GD's Political Animal: July 2022

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Allegedly slave-made PPE being sold in Canada

Trudeau insults Emancipation Day by giving pass to slave labour | Toronto Sun - Jamil Jivani:

July 29, 2022 - "Canadians can soon expect [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau to make comments on social media in honour of Emancipation Day. It’s one of the most important days of the year, when we remember the men and women who fought to end slavery in the British Empire in 1834. Trudeau may even pat his own government on the back for being the first to officially recognize August 1 as Emancipation Day last year.

"But ... [w]hile he presents as though he’d be on the right side of history two hundred years ago, Trudeau gives a pass to slave labour today. Literally, right before our eyes, Trudeau allows for goods made by slaves to be sold in our country.

"Let’s take a close look at one industry in particular: personal protective equipment.... Supermax medical gloves are alleged to be made by slave labour in Malaysia. In October 2021, the United States cancelled all of its contracts with the Supermax corporation [and banned the gloves' sale in the U.S. - gd]

"U.K. politicians then called for an investigation into the company as well. Trudeau Liberals made it seem as though they had followed suit in January 2022, when Public Services and Procurement Canada announced they were terminating two contracts with Supermax worth over $222 million.

"But, eight months later, the Trudeau government still allows for Supermax gloves to be sold in Canada. Three companies, each of which are listed in the Fortune 500, continue to sell these medical gloves suspected of being made by slaves.

Henry Schein, ironically named one of the Ethisphere’s most ethical companies in the world, sells Supermax gloves under the brand Aurelia.
Patterson Dental contradicts its own supplier compliance standards by selling the same gloves.
You can also buy the gloves from Avantor, which violates its own policy to prevent slave labour in its supply chain....

"Back in February, the Trudeau Liberals froze the bank account of a single mother earning minimum wage because she donated $50 to the trucker convoy. They froze the accounts of hundreds of other Canadians, too, for supporting the truckers. But they expect us to believe they can’t stop Fortune 500 companies from selling medical gloves made by slaves?"

Saturday, July 30, 2022

1 million locked down in Wuhan for 4 Covid cases

China's Wuhan shuts down district of 1 million people over 4 asymptomatic Covid cases | CNN - Nectar Gan:

July 27, 2022 - "The Chinese metropolis of Wuhan has shut down a district of almost a million people after detecting four asymptomatic Covid cases, as the original epicenter of the pandemic takes no chances in preventing another outbreak under China's stringent zero-Covid policy. Authorities in Wuhan's Jiangxia district, home to more than 970,000 people, announced Wednesday its main urban areas would enforce three days of 'temporary control measures.'

"Entertainment venues -- including bars, cinemas and internet cafes -- small clinics and agricultural product marketplaces were closed; restaurant dining and large gatherings, from performances to conferences, were suspended; all places of worship were shut and religious activities banned; while tutoring institutions and tourist attractions halted operations, according to a government statement. All public transport, from buses to subway services, were suspended, and residents were urged not to leave the district unless absolutely necessary.

"Authorities also identified four high-risk neighborhoods where residents are banned from leaving their homes. A further four neighborhoods were designated as medium-risk, meaning residents cannot leave their compounds. The measures were aimed to 'further reduce the flow of people, lower the risk of cross-infection and achieve dynamic zero-Covid in the shortest time possible,' the statement said....

"Wuhan, a transport and industrial hub in central China's Hubei province, imposed the world's first Covid lockdown in early 2020 to contain the rampaging coronavirus, after initially playing down the outbreak and silencing health workers who tried to sound alarms.

Wuhan, China, in 2020. Photo by Zheng Zhou. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

The stringent lockdown shuttered businesses and confined residents to their homes for more than two months.... Despite the initial mishandling, the Chinese government has heralded Wuhan as a success story in its fight against the pandemic. In August 2020, as much of the world grappled with Covid-19, Wuhan made international headlines when it held an electronic music festival in an open air water park, with thousands of people partying....

"[S]nap lockdown, mass testing and strict quarantine have been used by authorities across China to contain sporadic outbreaks, in what has become known as the zero-Covid strategy. That approach had been mostly effective ... until this year, when the highly transmissible Omicron variant caused the country's largest outbreak since Wuhan [2020]. The financial hub of Shanghai was placed under more than two months of bruising lockdown,... Cities and towns around the country have also been subject to varying degrees of restrictions ... with some border towns undergoing intermittent lockdowns for months on end.

"The lockdowns have also wreaked extensive damage on the Chinese economy, plunging it into the slowest quarterly growth since the start of the pandemic. As much of the world moved on from the pandemic, Chinese officials, including the country's leader Xi Jinping, have repeatedly vowed to stick to the zero-Covid policy."

Friday, July 29, 2022

Nursing shortage forcing Ontario hospital cuts

In January, CTV News reported, the Ontario government announced a plan to deploy internationally-trained nurses to work in provincial hospitals to alleviate the ongoing nursing shortage. Six months later, reports the same network, nursing shortages are still forcing Ontario hospitals to temporarily close facilities, while tens of thousands of internationally-trained nurses are still sidelined.

Ontario will deploy internationally educated nurses to hospitals dealing with staffing shortages | CTV News - Sean Davidson:

January. 11, 2022 - "Ontario will deploy internationally educated nurses to hospitals and long-term care homes facing staffing shortages due to COVID-19. Health Minister Christine Elliott made the announcement on Tuesday while speaking about health-care capacity, saying international nurses who have applied to practice in Ontario 'will have the opportunity to meet their applications requirements by working in health-care settings under the supervision of a regulated health-care provider.' Elliott said more than 1,200 applicants have already expressed interest and will be matched with hospitals and long-term care homes later this week."
Read more: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-will-deploy-internationally-educated-nurses-to-hospitals-dealing-with-staffing-shortages-1.5735340

Tens of thousands of nurses on the sidelines as ERs on the brink of closure in Ontario | CTV News - Hannah Alberga:

July 26, 2022 - "Tens of thousands of nurses are currently sitting on the sidelines as hospital emergency rooms in Ontario near the brink of closure due to staffing shortages. That’s because this pool of about 26,000 nurses in Ontario is internationally educated, according to the most recent report from the province’s Office of the Fairness Commission. 'Of those, 14,000 are registered nurses, which is really where the toe is hurting,' Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) CEO Doris Grinspun said. 'You have ERs that are closing. You have nursing homes that don't have enough staff. All of it boils down to the same thing. Nursing is like the spinal cord of the system. If you don't have enough nurses, the system cannot function,' Grinspun said.

"According to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) website, the registration process for a nurse who was educated outside of Canada takes between three to 18 months. That includes eight registration requirements, such as evidence of practice, language proficiency and a registration exam.... But for applicants like Karla Ducusin, it ... took three years. Ducusin was qualified and practiced as a registered nurse for four years in the Philippines before she immigrated to Canada.... It took Ducusin two years to complete the required English and licensing exams, which she spent all of her savings on. But after she passed, she also needed permanent resident status or an open work permit....

