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Monday morning and I tuned into a press conference with Dominic Perrottet and Kerry Chant. Masochistic, I suppose. Indications are that 95 per cent of new cases are Omicron, we were informed. A mild disease, therefore we can now all get back to normal? You think? Not a bit of it. This is a never-ending saga
I couldn’t keep up with how many times the need for vaccinations and boosters was spruiked. Must have been close to 30 or 40, maybe more. Perrottet drones on. Hard to listen to. Even Dan is easier to take. Hmm? Maybe not. But, hang on, be fair, these politicians are only trying to keep us safe. (Last sentence to be read in a wheedling and plaintive voice.)
Prize for the silliest announcement of the week goes to Perrottet. To wit, that those who find they’re COVID positive at home by using a rapid antigen test must report the result to health authorities or be fined $1000. First, they have to be the kind of person who will keep the result secret. Second, at the same time, they have to feel guilty enough about it to dob themselves in. It’s bat-flu-crazy in circus Oz.
Not sure? Here’s Perrottet’s health minister, Brad Hazzard, the other day: “The booster is showing itself to be one of the vital tools in pushing back against the evil of this virus, the evil air can wreck upon us.”
Meanwhile in the sane world of benign air, Omicron is removing any excuse there ever was for restricting freedoms. Yet governments persist. Novak Djokovic is simply the latest person, at least who we’ve heard about, persecuted by the clowns running the country. As there were no medical grounds for booting him out, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke claimed afresh to a full bench of three judges that his very presence “may lead to an increase in anti-vaccination sentiment … potentially leading to an increase in civil unrest.” Civil unrest? Give us a break.
Unfortunately, the three judges found in favour of the government. Reasons to be given. An unhappy saga. An unhappy result. Boorish crowing expected, not only by government minsters, but by concerned citizens who believe that rules must be obeyed without question.
Precious sports reporters also wanted Djokovic out. Apparently, like Coriolanus, he doesn’t play nice enough to the Colosseum press gallery. But is he nasty enough to deserve being interrogated at the airport for eight hours and then kept incarcerated in a cramped room in a crummy hotel for days on end? Obviously, the Serbian president is less than impressed. Saying that Djokovic was “tortured” is over the top. But he was most certainly mistreated. He had a properly issued visa and should not have been detained under onerous conditions ill-fitting his trade.
The cost of this pandemic is superficially measured in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths by governments and public health authorities. That, however, is the least of it. Another measure is the livelihoods, and physical and mental health, damaged and ruined by lockdowns and restrictions. When the dust settles that will turn out to be the greater cost. Yet a third measure dwarfs the others.
The pandemic has brought out what was better left contained and hidden. It’s been akin to Pandora’s box. It has shown politicians to be even more self-exculpatory, mediocre and incompetent than we ever dreamt of in our philosophy. And worse, it has shown how many scaredy cats and scolds are in our midst.
A final comment. Clownish behaviour on the part of political leaders is one thing. When it comes to propagandising parents of five-year-olds to have their children vaxxed against a disease which carries for them no risk, Pennywise comes to my mind.
The egalitarian Australian mindset has mixed with tall-poppy syndrome to produce an ultra vindictive population always on the lookout for witches and heretics. To be fair, we have no way of knowing what is or is not reflective of the average person rather than the oligarchs, but my guess is that this new disease affects a very large number.
The egalitarian Australian thinks the rules should apply equally to everyone; tall-poppy syndrome says that anyone questioning the rules is either trying to get special treatment or is just being a jerk. Couple that with the rhetoric of health, safety, and saving lives, all of which naturally appeal to the egalitarian and compassionate Australian, and you have a perfect recipe for what we see.
Remember when 80-90% needed vaccination so we can get herd immunity for the benefit of those who won’t or can’t get vaccinated? How far gone are the good old days…
Peter, Where can irrefutable stats be found showing the rates of hospitalisation for both the Vaccinated and the Unvaccinated, double dosed and double dosed with booster?
Sadly, I have to agree with you on all this, Peter. There’s so much truth in Clive James’ claim that “The problem with Australians is not that so many of them are descended from convicts, but that so many of them are descended from prison officers.”
But, for me, the Novak Djokovic affair is a little more complex, as it can be seen through two mutually exclusive and contradictory reference frames. The first is the politico-administrative: the culprit clearly broke rules, and must be dealt with accordingly. After all, the stability of our entire social fabric depends on the rule of law, which shouldn’t be altered arbitrarily for specific individuals, regardless of their wealth, popularity or entertainment potential.
The second is the medical-public health frame, according to which Djokovic clearly presents no danger to anyone in Australia (outside tennis matches). This cannot be used against him, and highlights the stupidity of the rules comprising Reference Frame No. 1.
I’d have to say that the first frame should predominate, but obviously, its rules are in urgent need of intelligent modification. The whole saga has been handled stupidly, right from the outset, by all players, Djokovic included — as perhaps has been the entire COVID pandemic. All of which is easy to claim, for a backseat driver . . . of whom we have no shortage!
The insanity over Covid is also rising to a new level of stupidity in the hermit kingdom of Markistan (previously known as Western Australia). Our Dear Leader has issued a fatwa against the unvaccinated, those evil and misguided people who refuse to receive the medication that will save their lives. Mr M has told his adoring followers that on 31 January there will be a “major expansion of the vaccine passport system”, which will be in place for many years. He also wants to redefine “fully vaccinated” to mean three doses, i.e. two Jabs and then a booster; I presume that it will also include any new boosters that Big Pharma develops. Furthermore, “life [is] about to become very difficult for the unvaccinated”, who will be forbidden to enter all hospitality venues, major stadiums, theatres, cinemas etc.
I am dismayed to see that St Mark enjoys record levels of approval from the State’s population.
At last people are getting tired enough to stand up and push back.
PATRONS hold the line at Bar Wunder in Toowoomba QLD refusing to back down to Police Government tyranny they shouted “GET OUT” repeatedly as Police tried to enter the premises.
15 January 2022.
pic.twitter.com/nKAIRy2Ibq
From every report I have read the data from UK and SA shows Omicron to be a mild illness for all but those afflicted with comorbidities. I am at a loss how I can look up this data but Government and their advisors cannot.
Within four weeks or so Omicron will have ripped thru the whole of the country, our extended families will have caught it and described it to us as an occasionally unpleasant illness but one that is short-lived and survivable by all those of reasonable health, so much so that it often goes unnoticed.
I think Alex Hawke’s assessment is accurate, there will be civil unrest but not for the reasons he said. People will soon realise that panic porn on the dying media and “look at me” moments of premiers claiming the moral high ground is as disgusting as one can imagine.
Come election dates for each of the states and fed’s those who continue this malarky will find themselves out of office if they are lucky.
It could be far worse for them if they push too far, reality is obvious their damnable lies doubly so.
While I agree with most of Peter’s points, I disagree with him about Djokovic.
I agree with Pmprociv. Whether our laws are right or wrong is simply a matter of political opinion, but they are our laws and must be administered consistently. There was clearly evidence that the Border Force decision makers did not provide Djokovic with procedural fairness in their decision not to grant him a visa.
It was that lack of procedural fairness that led the judge to uphold Djokovic’s first appeal, and only that.
So the Minister, in making his subsequent decision to deport Djokovic, very carefully ticked all the procedural boxes making his decision bulletproof. In upholding the Minister’s decision in Djokovic’s second appeal, the Full Bench of the Federal Court made it clear that it was no part of their remit to judge the Government’s policy. So the fact that they did not overturn the Minister’s decision was, in the context of this case, a feature not a bug, and in no way unfortunate.
Exuberan. Maybe this will help. It is from Jo Nova, a very reliable scientist.
Seismic shift: “Omicron breaks the rules”. The case rates are lowest in unvaxxed in Scotland. Double vaxxed most likely to go to hospital
Global leaders must be sweating
Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) is showing that not only are the “double jabbed” more likely to catch Omicron than the unvaxxinated — but they are more likely to be hospitalized as well. And that’s on a per capita basis and after controlling for age. The triple jabbed are less likely to end up in hospital than both other groups, but for how long?
Wow.
Covid Scotland: Case rates lowest in unvaccinated as double-jabbed elderly drive rise in hospital admissions
By Helen McArdle, Herald Scotland
@HMcardleHT
DOUBLE-JABBED Scots are now more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid than the unvaccinated amid an increase in elderly people falling ill due to waning immunity.
It comes amid “weird” data showing that case rates have been lower in unvaccinated individuals than the single, double, or even triple-jabbed since Omicron became the dominant variant in Scotland.
Right now the double-jabbed are catching Covid twice as often as the unvaxxed in Scotland. Even the triple jabbed are slightly more likely to catch Covid than the unvaccinated.
