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Who will rid us of these pestilent premiers? No one of course. The fix is in. Lockdowns, masking and vaccine passports have the abiding loyalty of colleagues, oppositions and media bigwigs. They speak with one voice. Those inclined to deviate from the party line cave. All are too weak and afraid that each “tragic” death of an 86-year-old overweight diabetic with a dicky ticker would be laid at their door.
My view of things, which I’ll vent below, is simply my view. You might agree or disagree. Feel free. At least for the time being that is one freedom we have, provided we don’t try to broadcast dissident thoughts on social media. Most other freedoms have disappeared; been taken away.
They will come back you think. No, they won’t. Not real freedoms. What has so easily been taken away without protest, with obsequious thankful acquiescence in many cases, can be taken away again. The yoke might be removed in stages according to the dictates of Gladys or Dan and their ilk but it can be put back on at their whim, as it can on dumb animals.
Meeting friends, going to church, pub or theatre, attending weddings and funerals, traveling beyond 5kms from home; and, if you can still imagine it, travelling interstate and overseas, have all already morphed into privileges. It is important, I think, to understand what’s happened. I will start with the Prime Minister.
Scott Morrison talks about the Australian military being justifiably proud for having defended freedom in Afghanistan. At the same time, he is overseeing the greatest loss of freedom ever inflicted on the Australian population. Register his impressive ability to compartmentalise his thinking. Engaging in double-think, without the least sign of unease, is impressive. But then he is a pragmatist of the first order.
He has form. To wit: expressing Christian principles while callously pauperising part-pensioners. Bullyingly castigating Christine Holgate while remaining deafeningly silent on Louise Milligan. Praising our soldiers while describing untested allegations against some of them as “brutal truths.”
It’s unfair to single out Morrison. No Australian political leader, in government or in opposition, is worth writing home about. Donald Horne was prescient in the 1950s. We are now led by second-rate people. A basket of contemptibles? We have no Ron DeSantis or Viktor Orbán; and, certainly, no Donald Trump.
There is no comparison between the application of malign Sharia Law and the COVID restrictions imposed across Australia. Nevertheless, there is an irony to take away. The Taliban is known for preventing girls from attending school. Morrison has presided over a government which has allowed reckless state premiers to keep all children from attending school.
The Taliban outlaws public dancing. So now have we. The Taliban persecutes non-Muslims. Morrison and his posse of premiers are on course to ratify the outing and ostracism of people who refuse to have medical experiments performed on their bodies. The Taliban insists that women wear a hijab and, give them a day or two, a niqab (face covering). We have our own version of niqabs for all.
To repeat, no comparison. At the same time, credit where credit is due, the Taliban find inspiration in their religious faith. I happen to think that their faith is a crock. Still, they believe that they’re serving a higher cause.
What exactly have our freedoms been taken away for? Answer: to keep us safe. Safe from a virus which exacts death at a median age over the median age of death from all other causes. Safe from a virus which overwhelming kills only the old and infirm. Safe from a virus which the healthy shrug off. There is not a shred of any kind of a higher cause being served. Freedoms taken away for a mess of pottage.
At one point I formed the view that we, the people, had become sheep. That our forefathers were made of stronger stuff. I am no longer sure of that at all. Maybe we have always been sheep. What I think has happened is that implied and explicit social contracts have been torn up. Perhaps the modern age rather than the calibre of the populace accounts for that. In the past people had to work to eat. Now we are so efficient we can pay people to stay at home, lock them down, and still have plenty of bread to spare.
What are these social contracts? One applies to the contract citizens have with the police. Provided they act within their legal authority and do so civilly we obey their commands. Singularly important in a liberal democracy is the contract citizens have with their government. Part of that contract is the rule of law.
Laws must be applied equally to all, including to members of the government. We have already seen the way masking and lockdown laws have been flouted by those in charge here and overseas. But this is a minor breach in the scheme of things. Of central importance is that laws and regulations are in keeping with the popular will, are reasonable and defensible, and contain no capricious curtailment of individual freedoms. By definition this prohibits diktats.
