I was thinking more the Christian right and Incels  but if the shoe fits!

Edited August 16Aug 16 by Quatre_Bougies

If anyone really wants to understand the whole problem then I suggest buying the book A Short History of Progress, by Ronald Wright. You will find it cheaply on Ebay.  Its the very best explanation I have ever read of why and where we are all going, and particularly our future generations likely destiny. I really do recommend it. Cheers. Mick

37 minutes ago, SUIGENERIS said:

If anyone really wants to understand the whole problem then I suggest buying the book A Short History of Progress, by Ronald Wright. You will find it cheaply on Ebay.  Its the very best explanation I have ever read of why and where we are all going, and particularly our future generations likely destiny. I really do recommend it. Cheers. Mick

I downloaded  sample and ordered a second had copy.  It’s right up my street, thanks for the recomendation.

1 hour ago, Quatre_Bougies said:

You can’t force women to reproduce, even though a few types of men and government's would like to! 

Current US anti abortion laws are leading to unwanted babies being born, in many cases to women who are in no position to bring those children up, and the rest of the American system does nothing to help support those mothers and children. Hardly a recipe for increasing the population of healthy, well-balanced individuals who in due course will become economic contributors and model citizens!

1 hour ago, SUIGENERIS said:

If anyone really wants to understand the whole problem then I suggest buying the book A Short History of Progress, by Ronald Wright. You will find it cheaply on Ebay.  Its the very best explanation I have ever read of why and where we are all going, and particularly our future generations likely destiny. I really do recommend it. Cheers. Mick

A more recent book on the same depressing theme is Goliath's Curse, by Luke Kemp. 

2 hours ago, alias said:

.....Are you thinking of Lebensborn? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensborn.....

Does this sound somewhat familiar to Lebensborn,"...If British families want to have more children, we will not hesitate to use the power of the state to enable that, not least by making childcare more accessible and more affordable.......". (https://www.restorebritain.org.uk/cultural_identity_social_issues) bearing in mind that they are simultaneously telling us that there isn't space for migrants in this country at the moment. So which is it? not enough space? or not enough people?

1 hour ago, SUIGENERIS said:

If anyone really wants to understand the whole problem then I suggest buying the book A Short History of Progress, by Ronald Wright. You will find it cheaply on Ebay.  Its the very best explanation I have ever read of why and where we are all going, and particularly our future generations likely destiny. I really do recommend it. Cheers. Mick

Have done a brief look at his work and the most striking comment for me was,"...If civilization is to survive, it must live on the interest, not the capital of nature...." which pretty much sums things up. We do however live in something of a Mr Macawber world living in hope that 'something will turn up' despite burning as much 'capital' as we can.

All my kids and grand kids have had a copy of Short History of Progress as christmas and birthday presents. Mostly they have altered their view on the future and the way they view our current political system.  It was actually a really worthwhile and simple exercise! I would recommend it to others. Cheers. Mick

4 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A more recent book on the same depressing theme is Goliath's Curse, by Luke Kemp. 

These books sound very worthy but will they make me want to give up all hope? I like to be well informed but I'm also struggling to see the good in life at the moment.

Maybe I should stay clear of reality.

6 hours ago, Ange said:

These books sound very worthy but will they make me want to give up all hope? I like to be well informed but I'm also struggling to see the good in life at the moment.

Maybe I should stay clear of reality.

Probably best to give them a miss in that case. 

9 hours ago, Ange said:

These books sound very worthy but will they make me want to give up all hope? I like to be well informed but I'm also struggling to see the good in life at the moment.

Maybe I should stay clear of reality.

Altogether now...

 

"Always look on the bright side of life, de dum, de dum de dum de dum..." 🙂 

On 17/08/2026 at 00:31, Ange said:

These books sound very worthy but will they make me want to give up all hope? I like to be well informed but I'm also struggling to see the good in life at the moment.

Maybe I should stay clear of reality.

I've discovered that I need to temper my leftie outrage a bit, at least until the Summer break is over.

 

I introduced my youngest to a new spoken word artist who is a very angry young Dubliner who, I assumed, would resonate with him and he burst into tears and said that he respected and loved me and his Mum but our constant doom and gloom rants made him lose hope for his future.

 

I did manage to convince him that it was his generation that would heal the damage that ours has caused and our intention was not to scare him but to encourage him to get active and force change.

 

Him and his peers are our hope.

 

He is an active member of the Green Party, president of his local Ornithological Society, massive Stewart Lee fan and rants just as loudly and angrily as his parents so I think we have had a positive influence somehow...in between crushing his will to live.

2 hours ago, carlt said:

he burst into tears and said that he respected and loved me and his Mum but our constant doom and gloom rants made him lose hope for his future.

 

 

 

On 16/08/2026 at 15:25, David Mack said:

Which isn't going to help when we try to fill vacancies in areas like social care, which don't require academic qualifications and don't pay a lot.

 

This didn't take long - the changes haven't gone through parliament yet, just received publicity, but overseas and domestic recruitment of carers have both started to drop...

 

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/crackdown-migrant-carers-must-be-scrapped-numbers-plummet-4714269

 

 

As we are separated from the rest of the world by vast distances of inhospitable seas virtually  none of our illegal migrants have arrived by boat.

They have flown in on scheduled air services, and as airlines are fairly scrupulous in not boarding anyone who will not be allowed in,  they have, almost exclusively arrived legally on visitors permits, but then have then  overstayed their visas. So illegal immigrants and overstayers here,  are one in the same. 

NZ has not been immune from the current imported populist,  often US originating,  racial and religious prejudice masquerading as anti immigrant activism. 

But where have our stayers come from in the most recent 3 year period?

Table 2 in the following document.

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/2026-estimate-of-people-who-have-overstayed-their-visa-released/

Well the largest contingent is from the USA, 925, followed by Tonga 666, then China with 653, Great Britain with 580, and India 518

So more Whities then Asians. That doesn't fit the populist narrative at all. 

So while the UK (and Australia) is receiving undocumented "boat people" I bet the vast majority of your illegal immigrants have, like here, just arrived on scheduled passenger services. And the majority may even be fellow Europeans.