[RedSparrows]

Someone needs to learn the basics of negative and positive liberty.

Plus ca change...

[MisterMuncher]

"but Eric Clapton is a legend, and he can't be racist, all those black lads love him..."

https://www.musicradar.com/amp/news/eri ... obert-cray

[Cyclist]

A very interesting piece from Australia. This applies to the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, and the whole world.

How do you argue with anti-vaxxers who believe they’re on a noble mission?
Myke Bartlett

I have given up on the idea that facts alone will change a zealot’s mind, but a conversation shouldn’t be a battle for status or points

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... le-mission

I have given up on the idea that facts alone will change a zealot’s mind. Just as I have abandoned any notion that being a good, decent and intelligent person will immunise you against conspiracist paranoia.


Being obliged to spend time around devout anti-vaxxers has disabused me of the comforting idea that they are either disingenuous or rightwing nut jobs.

Yes, there are those on the right who exploit those ready to believe the world is not as it appears, but many of those I’ve spoken with would be horrified to be labelled right wing. They identify as LGBTQI+ allies, advocate for action on climate change, and honestly believe all the misinformation they’re spreading.

Whenever a fact is reached, the discussion will shift to a different belief system, through coruscating levels of excruciating, nonsensical detail unearthed from online research.

This is a form of fundamentalism where what you believe isn’t as important as what you don’t believe in. Whatever is happening, isn’t happening. Whatever reality is, they’re opposed to it. Which, I suspect, makes the movement uniquely dangerous.

Looking at the images from Melbourne this week, as nooses are strung from streetlights, it can be hard to accept many of these protestors are – or were – good, decent people. But this is a key part of the problem. Being a good person excuses so much in the name of a noble cause.

How could good people string up nooses on Spring Street? But where some found outrage, others found comfort. For many, these ideologues aren’t distant characters on the evening news. They are our colleagues, our friends, our family. Many of us will be spending the festive season alongside someone with at least one foot in the rabbit hole.

I don’t know the way forward. I would argue for a long-term focus on critical literacy in our education systems. People who know how to read the media, with its biases and omissions, will be less fearful of it and less vulnerable to cranks. I would also argue for a greater focus on basic civics.

If we are to protect – or rebuild – our liberal democracy, people should understand how it works. The Trump election of 2016 empowered conspiracists by legitimising their ignorance – as if knowing nothing was a particular kind of purity or genius.

[Boiler]

I posted that same article on another forum.

As seen elsewhere: "The internet is the perfect tool to allow a person to become as misinformed as they want to be."

[Cyclist]

The internet is the perfect tool to allow a person to become as misinformed as they want to be."

Dunno where you got that from, but I'm nicking that.

[Spoonman]

About 1000 people at an anti-Covid vaccine rally outside Belfast city hall this afternoon. Guess how many were wearing masks?

Point of note, if you come to an event like this waving a yellow star of David or a swastika symbol, it just shows that you've no bloody imagination except to copy off someone else that you want to feel validated with, and then you have the fucking gall to call others "sheep".

[MisterMuncher]

The internet is the perfect tool to allow a person to become as misinformed as they want to be."

Dunno where you got that from, but I'm nicking that.

Pommer's Law
“”A person's mind can be changed by reading information on the internet. The nature of this change will be: From having no opinion to having a wrong opinion."

[Boiler]

Spotted just now:

Germany going to mandate the vaccines. Sweeping Europe now I wonder how they would mandate it here in Uk do we have the prison capacity in Scotland?

(poster lives in Scotland)

Seemingly 7 new mega prison's are being built one near Leiciester

Seriously - where *do* they get all this horseshit from?

[Boiler]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -move.html

The protest came just hours after it emerged Germany is set to follow Austria's example in making vaccinations compulsory with ministers admitting that the move is 'unavoidable' amid a fourth wave of the pandemic which is crippling the country's hospitals.

Last night also saw similar demonstrations against virus restrictions take place in Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Northern Ireland, Austria and North Macedonia on Saturday, a day after Dutch police opened fire on protesters and seven people were injured in rioting that erupted in Rotterdam.

Europe has become the epicentre of the pandemic once again, with the World Health Organisation warning that the Continent was the only region in the world where deaths had increased as Covid-related fatalities spiked by five per cent just this week.

In France, the government has warned that the fifth wave of coronavirus are rising at 'lightning speed', with new daily Covid cases close to doubling over the past week.

Have a look at the comments, I dare you...

[Watchman]

Spotted just now:

Germany going to mandate the vaccines. Sweeping Europe now I wonder how they would mandate it here in Uk do we have the prison capacity in Scotland?

(poster lives in Scotland)

Seemingly 7 new mega prison's are being built one near Leiciester

Seriously - where *do* they get all this horseshit from?

They are building a prison on the outskirts of Leicester, but it’s actually a rebuild/updating of Glen Parva young offenders prison. I believe the new one will be Cat C offenders. Work was started long before any pandemic.

[kreuzberger]

This is poor, albeit not surprising.

...Germany is set to follow Austria's example in making vaccinations compulsory with ministers admitting that the move is 'unavoidable' amid a fourth wave of the pandemic which is crippling the country's hospitals.

There has been no decision made about mandatory vaccinations. It is made all the more complicated that all the mayor parties were just eight weeks ago campaigning on tickets that expressly ruled this out. It may be coming (hopefully) but, at the moment, it's just paper talk with Deutsche Welle, no less, leading the charge.

Nationwide, the occupation of intensive care beds is "only" at 15%, and in the most impacted areas, Bayern and Sachsen, it is barely 12%.

This is the crafted narrative; mainland Europe is collapsing under the weight of the virus so it is no surprise that the UK will suffer the same fate.

The truth is that few countries are experiencing that which the UK is.

[Boiler]

Mind if I nick that, Kreuzy?

[Boiler]

What is interesting is looking at the graphs on the Gov.uk website: yes, UK infections are rising rapidly but hospital admissions are falling. Now, is this due to infections now being highest amongst primary school children (despite him getting it, my six year old great-nephew was barely impacted by it - unlike his poor father) or is this due to the AY4.2 variant being more infectious but less potent, as has been implied recently?

[kreuzberger]

Mind if I nick that, Kreuzy?

Go ahead. The source is the DIVI-IntensivRegister at the Robert Koch-Institut.

[Boiler]

Vielen dank.

[davidjay]

Without comment:

[mattomac]

If Lawrence Fox is telling me not to do something It would convince me to do it.

It all ends when fuckwits like him fuck off.

I have to say my major worry is that a SARS virus develops that is much deadly one that kills within days as twats like Laurence would still be going “mY FeEdOmS”

As sad as it may sounds this was expected for years and though the deaths might be too many they have been increased by shoddy decision making, Covid 19 isn’t the big one but when it comes I have my doubts it can be held back in time for treatment and a vaccine.

Those countries with the biggest death count have by far some of the worst leadership.

[Boiler]

I note Corbyn Senior was observed chanting some anti-Covid or anti-mask song on the District Line.

[Boiler]

[Nigredo]

I note Corbyn Senior was observed chanting some anti-Covid or anti-mask song on the District Line.

Quite remarkable how out of sync Piers Corbyn is with his fellow "skeptics" there, he looks like he was accidentally scooped up whilst on day release.