. Must be good to go and take an antigen test when you arent feeling flash - yeah right...
>I won't be commenting on this any further because I don't really care.
Oh great, if someone makes a valid counterpoint, you have already dismissed them, how very forward looking of you.
Sure life might be good for you, but its pretty suboptimal for many others in the nation, which traditionally prided itself on a lack of social heirarcy and fair go. Both of which are flat on their back dead.
I dont blame OP for not wanting to move to NZ, fact is it really doesnt stack up as that an attractive place for most people with a clue. Until New Zealand gets some real strategic focus and long termism, its fucked. I dont see a bright future for a country that thinks producing primary agricultaral commodities as its main source of balancing trade as smart in 2021 and beyond. Synthetic protein will utterly crush farmers.