George Orwell's "1984" used in a negative judgement of Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

This from the liberal Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/pandemic-australia-still-liberal-democracy/619940/

Australia Traded Away Too Much Liberty
How long can a democracy maintain emergency restrictions and
still call itself a free country?

By Conor Friedersdorf

In a bid to keep the coronavirus out of the country, Australia’s federal
and state governments imposed draconian restrictions on its citizens.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison knows that the burden is too heavy. “This
is not a sustainable way to live in this country,” he recently declared.
One prominent civil libertarian summed up the rules by lamenting, “We’ve
never seen anything like this in our lifetimes.”

Up to now one of Earth’s freest societies, Australia has become a hermit
continent. How long can a country maintain emergency restrictions on its
citizens’ lives while still calling itself a liberal democracy?

Australia has been testing the limits.

Before 2020, the idea of Australia all but forbidding its citizens from
leaving the country, a restriction associated with Communist regimes,
was unthinkable. Today, it is a widely accepted policy. “Australia’s
borders are currently closed and international travel from Australia
remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” a
government website declares. “International travel from Australia is
only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual
exemption.”

-----

Intrastate travel within Australia is also severely restricted. And
the government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states,
developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free
world to enforce its quarantine rules. People in South Australia will
be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and
geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter
they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the
location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local
police department will be sent to follow up in person. “We don’t tell
them how often or when, on a random basis they have to reply within 15
minutes,”

Premier Steven Marshall explained. “I think every South Australian
should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the
home-based quarantine app.”

Proud, proud Australians.

(And, before anyone accuses, I do take carnivorous
fairly seriously, I'm in my mid-70s, and my country
provided me with a choice of vaccines, and I took them
in January and February 2021. I avoid large tightly
packed crowds, but do attend and participate in
sports car races, and do travel around.)

a425couple <a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:sgtdpq02mpu@news4.newsguy.com:

> Up to now one of Earth’s freest societies,

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

This has surprised no one who has paid attention to Oz in the last
couple of decades. No surprise that the government has imposed one of
the most brutal totalitarian regimes, nor than the sheeple of Oz not
only tolerate it, but are *proud* of it.

--
Terry Austin

Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
Lynn:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

On 9/3/2021 11:08 AM, a425couple wrote:

> George Orwell's "1984" used in a negative judgement of Australia
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
>
> This from the liberal Atlantic:
>
> https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/pandemic-australia-still-liberal-democracy/619940/
>
>
> Australia Traded Away Too Much Liberty
> How long can a democracy maintain emergency restrictions and
> still call itself a free country?
>
> By Conor Friedersdorf
>
>
> People in South Australia will
> be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and
> geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter
> they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the
> location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local
> police department will be sent to follow up in person. “We don’t tell
> them how often or when, on a random basis they have to reply within 15
> minutes,”

It's like putting an GPS ankle bracelet on criminals
on probation or confined to home and such.
Treating ALL their citizens like criminals.

It's way over the Big Brother line imho.

Such a program could be left in place
after COVID for 'other' reasons having
more to do with protecting those in power
not society.

Vaccinations are the answer not this kind
of enforced quarantines. But the current
Aussie govt are the conservatives and
mandating vaccines are out of the question
for them.

It's Big Brother 2021 aka repression without a clue.

>
> Premier Steven Marshall explained. “I think every South Australian
> should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the
> home-based quarantine app.”
>
> Proud, proud Australians.
>
> (And, before anyone accuses, I do take carnivorous
> fairly seriously, I'm in my mid-70s, and my country
> provided me with a choice of vaccines, and I took them
> in January and February 2021.  I avoid large tightly
> packed crowds, but do attend and participate in
> sports car races, and do travel around.)

In Florida my workplace still enforces a ten day
quarantine if employees travel outside the state
and return. But it's essentially a voluntary program
as you have to self-report the travel.

And calling in sick for just about any reason
and you have to stay home 10 days. Like many
I used that policy for a much needed but
unpaid vacation last month <g>.

I know it's shady, but I...was sick that day.
Most people just call in claiming they need
a personal day off, not sick, to avoid the
ten day requirement.

But I decided to be honest, but for self-serving
reasons.

--
BIG LIE From Wiki - "The German expression was coined by Adolf Hitler
when he dictated his 1925 book Mein Kampf, to describe the use of a lie
so *colossal* that no one would believe that someone "could have the
impudence to distort the truth so infamously."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie