A conservative perspective

[zraver]

That face palm was more of a reaction to seeing pretty much the exact same response given twice, months later, not any commentary on the subject at hand..

Why I did not react to the face palm, one was yours, one was mine. I'm tired and stressed at the moment. Transplant clinic thought they found him monoclonal antibodies, but alas, nope. Arkansas allotment from the Feds isn't even big enough to cover all the transplant patients in the state who need the drug now.

[TopHatter]

Why I did not react to the face palm, one was yours, one was mine. I'm tired and stressed at the moment. Transplant clinic thought they found him monoclonal antibodies, but alas, nope. Arkansas allotment from the Feds isn't even big enough to cover all the transplant patients in the state who need the drug now.

WAB isn't worth your time at the moment. There's plenty more things that are far more important.

[Parihaka]

That face palm was more of a reaction to seeing pretty much the exact same response given twice, months later, not any commentary on the subject at hand.

Wasn't meant as a criticism, simply that it's gnawing on old bones, hardly a priority given current circumstances.

Was there supposed to be a link to the NYT? Although it's not really neccessary as I doubt that anybody on this board would disagree with fascistic nature of the CCP.

Heh, sorry, sitting in bed on medication so not at my best. Link

Although it appears that the Chinese people have a very high level of trust in their government. Not entirely sure how honest the respondents to that poll were, and that trust apparently took a hit in the wake of China's COVID response. So, there's that. Not really able to parse the meaning behind all that at the moment though.

Since the hyping of the Wuhan infection with all that 'social media' of people dying in the streets suddenly freely flowing despite the bamboo curtain, I believe nothing that comes out of China.

[Parihaka]

Conservatism is now the culture of the working class.
.

And apropos of this, is this

When Glenn Youngkin first stepped out of the C-suite to joust with the windmill that was the Virginia governorship, he looked like just another Miracle Whip Republican ready to bland his way to gentlemanly failure. But he did not fail. He won, against all odds. And he did it not by tacking to the squishy center and trying to please the Washington Post, but by ignoring the consultant consensus that he should disregard issues the people were concerned about and focus on the same losing platform that these hacks haven’t changed since 2005. And then he followed up by keeping his word.

It's a radical new direction for Republicans, pioneered by Donald Trump. And it’s the answer to the question “What do Republicans do after Trump?”

Dumb people think the secret of Trump was mean tweets. No, those were just an amusing fringe benefit. Trump’s gift to the party was to demonstrate how Republicans can win going forward. And it’s not with some warmed-over perversion of Reaganism that the consultant class pushes. It’s easy. Focus on the concerns of the voters, not the donors or the elite, and then keep your promises. Simple, but effective. That’s the recipe for GOP success in the post-Trump era.

And Youngkin did it. A Republican moderate is not supposed to attack the institutional racism of CRT in the schools even though the people are screaming about it. That kind of cultural issue is icky, and people at the country club will turn up their noses at you. Talk about tax cuts, about liking the cops, and about building a bridge across the aisle to a better tomorrow.

But Youngkin was having none of that. He smelled blood and went for the jugular. He listened to the people, instead of trying to tell them what they wanted.

There’s a lesson there. Actually several.

Lesson One is to let the people set your agenda. So often we see amorphous puffballs like Jeb! waddle out and tell us what we peasants need to be concerned about. Another tax cut to benefit woke corporations that hate us. Another war we have no interest in fighting. Another Federalist Society invertebrate on the Supreme Court. And in the rare case that the candidate deigns to address the issues the peons were obsessed with, it is to chide us for our unapproved opinions. Don’t you racist hicks understand that illegal aliens breaking our laws to enter our country are actually committing an “act of love?”

Well, the voters told Jeb! to go perform an act of love upon himself.

Youngkin did something radical. He listened. His campaign was not some hack consultant-driven Astro-turf slog. It was a flexible, dynamic campaign that reacted to what the people cared about and changed to focus upon those things. And to his credit, Youngkin went hard on issues where other mainstream Republicans would flee at the first cry of “Racist!”

Maybe he was not so moderate after all. Maybe he was tougher than he looked, because the hell he got from all the people of his social caste had to be intense. But he did it anyway.

[Albany Rifles]

Iain,

The secret to Youngkin's success was less about how he was some moderate voice of reason as much as the Democrats ran a LOUSY candidate who did a shit job campaigning.

The Democratic Party in my state sat on it's laurels after the success of 2017. It did nothing to grow future leadership. The Democrats held all 3 levers of government and did some pretty good things here in 4 years. The Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe, was a previous governor whose entire campaign was against Trump. He ran nothing on the success of Democrats in Virginia over the past 4 years. And the Virginia Commonwealth Constitution does not allow a governor to run for successive terms.

The result was Youngkin got out his base and seemed unthreatening to the suburbs while Democrats sat this one out in droves.

