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Yes, by "open" I obviously mean "people can enter and exit it". A country with indefinitely closed borders is not "open", it's North Korea. Perhaps your argume

Yes, by "open" I obviously mean "people can enter and exit it". A country with indefinitely closed borders is not "open", it's North Korea. Perhaps your argument is that we've been TOO successful relative to the rest of the world? Perhaps we should have let the disease run rampant bit longer. There's no success in merely delaying the inevitable. It's an infectious disease, it can't be kept out forever. The NZ strategy is effectively to seal itself off from the world and hope some cure or vaccine is developed before it re-opens, which is a terrible decision given that these sorts of viruses often never have vaccines. Until the NZ population gets over its fear, there will continue to be events like this one: https://globalnews.ca/news/7079388/new-zealand-third-new-case-coronavirus/ https://globalnews.ca/news/7079388/new-zealand-third-new-cas... NZ will eventually re-open and let the disease go, because it's not actually any worse than many other viruses. Not because it's some sort of genius success story.

sjwright 6y ago
> by "open" I obviously mean "people can enter and exit it". Most countries have their borders partially or fully closed to international travel. The only difference between New Zealand and most other countries is that New Zealand isn't also dealing with a rampant pandemic. > A country with indefinitely closed borders is not "open", it's North Korea. Comparing New Zealand to North Korea is absurd and demonstrates that you're not being serious. Something like 90—95% of all people on this planet will never travel across a passport control border during their entire lifetime. A short term, medically rational restriction on international travel only restricts the "freedom" of the most affluent few percent. > Until the NZ population gets over its fear What fear? I'm starting to wonder if you think that the only thing worth doing in New Zealand involves international travel. I suppose we're all in a big North Korea called Earth because we can't hop onto a rocket into outer space.
- thu2111 6y ago
  Borders are opening up again. I crossed two borders in Europe yesterday. No disasters yet. A short term, medically rational restriction on international travel only restricts the "freedom" of the most affluent few percent. A few percent? Tell that to the budget airlines. It's not even medically rational. Before COVID the WHO said border closures were "not recommended under any circumstances": https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329438/9789241516839-eng.pdf#page=9 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329438/9789... (see table 1) The medical establishment just makes this stuff up as they go along. Best to avoid arguments based on what they think is rational.

sjwright 6y ago

> by "open" I obviously mean "people can enter and exit it". Most countries have their borders partially or fully closed to international travel. The only difference between New Zealand and most other countries is that New Zealand isn't also dealing with a rampant pandemic. > A country with indefinitely closed borders is not "open", it's North Korea. Comparing New Zealand to North Korea is absurd and demonstrates that you're not being serious. Something like 90—95% of all people on this planet will never travel across a passport control border during their entire lifetime. A short term, medically rational restriction on international travel only restricts the "freedom" of the most affluent few percent. > Until the NZ population gets over its fear What fear? I'm starting to wonder if you think that the only thing worth doing in New Zealand involves international travel. I suppose we're all in a big North Korea called Earth because we can't hop onto a rocket into outer space.

thu2111 6y ago
Borders are opening up again. I crossed two borders in Europe yesterday. No disasters yet. A short term, medically rational restriction on international travel only restricts the "freedom" of the most affluent few percent. A few percent? Tell that to the budget airlines. It's not even medically rational. Before COVID the WHO said border closures were "not recommended under any circumstances": https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329438/9789241516839-eng.pdf#page=9 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329438/9789... (see table 1) The medical establishment just makes this stuff up as they go along. Best to avoid arguments based on what they think is rational.