(Low) Quantity has a Quality of its own

‘Quantity has its own quality’ has been a smart way to sum up both the robotic mantra of demographic dividend as well as the advantage of numerical superiority in the history of war. But has anyone wondered what quantity — low or high — delivers quality? If ‘elite’, ‘exclusive’ and ‘niche’ suggest both quality and fewer numbers, there is no reason why less should not be what people valuing high quality should be running after. Which is where New Zealand, No. 7 or No. 8 in various ‘quality of life’ rankings, with its (human) population of 5.1 million, always has stood up to be counted. On Friday, this inverted ‘numerical superiority’ was underlined once again at an anti-Covid lockdown protest gathering in central Auckland — it was a gathering of one.

For us used to the Jantar Mantars and Shaheen Baghs, with its corresponding police barriers and frequent clashes, a one-protester seems closer to performance art. But the one New Zealander was serious about showing up after a social media call to protest the country’s nationwide lockdown — after one person was found Delta-positive last week out of a total of 346 Covid cases. Not quite the single protester standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square, Auckland’s lone ranger chose to leave the site after the police politely told him to go. That’s paying good demographic dividends for you.