Of course the executive orders Youngkin rolled out within the first 12 hours of being governor showed he was not going to govern as a moderate.

Virginia's future is Blue...that's not me it is the Demographics. But the Democratic Party of Virginia needs to really take a sharp look at itself and figure out a better course. The bastions of the old Byrd machinery are in the rural Southside and West, the areas which are shedding population rapidly.

[DOR]

I just had a crazy idea, really nuts, but hear me out.

What if -- just suppose -- Americans with a conservative bias got together and formed their own political party?
It could work! They could espouse things like sensible regulation, and maybe even the so-called Christian values like helping people in need.
Maybe they could stake out some piece of the Democrats' fiscal common-sense turf, too.

Any takers?

[TopHatter]

Wasn't meant as a criticism, simply that it's gnawing on old bones, hardly a priority given current circumstances.

It is indeed.

Heh, sorry, sitting in bed on medication so not at my best. Link

I know the feeling....

Since the hyping of the Wuhan infection with all that 'social media' of people dying in the streets suddenly freely flowing despite the bamboo curtain, I believe nothing that comes out of China.

Yeah that's my motto as well

[Monash]

And your point is?

[DOR]

Wow.
Has he been banned yet?

[TopHatter]

Please don't spread COVID disinformation

[TopHatter]

And your point is?

To clarify Monash's reply, he was referring to a post that has since been deleted.

[TopHatter]

Wow.
Has he been banned yet?

No, it takes far more than that for a longtime member to be banned. Please don't make such comments in public. Thank you.

[Officer of Engineers]

Please don't spreading COVID disinformation

But posting SWSNBN pics is ok? Where are your priorities?

No, it takes far more than that for a longtime member to be banned.

Don't I know it. The GS gets away with far more with posting nightmares, intentionally damaging mental health.

[TopHatter]

But posting SWSNBN pics is ok? Where are your priorities?

Just that "call me" pose pic. That one's my favorite. It should be hung in every office and classroom.

Besides, the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of SWSNBN

Don't I know it. The GS gets away with far more with posting nightmares, intentionally damaging mental health.

How do you know the GS isn't SWSBN in disguise?

[Parihaka]

Please don't spreading COVID disinformation

Lets break down aspects of current covid management, with real world examples, from a conservative perspective.
This post covers current restrictions on travel, specifically heavily impacting New Zealanders.

Here's one of our governments official propaganda outlets

'Zero tolerance' for Kiwis trying to enter country as bogus transit passengers


Lorna Thornber16:54, Jan 21 2022


Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the Government is not ready to release more MIQ rooms.
Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) has “zero tolerance” for Kiwis attempting to get into the country by posing as transit passengers – but an immigration lawyer says he can’t see any legal reason why they shouldn’t be able to do so.

A post in an online group for Kiwis stuck overseas, which has been widely shared on social media, suggests New Zealanders could bypass the need to secure an MIQ slot by booking a flight that transits in Auckland.
BEVAN READ/STUFF
The post suggested overseas Kiwis without MIQ slots enter NZ as bogus transit passengers (file photo).
Once in New Zealand, the post said “just go through immigration and enter NZ. It’s illegal for them to deny you entry as you are a NZ citizen. Even if you don’t have an MIQ voucher they have to let you in. I guess they would scramble and find you a place in MIQ. And I guess in theory they couldn’t make you pay for it as you never applied for it”.

READ MORE:
* 'A national disgrace': Kiwi expats and travellers won't forget how they've been treated
* People in NZ should not have same right to MIQ
* MIQueue: Is it legal to stop New Zealanders coming home?


The post speculated that if enough people did this, New Zealand authorities would have to let them self-isolate.

Arran Hunt, a partner with Auckland law firm Stace Hammond, said he had “a little bit of respect” for whoever came up with the idea “as it is an intriguing way for Kiwis stuck offshore to find a way into New Zealand”.


Section 18 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 grants every New Zealand citizen the right to enter the country.

What it doesn't mention is the government overrode the Bill of Rights under emergency power, last year. Equivalent the the American government overruling the constitution, in entirety.

The Government has curtailed that during the Covid-19 pandemic by not allowing people to board flights to New Zealand without an MIQ voucher – something Hunt said is not preventing them from returning home, just making it more difficult to do so.

“It’s been a de facto way to control entry without breaching section 18. This is why New Zealand Citizens can sail into New Zealand under the Maritime Border Controls, as the Government can’t control the boarding of private boats in the same way.”

Hunt said he can’t think of any legal reason why a New Zealand citizen entering the country on the proviso of travelling to another country should be denied entry, although they would still need to do their time in MIQ.

“Effectively it would be preventing a New Zealand citizen from entering New Zealand, and forcing them to leave the country.”

While Hunt doubts emergency legislation brought in to help govern borders during the pandemic intended Kiwis to enter the country in this way, he said the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 requires section 18 of the Bill of Rights Act to be taken into account.