"Grinspun said lowering the time frame it takes to process these nurses would dramatically change the current shortage. A recent RNAO report found the backlog of internationally educated nurse applicants in Ontario has been growing for over a decade, and has only escalated during the pandemic.... Meanwhile, the workforce is collapsing, said Birgit Umaigba, a registered nurse in a Toronto emergency room.... Some days, Umaigba said she’s performing the work of three nurses. She said that means patients will have to sit soiled for hours, developing bed sores.... While Umaigba said she sees an immediate need for bringing more internationally educated nurses into the workforce, she said it needs to be paired with a long-term solution."
Read more: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/tens-of-thousands-of-nurses-on-the-sidelines-as-ers-on-the-brink-of-closure-in-ontario-1.6002766

'Titanic' staffing crisis leaving at least 14 Ontario hospital units shut down ahead of long weekend | CTV News - Hannah Alberga & Siobhan Morris:

July 28, 2022 - "The intensive care unit at a hospital in Bowmanville will be temporarily closed amid a 'significant staff shortage,' alongside more than a dozen other Ontario hospitals that are expecting to reduce beds and relocate care ahead of the long weekend. An Ontario nursing union told CTV News Toronto at least 14 hospitals will be impacted. 'Long weekends always have an increased visit to emergency rooms, so there'll be further staffing issues, further burnout issues,' Ontario Nurses’ Association President Cathryn Hoy said on Thursday afternoon. At the centre of the closures is a staffing crisis that Hoy said she can only compare to the 'Titanic'....

"Lakeridge Health told CTV News Toronto that they had to make the 'difficult decision' to temporarily close their [Bowmanville] ICU and relocate patients to Ajax Pickering and Oshawa hospitals.... Emergency rooms in Wingham and Listowel will also be closed for parts of the long weekend. Hoy said these closures are the result of nurses leaving the profession in 'droves.'

"Birgit Umaigba, an Ontario emergency room nurse, said she has witnessed this with her own eyes. Just yesterday, the ICU she was scheduled to work at shutdown. She said two more colleagues told her they were prepared to leave the profession, adding to the list of over a dozen she’s recently seen walk away from the profession to work at Boston Pizza and Costco, some with decades of experience. The most recent Statistics Canada data illustrates the severity of the situation. Almost one in four nurses said they planned on changing or leaving their job in the next three years."
Read more: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/titanic-staffing-crisis-leaving-at-least-14-ontario-hospital-units-shut-down-ahead-of-long-weekend-1.6006460

Nursing shortage is 'going to cost lives,' says ICU nurse | CBC News, Jan 4, 2022:

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Judge orders Tamara Lich released on bail

Tamara Lich is granted bail, again | Western Standard - Matthew Horwood:

July 26, 2022 "Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich has once again been ordered released from jail, after the Ontario Superior Court found errors in the decision to revoke her bail two weeks ago. Ontario Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman ruled Tuesday that the earlier order on July 8 for Lich’s detainment was 'inappropriate.'

"Goodman said Justice of the Peace Paul Harris had made 'erroneous' conclusions and 'misapprehended' the evidence against Lich when deciding she broke her bail conditions. Goodman said Lich had been in strict compliance with the terms of her bail conditions, except for meeting with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Tom Marazzo at Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms awards gala.

"Lich, who was arrested on February 17 by Ottawa Police Service, was granted bail on March 7. Lich was re-arrested on June 27 for breaking the conditions of her bail by meeting with Marazzo at an awards gala in Toronto. On July 8, Justice of the Peace Paul Harris told Lich, 'your detention is necessary to maintain confidence in the administration of justice'....

"Goodman said Harris had a 'bold assertion' that Lich endangered the public, and that the freedom protests still going on in Ottawa should be attributed to her. He said Harris also should have 'grappled with' the circumstances of Lich being a non-violent, first-time offender. While [Crown Prosecutor Moiz] Karimjee had suggested Lich could be given a 10-year sentence for mischief and obstruction, to which Harris agreed, Goodman said Lich's charges were minor.

"Goodman warned Lich to abide by the conditions of her bail, adding he does not expect her to be released a third time if her bail once again comes into question.

"Lich faces charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation. She is scheduled to appear in court again on July 28.... Lich [has] spent a total of 48 days in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre since her initial arrest."

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Trudeau gov't wants Dutch-style nitrogen cuts

Trudeau pushes ahead on fertilizer reduction as provinces and farmers cry foul | Toronto Sun - Brian Lilley:

July 22, 2022 - "Provincial agriculture ministers are expressing frustration with the Trudeau government over plans to effectively reduce fertilizer use by Canada’s farmers in the name of fighting climate change. A meeting of federal and provincial ministers wrapped up in Saskatoon on Friday with several provinces saying they are disappointed.

"The federal government is looking to impose a requirement to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizers saying it is a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. While the Trudeau government says they want a 30% reduction in emissions, not fertilizer, farm producer groups say that at this point, reducing nitrous oxide emissions can’t be done without reducing fertilizer use....

"Several provincial governments, and organizations representing farmers have asked for emissions reductions from fertilizer to be measured via intensity – how much food is produced compared to the amount of fertilizer used. The Trudeau government is demanding an absolute reduction in emissions, which farmers say will result in less food being produced at a time when the world can ill afford it.

“'The world is looking for Canada to increase production and be a solution to global food shortages. The Federal government needs to display that they understand this,' Alberta minister Nate Horner said. 'We’re really concerned with this arbitrary goal,' Saskatchewan’s David Marit said.

"Federal minister Marie-Claude Bibeau called the government’s target ambitious but claims it’s one that farmers will embrace.... Farm groups, like the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, have said the federal plan will reduce crop output, reduce income for farm families and increase food prices in Canadian grocery stores.... Similar plans to reduce fertilizer use have resulted in mass protests in Europe, in particular the Netherlands."

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Alberta pastor wins 1st appeal on Covid charges

Pastor Artur Pawlowski has total legal victory in Alberta Court of Appeal | Rebel News - Sheila Gunn Reid:

July 22, 2022 - "Alberta appeals court panel of Justice Barbara Lea Veldhuis, Justice Michelle Crighton and Justice Jo' Anne Strekaf ordered Alberta Health Services to reimburse Artur Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid, for the costs of their appeal and the return of any fines and penalties paid. The appeals panel concluded the original injunction banning protests in the name of public health 'was not sufficiently clear and unambiguous'. The appeals panel also reduced the penalties of restaurant owner Chris Scott to time served and penalties already paid.