In Israel they are lining up for their fourth jab as the first three are not working. The statisticians are seeing a resurgence in case numbers after each round of vaccinations which indicate a leakage of the virus. This happens with insects and weeds treated by an insecticide or herbicide respectively. There will always be survivors and those survivors have immunity to the used product so a new treatment has to be found but the survivors will be harder to kill; that is the nature of survival of the fittest. It would have been better to treat the virus like we treat any other and forget vaccines altogether. I had an unknown virus a few years ago which put me in hospital for 12 days. The treatment was sleep, water and Endone for the vicious headache. We could have used Ivermectin for this virus since it seems to work in poor countries.
In re the last, see for example Section 5 of the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977.
Is Hazzard the most obnoxious clown in the Oz body politic? A big statement considering his competitors but he’s my nomination for any Shit Of The Year competition. (with apologies to Private Eye)
What concerns me more than anything in regard to the total betrayal of human rights in the name of the Covid Jabs is that people appear not to understand what they have given away.
The right to choose which medical treatment one will accept and more importantly, whether or not one participates in a medical experiment is fundamental to human rights and the justice required in a civilized world.
If people believe that it is okay to bully, coerce and force people into accepting a medical treatment because it is deemed to be ‘in the interests of society as a whole,’ that is the thin edge of a very nasty wedge.
Particularly for the disabled, the aged and the sick, all of whom make demands on society and require extra support which involves financial and physical costs to society.
You are laying a foundation which could see the sick, aged, disabled coerced, bullied, forced into accepting euthanasia, just as people have been bullied, forced, coerced into these Jabs, because it is deemed that their presence, behaviour, demands, existence, affects others in the community.
It is not just dangerous but evil to believe that human rights are not absolute when actions or the lack of actions, being Jabbed or refusing to be Jabbed, affects others in the community because every single thing every human does affects others.
If the Jabs over the next decade or so renders many chronically sick that will affect everyone in the community and yet my view would be that society owes it to anyone in need, regardless of their actions or lack of actions, to be treated with grace, respect and compassion.
The right to choose what if any medical treatment we accept is a fundamental right laid down at Nuremberg and re-iterated in human rights regulations since and every medical code of ethics created.
We betray that right at our peril not just to ourselves but to humanity as a whole and to any hope of civilization.
For those who think such things could never happen, take the time to read the history of Germany starting with the 1930’s. And then move on to Stalinist Russia, Mao’s Cultural Revolution and Pol Pot’s Cambodia to be reminded that humans are capable of the worst atrocities and the greatest evil in the name of what those in power and their supporters call, A GREATER GOOD.
What we do now will be what creates the world our children and grandchildren inherit. We do not simply fail ourselves we fail future generations if we do not defend fundamental rights of justice, rule of law, humanity, democracy and common human decency.
I also care about how the world now perceives us and I am embarrassed to be an Australian. The land of the easy going larrikin appears to have been replaced by authoritarian stockholm syndrome. Confirmed by my son in free Texas where people ask him, what on earth is happening downunder?
The flimsy reason put forward by Alex Hawke after dragging the chain for days, probably looking up The Age polls, resulted in Novak being deported on him potentially causing civil unrest with his potential views which have not been aired recently, except for him to say he is open minded. Nothing proven, all nebulous and a worrying legal precedent now in place.
exuberan – 17th January 2022
Peter, Where can irrefutable stats be found showing the rates of hospitalisation for both the Vaccinated and the Unvaccinated, double dosed and double dosed with booster?”
That might be hard.
Here is NSW which could roughly be extrapolated to the rest of prison Australia.
COVID-19 patients in hospital, as at 9 Jan 2,030 (+826)
Percentage who were unvaccinated 28.8%
Percentage who were double vaccinated 68.9%
Rates Per Million
ICU rate among unvaccinated / double vaccinated population (aged 12+) 133.1 / 10.5
https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/698804/20220113-COVID-19-Monitor.pdf
Rosross,
Well written, aligns with my thinking too.
Read somewhere that a French Court judged that people could not claim insurance loss when a person died from effects of a vaccination, because the dangers of vaccination were widely known, so if a person ignored the dangers, death was a suicide, no insurance.
I do not go along with this argument 100%, but it does illustrate some of the present madness and unintended consequences. In a few months, based on what we know from South Africa and UK and USA, we should find that much past effort from lockdown to maximum jabbing was counter productive. Scotland, for example, had more stringent lockdowns than England, yet Scotland Covid cases are triple those for England calculated on a comparable basis. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3W84wb5jKo
Geoff S
Rosross I agree with everything that you have said here.