Unless they refused to enter MIQ, Hunt said such travellers are unlikely to be penalised.

“I can’t find any legislation or regulations that would allow for a penalty, unless they refused to undertake MIQ on arrival. It isn’t something that I’ve thought about, and I doubt it is something that was covered when legislation was drafted.

“There may be an attempt to find some sort of generic charge, but I believe it may be difficult to enforce. When we have a Government that doesn’t take action when a temporary visa holder with Omicron breaks the rules for home isolation, it is difficult to believe they would take action against desperate grounded Kiwis just trying to get home.”

Head of MIQ operations Melissa Ross described arriving in New Zealand without a valid MIQ voucher as “a selfish act given there are thousands of New Zealanders, often in very difficult circumstances, who want to come home and follow the rules and the law to do so”.

Unless you are an MP or a friend of the prime minister, you can't travel without an additional $3,500 cost, associated with a booking in MIQ, which you can't get. It was simply a lottery, but the lottery has been cancelled.

Entry to New Zealand is still strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. All arrivals, including New Zealand citizens and residents, must spend 10 days in MIQ unless arriving under a quarantine-free travel agreement such as with the Cook Islands.

Those who arrive in NZ without a valid MIQ voucher risk a fine of up to several thousand dollars.
Those who arrive in the country without a voucher risk being fined up to $4000 if a court decides that is appropriate, she said.

Ross said bogus transit passengers would put added stress the already overloaded MIQ system.

“We are seeing a large increase of Omicron cases at the border from people returning home and that is putting MIQ under pressure like never before. There are severe capacity constraints in January and February for both managed isolation and quarantine rooms. Unplanned entries have potential to overwhelm the MIQ system and risk the health and safety of New Zealanders, which we have all done so much to protect during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MIQ would have “zero tolerance” for bogus transit passengers and refer them to the police, she said.

“New Zealand’s a small country – we’ll all know people who have struggled to return home. We want every New Zealander who’s currently abroad who wants to come home to be able to do so. However, we want them to come home to a safe New Zealand, in a safe way. Over the last two years our managed isolation system has been what has kept New Zealanders safe.”

Remember here they are talking about citizens simply trying to return to their home.

Hunt said permanent residents may have a tougher time entering the country after travelling here as transit passengers.

“Later visas do have an agreement to comply with MIQ requirements as part of the visa. However, I still would find it difficult to imagine them being forced to board a plane out of New Zealand, though that may legally be possible. However, section 32J of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 groups residents and citizens together as “New Zealanders”. So, at least under that legislation, there is no distinction.”

Forcing permanent resident transit passengers to continue onto the final destination on their itinerary could prompt them to create a disturbance on the plane so they were kicked off, he said.

“That would likely lead to criminal charges, but it would be a possibility as someone stuck offshore for some time may become desperate, and the government will be aware of that.”

New Zealand has transit arrangements with some countries to make it easier for citizens of those countries to get home.

You are considered a transit passenger if you pass through New Zealand on your way to another country and do not plan to stay. Transit passengers must stay in the transit area of Auckland International Airport or on board their aircraft. They normally cannot spend more than 24 hours in transit.

Ross said the MIQ system has finite capacity for good reason.

”Covid-19 is still spreading around the world and we need to keep New Zealand safe. We constantly have to strike a balance between bringing people into New Zealand and protecting us all from Covid entering the community.”

This of course is in direct contradiction to the WHO

1. MODIFIED: States Parties should ensure that there is sufficient surge capacity for critical SARS-CoV-2 clinical care and post COVID-19 condition, and for the maintenance of essential health services, and should plan for the restoration of health services at all levels with sufficient funding, supplies, and human resources. Specific to the risk of evolving new lineages, special attention may be needed for ensuring access to treatment for treatable immunosuppressive disease. States Parties should enhance access to health for all by strengthening health and social systems to cope with the impacts of the pandemic, especially on children. Building health systems resilience for universal health coverage and health security during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: WHO position paper
2. MODIFIED: Lift or ease international traffic bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by States Parties. The failure of travel restrictions introduced after the detection and reporting of Omicron variant to limit international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time.Travel measures (e.g. masking, testing, isolation/quarantine, and vaccination) should be based on risk assessments and avoid placing the financial burden on international travellers in accordance with Article 40 of the IHR. WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant
3. EXTENDED: Do NOT require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel as the only pathway or condition permitting international travel given limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. State Parties should consider a risk-based approach to the facilitation of international travel by lifting or modifying measures, such as testing and/or quarantine requirements, when appropriate, in accordance with the WHO guidance. Interim position paper: considerations regarding proof of COVID-19 vaccination for international travellers; Policy considerations for implementing a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-19

I need hardly add our current government is left/extreme left, has mandated ongoing vaccinations for 40% of the population (myself included, logistics) and failure to do so instigates house arrest via being unable to go anywhere or do anything, nor receive any form of government financial aid.