"The judgement released Friday morning read:

The Pawlowskis' appeals are allowed. The finding of contempt and the sanction order are set aside. The fines that have been paid by them are to be reimbursed.
The chambers judge awarded costs to AHS payable by the Pawlowskis jointly in the amount of $15,733.50, calculated at 2.5 times column 1. That costs award is set aside and the Pawlowskis are awarded their costs payable by AHS in the proceedings below and in this Court calculated on the same basis

"Calgary pastor Art Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid, were both arrested and imprisoned after being found in contempt of an ex-parte court order obtained by Alberta Health Services restraining 'illegal public gatherings'.... Scott’s sentence for contempt of the same court order related to a large-scale demonstration he held after his small town diner, gas station, convenience store and campground was seized by the province after [he] refused to close his doors to meet covid regulations. His was reduced in Friday’s ruling to the penalties he has already served or completed:

A sentence of three days in prison, which is deemed fully satisfied and served; A fine of $10,000, less credit for all amounts paid by the appellant to date, which may be paid at the rate of $500/month, failing which payments shall immediately become due and payable in its entirety; and Probation for a period of approximately 8 months to the date of this order on the terms prescribed by the chambers judge, which is deemed fully satisfied.

"These victories in the name of religious freedom, the right to protest and free expression were only made possible through your generous crowdfunded donations to www.SaveArtur.com. The legal bill to fight the endless government resources is enormous, but we think every penny spent in the name of freedom is worth it. All donations to www.SaveArtur.com qualify for a charitable tax receipt through a partnership with the registered Canadian charity, the Democracy Fund."

Monday, July 25, 2022

Canadians protest in solidarity with Dutch farmers

Farmer protest taking place across Canada this weekend | Orillia Today - Rob Paul:

Jul 22, 2022 -"This Saturday, across Canada, protests are being held in solidarity with Dutch farmers. Among the locations for the demonstrations are Vaughan, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. The vast majority of the demonstrations have been organized by Freedom Fighters Canada; a group associated with the Ottawa trucker convoy. As part of the protest, the farmers will be creating a convoy and 'slow rolling' through towns and cities across Canada. Towns and cities expected to see the farmer convoy in the GTA are Innisfil, Newmarket, Barrie, Orangeville, Oshawa, Bowmanville, Ajax, Milton, Cambridge, Uxbridge, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto before a planned gathering at Vaughan Mills....

"The protests stem from a proposed climate policy that aims to cut down to 50 per cent nitrogen and ammonia emissions by 2030, which is projected to force at least 30 per cent of farmers out of business.... The goals to reduce emissions has led to protests across Europe, and in June 40,000 farmers gathered in the Netherlands to protest the government's plans. Given the potential impact this will have on Canada, the Canadian demonstrators hope to draw attention to the situation on Saturday."

One person arrested during protest in support of Dutch farmers in downtown Ottawa | CTV News - Josh Pringle:

July 23, 2022 - "Vehicles and pedestrians carrying Canadian and Dutch flags converged on the streets of downtown Ottawa Saturday afternoon, expressing solidarity with farmers protesting new government environmental regulations in the Netherlands. Freedom Fighters Canada organized the 'We Move as One' demonstration in cities across the country, including a 'slow roll' convoy into Ottawa and a demonstration outside the Embassy of the Netherlands blocks from Parliament Hill.

"Ottawa police say one person was arrested on Obstruct and Public Mischief charges.... Ottawa Bylaw says 103 parking tickets were issued inside the temporary no-stopping zone, and 12 vehicles were towed.

"Dozens of vehicles participated in the 'slow roll' convoy along Hwy. 417 to the downtown core, where hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Albert Street. Farmers in the Netherlands have been holding a series of demonstrations to protest new environmental targets by the Dutch government.

"'The government is trying to put all these family farms out of business,' Jerry said. 'I read about one farmer who has to cull 95 per cent of his dairy heard just cuz he lives next door to a forest.' 'When we had our truck rally, they supported us,' said a woman taking part in the demonstration.... Signs at the rally included 'Freedom', 'Hold the Line' and 'Stand With Farmers or Eat Crickets.'

"'We want freedom of conscience, ability to live, ability to farm, to buy as many animals as you want, to farm as much as you want,' [a protester named] Stephanie said. 'The freedom to sell what you produce ... not have it bought up by government agencies and destroyed'....

"Convoys were scheduled to travel from Brockville, Kemptville, Renfrew and Arnprior to Ottawa's west end ahead of the downtown rally. Freedom Fighters Canada outlined etiquette for the protest, including 'no blockading on any roads, exits, bridges or highways' during the event and 'ensure flags are properly secured'....

"'There is zero tolerance for vehicle-based demonstrations or events within the city's designated zone in the downtown core,' police said on Twitter.... Police say vehicle-based demonstrations or events are prohibited within an area stretching from Bronson Avenue in the west to Waller Street in the east, and Wellington Street/Rideau Street to the north to Laurier Avenue in the south, along with Booth Street, Sussex Drive and Mackenzie Avenue.... 'The downtown core remains open and accessible. The only exception are vehicles wishing to do a vehicle-based demonstration,' [Ottawa Police Services] says."

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Economist sees global anti-elite popular uprising

July 7, 2022 - - "A popular uprising of working-class people against the elites and their values is underway — and it's crossing the globe. There is a growing resistance by the middle and lower classes against what Rob Henderson has coined the 'luxury beliefs' of the elites, as everyday folks realize the harm it causes them and their communities.

"There were early glimmerings last February, when the Canadian Trucker Convoy pitched working class truck drivers against a 'laptop class' demanding ever more restrictive COVID-19 policies. You saw it as well in the victory of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who ran on parents' rights in education and went on to win both suburbs and rural areas. You can see it in the growing support of Hispanic voters for a Republican Party.... And now we're seeing the latest iteration in the Netherlands in the form of a farmer's protest against new environmental rulings that will ruin them.

"Over 30,000 Dutch farmers have risen in protest against the government in the wake of new nitrogen limits that require farmers to radically curb their nitrogen emissions by up to 70 percent in the next eight years ... requir[ing] farmers to use less fertilizer and even to reduce the number of their livestock.... The new environmental regulations ... would force many to shutter, including people whose families have been farming for three or four generations. In protest, farmers have been blockading streets and refusing to deliver their products to supermarket chains. It's been leading to serious shortages of eggs and milk, among other food items.

"But the effects will be global. The Netherlands is the world's second largest agricultural exporter after the United States, making the country of barely 17 million inhabitants a food superpower. Given global food shortages and rising prices, the role of Dutch farmers in the global food chain has never been more important. But if you thought the Dutch government was going to take that into account and ensure that people can put food on the table, you would be wrong; when offered the choice between food security and acting against 'climate change,' the Dutch government decided to pursue the latter.

"What is particularly frustrating is that the government is fully aware that what it is asking farmers to do will drive many of them out of existence. In fact, the government originally planned to move at a slower pace — until a lawsuit brought by environmental groups in 2019 forced an acceleration of the timetable. The reaction by members of the agricultural sector has been massive and ongoing since 2019, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte to ban protests in 2020 and 2021. With the reignited demonstrations this year, the authorities have also switched to a more aggressive approach. There have been arrests and even warning shots fired by police at farmers, one almost killing a 16-year-old protestor....

