Kiwis need to realise 100 per cent pure is 100 per cent propaganda

I just read this great editorial and wanted to share it. It's no surprise that the New Zealand government wants to advertise its natural and cultural heritage as big draws for tourist dollars, but doesn't want to spend money protecting those very things. That's just human nature: eating your cake and having it too; the tragedy of the commons, etc. 

What is interesting is that grey area when the advertisement becomes propaganda. The government has done all the research, they know the sad state of New Zealand rivers thanks to contamination from cattle ranching. They know the sad shape of native birds because the "wild" ones still have to live in little, protected "predator-free" zones. (We live near one of the largest sanctuaries, and you can still hike around the perimeter in half a day.) They know the sad shape of the Maori communities, the amount of overseas land ownership, and a host of other factors that will have an execrable impact on the very things they are highlighting in these adverts. 

I guess the grey line comes down to the audience: If you're talking to people  overseas who want to see some of that magic but have no vested interest in preserving it, then it's just good tourism. If you're talking to locals who need to do something to preserve it, then convincing them otherwise is worse than propaganda. It's sealing their own doom. 

I hope you'll take the time to read the article, as it's applicable 100 per cent to the rest of the world. It also reminded me of another campaign, "Pure Michigan," which John Kerfoot brilliantly parodied.

P. S. It looks like "the man" finally got to John Kerfoot, as all but 3 of his videos have been made private with no explanation. Those 3 videos -- on road construction, Midwest winters and the Q-line -- are still hilarious, but nothing compared to his takedown of Mackinac Island or the Renaissance Festival.