The COVID-19 pandemic - I think SA has stuffed this one up.

[Blurock]

People who don't want to wear masks or do not believe in the virus should volunteer to help out at the understaffed hospitals treating the Covid patients, because they won't get sick at all.

[RogerGreenP]

Deciding that people 'have too much freedom' is the path that always leads to tyranny.

[adrianh]

Deciding that people 'have too much freedom' is the path that always leads to tyranny.

Too much democracy is not a good thing either - If a school teacher left it up to the kids to choose what they do in class they will never learn anything.

The problem is that people choose to be obtuse about things where the consequences are not obvious (to them) - People demand the right to carry and infect others with Covid-19 but I don't see people demanding the right to drive at high speed up the wrong side of the road - why not - because the results are obvious. I want to see the "Performative Activists" who make a lot of noise about not wearing masks and not taking vaccines to take their activism into the front line - why don't they go and and spend a week in hospital with those infected with Covid-19 - They wont you see because its all about their individual right to do whatever they want without sticking their own necks out.

I see the lady across the road who made a lot of noise about not wearing a mask and not taking the vaccine wears a mask since Tuesday when her husband passed away from heart failure next to her in the middle of the night. Did he have Covid - who knows - but she is now an ex "Performative Activist" who wears black every day. It doesn't have to be that way!

[Blurock]

Most of those "activists" do it out of ignorance, not considering the outcome of their flawed arguments.
That goes for land grabs, masks, gun control or whatever crazy idea they can conceive.

[RogerGreenP]

Most likely, many other people think your arguments are 'flawed' also.
The point is you have a right to an opinion, and so does everyone else. Tanking the economy or telling the law-abiding folks they are criminals if they have a glass of wine with dinner or walk the dog past 10 PM is tyranny. And, it's also ineffective.
One person's 'wise opinion' is another person's crazy idea.

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants.” - Albert Camus

[adrianh]

One person's 'wise opinion' is another person's crazy idea.

Everybody can't be right at the same time - Looting the country was also "somebody's wise opinion" and so was Apartheid.

One person's 'wise opinion' is another person's crazy idea. = One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter!

At the end of the day your own perception dictates which side of the fence you are on - The fence exists in the first place because "human truth" is perceptual.

[ians]

after having to "double mask" before I could join the que with hundreds of other people ... where people entering and leaving the gym (to work out) do so between the long jab que ... we then enter the building where aircons are running full tilt because people in the gym are working out ... you get to sit in the same chair and share the nurse with hundreds of other people ... who have also been touched by the nurse ... she is wearing gloves so she doesnt wash her hands ... she then lifts your sleeve and touches your arm ... but you are not allowed to sit in a chair in the que because of the spread of the virus ... but you have to stand with a large group of people waiting to enter the building ... once the jab is done you sit in a holding pen for 15 minutes why people walk in amongst everyone checking if you are ok ... asking questions ... like everything in the world at the moment .. .you can only sit back and smile at the stupidity.

Where documents are being handed out between personal at the entrance with no screen then to personal who are behind screens ... but nobody can hear the people because of the double mask pulled tight on your face ... so people lower the "masks" and move to the side of the screen to communicate ... you then get to sit a chair which has been occupied by hundreds of people ... they are wiped down at the start of the day ... so best you get there early.

Then you get pulled over by the police doing routine vehicle check and you have the officer spitting at you through the window because he is wearing his mask SA style ... protecting the chin ... who then fines you for not wearing a seat ... let me stop here.

Talk about a gullible bunch of fools.

Ever place I go to ... there is more chance of me getting the virus with new laws imposed ... liking getting your temp checked (for F%%^& ... sakes really ... of all the money making scams the non contact temp probes must be the joke of 2020/21) ... then you have to use a pen attached to a string to fill out all your details ... including your ID number ... address .. contact number ... you wonder why your spam sms's have gone to a new high

You then lean against a counter which has been touched by every person who has entered the building ... you then hand your card to the sales person to pay ... then collect part of a document which exchanges hands with people in the stores ... then handed and checked by the person at the dispatch counter ... where you have been standing with a group of other people waiting for goods ... all under the same roof where the aircon is circulated the air ... people are wearing mask SA style ... dropping them to speak to the sales person ... hello if you going to spread the virus ... it is at that point when you are in close contact that you will spread the virus.