"[T]he sympathies of the Dutch are not with their government; they are solidly with their farmers. Current polls indicate that the Farmers Political Party, formed just three years ago in response to the new regulations, would gain a whopping 11 seats in Parliament if elections were held today.... Moreover, the Dutch Fishermen's Union has publicly joined the protests, blocking harbors with fishing crews holding signs that read 'Eendracht maakt Kracht': Unity Creates Strength. But while the Dutch people are on the side of the farmers, their elites are behaving much as they did in Canada and the U.S., and not just those in government. Media outlets are refusing to even report the protests, and when they do, they cast the farmers as extremists.

"Why the disconnect? Every reliable poll of European newsrooms ... show[s] that climate change is a much more important topic for journalists than it is for ordinary people. It's not that average citizens don't care about climate change, but that they have the common sense to know that destroying their farm so the government's emission goals can be met in 2030 instead of 2035 will not change the planet's climate. After all, the Netherlands accounts for just 0.46 percent of the world's CO2 emissions.... It may make the country's elite ... feel good about themselves, but it will also result in large parts of the population seeing their living standards decline and their economic existence targeted by the state for ideological reasons....

"Whether it's truckers in Canada, farmers in the Netherlands, oil and gas companies in the United States, ideology, not science or hard evidence, is dominating the agenda, gratifying the elites while immiserating the working class. Ultimately, there is a risk that climate policies will do to Europe what Marxism did to Latin America. A continent with all the conditions for widespread prosperity and a healthy environment will impoverish and ruin itself for ideological reasons. In the end, both the people and the climate will be worse off."

Ralph Schoellhammer is an assistant professor in economics and political science at Webster University Vienna.

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Natural immunity outperfoms 3 Covid shots

Natural Immunity Offered More Protection Against Omicron Than 3 Vaccine Doses, New England Journal of Medicine Study Finds | Foundation for Economic Education - Jon Miltimore:

July 18, 2022 - News reports say the Biden administration is currently weighing a plan that would allow all adults to receive a second Covid-19 booster, citing concerns from White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci about the spike in hospitalizations 'fueled by the extremely contagious omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.' Currently second booster shots are only offered to individuals over the age of 50. Meanwhile, discussion of a potential fifth shot is already underway....

The discussions highlight certain realities of Covid immunization. 'Immunity wanes,' Fauci said during a White House briefing on Tuesday, 'whether that’s immunity following infection or immunity following vaccine.'

While it’s true that immunization wanes, new scientific research from The New England Journal of Medicine suggests natural immunity lasts longer than immunity acquired from vaccines.

The study, a case–control analysis based on data from Qatar collected from December 23, 2021 through February 21, 2022, involved millions of people, including 1,306,862 who received at least two doses of the Pfizer vaccine (BNT162b2) and 893,671 people who received at least two doses of the Moderna vaccine (mRNA-1273), as well unvaccinated individuals. The results of the study are a mixed bag for the vaccines.

The best news is that 'any form of previous immunity, whether induced by previous infection or vaccination, is associated with strong and durable protection against Covid-19–related hospitalization and death'.... Also good news is that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines 'enhanced protection among persons who had had a previous infection.... The combination of prior, full vaccination and prior infection was maximally protective,' researchers said in a summary of the study’s findings released last month by the Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom. 'Individuals with prior infection and three doses of either mRNA vaccine were, overall, nearly 80 percent protected from symptomatic infection during the omicron wave.'

But the study also found that two doses of vaccines offered 'negligible' protection against Omicron infection. 'A key finding was that a history of vaccination with the standard two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine, but no history of prior infection, brought no significant protection against symptomatic omicron infection,' researchers said.

In regards to the Pfizer vaccine, three shots offered considerably more protection. But the protection was still lower than natural immunity, which offered stronger and more sustained protection from infection than vaccination. (Researchers noted that 'people with a prior-variant infection were moderately protected from omicron with little decline in protection even a year after their prior infection.')

The findings are not unlike those out of Israel published last year, which found that natural immunity offered more robust protection against the Delta variant than vaccines. 'The natural immune protection that develops after a SARS-CoV-2 infection offers considerably more of a shield against the Delta variant of the pandemic coronavirus than two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,' Science reported in August 2021 in a piece exploring the Israel findings.

More than a dozen other studies [have] also found that natural immunity offered powerful protection against Covid, equal to or stronger than vaccination. Even absent these findings, vaccine mandates were dubious from the beginning. The morality of violating bodily autonomy through government coercion is a serious and dangerous matter. In light of these findings, however, vaccine mandates also appear nonsensical.

While many institutions now consider Covid infection a form of immunization — including the NCAA, which in January changed its policy to accommodate athletes who’d had Covid — many have not. Thousands of soldiers have been discharged because of their vaccination status. Healthcare workers continue to face vaccination mandates in many places.

It’s time for all institutions — especially governments—to recognize vaccination choices should remain with individuals. The idea that freedom over one’s own body is the most basic and essential freedom is one embraced not just by libertarians like Ron Paul but by international leaders like Natalia Kanem, a physician who leads the United Nations Population Fund. 'Bodily autonomy is the foundation on which all rights exist,' Kanem bluntly states.

All efforts to compel people to get vaccinated (or else) are coercive, and therefore wrong. But when the government, in particular, violates bodily autonomy for an alleged greater good, it betrays its very reason for being. 'The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights,' the philosopher Ayn Rand noted.

As more studies like the research published by The New England Journal of Medicine come out, it becomes more and more clear that vaccine mandates were not just immoral. They were senseless. Fortunately, many are beginning to realize just that.

Read study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203965

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Friday, July 22, 2022

Pat King granted bail after 5 months in jail

Freedom Convoy leader Pat King granted bail | CBC News [stress added]:

July 18, 2022 - "A key figure of the Freedom Convoy protest has been granted bail after spending five months in jail, an Ottawa court decided Monday. Pat King emerged from the Elgin Street courthouse to hugs and cheers from supporters, who waved Canadian flags and chanted freedom.' King couldn't speak to reporters as a condition of his release.... There's a publication ban on the evidence and reasons for the decision.

"King was back in an Ottawa courtroom after waiting months to hear if he would be released on bail, since his bail review in April came to an abrupt halt due to new charges against him.... King's then-defence lawyer had requested a review of the decision to keep him in custody until his trial begins....

"King, an Alberta resident, was a leading figure in the weeks-long convoy protest against COVID-19 restrictions, and was arrested on Feb. 18 on four charges: mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police. He faces additional charges of obstructing justice and perjury.

