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NSW cops call in army to help enforce strict lockdown on Sydneysiders

14 points by AndrewBissell 5y ago

bingohbangoh 5y ago
So at what point have they gone too far? At what point do we give up our freedoms for this?
- opwieurposiu 5y ago
  If you have to literally call in the army to enforce your rules, that is a clue you have gone too far.
- bingohbangoh 5y ago
  People are actually on board with a fifth lockdown that will be enforced by a military? They think it will work this time?
  - atatatat 5y ago
    If you're still alived/hospital resources aren't overrun, then technically, they have "worked".
    - bingohbangoh 5y ago
      There is no price too high to pay for zero COVID
detaro 5y ago
earlier submission with 30+ comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27995275 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27995275
tdfx 5y ago
It's interesting to compare the Spanish Flu pandemic timeline from Wikipedia with this pandemic: 2.1 Timeline 2.1.1 First wave of early 1918 2.1.2 Deadly second wave of late 1918 2.1.3 Third wave of 1919 2.1.4 Fourth wave of 1920 Though COVID-19 appears to be substantially less lethal than the Spanish Flu [0], the overall trajectory of the pandemic has not deviated much from the historical one, even in countries with high vaccination rates. It's seeming increasingly possible that many lockdowns were ill-advised and will have very poor "health outcome" returns on the astronomical economic costs they imposed. Except in areas where the hospital system was actually under threat of collapse, it appears lockdowns are really all pain and no gain. [0] https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210329.51293/full/#:~:text=The%20675%2C000%20deaths%20attributed%20to,two%20in%20every%20thousand%20people https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210329.51293....
- AndrewBissell 5y ago
  The deadly second wave of the Spanish flu is attributed to the perverse effect on viral spread of World War I. Mildly ill soldiers stayed put in the trenches, while those with a more serious strain were put on trains and sent to crowded field hospitals, which preferentially selected for the more lethal form of the virus. So far I wouldn't say we have a parallel situation with Covid, although if the vaccines just suppress symptoms while allowing the virus to breed and spread, it could have some bad effects.
- bingohbangoh 5y ago
  did we impose a total lockdown where the military prevented people from leaving their homes? I feel like that's a big difference but maybe I'm overreacting.
  - tdfx 5y ago
    Adding the military makes it extra draconian-sounding, but even what Canada is done with their police is pretty alarming [0]. I have a feeling that in 20 years or so, history will not be kind to the politicians that put these policies in place. [0] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-gives-police-authority-to-stop-people-vehicles-ask-purpose-of-travel-1.5390805 https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-gives-police-authority-to...

14 points by AndrewBissell 5y ago

bingohbangoh 5y ago

So at what point have they gone too far? At what point do we give up our freedoms for this?

opwieurposiu 5y ago
If you have to literally call in the army to enforce your rules, that is a clue you have gone too far.
bingohbangoh 5y ago
People are actually on board with a fifth lockdown that will be enforced by a military? They think it will work this time?
- atatatat 5y ago
  If you're still alived/hospital resources aren't overrun, then technically, they have "worked".
  - bingohbangoh 5y ago
    There is no price too high to pay for zero COVID

detaro 5y ago

earlier submission with 30+ comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27995275 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27995275

tdfx 5y ago

It's interesting to compare the Spanish Flu pandemic timeline from Wikipedia with this pandemic: 2.1 Timeline 2.1.1 First wave of early 1918 2.1.2 Deadly second wave of late 1918 2.1.3 Third wave of 1919 2.1.4 Fourth wave of 1920 Though COVID-19 appears to be substantially less lethal than the Spanish Flu [0], the overall trajectory of the pandemic has not deviated much from the historical one, even in countries with high vaccination rates. It's seeming increasingly possible that many lockdowns were ill-advised and will have very poor "health outcome" returns on the astronomical economic costs they imposed. Except in areas where the hospital system was actually under threat of collapse, it appears lockdowns are really all pain and no gain. [0] https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210329.51293/full/#:~:text=The%20675%2C000%20deaths%20attributed%20to,two%20in%20every%20thousand%20people https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210329.51293....

AndrewBissell 5y ago
The deadly second wave of the Spanish flu is attributed to the perverse effect on viral spread of World War I. Mildly ill soldiers stayed put in the trenches, while those with a more serious strain were put on trains and sent to crowded field hospitals, which preferentially selected for the more lethal form of the virus. So far I wouldn't say we have a parallel situation with Covid, although if the vaccines just suppress symptoms while allowing the virus to breed and spread, it could have some bad effects.
bingohbangoh 5y ago
did we impose a total lockdown where the military prevented people from leaving their homes? I feel like that's a big difference but maybe I'm overreacting.
- tdfx 5y ago
  Adding the military makes it extra draconian-sounding, but even what Canada is done with their police is pretty alarming [0]. I have a feeling that in 20 years or so, history will not be kind to the politicians that put these policies in place. [0] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-gives-police-authority-to-stop-people-vehicles-ask-purpose-of-travel-1.5390805 https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-gives-police-authority-to...