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Covid-19 miscellany

While it is desirable that everyone gets vaccinated there is going to be a stubborn, hardcore bunch of unhinged people that will not get vaccinated no matter what the argument is. These people are irrational and will not be persuaded by arguments. You'll get a few that get frightened into getting vaccinated when they know someone who has died or gotten seriously ill with the virus. The jumping up and down, ranting and raving on this board about it is baffling but also actually quite funny.


Wrong about what exactly ?

He is a kind of canary in the mine. He reminds us of how we need to work on our arguments. TSwizzle isn't a lone lunatic. He's part of a large group of misinformed people who have arguments that are logical and are supported by some data. It's also countered by a lot more data. But it is a coherent position.

Male bovine excrement.

I agree. It's not a coherent position at all.
 
And now anti-vaxers rallying in London where the speaker says: "At the Nuremberg trials the doctors and nurses stood trial, and they hung”

Gee, is that a threat to execute medical professionals who support vaccinations? The mayor of London has brought this to the attention of the police.

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/sbattrawden/status/1418984363304394762?s=20[/TWEET]

That's a disgrace.

It's "they were hanged".
 
Spike in infections/death in Russia seems to to be either plateauing or going down.
In my immediate region it jumped to 5x the low numbers just before the spike. People are not wearing masks despite all of that.

That doesn't sound good, but at least it's not getting worse. I hope they can get enough people vaccinated quickly (over here, mask use is mandatory, but it seems to be falling, and just as importantly, many people seem to wear them improperly, just for compliance).
 
Statistically everyone. For fuck sakes!
I think everybody should get vaccinated. But I'm also for people able to make the choice not to.
Yeah, I'm against alleged liberty that is actually sucking away the liberty of other people. Individual choice is not a blank check.

It's the lesser of two evils IMHO. Any tool of force we give to a government they will enthusiastically overuse.

I think history has taught us that it's better for everyone if the government can't force people to do anything. With the exception of dangerous criminals.

If we're not able to talk people into getting vaccinated our arguments suck and need to be improved.
Today on, arguments that shouldn't have to be made.

Person A: You getting vaccinated?
Person B: Duh! I'd rather not get sick and potentially make other people sick from diseases if it can be prevented.

This makes you dangerous and an enemy of democracy. Well done.

Even though I think TSwizzle is wrong. He is a kind of canary in the mine. He reminds us of how we need to work on our arguments. TSwizzle isn't a lone lunatic. He's part of a large group of misinformed people who have arguments that are logical and are supported by some data. It's also countered by a lot more data. But it is a coherent position.
If memory serves (and my memory has gone to hell), TSwizzle is vax'd. TSwizzle's issue is that they are in a state of befuddlement over the concept of empathy.

If we're not vaxxed we can't travel and life is complicated. At least in Denmark. At this point people are getting vaccinated who'd rather not. I don't like that.
 
It's the lesser of two evils IMHO. Any tool of force we give to a government they will enthusiastically overuse.

I think history has taught us that it's better for everyone if the government can't force people to do anything. With the exception of dangerous criminals.

If we're not able to talk people into getting vaccinated our arguments suck and need to be improved.
Today on, arguments that shouldn't have to be made.

Person A: You getting vaccinated?
Person B: Duh! I'd rather not get sick and potentially make other people sick from diseases if it can be prevented.

This makes you dangerous and an enemy of democracy. Well done.

Even though I think TSwizzle is wrong. He is a kind of canary in the mine. He reminds us of how we need to work on our arguments. TSwizzle isn't a lone lunatic. He's part of a large group of misinformed people who have arguments that are logical and are supported by some data. It's also countered by a lot more data. But it is a coherent position.
If memory serves (and my memory has gone to hell), TSwizzle is vax'd. TSwizzle's issue is that they are in a state of befuddlement over the concept of empathy.

If we're not vaxxed we can't travel and life is complicated. At least in Denmark. At this point people are getting vaccinated who'd rather not. I don't like that.
Why is it that only certain people are required to suffer consequence? There are people that can not get vaccinated (maybe ever) and the anti-vaxxers are dictating what those people can and can't do with their lives. The medical infrastructure is burned out, which impacts us all.