"On Monday, Justice Anne London-Weinstein read out the conditions of King's release. They are:

To vacate Ottawa as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours.
To reside with a surety under supervision until he can take a flight to Edmonton.
Ottawa Police Service can check the surety's residence if required.
To reside with a surety in Alberta.
To be in employment under a surety.
To have no contact or communication with other Freedom Convoy leaders and stakeholders: Chris Barber, Tamara Lich, Daniel Bulford, Benjamin Dichter, James Bauder, Tyson Billings, Owen Swiderski, Tom Marrazzo, and Brian Carr. (Unless it's through counsel, or for his preparations for defence for his criminal charges.)
No protesting or public assembly, specifically related to COVID-19 pandemic, the Freedom Convoy and anti-government demonstration.
No social media in any form, no posting messages or having others post on his behalf. He must deactivate his Real Pat King website, Facebook page and other social media accounts within 48 hours, through a surety or counsel.
No giving interviews, including on social media.
To abide by a curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., unless he's with sureties. King must provide proof to police he is with a surety, if he's unavailable for a door-knock check.
King must post a $25,000 cash bond, to guarantee his next court appearance.
No possession of weapons or ammunition.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Support for vax passes & mask mandates waning

by George J. Dance

According to scientists, vaccine efficacy against Covid 19 infection has waned. And so has Canadians' tolerance of Covid vaccine passports and other restrictions, according to a national polling firm. The Angus Reid Institute reported on July 20 that, while "many Canadians continue to be worried about the risk the virus poses to their own and their families’ health," and "while some are taking their own steps to prevent further spread, the appetite for government public health measures is minimal – and a fraction of what it was in previous waves."

"Last September, amid the fourth wave of the pandemic," Angus Reid reminds us, "seven-in-ten Canadians (70%) said they would support a vaccine passport in their community to require residents to show proof of inoculation to enter larger public spaces." That was the month that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won re-election campaigning to bring vax passes in. Health matters, including vaccine passes, constitutionally are not the federal government's business; but Trudeau promised to give provincial governments a billion dollars to mandate them.

By 2022, Canadians' support of Covid restrictions had dropped - a January Angus Reid poll found a majority in favor of "lifting restrictions" in general. However, vaccine passes remained popular. As late as mid-March, the pollster was reporting that 64 per cent - almost two Canadians in three - "supported proof of vaccination at places like restaurants and theatres in their community."

And today, now that we face a reported seventh wave of Covid? According to the latest Angus Reid survey, conducted July 13-17, the vaccine pass "concept is now supported by one-in-four (25%)." Vaccine passes no longer enjoy majority support in any region or among any demographic group.

Public support for mask mandates has taken a similar tumble. The March Angus Reid survey found that "nationally, 73 per cent supported continuing masking requirements in public spaces" - almost three Canadians in four. By mid-July, that support has fallen to a bare majority; just "half say they would support mandating [masks] in public spaces (51%)."

Enthusiasm for renewed mask mandates remains strongest in Atlantic Canada (at 62%), Ontario (55%), and British Columbia (also 55%). It is lowest in Alberta (36%) and Saskatchewan (38%). Support has fallen most among men under 55, of which "Just one-in-three would implement a mask mandate in their community compared to a majority of all other age and gender combinations."

Canadians have not given up on facemasks; or have they? Almost three-quarters (74%) of those polled say that masks are effective "at reducing the spread of COVID-19." Yet just 30% report "wearing a mask when they are inside places like grocery stores, banks or movie theatres 'most' or 'all of the time'." More than half (53%) say that they "rarely" or "never" wear one.

Only 14% of respondents want travel restrictions reinstated. Almost three times as many, 38% – roughly two in five – told Angus Reid that no government action is needed in the event of a seventh wave of Covid.

The Institute surveyed a representative randomized sample of 1,602 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Sources:

"Canadians still hesitant to withdraw proof of vaccination measures, masking in indoor spaces," Angus Reid Institute, March 15, 2022. https://angusreid.org/covid-restrictions-precautions-masking-trudeau/

"Canadians’ desire to implement mask mandates or vaccine passports plunges, Angus Reid Institute, July 20, 2022. https://www.angusreid.com/intelligence/canadians-desire-to-implement-mask-mandates-or-vaccine-passports-plunges/

"As COVID BA.5 cases surge, Canadians’ desire to implement mask mandates or vaccine passports plunges," Angus Reid Institute, July 20, 2022.
https://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022.07.20_COVID_Restrictions.pdf

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Farmers' protests spread throughout Europe

Why farmers' protests that kicked off in The Netherlands are spreading across Europe | Firstpost:

July 18, 2022 - "A farmers protest that began in The Netherlands over proposals to slash emissions has spread to other parts of Europe with cultivators in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland taking to the streets in solidarity with their counterparts.

"It all kicked off in June as Dutch farmers protested over their government’s proposals to slash emissions of damaging pollutants, a plan that will likely force cultivators to cut their livestock herds or stop work altogether.... Some 40,000 farmers gathered in June in the central Netherlands' agricultural heartland to protest the government's plans. Many arrived by tractor, snarling traffic around the country.... Days later, farmers again took their protests to crowded highways, driving slowly along the roads or stopping altogether. Some have dumped hay bales on roads, and small groups demonstrated at town and city halls, in some cases starting bonfires outside the buildings. Some farmers set hay bales ablaze alongside highways, while others gathered in towns and cities, including The Hague.

"The Dutch government was forced to act after a series of court rulings that blocked infrastructure and construction projects because of fears they would cause emissions that breach environmental rules.... The government says emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, which livestock produce, must be drastically reduced close to nature areas that are part of a network of protected habitats for endangered plants and wildlife stretching across the 27-nation European Union. Dutch farmers say that they are being unfairly targeted as polluters while other industries, such as aviation, construction and transport, also are contributing to emissions and face less far-reaching rules.... As per The Scottish Farmer, supermarkets are running out of food as the protests continue to intensify. This, as fishermen have been blocking ports and several ships honking their horns to express their discontent over inflation.

"German farmers blockaded roads on the border with the Netherlands and gathered in large numbers to protest near the city of Heerenburg. As per The Deep Dive, German farmer groups are themselves upset over a recent renewable energy Act amendment by parliament, claiming it does not provide enough support for biogas production. 'It is completely incomprehensible that in the middle of this far-reaching energy crisis, a sustainable domestic energy source such as biogas is being curbed in the production of electricity, heat, and biomethane,' Bernhard Krüsken, secretary-general of the German Farmers’ Association, told the website.

"As per the website, Polish farmers also rose up in protest over the cost of fertiliser and cheap food imports being allowed and thus increasing local production costs. The farmers took to the streets of Warsaw shouting: “Enough is enough! We won’t let ourselves be robbed!” and “We workers cannot pay for the crisis created by politicians!”

"In Spain, farmers blocked highways in the southern region of Andalusia to protest against high fuel prices and the rising costs of essential products, as per The Scottish Farmer. In Milan, Italian farmers in a convoy of tractors blocked city traffic, as per Morning Star Online. This comes in the backdrop of Italian farmers facing a severe drought that has put a third of agricultural produce at risk. Farmers say they have lost around €3 billion as a result of the emergency and are being hit hard by rising fuel prices with costs rocketing as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, as per the report....