What recourse do the people have if governments take upon themselves illegitimate power? Break the social contract. Rule by diktat. Well, they can vote in opposition parties, which would be likely backed by thundering newspaper editorials. Suppose oppositions and governments (and the media) are likeminded. Then what to do?
The government has the police, the army, the penal system. People have their careers, their families and their futures at risk. They can do little and will do nothing if they are well fed. It’s not a matter of them being sheep; even if some are more sheeplike than would have been previously imagined.
Freedoms don’t hang on parliaments and voting. They hang on an implied social contract that those with political power will not act despotically. In turn that comes from a culture with norms of behaviour bred over very long periods of time. That’s why you can’t liberal-democratise Afghanistan.
Freedoms have given rise to economic abundancy. Unfortunately, the current state of play in Australia and in other western countries suggests that a complexion of circumstances, necessarily including abundancy, have been instrumental in allowing freedoms to be taken away. By whom? By those with no higher calling than to exert power.
The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…nor riches to the intelligent…but time and chance happen to them all.
Evidently, second-rate politicians are no exception.
Kira Davis was very perceptive at Red State in pointing out that Australia, with its European heritage, is ultimately socialist at heart. Thus we acquiesce blindly to centralised control. We are not like Americans at all. It’s over for us.
sir,
a corker!!!! I agree utterly.
a huge thank you
Bleak.
I was stopped 8 times by the fully armoured riot squad in Sydney because I walked to the shops. Not allowed to walk through an empty park. Threatened with arrest if I argued.
We will never be the same country again.
Peter ,if ever there was a case for Ramsay.
Children need a thorough understanding of the nature of freedom and her GOODS.
I would probably teach as an adjunct the basics of theft and deception in the context of being free, as being the wolf at the door that erodes freedoms foundations and gnaws at the liberties and liberty that fosters happiness and contentment – these being essential ingredients that our true human nature craves ,when properly understood .
The / an idea of frugality should also be given a jersey in order to balance freedom.
Do they even teach the idea of what it means to be kind in this day and age?
I note that the organised Christians have been endlessly complicit. No higher good than unwarranted and ubiquitous fear: fear of the bug, fear of the government and its selective dis-information, fear of those who would criticise principled non-conformity.
Alas, if the church can’t stand up to the zeitgeist, then no one can.
The Liberal Democrats have unveiled a new policy for the scamdemic on their web page.
One of the boxes is a Freedom Day on December 4.
I have a question.
Why December 4 instead of RIGHT NOW?
That ‘lockdowns’ ,’masks’ and ‘school closures’ are completely pointless should be obvious to anyone with even a modicum of logic.
In Australia it is 1938 Germany as the political class insist on differentiating the ‘vaccinated’ fropm the ‘unvaccinated’. One thing that makes this so ludicrous is that experience in Israel, Iceland, Gibralter, etc. clearly indicates that there is no difference in infection or tranmissability between the two. The other ludicrous thing is that there is no “vaccine” for a coronavirus; not now and not ever. These are not vaccines within any meaning of the word.
It is only a matter of weeks until the “unvaccinated” will be required to wear a yusllow star on their sleeve.
>”Suppose oppositions and governments (and the media) are likeminded. Then what to do?”
Aquiesce, or destroy your family and yourself by being jailed. This was known and pointed out, verily, so many moons ago. Compulsive preferential votes ensure the maintenance of the current polity; elections are just squabbles over whose turn it is now. They only make a real difference to the actual players. [There are occasional exceptions. The most recent US elections show this.]
The genuinely ghastly Q’ld CMO, Young, is now pushing vaccine passports to enter Q’ld. This contravenes the Constitution of course, but what odds the HC protects the Constitution if, say, a Clive Palmer manages to put the question to the court … and the court deigns to hear it ? The lawerly squabbles between various States and the Commonwealth seem to me to contain a large element of turf wars, with the definition of “turf” forever changing.
Our Constitution is a ghost train, always was. A State Govt unilaterally declaring a health emergency derails it. Putting a concrete block across a desert road destroys it.
