The people of Japan have suffered an enormous grief with the political assassination of Shinzo Abe.

The shock wave in a culture where this type of violence isn’t part of their political DNA will be difficult to calculate, especially with Abe’s own nationalistic legacy.

A Pacifist Japan has been a noble endeavour and any sudden turn from that would be an extra tragedy.

Condolences to the people of Japan as they struggle with this mourning.

This type of political violence driven by extremist loners who have been radicalised into believing crazy ideas and build their own weapons is a global phenomena fuelled by social media hate algorithms and this unemployed 41 year old who believed extreme ideas and built his own weapons is a manifestation of this globalised hate extremism.

Could it happen in NZ?

I’m 50-50 on the possibility of an act of political violence here in NZ before the 2023 election.

I’ve been politically active in NZ for 30 years and I’ve never seen the level of pure fucking lunacy as the far right, incel, evangelical Christian, Q Feminism, anti-mandate, Q Freedom, Bannon electorate.

They operate in a totally different dimensional reality, the only conclusion of which for true believers is political violence.

This country is about to go through an enormous economic upheaval as the supposed returning tourists and migrant workers don’t prop up the 3rd and fourth quarter like Treasury predicted. The NZ Hospitality and Tourism industry require hyper tourism to make money, we had 4 million tourists per year before Covid, we ain’t getting that back anytime soon.

Covid second wave is coming, mass public service break down is looming, economic meltdown is here.

These stresses will reverberate through our psychology and our community and our society.

It will rattle loose a corrupt cocktail of fear, anger, toxic resentment and brainwashed echo chambers all screaming terror.

We are weak, frightened and over stressed.

And it’s only beginning.

We will need leaders who can articulate our pain.

Into this febrile political landscape stalk bad faith actors and cruel opportunists who seek power in chaos.

The shots that killed Shinzo Abe have been heard around the world.

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