"The ruling coalition wants to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrogen oxide and ammonia, by 50 per cent nationwide by 2030.... They warn that farmers will have to adapt or face the prospect of shuttering their businesses. 'The honest message ... is that not all farmers can continue their business,' and those who do will likely have to farm differently, the government said in a statement this month as it unveiled emission reduction targets. Livestock produce ammonia in their urine and faeces.... The problem is compounded in the Netherlands, which is known for its intensive farming practices, with large numbers of livestock kept on small areas of land....

"Agriculture — from dairy farming to growing crops in fields and greenhouses — is a significant part of the Dutch economy. According to a national farming lobby group, LTO, there are nearly 54,000 agricultural businesses in the Netherlands with exports totalling 94.5 billion euros in 2019."

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

UK medical journals call for new Covid restrictions

Bring Covid curbs back AGAIN, say top medical journals: Editorial calls for new clampdown on Britons that could include 'restrictions on gatherings' and mask mandates | Mail Online - Stephen Matthews:

July 18, 2022 - "Economically-crippling Covid restrictions need to be brought back immediately to save the 'dying' NHS, ministers have been told.... [I]n a scathing editorial demanding action today, the editors of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Health Service Journal (HSJ) — two of the country's leading health publications — accused Boris Johnson's Government of 'gaslighting the public' about Covid's threat. Dr Kamran Abbasi (BMJ) and Alastair McLellan (HSJ) said: 'Now is the time to face the fact that the nation's attempt to "live with Covid" is the straw that is breaking the NHS's back. 'The heart of the problem is the failure to recognise that the pandemic is far from over and that a return to some of the measures taken in the past two years is needed.'

"Examples of curbs needed included a return to wearing masks in healthcare settings and on public transport, the reintroduction of the £2billion-a-month free testing scheme, WFH [working from home] where possible and 'restrictions on some types and sizes of gathering'. They didn't set out what gatherings should be curbed. But previous limits enforced in England saw just six people allowed to meet indoors, weddings limited to a handful of guests and festivals cancelled....

"Britain's Covid cases soared by 800,000 last week with more than one in 20 people infected on any given day — prompting people to cancel plans, stay home and wear masks again. The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) weekly infection survey estimated 3.5million Britons were carrying the virus in the week ending July 6 as cases roses nationally by around a third. Sarah Crofts, chief analyst at the ONS, said infections 'are showing no signs of decreasing' and suggested they could reach pandemic highs this summer — which could throw public services into further chaos. Covid sickness is already wreaking havoc on the NHS, rail operators and airlines, echoing the Christmas wave when there were mass rail cancellations, axed operations, school closures and overflowing rubbish bins.

"While the Government has promised not to reimpose restrictions unless the Covid surge turns deadly, Britons already appear to be tempering their behaviours in response to the rising statistics. An exclusive poll for MailOnline today found three in 10 people have stayed at home to avoid Covid in the last month and 42 per cent have worn a face mask. Almost half observed social distancing rules that have not been in place since February, while two-thirds said they had sanitised their hands. Just 16 per cent of people, around one in six, have not taken any precautions over the last month, according to the survey of 1,500 Britons by Redfield & Wilton Strategies....

"Daily Covid hospital admissions have risen to a near 18-month high, with around 2,000 people currently being hospitalised every day. Yet only a third of 'patients' needing care primarily ill with the virus itself. The rest have incidentally tested positive, NHS figures show. Deaths and ICU rates have remained flat despite the uptick in cases, with fatalities sitting at roughly 30 a day. Top scientists say this is because the variants behind the current wave — BA.4 and BA.5 — are mild, and that sky-high immunity rates from vaccines and previous waves have blunted the virus's threat.

"One Government adviser, who didn't want to be named, insisted there is 'no need for Government measures' anymore. They argued draconian restrictions only worked when the public was scared by the disease itself, and now society isn't so 'worried about catching what's essentially a cross between a cold and flu'. 'The time of mandates and restrictions is finished and won't help,' the top scientist said. 'The last two waves went down without either.' Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert based at the University of East Anglia, said reintroducing curbs now 'is not going to actually achieve much' and would 'cause substantial disruption'....

"But the BMJ and HSJ argue that high infection rates are increasing the number of Covid and long Covid patients it has to care for. It is also pushing up staff absences and crippling its ability to tackle the backlog of routine care the spiralled during the pandemic, the authors said.... Similar warnings from Independent Sage, a panel of experts who pushed for a Chinese-style elimination strategy, called for restrictions when cases were already falling.

"During Omicron's winter resurgence, infections fell. Only rules requiring masks to be worn in indoor venues were brought back in — but they were quickly dropped when it was clear the virus was in retreat. Ministers refused to bring any curbs back during April, when cases soared to pandemic highs."

Read editorial: https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o1779

Monday, July 18, 2022

Alberta NDP ethics critic hacked health database

Alberta NDP promoted MLA one month after he breached provincial vaccine records | True North - Rachel Emmanuel:

July 15, 2022 -"Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley promoted former NDP MLA Thomas Dang to the party’s Democracy and Ethics critic role, even while the Official Opposition was aware he hacked the provincial Covid-19 vaccine records one month earlier, True North has learned. Dang was charged in June under the province’s Health Information Act for illegally attempting to access private information contained in the Alberta Health vaccine portal in September 2021. He faces a fine of $200,000 if convicted.

"Dang has said he accessed the site to test vulnerabilities on the newly launched Alberta Health vaccine portal, and upon finding one — and uncovering a woman’s healthcare number in the process — he informed NDP chief of staff Jeremy Nolais and NDP director of communications Benjamin Alldritt, court documents show. He was promoted to the critic portfolio one month later, in October, until he left the party to sit as an Independent MLA once the RCMP began investigating his actions in December....

"In September, ... Dang used Premier Jason Kenney’s birth date and vaccination dates, which are publicly available, to crack the site’s privacy safeguards. Between Sept. 19 and 23, Dang’s computer program made 1.78 million queries using Kenney’s personal information. Dang admitted to RCMP the queries were randomly generated guesses aimed at revealing the premier’s health care number.... On Sept. 23, Dang successfully uncovered a ... health-care number [that] belonged to a woman sharing the premier’s date of birth and vaccine month. Dang ran two subsequent manual tests to verify. Court documents say he then notified Nolais and Alldritt, who sent an email to Alberta Health communications director Steve Buick.... One month later, Dang was given a critic title.

"Alldritt declined to comment when contacted by True North on Wednesday, other than to say, 'Unfortunately we don’t have dealings with True North'.... Dang did not immediately respond for comment from True North on Thursday."

Unsealed court records suggest Notley misled Albertans | Western Standard - Arthur C. Green:

July 15, 2022 - "Newly unsealed court records suggest NDP Leader Rachel Notley misled Albertans when she denied knowing that Edmonton-South MLA Thomas Dang hacked Alberta’s vaccine records system using information that was not his own, former police officer and Chief Government Whip Brad Rutherford said. On Wednesday, Provincial Court Judge Shelagh Creagh unsealed damning court records that show Notley’s office knew Dang conducted a shocking 1.78 million illegal health record searches in September....

