Will’s Word: What the US taught me about NZ's possible future

I recently returned from a trip to the United States, and I'll admit, it has profoundly challenged the way I think about society, values, and the direction we're all heading in.

From the moment I landed, it was abundantly clear to me that the US, and I'm sorry to say, is capitalism on steroids. The divide between the rich and poor was so painfully obvious. I suppose what struck me most was that palpable sense of every person fending for themselves.

In America, everyone's out to make a buck, and honestly, who can blame them, right? With a federal minimum wage still locked at US$7.25 an hour (NZ$12.01), a figure that's been unchanged since 2009.

Survival often hinges on hustle, not stability. In a system where profits soar and costs rise, it's arguably people, not corporations, who are left to suffer. Nowhere is this more evident than in the country's fast food culture.

Arguably, an insidious example to me of capitalism run amok. Let me contextualise it: on every corner, every highway, and practically every billboard, fast food is relentlessly marketed to people just trying to make it through the day.

I do not blame everyday Americans for the obesity crisis they face. I blame the fast-food industry for targeting vulnerable communities with cheap, hyper-processed, frankly, crap food wrapped in convenience.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make here is that my experience in the US has forced me to ultimately reflect on what we value back here in New Zealand. I won't lie, we're far from perfect, but there's still a strong undercurrent of community, a belief in fairness, and at least a basic recognition that people matter more than profit margins.

This trip served as perhaps a sobering reminder of how fragile that balance is and how easily it could tip if we stop paying attention. So as we grapple with our own challenges here in Aotearoa, let's take a breather, and let's take this as a warning.

The moment we allow the profit motive to eclipse human well-being is the moment we start to lose our sense of community.

That's Will's Word.

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