If you look to ArthurB’s comment, it is indeed, frightening in Western Australia. I’ve noticed the phenomenon that more and more West Australians refer to their Premier now as ” Mark”. This seems to mirror Orwell’s Winston as he finally became to love Big Brother
I wonder how “Marks” subjects will react when the awful reality of widespread and inevitable restrictions finally arrive
My personal opinion of the state of affairs in WA is that when the Labor Govt came to power there, ambulance ramping hours were about 5700 per annum, and it was with a promise to fix the health system. Today, ramping hours are about 52000 per annum
I believe that the prime reason for the fierce border controls, is that if the virus started to spread in WA , their hospital system simply couldn’t stand it
The restrictions he has mandated for the unvaccinated, (despite high vaccinated numbers), is very troubling
It is worth noting that all current Standards Australia publications for Respiratory PPE are dated well before the onset of the Wuhan Flu. Some comment on Hand Sanitiser included as well
Maybe a new standard is required and I would offer the following:
1. Give the ears a rest. The mask straps should fit over the skull. two straps, the
upper strap to ensure that the mask stays over the nose
2. All masks to be purpose fitted, the One Size fits all design doesnt work. We do
this for our glasses, why not for our face masks
3. Extend the mask to hook under the chin and make it wider. Stop that ‘about to
fall off sensation’
4. Design the mask to be re-usable, cleanable with disinfectant, less rubbish at
the Landfill.
5. Make the connection between mask and strap much more robust
6 Design a simple piece of arm or wrist apparel that dispenses hand sanitiser,
refillable or disposable, attractive in design so the kids will wear one
7. Dont make any of these in China
Any more ideas welcomed
rosross
>” … people appear not to understand what they have given away …”
The point has been made before: the choice is not “giving away” something but avoiding being thugged up by the police for resisting. There is an enormous amount of evidence for that statement, world wide.
rod.stuart commented above that patrons in Bar Wunder, Toowoomba, faced down the police and pushed them out of the cafe. Yet the police simply went to both owners’ houses that night and arrested them. One is out on bail, the other still held in cell. Nothing gained.
This *is* the Great Reset, the New World Order. Years of this are to come with subdued choices for life being largely accepted, along with ever increasing green restrictions.
As far as reliable, updated data is concerned, there are many reliable sources (*excluding* the MSM and myriad hysterical websites) from the published journals. Just use Google Scholar and 30 minutes of patience. None, however, provide all the information one would seek, so frequent several. My current go-to is John Hopkins Uni, but that will likely change over the next few months.
So now because I’ve never been sick in the last decade with any form of flu, I cannot go to restaurant, a cafe, a library, a cinema, (if I lived in NSW) I cannot sing or dance….to some this maybe a blessing, BUT now I cannot even play tennis ?!?
Morrison says, “just take the poison mate, its as safe as…”
Phillip says, “why don’t you push a healthy lifestyle, healthy food, exercise supplemented with Vitamins, C, D and Zinc and Quercetin instead of these graphene chemicals…”
Morrison says, “not listening to you, you segregated unvaccinated pleb….just take the poison mate and shut-up”
Phillip says, “no thanks, I’m not a big fan of myocarditis and shrivelling testicles.”
But wait a minute Mr Morrison, just asking again, “If you had three polio vaccines in one year and then you contracted polio, wouldn’t you be a little concerned about some false advertising?”
Just asking….
I attended a planning conference many years ago where Brad the Beneficien spoke. I wondered if it was a TIA or a Tiamaria, but he seemed unsteady and slurring of words was at full blast. He was at his best then.
The old and ailing public education system will be further collaterally damaged as a result of this recurrent Covid cult madness. What with unjabbed teachers being sacked and many of the fully jabbed being absentee due to having contracted the Big O or self isolating because of close contact, the start of the 2022 school year should be an interesting scenario example of The Law of Untended Consequenses. More damning, though, is the profligate waste of trained teacher resources as a result of sacking those teachers who weighed up the risks versus benefits of the jabs, then validly and morally making the informed decision not to get jabbed.
Good piece as usual Peter. We do seem to have become a much more fearful, less independent, self reliant lot, compared to those born prior to, say, WW1 and WW11 ; probably due a lot to the constant media propaganda on everything, with the weather and personal health being the two most used to enforce and reinforce the fear. The idea seems to be to keep us all pretty well off balance, just never sure of ourselves, to the extent that only our all caring Government can be called on to look after us. General Yamashita the General who commanded the Japanese army that took Malaya was reported as saying about our all volunteer 8th Division solders, paraphrased probably, “The Australians are insubordinate and contemptuous of authority but when outnumbered they fight stubbornly and make the best of front line soldiers in my experience”. That intestinal fortitude is probably still alive but It’s hard to recognise much these days. The press of course are fond of calling someone a “hero”, for doing the job they’re supposed to do, often to the embarrassment of the person whose done it, and then seem to belittle real actions above and beyond the call of duty….if they’re politically incorrect ones.
