You’re agreeing with and providing support for rhetoric spoken by Mussolini. — AJJ

:rofl: And you are agreeing with and providing support for the state which abides the rhetoric spoken by Mussolini. Does that make you a hypocrite? Or did the evil state deprive you of the choice to leave?

Well, I'm going to leave you rebels alone for a spell, while I go into the big city and enjoy all that society dun brung me.

You be you.

Corporations should have their powers checked as much as the governments. Monopolies need to be broken up and competition promoted. — Harry Hindu

Exactly the alternative I mentioned. "Free markets" and "competition" is the answer. Which has been a complete failure on every level except one -- namely, the level of plutocrats. Libertarianism is just another cover for plutocracy. Capitalism through and through.

A nice story, though.

It wasn't a question of side effects, It was the fact that I did not need the vaccine. I did the research; there are no appreciable flaws in the science of the vaccine, the side effects are negligible. However, since one can still be infected and infect others, not a lot of motivation there. My entire career is basically about informed consent and supporting my patients, regardless of my personal thoughts about their choice. The irony is that my patients can decline the vaccine, and my employer has no issue with that, but I can't keep my job if I say no.

When humans and probably other animals fall sick, our body temperature rises aka fever.

Mother nature is sick! She has a fever! (Climate change!)

COVID-19 is part of nature's immune system response.

Or did the evil state deprive you of the choice to leave? — James Riley

Yes, when it closed the borders, it did.

However, I ascribe to the same theory as Von icarus, our lame ass vaccination process will result in this annoying virus mutating into something highly lethal, and as I watch the results of that ripping through the population I will munch on popcorn and snicker. Our governments reacted in fear, and are still doing so, it will be fun watching them get torn down by their peoples.

That's right. Send a virus to clear out the invading virus (or parasite, both are equally applicable to people).

That's right. Send a virus to clear out the invading virus (or parasite, both are equally applicable to people). — Book273

It takes a thief to catch a thief. :lol:

Well, I'm going to leave you rebels alone for a spell, while I go into the big city and enjoy all that society dun brung me — James Riley

Like hookers and Blow? or concrete and pollution? Noise and light pollution? I am actually ok with the hookers, they need to make a living somehow.

The beautiful country of Oman has been obliterated!

Your government just wants a say inside your body. It's all for your own good; don't worry about it.

How so?

Your government just wants a say inside your body. It's all for your own good; don't worry about it. — Tzeentch

Ok.

Yes, when it closed the borders, it did. — Book273

Meh. A true rebel wouldn't let a little thing like a border stop him. :wink:

Like hookers and Blow? or concrete and pollution? Noise and light pollution? I am actually ok with the hookers, they need to make a living somehow. — Book273

Yeah, like that. When told me "You be you" I wondered "Who am I?" So I jumped in my car and drove 125 mph to town without my drivers license (I ran a person off the road; hope it wasn't AJJs loved one, but I know he'd understand). I walked into the store, no shoes, no shirts, no pants, with my M-4 slung over my shoulder and demanded service. I then went to a restaurant and blew cigar smoke into the lungs of all the other patrons. When confronted, I just schooled them about some tobacco company scientist who said it's harmless. "Do your research!"

The damn hooker wanted to see my vax card and I flew off the handle. I told her that the slippery slope of state oppression started when they wouldn't let me in school without a polio vax and now look where we are! Soon we will be on the trains to the camps! By GUM!

Some asshole told me I had to get six feet away from his hot girlfriend. I can't believe I can't even snuggle with strangers. WTF? But the final straw was the guy who asked me to put a 1 ounce piece of cloth over my face. Sure, I pack a 39 ounce gun, but that is my choice. A piece of cloth is the final straw.

I got tired of all the Mussolini, jack-booted, brown shirt shit and came home. I never should have left. But I know if I got Covid, I can always go the hospital and get a bed.

Don't tread on me!

I suppose that's what you get from reading the Telegraph. — Benkei

Well, it isn’t my fault that papers choose to employ laymen to write articles.

Besides, it isn’t just the Telegraph, there are lots of other sources like the BBC and the Guardian that have the same or similar stories.

Covid: Biden orders investigation into virus origin as lab leak theory debated – BBC

Joe Biden orders US intelligence to intensify efforts to study Covid’s origins – The Guardian

The fact is the Biden administration has conceded that the intelligence community is split on Covid-19's origins.

Biden said the majority of the intelligence community had "coalesced" around two scenarios - human contact with an infected animal or laboratory accident - but "do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other".