But golly, the anti-vaxxers matter most. We need to only care how they ​feel.
 
I think history has taught us that it's better for everyone if the government can't force people to do anything.
Speed limits. Food preparation standards. Restaurant inspections. Licensing of doctors, nurses, paramedics. Age limits on drugs, alcohol, sex consent. Building codes. Occupancy limits. Fire escapes. Child labor laws.

The preamble to our Constitution explains that one of the reasons to have a government is to 'promote the general welfare.' Our government forces people to do and not do things all the fucking time. A lot of this is written in blood. People die in a warehouse fire and we decided maybe that steps should be taken to minimize that.
 
Why is it that only certain people are required to suffer consequence? There are people that can not get vaccinated (maybe ever) and the anti-vaxxers are dictating what those people can and can't do with their lives. The medical infrastructure is burned out, which impacts us all.

But golly, the anti-vaxxers matter most. We need to only care how they ​feel.

Who decides how much suffering is acceptable in order to save the world? Our experts or governments aren't in any better position than us to decide what we should value in life.

I happen to agree with lockdowns and vaccinations for everybody. But I don't want to ram my beliefs other people's throats. I'm against it on ideological grounds.
 
Why is it that only certain people are required to suffer consequence? There are people that can not get vaccinated (maybe ever) and the anti-vaxxers are dictating what those people can and can't do with their lives. The medical infrastructure is burned out, which impacts us all.

But golly, the anti-vaxxers matter most. We need to only care how they ​feel.

Who decides how much suffering is acceptable in order to save the world? Our experts or governments aren't in any better position than us to decide what we should value in life.

I happen to agree with lockdowns and vaccinations for everybody. But I don't want to ram my beliefs other people's throats. I'm against it on ideological grounds.

Lockdowns with a tax on the wealth of the top 1-2% to pay everybody to stay home, with a huge tax on wealth gained during 2020.

People don't mind lockdowns.

They don't like having no money.
 
Why is it that only certain people are required to suffer consequence? There are people that can not get vaccinated (maybe ever) and the anti-vaxxers are dictating what those people can and can't do with their lives. The medical infrastructure is burned out, which impacts us all.

But golly, the anti-vaxxers matter most. We need to only care how they ​feel.

Who decides how much suffering is acceptable in order to save the world? Our experts or governments aren't in any better position than us to decide what we should value in life.

I happen to agree with lockdowns and vaccinations for everybody. But I don't want to ram my beliefs other people's throats. I'm against it on ideological grounds.
You didn't vaguely address what I raised. You keep pressing individual choice, but don't want to talk about consequences of choice. If people want to be unvaccinated, there is remediation for that, which includes spacing and masks and limitations for what they can do. If they want to freely choose to remain unvaccinated, fine. But they demand to be unvax'd and want to be allowed to go about freely as if they are vax'd.

Individual liberty comes with responsibility and consequences, especially when those liberties negatively influence the liberties of others.
 
Why is it that only certain people are required to suffer consequence? There are people that can not get vaccinated (maybe ever) and the anti-vaxxers are dictating what those people can and can't do with their lives. The medical infrastructure is burned out, which impacts us all.

But golly, the anti-vaxxers matter most. We need to only care how they ​feel.

Who decides how much suffering is acceptable in order to save the world? Our experts or governments aren't in any better position than us to decide what we should value in life.

I happen to agree with lockdowns and vaccinations for everybody. But I don't want to ram my beliefs other people's throats. I'm against it on ideological grounds.
I feel the same way about drunk driving.

Not really, but hopefully this shows how stupidly naive that POV is.
 
[TWEET]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">People in Missouri are wearing disguises to get vaccinated, ABC News reports <a href="https://t.co/eQgTM7WE9x">pic.twitter.com/eQgTM7WE9x</a></p>— David Edwards (@DavidEdwards) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidEdwards/status/1419743624661716993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/TWEET]..
 
A Vaccine Or This Marriage: Conspiracy Theories Are Tearing Couples Apart

“He said if I take the vaccine I could pack my bags and leave his kids here.”

