Some people have mocked Alex Swney for daring to ask the question: what has the Great Blackout of 06 done for Auckland's reputation as a first-world city?
"Are we heading for Sydney or Suva?" he asks.
Laugh at your peril. The signs are there, if you're prepared to look. I have prepared a little photo essay to make my point.
Prime Minister dresses like Mao
Hyperinflation makes everyday items unaffordable
Education available only to elite
Critics silenced
Life expectancy falls
Muldoon rises from dead, alerts nation to danger.