This is a pretty open question of course, as there will be different answers for different groups of people, and different kinds of ways in which a country can be good/bad.

I live in Germany, and while it's a country with many, many flaws, I can't say that I hate the country because, frankly, there's not many places I'd rather live. But of course, I'm a middle-class suburban white girl, the systems here largely exist to benefit me. For other groups of people it might be different. If I had to move to another country right now, Finland would probably be my first pick. I'm interested in China for a number of reasons, but I doubt that living there would ultimately be better for me.

So yeah, it's kind of a purposely vague question, I'm curious on what you think.

  • Tankiedesantski [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Don’t people fetishize New Zealand for its insignificance/lack of greater participation in Western exploitation and its relatively high living standards ? It’s likely why the wealthy are seeking to build shelters there.

    NZ has good PR and generally keeps its head down about its own shittyness. For example, the NZ Army is also alleged to have committed war crimes in Afghanistan but the news never really made it internationally because nobody was motivated to air that dirty laundry like the Chinese suplexing the Australians over their crimes.

    Besides, the way I see it the very fact that NZ is a settler colony makes its existence an act of Western exploitation.

    As for living standards, housing is a massive issue both in regards to cost and quality. Auckland is consistently one of the least affordable places in the world when comparing rents against wages. Also, many existing buildings are uninsulated, damp, moldy, and of questionable sturdiness in earthquakes.

    Also, racial discrimination is rife but is downplayed because its generally not violent. More of a casual racism than lynch mobs, but still its still extremely common for POC to be held down career wise.