New Zealand Government Bans Online Book Purchases as ‘Non-Essential’
The COVID Taliban
Besides video games and Netflix, books are the only things any of us have left to keep us sane besides conversations with our significant others on Facetime. Yes, there’s plenty to do—plenty of options to fill the time in between trips to the grocery store and reading news about the Chinese coronavirus, and books fill a void that otherwise goes unfilled, leaving only anxiety to take its place.
Books are essential in lockdown, but the New Zealand government doesn’t think so. Under the onerous orders of Jacinda Ardern, a leader praised for her ability to lead the country through this global struggle under the auspices of “sympathy, love, and integrity” according to The Guardian, New Zealand has banned the sale of books as non-essential items.
Instead, the premier advises New Zealanders to keep a diary to help with contact tracing, as if they don’t have enough on their minds already that they need to log their every move and rack their brains with anxiety with fears that they might be infected, or worse—infected someone they care about.
Under some of the toughest coronavirus restrictions that would make Michigan’s Dolores Umbridge-like governor look like a kindly grandmother in a Disney movie, Ardern’s government has banned all non-essential shopping and online delivery, and it has done so since 26 March. That’s a long time to go without entertainment.
The government only allows “essential” businesses to operate within this period, so bookstores—even online ones—are relegated to selling textbooks, medical books, and professional books, at least until last week when further exceptions were made to loosen the rules. New Zealanders can now buy books about about personal care, food and drink (because people need to learn how to cook for themselves in this time), and pet care. Educational books are of course allowed.
Despite the partial lifting of the book ban, which is beyond ridiculous for even existing, citizens are still not allowed to buy fiction novels. If you didn’t already take the time to catch up on Steven Erikson’s 10-book fantasy anthology and were hoping to do so during the lockdown, you’re out of luck. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings remain banned. They’re unessential, apparently.
One might debate how “essential” Harry Potter is to literature, but it shouldn’t be the government’s call.
The reason for the ban, one presumes, is to limit the traffic and exposure by postal workers to the coronavirus. But one might also ask why an exception could not be made to those who wish to buy fiction novels so long as they also pick up an “essential” piece of literature within the same order.
You can still buy those books, but they won’t be delivered until the lockdown is lifted, but no one knows when that will be.
Source: The Post Millenial
What is wrong with having your books ELECTRONICLY delivered and down loaded ???
Or is that beyond Kiwis abilities ?
Lose a lot of jobs that way.
Kiwis can do books electronically AND get them online – my comments were rebuking the author’s claim that Kiwis were “banned from online purchasing of books.”
(BTW it’s in the HEADLINES.)
Obviously Kiwis’ abilities are brilliant.
Really? And when has Ardern ever done any ill against Putin? NZ Labour party – as I hv posted – has mostly been anti-US or has mostly stayed neutral.
If you think back; NZ had the March 15th terrorist attack that killed 51 lives – Ardern and her Labour party had only been in power for just 14 months -being a tiny nation something like this being handled so well by her is definitely not to be sneezed at – and now a year later; CV19 and coming elections in half a year.
I’m pretty sure Ardern has her hands full and kudos to her for not being one of the PLEBS jumping on the anti-Russia bandwagon.
Why does Ardern need to put her “backside on the line” for anything?
Tell me what has YOUR country done for Putin when he needed help so desperately?
This story is fake.
I live in NZ and Whitcoulls is our biggest bookstore company and we can purchase online very easily even during lockdown.
Jacinda Ardern (Labour Party) is doing a great job and has the highest approval rating of preferred PM that NZ has seen for a long time.
She has been a thorn in the side for the elites as she is not as pro-US as they wld prefer her to be – like stooge Aussie PM Scott Morrison.
It’s election year this year and the elites are desperate to unseat her – especially as she has signed up to China’s Belt Road Initiative(BRI) and she refuses to ban Huawei.
The previous PM John Key (National Party) stepped down (very suddenly) a few months before the last election – he was confident his party would easily win the elections but a twist of fate allowed a very little unknown Jacinda Ardern to take on as a leader of Labour just months and before voting and against all odds won and since then she has been winning hearts and minds of Kiwis with her compassionate leadership esp with how she handled the terror shooting in Christchurch and now with CV19.
She has built houses for the under privileged and has undertaken the portfolio herself for children living in poverty.
Former PM John Key is still lurking behind the scenes(more like a Tony Blair) and he is tight with Obama – spending many family holidays and golfing trips together.
“A thorn in the side of the elites”…which elites are you talking about? The first thing she did when she got in the driver’s seat was to sign the TPP and the country said nothing, she was so “nice”, so “earnest” in her facial expressions, almost practiced. She had breakfast with Hillary Clinton and continues to use NZ taxpayer money to give to the corrupt Clinton Foundation, she had talks with Podesta who talked about how NZ was ripe for a terrorist attack, right before Chch happened. Gutterez came to NZ to visit with her, she was/is the darling of the ratbag democrats and their supporters in the US, they talk about her frequently which has never happened with any other leader of this obscure country. She was in on a conference call with Netanyahu last week, he is an international war criminal who is facing corruption charges, one wonders what we have in common. She works in lockstep with the aims of the NWO. I don’t care about your view of her but you make it sound like she’s actually “winning hearts and minds” when she is rapidly losing fans with her draconian restrictions and new laws foisted on us. You don’t speak for me.
Putin has conference calls with Netanyahu and meetings with HIllary too – so what’s the beef with Ardern doing this?
Pretty obvious we can see parasites like Hillary and Netanyahu being the slimy opportunists they are; trying to glean some of that great publicity from much admired politicians like Putin and Ardern. Any intelligent person can see this.
You don’t speak for me either.
We will find out in November who NZ wants as PM.
WOW ! Sorry but you had me for a moment, then spoiled it all by putting Putin and Ardern in the same sentence. Ardern is not a scratch on Putin, and never will be. Get Real. When has she put her backside on the line on the World stage, or even supported Putin when he badly needed it ???
About the author :
Ian Miles Cheong Is A Monster
“Ian’s tweets are now getting the attention of American politicians, such as former ambassador and governor Nikki Haley. At the same time, in his new role, Ian has taken it upon himself to be a gatekeeper to the conservative movement: publicly ostracizing, insulting, and blatantly lying about anyone who he views to be as “bad” for the conservative movement — engaging in the very same cancel culture and call-out culture most conservatives, including Ian, have vocally opposed.”
https://medium.com/@communismkills/ian-miles-cheong-is-a-monster-983143f3c0de