Mike2 and exuberan,
Re statistics on hospitalisation of unvaxxed and vaxxed: beware of the definition of ‘vaccinated’ and ‘unvaccinated’. People who have had one covid jab may be counted as ‘unvaxxed’ in the hospital stats. As boosters become widespread, it’s likely the definition of ‘vaccinated’ will change to ‘2 jabs + booster(s)’ and the potential for obfuscation of data will get worse.
As I understand it, we have a Constitution which says trade and travel between the states shall not be impeded.
As I understand it, we also have a Prime Minister.
As I understand it, the latter is happily ignoring the former while the nation goes down the S-bend.
That the Prime Minister, a size 54 empty suit, has done nothing to bring McGowan to heel will be foremost on my mind when I mark my ballot.
Morrison is without doubt largely responsible for the current mess. The first rule of politics is not to appease the mob; the second is never blindly trust the experts.
But this salesman does nothing except what “the advice” says after running it through his focus groups to get the finishing touches, supported at all times by the “national cabinet”.
Seriously, how hard can it be to condemn the mistreatment of healthy but unvaccinated people, while simultaneously saying that police thuggery is unacceptable. This utterly spineless worm is in my view one of the worst PMs we have ever had.
I predict a strong vote for liberal parties.
@Brentyn Graham,
Except is is the Jabbed who are now ending up in hospital and dying and if WA Jab rates are as claimed then it is only a matter of time.
@ianl,
I do believe ‘giving away’ is correct in that many people are not out protesting but are complying and giving away their rights by remaining locked down, distancing, wearing masks and getting Jabbed.
@diane1.
Good point. Unvaxxed is currently someone who has had one Jab, or someone who has had two Jabs but is under the two-week requirement. It may well now be someone who has had three Jabs but they are not announcing that.
But it is getting harder to lie. A story today said, In NSW 36 people died with – now they say with which is good- Covid and 33, were double-Jabbed but their deaths are blamed on the fact they did not get the booster.
So, as the overseas data is showing and as some ignored medical experts warned a year ago, despite each variant being weaker it is the Jabbed who are ending up in hospital and dying.
@rosross
You’ve evaded the point. Many thousands of people have demonstrated that resisting brings on police thuggery. Riot squads in full gear, water cannon, rubber bullets, $25k fines … That’s the point.
Believe what you will, police thuggery is worldwide on this.
Noted:
No members of the media -mainstream, non-mainstream, off-stream, anti-stream- have asked the key responsible politicians, public service officers, and virus scientists a simple question:
“What’s this really all about, this flap over covid?”
The media and many observers have the view that the media exists as a check and balance against ignorance and malignity among officers of the State.
But in reality, all we have is a circus -entertainment, extremely well-choreographed.
One possibility is that things are known about the threats and dangers presented by this virus that are far too scary to disclose to the easily-panicked, leisure-demanding, emotionally/intellectually weak public.
Rosross, Maybe I am confused. See below the recent NSW data enabled by Geoff. This data would seem to refute your assertion that it is the jabbed who are ending up in hospital and dying
NSW Rates per million
7-day average daily COVID-19 cases, week to 9 Jan 3821.2 (+1,844.6)
COVID-19 patients under the care of NSW Health, as at 9 Jan 1,809.9
COVID-19 patients in hospital, as at 9 Jan 241.2
Hospital rate among unvaccinated / double vaccinated population (aged 12+) 1,052.0 / 176.3
COVID-19 patients in ICU, as at 9 Jan 18.9
ICU rate among unvaccinated / double vaccinated population (aged 12+) 133.1 / 10.5
@ianl,
I did not think I missed the point and I certainly did not evade it. I do not dispute police thuggery in the earlier days of protests and yes, I am well aware of the home arrests in Victoria which were appalling.
However, in the main most of the thuggery has been at protests and it has diminished greatly in recent months. By the time I marched in Adelaide the police were very discreet, kept their distance and were polite. So I do believe some lessons had been learned and they had been warned off.
“See below the recent NSW data enabled by Geoff. This data would seem to refute your assertion that it is the jabbed who are ending up in hospital and dying”
Yes Diane1 I am aware of the problems with definition 🙂
In raw numbers per se the jabbed are ending up in hospital in greater numbers.