"According to the unsealed records, ... Dang told RCMP in a January interview that he got a hit on the premier’s private information early in the morning on September 23. The investigator believes that 20 minutes later, Dang performed a manual confirmation using the same information. Approximately two hours after that, Dang performed what is thought to have been a third confirmation. Eight minutes after that is when Notley’s staff informed the health minister’s office....

"Notley told Postmedia back in March that ... 'when Dang raised the issue of problems with the website with NDP staff, a staffer informed the health ministry, but she was never aware of personal information being accessed, nor did she or her staff receive personal information,' Postmedia reported."

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Pandemic restrictions' effect on world hunger

This page is for archiving articles on the Covid lockdowns' effect on world hunger. Headlines without text link to articles previously published on the blog.

Oct. 23, 2020: Poor eating rats in second Myanmar lockdown

June 2, 2021: 100 million were pushed into poverty, says ILO

July 9, 2021: Six-fold increase in people suffering famine-like conditions since pandemic began | Oxfam (press release):

"A new Oxfam report today says that as many as 11 people are likely dying of hunger and malnutrition each minute. This is more than the current global death rate of COVID-19, which is around seven people per minute. The report, "The Hunger Virus Multiplies" says that conflict remains the primary cause of hunger since the pandemic, pushing over half a million people into famine-like conditions ― a six-fold increase since 2020. Overall, 155 million people around the world are now living in crisis levels of food insecurity or worse – that is 20 million more than last year. Around two out of every three of these people are going hungry primarily because their country is in war and conflict.

"The report also describes the massive impact that economic shocks, particularly worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, along with the worsening climate crisis, have had in pushing tens of millions more people into hunger. Mass unemployment and severely disrupted food production have led to a 40 percent surge in global food prices - the highest rise in over a decade."

Source: World Food Program USA

UN report: Pandemic year marked by spike in world hunger |World Health Organization:

July 12, 2021 - "There was a dramatic worsening of world hunger in 2020, the United Nations said today – much of it likely related to the fallout of COVID-19. While the pandemic’s impact has yet to be fully mapped, a multi-agency report estimates that around a tenth of the global population – up to 811 million people – were undernourished last year. The number suggests it will take a tremendous effort for the world to honour its pledge to end hunger by 2030....

"'Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to expose weaknesses in our food systems, which threaten the lives and livelihoods of people around the world,' the heads of the five UN agencies write in this year’s Foreword.... Already in the mid-2010s, hunger had started creeping upwards.... Disturbingly, in 2020 hunger shot up in both absolute and proportional terms, outpacing population growth: some 9.9 percent of all people are estimated to have been undernourished last year, up from 8.4 percent in 2019....

"Overall, more than 2.3 billion people (or 30 percent of the global population) lacked year-round access to adequate food: this indicator – known as the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity – leapt in one year as much in as the preceding five combined.... Malnutrition persisted in all its forms, with children paying a high price: in 2020, over 149 million under-fives are estimated to have been stunted, or too short for their age; more than 45 million – wasted, or too thin for their height; and nearly 39 million – overweight. A full three-billion adults and children remained locked out of healthy diets.... Globally, despite progress in some areas – more infants, for example, are being fed exclusively on breast milk – the world is not on track to achieve targets for any nutrition indicators by 2030."

Sep 28, 2021: Hunger is now killing more people than COVID-19 | World Vision Canada - Lisa Baldock:

"Every minute, hunger kills 11 people compared to seven COVID-19 deaths, according to a study by John Hopkins University.... A recent World Vision report found that since the pandemic was declared, soaring food prices combined with lockdown-induced job losses and disrupted nutrition services have made healthy food out-of-reach for 3 billion people. The report warns that 250 more children could die every day by 2022 from hunger because of COVID-19 aftershocks.

"In May 2020, global food prices reached their highest levels in a decade — in some places increasing by more than 50%.... Food prices in Canada have risen 4.8%, making it harder for some Canadians to buy healthy food. But for poorer countries already dealing with conflict or climate-related disasters, this price increase means malnutrition and starvation for many families. The impact has been greatest in places such as Syria, East Africa and Myanmar, according to the World Vision report. 'The aftershocks of COVID-19 are exacting a greater toll than the virus itself,' says Lindsay Gladding, Director of the Fragile & Humanitarian programs team at World Vision Canada. 'Food insecurity combined with the impact of conflict and climate change has created the perfect storm–leading to what could be the worst hunger crisis in generations.'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzhEJk2pDeo

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Behind the chaos in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Why is the country in an economic crisis? | BBC News - Ayeshea Perera:

July 15, 2022 - "Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the country's military to do 'whatever is necessary to restore order', after protesters stormed his office. A state of emergency was declared after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, following months of mass protests over the island's economic crisis.... People have been struggling with daily power cuts and shortages of basics such as fuel, food and medicines.... The country doesn't have enough fuel for essential services like buses, trains and medical vehicles, and officials say it doesn't have enough foreign currency to import more....

"In late June, the government banned the sale of petrol and diesel for non-essential vehicles for two weeks. Sales of fuel remain severely restricted. Schools have closed, and people have been asked to work from home to help conserve supplies. Sri Lanka is unable to buy the goods it needs from abroad. And in May it failed to make an interest payment on its foreign debt for the first time in its history.... The country owes more than $51bn (£39bn) to foreign lenders, including $6.5bn to China, which has begun discussions about restructuring its loans....

"What led to the economic crisis? The government blamed the Covid pandemic, which badly affected Sri Lanka's tourist trade - one of its biggest foreign currency earners. It also says tourists were frightened off by a series of deadly bomb attacks in 2019. However, many experts blame President Rajapaksa's poor economic mismanagement.... Sri Lanka now imports $3bn (£2.3bn) more than it exports every year, and that is why it has run out of foreign currency....

"When Sri Lanka's foreign currency shortages became a serious problem in early 2021, the government tried to limit them by banning imports of chemical fertiliser. It told farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilisers instead. This led to widespread crop failure. Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse."
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-610281

How to Alleviate the Looming Global Hunger Crisis | American Institute for Economic Research - Bjorn Lomborg:

June 6, 2022 - ""The catastrophe unfolding in Sri Lanka provides a sobering lesson. The government last year enforced a full transition to organic farming, appointing organics gurus as agricultural advisers, including some who claimed dubious links between agricultural chemicals and health problems. Despite extravagant claims that organic methods could produce comparable yields to conventional farming, within months the policy produced nothing but misery, with some food prices quintupling.

"Sri Lanka had been self-sufficient in rice production for decades, but tragically has now been forced to import $450 million worth of rice. Tea, the nation’s primary export crop and source of foreign exchange, was devastated, with economic losses estimated at $425 million. Before the country spiraled downward toward brutal violence and political resignations, the government was forced to offer $200 million in compensation to farmers and come up with $149 million in subsidies.