Anyone interested in the topics expressed here would be well advised to find the time to watch the following video:
https://rumble.com/vkwd3g-revealing-covid-condensed-edition.html
Some of my Australian-born ancestors served at Gallipoli and in the trenches in France. In the next generation were men and women who stood tall, who honoured the sacrifices of their parents, and served in their turn. They would never have tolerated this disgraceful descent into mass panic. My father flew Spitfires out of Biggin Hill to help protect Britain. His only brother died in a burning aircraft over German-occupied France. Did they do all this so that I could participate in the craven flight to personal safety we see today? Am I going to acquiesce in the intellectual fraud that is justifying this tyranny? When others gather to protest, shall I stay home because I am afraid?
Anyone who has voluntariy decided to remain in the control group (i.e. UNvaccinated) would benfit greatly from reading this interview with two people who obviously know what they are talking about.
https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/frances-long-time-vaccine-policy-chief-covid-policy-is-completely-stupid-and-unethical
Here is a quote from Dr. Perronne: “I think this is all propaganda. The reality is, the vaccine doesn’t work. It kills in 42% of these cases, but if you bring that into a randomised population, that means it kills all the time, it kills 100% of the time. So basically, it triggers the ageing process and cancer, and this is only the beginning. I think this is [just] the beginning of what we are going to see.
They are lying to us. They say it’s safe; no, it’s not safe, it kills people. It does kill people. It does not protect against the variants; it does not protect against the transmissibility; it does not protect against the disease.”
And a quote from Dr. Anne-Marie YIm:
“You know, we have to have the courage to go to these people and say, “You are corrupted. All the policies that you are imposing are nonsense. It’s not scientifically-based; it’s not legally-based. You are trying to take away our liberties. You are putting social pressure on us: if you don’t get vaccinated, you will lose your job. And if you want to travel, you need the vaccine. This is blackmail.””
My eyes light up when I see your articles Peter. Nailed it again.
Reading about Hungary and the Jews they said the erosion of freedom was incrementally slow. It was just a small thing, then another, happened over years . Wasn’t until they were wearing yellow stars that they woke up. Too late.
Bit different here because it’s virtually happened over months. To continue your Taliban comparison they too ban alcohol consumption in the street, control the population with fear and propaganda, restrict freedom of movement and prevent female children from school, unlike here with both sexes.
The protest yesterday in Melbourne was heartening with a great turnout of all those who probably have skin in the game. They risked huge fines but when you have lost everything, what have you got to lose? I have great empathy with them.
My son in is ashamed of Australia as he in Texas goes about normal business. He said until people are lining up for bread, things may well not alter. Too many compliant, non curious Australians with assured Govt money, with no self respect.
There is a glimpse of hope.
They seem to have lost it when it comes to the number of “infections”.
If this does not help us…
Police in VIC started taking it easy on people, with the exception of city protests, no “Flying high!” style arrests of elderly on a park bench, more like East Germany just before the wall came down and one could see Uniforms could not be bothered to care ( as observed by PJO’R)
“Governments come and go”, did I hear correctly? there is a serious dissonance then.
St Paul: the man who does not (want to) work shall not eat
Bolsheviks: the man who does not work should not eat (but they decide who may work)
Now who? what evil?: the man who does not get vaccinated will not work
God help us all if it goes this way
Bob Santamaria warned of the dire consequences of globalisation and corporatisation , be it home grown or multinational ,and the threat this was going to be to Australia’s and Australians individuality , freedom and sovereignty – he actually thought this was far greater threat than the standard fare of communism. How prophetic.
Our culture has been obliterated and white Australia is being pushed to the margins. In 150 years Anglo culture and people’s will have been consigned to the multicultural ( your Asian) dustbin of history …….. The Eurasian ‘continent’.
Regardless of the guilt brigades media drum, it is white Australia that fought in two world wars earning the right to freedom not the Johnny come lately’s ,such as the former Race discrimination head Tim Soutphommasane- we now have multicultural Australia dictating the terms of that surrender.
Another excellent article by Mr Smith. There some things about this whole scam which have me confused.
Why is it last year before we had the experimental wonder drugs we all moved about reasonably freely, but now we have the experimental wonder drugs there are all these “cases” and more illegal house and face arrest. I don’t know, it’s almost as if the experimental wonder drugs are causing these undefined “cases” and the filling of hospitals. Nah, couldn’t be, Glads and Mr holiday Morrison would have told us by now.
