COVID-19 Stuff Here

[Pfitzy]

"VACCINE PASSPORTS ARE MODERN OPPRESSION!!!" shriek the chuds. Along with other big words they don't understand like "overreach" and "discrimination".

Yeah OK.

International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Vaccine Passport Debate Actually Began In 1897 Over A Plague Vaccine

That's when a vaccine for plague was invented — and authorities began to consider requiring proof of vaccination before visiting pilgrimage sites in India. The debate has raged ever since.

www.npr.org

The U.S. Has Had 'Vaccine Passports' Before—And They Worked

History shows that the benefits of such a system can extend far beyond the venues into which such a passport would grant admission

time.com

From Smallpox to Covid-19: The history of vaccine passports and how it impacts international relations

Regarding vaccine passports, the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised concerns surrounding the operational, ethical and diplomatic consequences of allowing certain individuals to avail of privileges that others face hurdles to access.

indianexpress.com

and on and on and on.

 

[Slim 293]

A pregnant woman was arrested in her home, still in pjs, for thinking (facebook post) about protesting the next day.

Your entire post is batshit stupid, but I just want to correct you on this particular point…

She was arrested for organising a rally.

 

[Pfitzy]

Your entire post is batshit stupid, but I just want to correct you on this particular point…

She was arrested for organising a rally.

Didn't her righteous little face fall off when she realised her "free speech" had consequences?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I currently have an aunt and uncle who are particularly unwell over in Ireland from Covid and my cousins daughter showing signs of infection. This after 11 other members of my family went through similar hell over the Christmas/New Year period last year. So I have to be honest when saying I sincerely wish for these loony anti-vax nutbags would just f@#k right off.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I don't have an issue with the vax passport for travel. It's not like we haven't done it before, but I sincerely hope that over the next 12-24 months that the use of it domestically will recede.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Got the My Vaccine Pass on my phone Thursday morning, the day after it became available, & have a hard-copy in my wallet as backup (roughly a million kiwis have downloaded it so far) & if I go somewhere you're supposed to show it & don't get asked to I'll be going elsewhere & probably reporting them. There's a version for international use, I'll be downloading that as soon as my new passport arrives & I'll only fly with an airline that requires it to be shown at check-in.

 

[formerflanker]

Your entire post is batshit stupid, but I just want to correct you on this particular point…

She was arrested for organising a rally.

Point taken - I was not happy that she was arrested before any illegal activity (ie the protest) took place. However, it is true she is alleged to have engaged in serious criminal behaviour inciting a public protest at a time when public protest is unlawful. (Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius)
People laugh at me for pointing out how draconian our governments have become, yet look at that last quote and tell me we haven't moved towards a dictatorship.

You appear to be happy that an arrest was made, rather than alternative actions by the police like giving her the opportunity to take down or walk back the post.
Even the Victorian Bar thought the enforcement action of the police appeared disproportionate to the threat she presented,

 

[Sully]

I think you need to look up the definition of Dictatorship. Last I looked, our gov was elected by the majority of people and made their laws in open Parliament. But don't let that interfere with your story. If you don't like Aus politics stop voting for the LNP

 

[Slim 293]

The irony being, according to the latest Newspoll... this Victorian "dictatorship" would pick up another 7 seats if an election were held this weekend.

I also don't think FF (Folau Fainga'a) understands simple governing concepts such as "state of emergency" powers.

 

[boyo]

Something to peruse from the U.K.

ICU is full of the unvaccinated – my patience with them is wearing thin | Anonymous

Most of the resources we are devoting to Covid in hospital are being spent on people who have not had jab, says an NHS consultant

www.theguardian.com

 

[Pfitzy]

I don't have an issue with the vax passport for travel. It's not like we haven't done it before, but I sincerely hope that over the next 12-24 months that the use of it domestically will recede.

NSW might be rolling back check ins

NSW could roll back more restrictions this week

Masks, QR codes and close contact rules could be among the coronavirus measures rolled back early in NSW.

www.news.com.au

 

[Tex]

Checking in to see if the draconian authoritarian state of Victoria was still a thing when tens of thousands of people demonstrated through the city on Saturday about vaccinations and public health orders?

Obviously the jackboots of Dan Andrews' Victoria Police are heavier in the fever dreams of Sky News and News Corp opinionators than they are in reality.

 

[Slim 293]

The anti-fascist/pro-science & medicine counter protesters chanting “Avi is a wife basher,” directly aimed at the scum bag himself, was fun to watch…

 

[Tex]

Lol. I'll have to look for the videos.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Checking in to see if the draconian authoritarian state of Victoria was still a thing when tens of thousands of people demonstrated through the city on Saturday about vaccinations and public health orders?

Obviously the jackboots of Dan Andrews' Victoria Police are heavier in the fever dreams of Sky News and News Corp opinionators than they are in reality.

Curious as to the makeup & mindset of those demonstrating.

Over here the first protests were organised by the Pentecostalists lead by the noted bigot Brian Tamaki. Weird to see his followers waving their "My Body My Choice" placards given they're also staunchly anti-abortion, pro-conversion therapy & generally hostile toward the rainbow communities. Not to mention being anti-Semitic & Islamiphobic.

Then there's a group - mostly pakeha - who've appropriated the Confederation of Chiefs flag from the late 1830's (i.e. pre-Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document in most meaningful senses of the term) despite many of the veteran activists who claim that the Declaration of Independence overrides the Treaty asking them not to & to instead get with the vaccination programme.

Increasingly, though, the symbolism & rhetoric is straight outta the Trump & Q-Anon circus. Haven't seen any nooses or scaffolds yet but speakers at the most recent rally did declare the government & medical profession to be guilty of, & the media complicit in, crimes against humanity for which they will in due course be tried & publicly executed.

On an encouraging note, on the days where two- to five thousand have turned out to protest lockdowns, vaccine mandates etc ten- to twenty thousand have gotten themselves vaccinated.

 

[stoff]

Curious as to the makeup & mindset of those demonstrating.

Over here the first protests were organised by the Pentecostalists lead by the noted bigot Brian Tamaki. Weird to see his followers waving their "My Body My Choice" placards given they're also staunchly anti-abortion, pro-conversion therapy & generally hostile toward the rainbow communities. Not to mention being anti-Semitic & Islamiphobic.

Then there's a group - mostly pakeha - who've appropriated the Confederation of Chiefs flag from the late 1830's (i.e. pre-Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document in most meaningful senses of the term) despite many of the veteran activists who claim that the Declaration of Independence overrides the Treaty asking them not to & to instead get with the vaccination programme.

Increasingly, though, the symbolism & rhetoric is straight outta the Trump & Q-Anon circus. Haven't seen any nooses or scaffolds yet but speakers at the most recent rally did declare the government & medical profession to be guilty of, & the media complicit in, crimes against humanity for which they will in due course be tried & publicly executed.

On an encouraging note, on the days where two- to five thousand have turned out to protest lockdowns, vaccine mandates etc ten- to twenty thousand have gotten themselves vaccinated.

It started with the anti-vaxx groups, then the lead moved to the far-right. There is an element of more everyday types now who are worried about the pandemic legislation the state government has tried to push through (mainly concerns about lack of oversight and rights of appeal against detention for this group). It feels like they misread the public on aspects of the legislation - I imagine two or three lockdowns ago people would have been complaining the laws didn't go far enough. Given the state of emergency is due to expire and there are limited parliamentary sitting days it will likely get watered down significantly over the next few days with some sort of weird minor party* needs cobbled on to it and the legislation will get passed . Once that happens the protests will drop back to the same groups who normally focus their attention on making refugees feel unwelcome or freaking out about 5g towers.



* In Victoria, and the Federal Parliament and probably other states apart from the unicameralist QLD, the preferential voting system in the upper house allows a motley bunch of minor parties to get elected. In Victoria they hold 12 of 40 seats - we currently have members from parties as diverse as the Shooters Farmers and Fishers to the Animal Justice party, and even one from the the Reason Party, which was known for three or so years whilst it had a serving member in the parliament as the Australian Sex Party. They renamed themselves when merged with the Australian Cyclists Party.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Over here the first protests were organised by the Pentecostalists lead by the noted bigot Brian Tamaki. Weird to see his followers waving their "My Body My Choice" placards given they're also staunchly anti-abortion, pro-conversion therapy & generally hostile toward the rainbow communities. Not to mention being anti-Semitic & Islamiphobic.

Wow, they sound charming.

More seriously, as Stoff says, there are everyday folks who aren't nutcases also against mandates here. I'm sort of one of them in that I'm loathe to give the State or Federal government the kind of power to force me to do this or that with my own body, without some very strong and limited justification. When I got the vax it was still voluntary and highly encouraged - I feel that's the way it should have stayed.

BTW, I still wish the Sex Party had merged with the Shooters and Fishers and we could have had the Rooters and Shooters party. What could be more OZ than that

 

[Pfitzy]

Checking in to see if the draconian authoritarian state of Victoria was still a thing when tens of thousands billions of people

Fixed for RWNJ audience.

 

[Sully]

Was told last night that the army was invading indigenous communities and vaccinating the residents by force and the 'news' were keeping it quiet.
And the ICU's were full of vaccinated people.

 

[Tex]

Was told last night that the army was invading indigenous communities and vaccinating the residents by force and the 'news' were keeping it quiet.
And the ICU's were full of vaccinated people.

I was in Melbourne CBD on the weekend and had a good look at the protest march. Lots of cooked conspiracy nonsense floating about, accusations of paedophilia by government and other QANON rubbish.

A few reflections:
antivax is the common thread

some normies amongst the fringe, upset at certain measures and overreach of the Victorian pandemic bill

doubt many had a solid grasp on the technicalities of the law, but are highly motivated and in big numbers

I was initially sceptical about claims of 100,000 attendances, and while they probably weren't that high, there were many people in the march

the bill will pass, they will be angry, and the loose coalition of mutual interests will disintegrate

concerned for the long-term fraying of social cohesion and the door that's opened for fringe voices to game senate elections

concerned about hard right wing groups using it all as a recruitment tool. I'm not fussed about Sky News boomers, but there are some very awful types floating about these rallies.