New Zealand had a rude awakening last week, transitioning from an idyllic paradise to full membership in the politically charged and violent western world. The 2018 Global Peace Index had rated NZ as the second safest country in the world, behind Iceland. That will no doubt change after the horrific Christchurch mosque shooting that left 50 dead at latest count. For comparison, based on NZ’s population of 4.8 million, some simple arithmetic makes their casualty count of 50, comparable to 3400 deaths in the US, based on our population of 327 million. For perspective, just under 3000 people died during 9/11. This truly is NZ’s 9/11 in terms of how it will change the country, attitudes, and feelings of safety and security. It will also likely lead the government to do something, anything, whether thoughtful or reflexive, as a response to this awful event. In America, we saw the Patriot Act and onerous airport security, both with unintended consequences and...(Read Full Article)