Of course “they” never tell us why the magic number is 80%. To me it sounds as though “they” are trying be “scientific” by using the 80/20 rule. The problem is Pareto’s Principle is actually 20:80, ie “the cause”, the 20%, provide the benefit to the remaining 80%. “They” lie constantly using the great unwashed ignorance and stupidity to try to achieve their aims, whatever they are.
Have you noticed it’s no longer the Wuhan Sniffles virus? It’s now a “case”. The PCR is a process, NOT a test. The PCR will amplify RNA so it can be seen. The technicians (sic) then look for cold and flu RNA in the mix. They can’t tell if it’s RNA from a cold 30 years ago or last year, they then announce it is a “case” and use it as an excuse to lock us up. If they amplify by over cycling a snot sample, which they always do, from me they would find yellow fever, many colds and two flus, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, smallpox, measles, German (is that racist?) measles, mumps, chicken pox and God knows what else.
I see the latest propaganda and lies is a “road map”. I wonder if ‘they” would like to share it with us? Or is it a Big Pharma top secret?
It’s a giant con, follow the money. There must be squillions in it for them all in this together.
“It’s just a mask.” “It’s just 1.5 metres.” “It’s just two weeks.” “It’s just non-essential businesses.” “It’s just non-essential workers.” “It’s just a bar.” “It’s just a restaurant.” “It’s just to keep from overwhelming the hospitals.” “It’s just to make the cases go down.” “It’s just to flatten the curve.” “It’s just to keep others from getting scared.” “It’s just for a few more weeks.” “It’s just church. You could still pray.” “It’s just a bracelet.” “It’s just an app.” “It’s just for tracing.” “It’s just to let others know you’re safe to be around.” “It’s just to let others know who you’ve been in contact with.” “It’s just a few more months.” “It’s just a large gathering but for protests.” “It’s just a few violent protests.” “It’s just a vaccine.” “It’s just a little microchip.” “It’s just a blood test.” “It’s just a scan.” “It’s just for medical information.” “It’s just a vaccination certificate.” “It’s just like a credit card.” “It’s just a few places that don’t take cash.” “It’s just so you can travel.” “It’s just so you can get your driver licence and passport” “It’s just so you can vote.” “It’s just a few more years.” “We’re all in this together”. “Wash your hands 20 times a day.” “It’s a case.”
Ceres–It eases my sore feelings to hear my country-of-birth held up as an example, but I’m afraid that I can’t accept it. More than 80% of U.S. states at one time had stay-at-home orders; whether they eventually got some sense or simply realised that they HAD to open up is a good question. To America’s shame, there seems to have been little resistance there. I don’t know that there was much more there than we’re now seeing here; we’re simply a year behind America in conditions (except for Melbourne last year, of course).
One of the biggest disappointments to me was Texas. My mother is more Texan than anything else, and I’ve liked to think of myself as something of a Texan. Texas seemed to retain more independence than most of the other states–until last year. What happened?
Peter, I am as repelled by what governments have done in the name of keeping us safe as you are. I certainly agree with your sentiments. But the truth is this so called erosion of freedoms has been happening for decades. First of all, you are most free when outside of contact with others. Socialisation, community, society or however you describe your contact with fellow human beings, is the source of the loss of freedom. The state Premiers have done what they have because the masses support it. They are the source of your problem. The only protection you ever had against the masses, was the rule of law, but even that has eroded to such a point where the judiciary rubber stamp popular laws, before they are even gazzetted.
In Kable v The DPP the appellant was only successful once he got to a court outside of the jurisdiction of the government he was challenging. The NSW Supreme court saw no problem with the law made by their masters. It wasn’t until it got to a court outside of NSW, that judicial minds began to be properly exercised. Does that remind you of any recent case?
I would like to believe that somehow we could strengthen our courts, but courts are very unreliable when needing protection from an incompetent or overreaching government. The answer is to do what you are doing- screaming shouting and trying to beat sense into your fellow primates brain. The sad truth is, most people are intellectually lazy, and need all the help they can get.