The act gives the federal government sweeping powers, such as to regulate and freeze an individual’s bank account... — NOS4A2
Second largest arms exporter...hmmm. From 2016. That sounds a bit fetched when you think that Canada would be pass then Russia, France or UK in arms deals.Selling arms to regimes responsible for human rights abuses... — Isaac
most of what Canada produces in the way of military components and parts goes to the U.S. The bulk of Canada’s military subcomponents are for U.S. systems
It's not like there is an Canadian owned arms industry, but the following: — ssu
the Canadian government hasn't noticed that after omicron the attitudes have changed and this is the time when ordinary, let's say even non-Trumpian not populist-governments, are easing the restrictions and are going the way Sweden went long ago. — ssu
I've just been getting some continuing education about tobacco abuse. It's stands out starkly that governments do nothing about it when it's clearly killing people: about half a million Americans each year. — frank
Nothing new there. Ever been audited by the revenue department?
Omicron has 3 characteristics different than prior variants. First, it spreads very fast. Second, it is less lethal, and, third, vaccines do less to stop symptomatic infection. These 3 features mean that in this wave, or in a series of subsequent waves, the virus will eventually reach all people. You cannot avoid it forever. There are 5 key policy lessons from all this.
First, mask mandates make no sense. Almost all community wide mask mandates this entire pandemic asked people to wear any mask, and most people chose a cloth one. Cloth masks never worked to slow the spread of the virus. We analyzed all relevant studies months ago, and found no benefit, and a cluster randomized trial in Bangladesh found that cloth masks failed. Recently, CNN admitted as much.
Now, some argue that we need to wear higher grade masks, such as n95s or equivalent. Anyone who wishes should be free to do so, but they should not be mandated. We have no evidence such population wide mandates will help, and the truth is, even if worn perfectly, the mask might only delay the time until you are eventually are infected, and not avert it. Worse, along the way you will suffer the discomfort and inconvenience of the mask.
Second, schools should not close. Closing schools was always a fool’s errand. High quality studies show school closure does not even slow spread in communities. Kids, working moms and society suffer significantly when schools close. Kids have bigger worries in life than COVID19. Outcomes for healthy kids are excellent and on par with seasonal flu. School closure in the USA was disproportionately an indulgence of liberal cities with strong teacher’s unions.
Third, we cannot keep the brakes on society. People are voting with their feet, and outside of urban liberal enclaves, people are enjoying restaurants, bars, and vacations. In many regions, you would not know a pandemic is going on. This reflects a fundamental exhaustion of the public. Given that so much of the public is done with restrictions, placing extremely harsh ones on college campuses, for instance, makes no sense. Colleges are full of the healthiest members of society. Asking these kids to be imprisioned in their rooms or dorms or on campus neither helps them or broader society.
Fourth, we have to focus on the most vulnerable people in society, as we always should have. The CDC director has now admitted this, in a remarkable turn. Nursing homes should get booster shots right now. We should think about improving staffing and infection control at these settings.
Fifth, hospitals should improve their capacities. Some health care workers were fired or forced out because of not receiving the vaccine. Some of these people had already had COVID19. These people should be permitted to return to work, with appropriate precautions, because at this juncture we need them far more than any risk they pose.
It's as if some other distraction has come along to take its place. — Isaac
Have you ever had your bank account frozen for participating in a protest? — NOS4A2
No, that's just how the modern media works. — ssu
if we point to the failure of governments to do anything about the sugar and tobacco industries, we're saying the government should have far reaching power to protect the health of citizens. Measures taken to control the pandemic were exactly that. — frank
It doesn't mean that. The media operates how it does. Then there is the reality that is happening, which is important.Uh huh, nothing to see here, everything as it should be, always was, always will be... — Isaac
Sorry for being centrist and not going with the given stereotypical characters.Appeal to mediocrity isn't an argument, no matter how well it fits with the script for the 'worldly wise voice of centrism' character you like to play. — Isaac
Sorry for being centrist and not going with the given stereotypical characters. — ssu
Not at all. The point I'm making is that it's ridiculous to argue that the government's draconian interventions in this pandemic are all for our own good and not for any other motive when the history of successive governments has been an unbroken run of unwillingness to even so much as lift a finger to prevent the deaths of millions every year. — Isaac
It does not follow that since government has failed in some ways to protect public health that it can't be doing that with pandemic measures. — frank
didn't say it did. It's a constant theme here (in reflection of wider society)... Glance back over my contributions on this thread. Who's making the claims? It's not (largely) the anti- side, it's the pro- side. I'm happy for you to think the government are being super helpful this time. The problem here is that you (generic you) are not so happy for me not to think that. It's my legitimacy in reaching different conclusions that's being constantly called into question, not your legitimacy in reaching the mainstream ones. — Isaac
Is this something you accept? — frank
Absolutely. What I object to is the insinuation that it's paranoid conspiracy simply to argue that people haven't had good intentions in any given case. They might have, they might not have. It's perfectly legitimate to argue either case in any given set of circumstances. — Isaac
Personally, here, I see a lot of effort being put into silencing opposing narratives and that immediately makes me suspicious that intentions are not good, but it's only a suspicion, I'm only arguing for the right to hold such a suspicion and not be branded a lunatic or anti-social for doing so. — Isaac
I suppose I can understand your position, though, because perhaps you've never had to use a bank account, which is used to store something called "money", the prevailing means by which many of us buy food and pay bills. A little bruise is nothing in comparison. — NOS4A2
The protests have been so peaceful that the Ottawa had to make honking illegal in order to impose any punishment. — NOS4A2
That's an expected reply, which sums the attitude very well: 'money is more important than a healthy body'. Obviously the proclaimed "freedom" is not even relevant, it's a money issue. And having money in the bank account is prioritized over having a healthy body. Thanks for the demonstration, NOS.
Right, you'd categorize a bunch of 120db air horns and train sirens blowing 24/7, right outside your front door as "peaceful". I'd classify that as torture. You know, one of those horns can be heard miles away (literal truth), imagine a bunch of them right outside your door. Now torture is illegal, but those who engage in it always find new ways of doing it, and claim what they're doing does not qualify, in the attempt to avoid reciprocal punishment.
Far more typical is simply to see everything as a racket of the rich. Either it's leftist or the right-wing populism, but for both it's the elite that is against the ordinary people. And that's all basically what one has to say.You realise passing off moderate centrism as the only truly wise assessment in all situations is a 'stereotypical character'. It's pretty much the archetype. — Isaac
Have you ever had your bank account frozen for participating in a protest? — NOS4A2
The protests have been so peaceful that the Ottawa had to make honking illegal in order to impose any punishment. — NOS4A2
Bank accounts are being frozen for the crime of donating to a protest. — NOS4A2
Bank accounts are being frozen for the crime of donating to a protest. — NOS4A2
Correction, the bank accounts are frozen for contributing to illegal activity. — Metaphysician Undercover
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