I am unsure of morbidity at the moment.
In raw numbers jabbed and unjabbed are ending up in ICU about the same.
But in a % comparison the unjabbed are over represented.
But..they are also obscuring the mean age of the unjabbed which is over around 83 who make it into ICU
COVID-19 patients in hospital, as at 9 Jan 2,030 (+826)
Percentage who were unvaccinated 28.8%
Percentage who were double vaccinated 68.9%
Rates Per Million
ICU rate among unvaccinated / double vaccinated population (aged 12+) 133.1 / 10.5
https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/698804/20220113-COVID-19-Monitor.pdf
@Mike2
In a statement yesterday –
In NSW 36 people died with – now they say with which is good- Covid and 33, were double-Jabbed but their deaths are blamed on the fact they did not get the booster. Although we were not told how many had been Jabbed three times, just that generally – whatever that means – they had not had a third shot. And they were all either in their 80’s and 90’s but hey, who needs perspective?
“The cost of this pandemic is superficially measured in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths by governments and public health authorities. That, however, is the least of it. Another measure is the livelihoods, and physical and mental health, damaged and ruined by lockdowns and restrictions. When the dust settles that will turn out to be the greater cost. Yet a third measure dwarfs the others.”
–
I don’t think the relatives of those who died from the virus or through not being able to get the health care they needed because hospitals were overrun with covid patients would be thinking death was a superficial measure of how serious the pandemic has been.
–
Employment has stood up very well during the crisis on any objective measure, largely through the prudent actions by the federal government.
–
Interesting how so many people seem to have suddenly developed a new appreciation of mental health issues to serve their anti lockdown arguments. Apparently there have been an increased number of calls for mental health assistance during the pandemic but the suicide rate has actually fallen.
Novak Djokovic seemed to me to have been treated shabbily by the federal and state governments and Tennis Australia but I wouldn’t go as far as to say he was “persecuted”.
–
There’s likely to have been a lot more involved in the treatment of Novak Djokovic than has been revealed so far. The full facts will probably never be revealed thanks to the likely vested interests of all the parties involved in the fiasco to keep them secret.
–
The federal government seemed to go out of its way to avoid the courts examining their role concerning his vaccination status. Arguably to do so in the first court case they conceded that Novak Djokovic wasn’t afforded due process at the airport when his visa was originally cancelled. That conveniently shut the case down before the the question of a vaccination exemption could be examined by the court.
–
Astoundingly in the second case the government seemed to concede that Novak Djokovic had a valid vaccination exemption. So the question of a vaccination exemption was not examined by the court. As mentioned in this article the government ran the case on the basis that Novak Djokovic’s “very presence ‘may lead to an increase in anti-vaccination sentiment … potentially leading to an increase in civil unrest ‘ “.
–
I agree with Peter Smith that such a claim against Novak Djokovic appears absolutely ridiculous. Especially since everything relevant to that claim would surely have been known about Novak Djokovic before his visa was issued in the first place and before it was cancelled at the airport apparently not on those grounds.
–
So why did he lose the case? I’m no legal expert but there’s no way I would have argued in court that the federal government did not have reasonable evidence to say that Novak Djokovic was anti vaccination. Of course if that contention against the federal government had been proven it would have won the case for Djokovic but it seemed to me an overly optimistic claim.
–
His counsel also argued that the government had not considered the possible disruption that could follow if his visa was cancelled again. Of course if that contention had been proven it could have hurt the government’s case on due process grounds. However it seemed to also raise the possibility that Djokovic was a potentially disruptive character. That could also tend to support the government contention that his very presence was a threat civil order.
–
In my unprofessional view his counsel should have concentrated solely on the ridiculous nature of the potential civil disorder claim against Novak Djokovic. That’s something I’d think would have been more successful. But by raising the other grounds they seem to have diluted that argument. And their second due process ground that I referred to above may have actually assisted the government’s case.
–
There should be an independent public inquiry into all aspects of this case including Tennis Australia’s and the Victorian government’s seemingly elaborate attempts to set up two separate panels to assess the question of vaccination exemption for Novak Djokovic and other players. Those panels approved a vaccination exemption for Novak Djokovic which the federal government seemed to have initially relied on. And yet the Federal Health Minister had written to Tennis Australia saying essentially that the grounds ( previous infection) the panels eventually relied on were not valid.
–
There are many unanswered questions but they’re never likely to be answered.
Exuberan
Yes the stats, when properly collected, speak for themselves.
Especially Australian ones on our population.