A really silly question ... what happens if you are one of the many people who cannot contract the virus ... how do you know if you are ... are they doing tests to sperate these people ... to save vaccines or just giving everyone the jab just because ... more profits the Pfizer shareholders ... I should have caught this virus a year ago already ... being a essential service ... I only wear a mask where "I am "forced" to wear it ... people who are not at risk should they be having the jab ... considering the virus is spreading like even though millions have had the jab ?

[RogerGreenP]

The fence exists in the first place because "human truth" is perceptual.

There are of course absolute truths. Some may have a 'perception' that the Sun actually revolves around the Earth. They might try to make it illegal or impossible to say or these days to post anything to the contrary on social media.
Does that mean we should consider it true? Or 'equally true?' That would be silly.
The first step of tyrants in government or in politically bent social media organizations is to limit the speech of those with whom they disagree. Communism is a perfect example of this. Fascism is another. Both are more similar than different.

No thanks. I'll go with more free speech and more personal freedoms by default.

[ians]

Freedom of speech ... we lost that privilege many many years ago ... humans have become spineless cowards ... it makes it easier to lead the sheep.

[adrianh]

I'll go with more free speech and more personal freedoms by default.

What to do when those so-called "free speech and personal freedoms" infringe on the rights of others.

I find it interesting how people fight for "free speech and personal freedoms" of their choosing but reject the "free speech and personal freedoms" of others.

Look, I agree that the whole Covid thing is a mess - but that said, no matter what any government does to combat the spread of the virus some people will be unhappy and or affected negatively.

The thing that winds me up about the situation is that some people will be totally obtuse and whinge and whine because that is their way (they don't have solutions - all they are able to do is flap their lips and make a lot of noise)

This quote explains exactly how I feel about the whingers and the whiners:

“Stay away from negative people.
They have a problem for every solution.”
― Albert Einstein

[adrianh]

Freedom of speech ... we lost that privilege many many years ago ... humans have become spineless cowards ... it makes it easier to lead the sheep.

The problem with so-called "freedom of speech" is that it is simply a justification to whinge and whine without taking responsibility to remedy a situation. Some lead, some follow and the performative activists whinge and whine loudly on the fence.

[RogerGreenP]

Free speech cannot 'infringe on the rights of others.' Nobody here is rejecting the free speech of others. News organizations, governments, and politically bent social media are. As are those that cheer or make excuses for them.
You have zero 'right' to be offended by speech of others. Zero.
If you wish other people wouldn't express their opinions, remember something:

"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Martin Niemöller

[adrianh]

[Dave A]

I see there is some hesitancy when it comes to vaccination. Here's a graphic demonstration of what that means.

Taken from Worldometer today, South Africa's new case rate graph is



and our death rate quite clearly shows a similar profile:



So let's take a look at a country where the vaccination rate is now pretty high - approaching "herd immunity".
Such as the UK. Here's their new case rate graph:



Apart from having much higher infection rates, their profile is pretty similar to South Africa's - right down to the shape of the 3rd wave.
And here is their death rate profile:



Just look at that 3rd wave death rate!!

Do your bit to get South Africa closer to herd immunity.
Find you nearest vaccination site here: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/active-vaccination-sites/

[ians]

By now it should be on your doorstep ... be it the rate the children are being sent home ... yesterday there was another call for parents to collect a grade ... the amount of people testing positive both customer and work colleges.

I am not a big fan of world meters and stuff ... I watch what is going on around me ... everyday more and more people are testing positive around me ... thankfully we havent had any deaths yet ... all the people have recovered ... Today it looks like another family will be going into 10 days quarantine.

What I am seeing is not just one person in the family testing positive ... it seems to be the entire family is getting sick.