Experts warn of antivax violence
The National Observer has a piece on the weekend’s anti-vaccine protest as a manifestation of the burgeoning right-wing tendency in Canada.
I’m struck by the repeated use of the phrase “That’s only the beginning” from Maxime Bernier. I’ve always tended to think he’s an idiot, but then right-wing leaders don’t mind being thought idiots, do they?
Chris 18:02 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
Was it an anti-vaccine protest or an anti-vaccine-mandate protest? Very different. The linked article says “The protests were driven mostly by opposition to vaccine mandates and curfews.”
Kate 18:22 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
Do you think most of the protesters would have split that hair, Chris?
walkerp 18:26 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
Both are equally stupid and selfish and most likely driven primarily by disinformation on Facebook.
GC 18:47 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
I’m sure there were some who are just anti-mandate, but the anti-vaxxers would also show up, for sure. (Is anyone pro-mandate but anti-vaccine? I suppose anything is possible…but I imagine it’s a small population?) Probably some flat-earthers, too. The presence of the latter would make me question my life choices, if I were already in one of the other groups.
Daisy 09:46 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
I wasn’t at the protest or any other protest, but I am anti vaccine mandate although I am personally double-vaccinated. I’ve never even had a Facebook account, but thank you for calling me stupid and selfish for having a different opinion from the majority.
walkerp 10:15 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
You’re welcome. Were you actually stupid enough to attend the protest?
Mark 10:18 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
Disagreeing with someone because they have a “different opinion from the majority” is not the same as disagreeing because you think their premise is faulty. Plenty of people here disagree with the majority in various contexts.
walkerp 10:44 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
Oh my bad, I just reread your post and see you did not attend, Daisy. My apologies for the flippant and disrespectful response. We don’t have to get in to the nuances of our respective positions, but my point about stupidity was specifically towards the people who are actually motivated to go out and protest. I am very much in favour of civil disobedience and protest in principle, but these people have demonstrated (no pun intended) that they are either brainwashed, stupid or selfish. Their behaviour is actively harming society and especially the more vulnerable in our society, so I will not pull any rhetorical punches.
Chris 12:26 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
Kate, I don’t think it’s splitting hairs at all. It’s a huge difference.
Almost 90% of the (eligible) population is vaccinated, and therefore not anti-vaxers. I’m pretty confident much much less than 90% of the population are in favour of *mandating* people get vaccinated. Daisy and I for example are pro-vaccine but anti-mandate. Hopefully some scientific poling will come out soon. A non-scientific poll here shows the *majority* are anti-mandate: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/talkback-results
walkerp: being anti-mandate is “equally stupid” to being anti-vaccine?!? You have a strange definition of “equally”.
walkerp 13:41 on 2022-01-13 Permalink
Again, I was referring specifically to people who protested alongside anti-vaxxers.
Though at this point, given that we are in a crisis, I question all the hysteria around “mandates”. Feels very much like the pervasive neoliberal confusion of freedom of consumer choice with actual liberty. I come from a generation that felt it was right to do one’s duty for society and not rant about body autonomy and freedom so I can go to Tulum.