"Sri Lanka’s organic experiment failed fundamentally because of one simple fact: it does not have enough land to replace synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with animal manure. To shift to organics and keep production, it would need five to seven times more manure than its total manure today."

"Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, mostly made with natural gas, are a modern miracle, crucial for feeding the world. Largely thanks to this fertilizer, agricultural outputs were tripled in the last half-century, as the human population doubled. Artificial fertilizer and modern farming inputs are the reason the number of people working on farms has been slashed in every rich country, freeing people for other productive occupations.... Without those inputs, if a country — or the world — were to go entirely organic, nitrogen scarcity quickly becomes disastrous, just like we saw in Sri Lanka. That is why research shows going organic globally can only feed about half the current world population. Organic farming will lead to more expensive, scarcer food for fewer people, while gobbling up more nature."

[This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]
Read more: https://www.aier.org/article/how-to-alleviate-the-looming-global-hunger-crisis/

Friday, July 15, 2022

French Assembly votes down new vaccine pass

Macron’s government suffers first defeat in parliament after election setback | France 24:

July 13, 2022 - "France's government has suffered its first defeat in parliament after President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party lost its majority in elections last month. The National Assembly rejected a proposal on Tuesday night to give the government powers to demand travellers show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test when entering France. The defeat by 219 votes to 195 saw all the major opposition parties -- the far-right National Rally (RN), the hard left LFI, and rightwing Republicans (LR) -- unite against the minority government....

"Despite the setback on the border controls, a wider bill to tackle the seventh wave of Covid-19 infections passed the assembly with 221 votes in favour and 187 against."
Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220713-macron-s-government-suffers-first-defeat-in-parliament-after-election-setback

The French are fed up with Macron’s Covid tyranny | Spiked - Charles Devellenes:

July 15, 2022 - "French president Emmanuel Macron has suffered his first parliamentary defeat of the new term. A bill intended to reinforce Covid restrictions ahead of the autumn was rejected by the three main opposition parties. This is a major setback for a president who has grown all too used to getting his way.

Macron in 2017. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

"Macron was re-elected as president back in April. But just months later in June’s parliamentary elections, he failed to secure a majority.... The election results changed nothing in Macron’s eyes.... He is as determined as ever to push through his unpopular agenda.... In parliament, he can ally himself with the far-right Rassemblement National or the conservative Républicains on certain votes. And if parliament disagrees with him, he may try to turn to the anti-democratic Article 49.3 of the French constitution, which allows presidents to pass a bill through parliament without a vote. He can also issue presidential decrees....

"The defeated bill proposed reinstating certain Covid restrictions, particularly at the French border. Its main aim was to reintroduce the deeply unpopular ‘health pass’ (or vaccine passport) for travellers entering the country. Earlier in the pandemic, a health pass was required to enter cafés and public spaces.

"Macron, ever the ‘authoritarian liberal’, enacted some of the harshest Covid restrictions in the world during the pandemic. At times, all citizens were required to fill in a form every time they left the home. Medical professionals who refused the vaccination were fired. And an army of police officers was deployed to issue fines and enforce lockdowns. The opposition parties are right to recognise that the French are fed up with Covid rules, especially now that vaccines have been widely available for well over a year.

"Yet Macron has made a habit of turning ‘temporary’ infringements on civil liberties into permanent features of French life. When he took office in 2017, France was still under a state of emergency following the Paris terror attacks in November 2015. Although he officially brought the state of emergency to an end, he only did so after passing some of its restrictions on civil liberties into law.... A state of permanent emergency, administrative controls over everyday life and restricted liberties have defined the Macron regime since its inception. The heavy-handed Covid response was an outgrowth of this existing authoritarianism. But the defeat of the Covid bill in parliament this week shows that opposition to Macron’s rule is mounting. And he will find it increasingly difficult to impose his will....

"For five years, Macron has ruled France with impunity. This period is now officially over. Parliamentarians have shown that they can now defeat the president, derail his agenda and scrutinise his government. Macron may now have to call for new parliamentary elections, but the risks are high. Given his sinking popularity, he may well find himself with even less support after a new vote. Whatever happens next, Macron has finally been humbled."
Read more: https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/07/15/the-french-are-fed-up-with-macrons-covid-tyranny/

Thursday, July 14, 2022

90% fully vaccinated Macau is locked down

The international gambling hub of Macau, where 90% of the population is fully vaccinated for Covid, has been locked down, for the first time since February 2020.

Macau Shuts Casinos as City Enters Weeklong Lockdown | Wall Street Journal - Natasha Khan:

July 10, 2022 - "The gambling enclave of Macau will enter a citywide lockdown early Monday, as authorities seek to contain a spiraling Covid-19 outbreak. Aside from essential services such as supermarkets, healthcare facilities and restaurants selling takeaway, all other businesses have been ordered to shut for a week, with residents required to stay at home. City officials urged the public not to panic-buy food, asking people to make purchases at staggered times to enable social distancing in queues.

"The order, issued Saturday by the territory’s chief executive, Ho Iat-seng, comes as Macau struggles to contain an outbreak that had already shuttered venues such as cinemas, salons and swimming pools. The Chinese gambling hub has recorded hundreds of cases in recent weeks, its worst-ever outbreak after keeping to China’s zero-Covid strategy for most of the pandemic.... Macau has a population of about 650,000. Throughout the pandemic, it has maintained strict Covid-containment measures. At one point, quarantine for travelers from what it deemed very high-risk countries was as long as 28 days.

"The lockdown order specified that all adults who needed to leave their homes would be required to wear masks of KN95-standard or above. Those who violated that order could be subject to jail time."

Charlie Fong, Centre of Macau Peninsula at Night, 2021. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Macau shuts all casinos in bid to contain worsening Covid outbreak | The Guardian - Reuters:

July 11, 2022 - "More than 30 zones in the city that have been deemed high risk are now under lockdown, meaning no one is allowed to enter or exit for at least five days. While the government said it was not imposing a citywide lockdown, the stringent measures mean Macau is effectively closed....

"Casinos were last shut in Macau in February 2020 for 15 days.... The industry employs most of the population directly or indirectly and accounts for more than 80% of government revenues. Casinos owned by Sands China, Wynn Macau, SJM Holdings, Galaxy Entertainment, Melco Resorts and MGM Resorts have been effectively shut for the past few weeks, with no gamblers and minimal staffing as per government requirements for people to work from home....

"Frustration is mounting at the government’s handling of the outbreak. Some residents have got into fights at testing centres while others have had to queue for more than 20 hours to access healthcare facilities. Residents will be required to take part in mass Covid tests four times this week as the government attempts to cut transmission chains. Residents have already been tested six times since mid June and are expected to do rapid antigen tests daily.

"More than 90% of Macau’s 600,000 residents are fully vaccinated against Covid but this is the first time the city has had to grapple with the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Authorities have added two hotels in popular casino resorts to be used as Covid medical facilities as they try to increase capacity to handle the surge of infections."

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