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Reading the article makes me wonder how many close family members and friends the author might be willing to lose before deciding that a temporary requirement t

Reading the article makes me wonder how many close family members and friends the author might be willing to lose before deciding that a temporary requirement to wear masks out in public places is a reasonable step.

grecy 5y ago
For anyone that doesn't follow this line of reasoning, see this TV ad from the Australian Transport Accident Commission about road deaths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2tOye9DKdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2tOye9DKdQ it's worth 1 minute of your time.
- cfn 5y ago
  That is the most manipulative ad I have ever seen, straight out of some brainwashing manual. Any goverment should stay clear from using propaganda. This comes down to means and ends and the elitist thought that "we" know better than "them" where "them" are the unwashed masses. The citizens must be treated like responsible human beings and given the information and clear instructions on what is expected of them, not an emotion charged movie clip.
radu_floricica 5y ago
I'm pretty sure at this point Australia is very far away from "temporary requirement to wear masks out in public places". And incidentally, the past couple of years shook the last bits of trust I had in the "establishment", and I mead media as much as politicians and administration. Saying that masks are useful was strongly discouraged in early 2020. Saying that the virus _might_ have passsed through a lab was actively censored on facebook. War on terror "exceptions" are still in place, and we've even left Afghanistan. Yeah, the risk of losing family members is beginning to look like the reasonable option here. No joke or hyperbole. Also, we have (plenty of) vaccines. Australia is sitting right now on a stockpile of millions. Vaccines reduce the risk of death to a pre-covid flu. This makes social appeals to obey moot - people already have a way to protect themselves. If for some reason the haven't (vaccine hesitancy for example), that's on each individual. No longer a social obligation to protect the vulnerable, like it was a year ago.
- ropable 5y ago
  Sure, mate. Masks "strongly discouraged"? Where? As I recall, the advice on effective prevention measures evolved pretty rapidly through 2020 but at no point did any government organisation here in Australia ever "discourage" people from wearing masks. The strongest statement that I can remember to that effect was (paraphrased) "We don't actually know how effective at prevention mask-wearing is yet". Australia has had ~1000 deaths from COVID-19 so far, the USA is well north of 600,000. Y'all enjoy that tasty, tasty freedom.

grecy 5y ago

For anyone that doesn't follow this line of reasoning, see this TV ad from the Australian Transport Accident Commission about road deaths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2tOye9DKdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2tOye9DKdQ it's worth 1 minute of your time.

cfn 5y ago
That is the most manipulative ad I have ever seen, straight out of some brainwashing manual. Any goverment should stay clear from using propaganda. This comes down to means and ends and the elitist thought that "we" know better than "them" where "them" are the unwashed masses. The citizens must be treated like responsible human beings and given the information and clear instructions on what is expected of them, not an emotion charged movie clip.

radu_floricica 5y ago

I'm pretty sure at this point Australia is very far away from "temporary requirement to wear masks out in public places". And incidentally, the past couple of years shook the last bits of trust I had in the "establishment", and I mead media as much as politicians and administration. Saying that masks are useful was strongly discouraged in early 2020. Saying that the virus _might_ have passsed through a lab was actively censored on facebook. War on terror "exceptions" are still in place, and we've even left Afghanistan. Yeah, the risk of losing family members is beginning to look like the reasonable option here. No joke or hyperbole. Also, we have (plenty of) vaccines. Australia is sitting right now on a stockpile of millions. Vaccines reduce the risk of death to a pre-covid flu. This makes social appeals to obey moot - people already have a way to protect themselves. If for some reason the haven't (vaccine hesitancy for example), that's on each individual. No longer a social obligation to protect the vulnerable, like it was a year ago.

ropable 5y ago
Sure, mate. Masks "strongly discouraged"? Where? As I recall, the advice on effective prevention measures evolved pretty rapidly through 2020 but at no point did any government organisation here in Australia ever "discourage" people from wearing masks. The strongest statement that I can remember to that effect was (paraphrased) "We don't actually know how effective at prevention mask-wearing is yet". Australia has had ~1000 deaths from COVID-19 so far, the USA is well north of 600,000. Y'all enjoy that tasty, tasty freedom.