It does not matter how polemical one is about vaccination or see this as a denial of human rights.
It remains that ‘the bugs don’t care’.
A couple of comments on those of BalancedObservation. First, Djokovic was ‘persecuted’ in my view. He was interogated for eight hours despite having a valid visa; locked inside a cramped room for days; subjected to abuse and ridicule from sections of the media and the populace; and denied the right to practise his profession. Without too much of a stretch that falls under my OED’s definition. Second, it is no argument to bring to bear the position of those who have lost a loved one. Triage encapsulates real life, where choices are made everyday which result in some sadly losing their lives. How much cost should we bear to save the life of a sickly eighty-five-year-old? How many businesses do we shut down; for how long?
On the matter of Djokovic, how many are aware that the Federal Court has been formally notified of a jurisdicional error by CHIEF JUSTICE ALLSOP, JUSTICE BESANKO and JUSTICE O’CALLAGHAN?
The only constitutional option for the minister after the finding by Kelly J was through the High Court. Should the Federal Court determine that in fact a jurisdicional error has occurred, it means the conclusion reached by the threed justices in null and void. How will that gell with the public when it is released?
https://constitutionwatch.com.au/notice-to-the-federal-court-of-jurisdictional-error-in-the-matter-of-djokovic-v-minister-of-immigration-citizen-migrant-services-and-multicultural-affairs-mlg116-2022/
Peter Smith
I’ve re-read the parts of your article dealing with the treatment of Novak Djokovic at the airport. And it appears I was wrong to simply describe his treatment as shabby. You’re right.
That severe treatment raises more questions about why a government which has issued him a visa and which has subsequently conceded in court that he had a valid vaccination exemption would suddenly do that at the airport. It needs investigating along with every aspect of the Novak Djokovic fiasco. There are very serious implications affecting how ordinary citizens ( as distinct from those with the resources to defend themselves) might be treated at airports.
But fir the reasons I stated in my post it will never be fully invested. You can bet on the vested interests of all those involved in the decisions stopping that happening.
However on your other points … to say that it is superficial to measure a crisis like the pandemic by the death toll is ridiculous. It’s an important measure. Probably the key measure. Of course there are other measures. The evidence shows you were wrong on them too.
Employment has stood up remarkably well on any objective assessment.
Mental well being has no doubt been affected with an increase in calls for help but the suicide rate has actually fallen.
You offer no evidence to suggest that mental well being would have been better with any alternative approaches. The US under Donald Trump was more open and free than we were but they have still been affected by mental health problems.
You were right on the treatment of Djokovic but clearly wrong on your other points. Very clearly wrong.
Sorry need to repost my comment with spacing. Here it is a bit easier to read:
Peter Smith
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I’ve re-read the parts of your article dealing with the treatment of Novak Djokovic at the airport. And it appears I was wrong to simply describe his treatment as shabby. You’re right.
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That severe treatment raises more questions about why a government which has issued him a visa and which has subsequently conceded in court that he had a valid vaccination exemption would suddenly do that at the airport. It needs investigating along with every aspect of the Novak Djokovic fiasco. There are very serious implications affecting how ordinary citizens ( as distinct from those with the resources to defend themselves) might be treated at airports.
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But for the reasons I stated in my post it will never be fully invested. You can bet on the vested interests of all those involved in the decisions stopping that happening. The vested interests stretch across political boundaries.
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However on your other points … to say that it is superficial to measure a crisis like the pandemic by the death toll is ridiculous. It’s an important measure. Probably the key measure. Of course there are other measures. The evidence shows you were wrong on them too.
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Employment has stood up remarkably well on any objective assessment.
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Mental well being has no doubt been affected with an increase in calls for help but the suicide rate has actually fallen.
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You offer no evidence to suggest that mental well being would have been better with any alternative approaches. The US under Donald Trump was more open and free than we were but they have still been affected by mental health problems.
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You were right on the treatment of Djokovic but clearly wrong on your other points. Very clearly wrong.
BalancedObservation, there is a subtle difference between what you said I said:
“that it is superficial to measure a crisis like the pandemic by the death toll…” And what I did say: “The cost of this pandemic is superficially measured in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths.”
There was a group of advisers in Britain in the early stages of the pandemic who wanted the government there to focus more on a broad measure of wellbeing when making decisons. Alas it was not be. I suppose Ron DeSantis is one of the few leaders who saw the wisdom of that philosophy and Florida has benefited. I note you wave away the mental, medical, lost livelhood and childhood developmental costs of lockdowns and restrictions. I dare say, for example, if you’re a small business person who has lost everything, the fact that employment has stood up, and why wouldn’t it anyway, would be scant consolation.