Fauci himself has said “I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened”.

If intelligence agencies and scientists are in two minds about the possibility that China has something to do with the pandemic, there is no reason why we should rule it out.

Corporations should have their powers checked as much as the governments. Monopolies need to be broken up and competition promoted.
— Harry Hindu

Exactly the alternative I mentioned. "Free markets" and "competition" is the answer. Which has been a complete failure on every level except one -- namely, the level of plutocrats. Libertarianism is just another cover for plutocracy. Capitalism through and through. — Xtrix

How ironic that of all the patent holders of the different covid vaccines, we're nearing the monopoly of one of them.

If intelligence agencies and scientists are in two minds about the possibility that China has something to do with the pandemic, there is no reason why we should rule it out. — Apollodorus

So what is it that you're really concerned about? That covid is China's biochemical warfare in an effort to take over the world?

The possibility of a lab leak, which China fervently will deny to the end, is a possibility. That China uses this as biochemical warfare sounds very strange and more like a way to put the lab leak hypothesis into question altogether, to be a silly nutjob conspiracy.

There is the possibility we will never know.

I never denied the possibility of a lab leak, in fact, I've openly changed my mind on the likelihood of that being true in this very thread. But I am denying that Telegraph article correctly interprets the results of the find.

Since the vaccines don't prevent transmission of the virus, I'm not sure if they reduce the risk of mutations. — Count Timothy von Icarus

They significantly reduce transmission.

On the one hand, yes, people who have been vaccinated get infected at lower rates. On the other hand, evidence from livestock shows that partial immunizations that reduce the severity of a disease but still allow transmission between the immunized tends to make diseases more lethal. Variants that would otherwise die out due to killing their hosts too quickly are allowed to proliferate. — Count Timothy von Icarus

You have one example from livestock, and it doesn't look like what we are seeing with COVID. This virus has produced more transmissible variants, but there is no evidence so far that it is becoming more lethal. The general trend with infectious diseases is to become less lethal over time: there is no evolutionary advantage for an infection in killing off its vector.

The origin of Covid-19 is moot. The variants evolving from Delta are what really matter. :mask:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59418127

Libertarianism is just another cover for plutocracy. — Xtrix

You obviously don't know what Libertarianism means.

Strange. No Libertarians in power yet this is the government we are faced with and can be defined as a plutocracy/oligarchy. Libertarians didn't do that. If this is what you think is the case, then voting for one of the two parties which have been in power for a hundred years or more, is voting for more of the same. How's that working out for you? Why you still vote for the same people that have been in power for 50 years and expect things to be different?

Look into polio, small pox, etc. — James Riley

Apples and oranges.

Apples and oranges. — Harry Hindu

An analogy, by definition, is not the thing itself. It is no argument to simply point that out. Rather, it is incumbent upon those who wish to defeat it to draw a distinction with a relevant difference. The point is, no successful vaccine ever relied upon 100% inoculation to be effective. So, I say again, look into polio, small pox, etc. Only this time, don't come back with an "Apples and oranges" drive by. Look into how those vaccines succeeded without 100% of the population of the Earth having to take them. That was the original point to which I was responding.

I don't think I agree. If it is a lab leak and how China dealt with that then I'd like my 45 billion EUR spend on Covid measures back. And we'd probably be far less relaxed next time something like this happens.

If it is a lab leak ... — Benkei

... for which there is not a shred of circumstantial evidence presented on any (world-class) infectious disease institute's or medical school's website. "Lab leak" is pure fact-free media speculation (hype) to date – yeah, "possible" but also, to date, laughably improbable according to science reporting in the US-Canada, E. Asia (discounting China) & the EU. I'd appreciate being shown that I'm wrong about this.

So what is it that you're really concerned about? That covid is China's biochemical warfare in an effort to take over the world? — baker

My concern is establishing the truth.

When a person is acting suspiciously, it is the duty of the police to investigate them and the same applies to state actors: the international community must investigate suspicious state activities for its own security.

In China’s case, no proper investigation has been conducted. So, pressure must be put on Western governments to take appropriate action.

I am denying that Telegraph article correctly interprets the results of the find. — Benkei

The Telegraph may not be perfect, but I doubt that Nature is much better.

The truth can only be discovered if there is an ongoing inquiry into the facts.

Given that China looks like a ruthless dictatorship, I think we need more critical articles not less.

Marek's disease is a classic example. — Count Timothy von Icarus

As far as I know, it's not a classic example, but the only example. Do you have another?