For Lucy, a 59-year-old metastatic breast cancer patient from Washington state, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 was a matter of life and death. After undergoing aggressive chemotherapy for months, the coronavirus almost certainly would have killed her. Yet as relief washed over her upon receiving her final Pfizer dose in March, she knew she’d have to keep it to herself. Her husband had begged her not to get the shot.

At the outset of the pandemic, Lucy’s husband and partner of seven years, Shane, was as cautious as anyone about the virus. He kept a big container of hand sanitizer in the car and fanatically washed his hands, keys and other items. He wore a face mask everywhere he went, showered and changed his clothes immediately upon returning home from necessary outings, and was anxious for Lucy and her elderly mother, who lives with them, to get vaccinated as soon as possible due to their heightened vulnerabilities.

But as the crisis dragged on, 60-year-old Shane spent months cooped up inside on YouTube and Facebook, where a vortex of coronavirus conspiracy theory videos was waiting for him. Many declared that the virus was nothing to fear — that it was the vaccines he should really be afraid of. Before long, he was also tuning into the increasingly malicious disinformation networks Newsmax and OAN, which regularly rehashed the lies he’d been fed online. He was completely enthralled, Lucy said, and over time, his worldview “did a 180.”

Among other delusions, Shane is now steadfastly convinced that the COVID-19 outbreak was orchestrated by government-allied forces, the coronavirus is no more harmful than the flu, and the vaccines alter recipients’ DNA — condemning them to slowly perish.
 
The YouTubers who blew the whistle on an anti-vax plot

"It started with an email" says Mirko Drotschmann, a German YouTuber and journalist.

Mirko normally ignores offers from brands asking him to advertise their products to his more than 1.5 million subscribers. But the sponsorship offer he received in May this year was unlike any other.

An influencer marketing agency called Fazze offered to pay him to promote what it said was leaked information that suggested the death rate among people who had the Pfizer vaccine was almost three times that of the AstraZeneca jab.

The information provided wasn't true.

It quickly became apparent to Mirko that he was being asked to spread disinformation to undermine public confidence in vaccines in the middle of a pandemic.

"I was shocked," says Mirko "then I was curious, what's behind all that?"

In France, science YouTuber Léo Grasset received a similar offer. The agency offered him 2000 euros if he would take part. Fazze said it was acting for a client who wished to remain anonymous.

"That's a huge red flag" says Léo.

Both Léo and Mirko were appalled by the false claims.

They pretended to be interested in order to try to find out more and were provided with detailed instructions about what they should say in their videos.

In stilted English, the brief instructed them to "Act like you have the passion and interest in this topic."

By any measure the disinformation campaign was bungled.

Since Léo and Mirko blew the whistle at least four other influencers in France and Germany have gone public to reveal they also rejected Fazze's attempts to recruit them.

But German journalist, Daniel Laufer, has identified two influencers who may have taken up the offer.

Indian YouTuber Ashkar Techy usually makes jokey videos about cars and dating and Brazilian prankster Everson Zoio, has more than three million Instagram followers.

Each of them posted uncharacteristic videos in which they pushed the same message as the Fazze campaign and shared the fake news links from the agency's brief. Both had also participated in previous Fazze promotions.

After Daniel Laufer contacted them, Everson Zoio and Ashkar Techy removed their videos but didn't answer his questions. The BBC tried to contact both influencers, but they didn't respond.
 
Arkansas is out of ICU beds.

[TWEET]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m an Arkansas ER physician. We are at the point warned about a year ago. There are no ICU beds in the state. 4 days ago we called 5 surrounding states looking for ICU beds and we were unsuccessful. (Thread)</p>— Dr. J F Curry (@Coo_ray) <a href="https://twitter.com/Coo_ray/status/1420060053206413314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/TWEET]
 
Fat lady is singing in England;

Covid's grip on the UK is 'all over bar the shouting', a senior minister has said tonight. Virus cases plunged for a seventh straight day today and are now barely half the level seen just a week ago.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...venth-day-row-UK-seeing-light-end-tunnel.html

The fear mongers are desperately looking for a new strain.

From the chart in that link looks like they could have said the same thing back in November.
 
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