You’ve still provided absolutely no evidence to support what you say.
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Your use of semantics is totally unconvincing and bordering on the desperate in an attempt to support your untenable arguments.
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I quoted you verbatim in my first post!
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I’ll quote you verbatim again like I did in my first post to expose your use of semantics to attempt to support your untenable arguments.
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These are all your very own words:
“The cost of this pandemic is superficially measured in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths by governments and public health authorities. That, however, is the least of it. Another measure is the livelihoods, and physical and mental health, damaged and ruined by lockdowns and restrictions. When the dust settles that will turn out to be the greater cost. Yet a third measure dwarfs the others.”
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How could “the cost of the pandemic be superficially measured using case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths” ? Those measures are fundamental to the measurement of the impact of pandemics! Of course they’re not the only measures. But they aren’t superficial measures. And it’s ridiculous to say – and I quote your exact words here : “The cost of this pandemic is superficially measured in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths by governments and public health authorities.”
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No one is arguing that there aren’t other measures such as economic, social and mental health impacts as well. Governments
refer to them all the time and take them into account when opening schools etc and when providing more resources for medical help. We’ve see quite fundamental changes in medical consultations brought in by the federal government, like its support for telehealth consultations. I mentioned, for example, there had been increased calls for mental health help. The government initiatives have provided more help for that. But it’s still a relevant ( not conclusive) fact that the suicide rate has actually fallen.
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You say – and let’s be clear- these are your exact words again:
“I note you wave away the mental, medical, lost livelhood and childhood developmental costs of lockdowns and restrictions…”
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Where have I done that? You’ve just made that up. No where have I waved away those issues in anything I said. Infact I also for example referred directly to the issue of hospitals being overrun with covid patients. That is certainly a medical issue. It’s arguably one of the key ( not the only!) medical issues of the moment.
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Unemployment is a universally recognised measure of lost livelihood costs. I referred directly to employment outcomes. In fact unemployment is now at the lowest level in Australia for 13 years! You say – and once again these are your exact words – “the fact that employment has stood up, and why wouldn’t it anyway, …” I’d argue that it’s quite an achievement of the government that unemployment has stood up. I certainly wouldn’t glibly say ” why wouldn’t it anyway” as you have said.
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GDP – another universally accepted measure of economic health – has also stood up remarkably well on any any objective measure.
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The facts certainly do not support what you’ve been trying to say.
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” -Patrick Henry, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1775
Ahh BO is back espousing his deluded impression of intellectualism, masquerading as an intellectual giant in the body of an intellectual minnow and the spirit of a moral fraud. He, and his ill informed COVID predictions (including his now infamous prognostication that COVID would be all but extinguished from the Northern Hemisphere by this Winter due to the efficacy of the vaccines to prevent transmission.) have been debunked for months now on this platform. Make no mistake BO is exactly the kind of individual (postmodernist elitist – divorced from true intellectual empiricism) that has brought the futile lockdowns and vaccine mandates to this world – they are a failed breed and the final icing on the cake will be the political retribution and mass ground swell of public backlash that is coming their way as we watch the world economy fall off a cliff in the next handful of weeks. As Radiohead famously sang in their song ‘Karma Police’- ‘when I am king you will be first against the wall – your opinion which is of no consequence at all’.
Citizen Kane
I don’t debate with abusive people.
You called me less than a human being in a previous post.
You show no respect. I refuse to read the posts of people like you or debate with them.
BO, Hence the well earned title of you have as a moral fraud. You labelled anti- vaccine, mum and dad, everyday workers just trying to make ends meet as violent criminals for daring to exercise their democratic right to peaceful assembly and protest, then belittled a life long teacher who was about to loose his job over a vaccine that makes no difference to the likelihood of anyone else catching the virus and finally dismissed an emeritus professor who has been shown to be correct while you haplessly wrong the whole time. Respect is earned not simply granted to intellectually flawed hypocrites.
BO, Hence the well earned title of you have as a moral fraud. You labelled anti- vaccine, mum and dad, everyday workers just trying to make ends meet as violent criminals for daring to exercise their democratic right to peaceful assembly and protest, then belittled a life long teacher who was about to loose his job over a vaccine that makes no difference to the likelihood of anyone else catching the virus and finally dismissed an emeritus professor who has been shown to be correct while you on the other hand have been haplessly wrong the whole time. Respect is earned not simply granted to intellectually flawed hypocrites.