Some Covid Links

(Don Boudreaux)

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Let’s hope for success for this lawsuit in opposition to NYC strongman Bill de Blasio’s vaccine mandates.

Speaking of vaccine mandates, J.D. Tuccille warns that “We’re on our way to having to ask for permission to go about our daily lives.” (Unsurprisingly, Covid-related restrictions for travel even within the United States are endorsed by the authoritarian Anthony Fauci.) A slice:

Raising concerns about vaccine mandates isn’t the same thing as objecting to vaccination. Control freaks like to conflate the two, as if every good idea should be forced on the unwilling by threats of fines and imprisonment. But it’s perfectly reasonable to endorse vaccination and the near-complete protection it provides against severe illness while accepting that people have the right to decide for themselves; that’s how free societies work. Converting rights (such as making a living and traveling from place to place) into privileges in order to compel compliance is not how free societies work. But officials always find it easy to make excuses for fettering the public, and for throwing roadblocks in the way of travel to make it conditional on bureaucratic approval.

Robby Soave documents yet another outbreak on campus of Covid Derangement Syndrome.

Dan Wooton rightly criticizes mask-theater.

Michael Tomlinson decries the disregard – and, hence, the weakening – of human rights in the age of Covid. A slice:

In the Australian State of Victoria, one of the most repressive jurisdictions outside the People’s Republic of China, local legislation (including the Charter of Human Rights) has not prevented the government from putting the entire population in home detention for months on end, allowing them out only for 5 reasons specified by the government. At the time of writing, Victoria was in the sixth of its lockdowns, which have extended over 200 days. No public protests against these repressive measures are allowed in Victoria or New South Wales, and attempts to protest are vigorously broken up by police. The State Parliament has not been allowed to sit for long periods of time – democracy has been suspended. In these circumstances the head of government becomes essentially an elected dictator, accountable to no one.

Thousands of Australian citizens are stranded overseas, not allowed to return home in their time of need, and the Australian government has even prevented its own citizens who normally live overseas from leaving the country, for reasons that are not clear.

As is the practice of all totalitarian regimes, Australia’s Covidocracy restricts media coverage of people’s reactions to its tyranny – reactions such as this. (HT Phil Magness)

Auckland under lockdown.

Zeb Jamrozik of the University of Oxford talks with Anish Koka about the ethics of the (over)reaction to Covid, and the recklessness of so much fallacy-filled Covid modeling. (HT Jay Bhattacharya.)

Jay Bhattacharya makes a prediction that I fervently hope proves to be correct:

I think the push for vaccine mandates / passports will end soon enough because it is not rational. And the many people who supported it out of fear and prejudice will come to be ashamed of their support of it.

Martin Kulldorff on Twitter:

By mandating vaccines for those who have had COVID, @NIAIDNews director Anthony Fauci questions natural immunity after COVID disease. That’s like having the nations lead astronomer question whether the earth is round or flat.