- “‘Burnt-out’ GPs need a dose of reality” – The average GP is working a shorter week and just over half of that is spent with patients – overworking is not the problem, writes James Le Fanu in the Telegraph.
- “Did the Johnsons breach lockdown rules?” – “When the claims first emerged, they received a furious slap down from all sides…Only a few hours later and it’s clear these responses only tell half the story,” writes ‘Steerpike’ in the Spectator.
- “French Covid vaccine abandoned by U.K. found to be more effective than AstraZeneca jab” – The lead investigator is left asking why a contract for the Valneva jab was cancelled before further testing and trial data could be reviewed, reports the Telegraph.
- “Action needed now on the Coronavirus Act” – “It is very important that sceptics challenge each and every one of the claims made in defence of the Coronavirus Act by the Government,” writes Anthony Webber in TCW Defending Freedom.
- “The FDA’s War Against the Truth on Ivermectin” – “The FDA spreads lies and alarms Americans while preventing drug companies from providing us with scientific explorations of existing, promising, generic drugs,” writes Charles L. Hooper and David R. Henderson in AIER.
- “Veteran state trooper forced out for refusing Covid jab, signs off for last time by telling governor to ‘kiss my ass’” – A veteran Washington state trooper used his last moments on the job to tell the Governor whose Covid vaccine mandate essentially ended his career to “kiss my ass”, striking a nerve in a nation divided over jab authoritarianism, reports RT.
- “Freedom Prevails: Florida registers nation’s lowest Covid case numbers” – “Florida is now outperforming every state in the contiguous United States in terms of new Covid cases per capita. And they did it all without a Vax Pass system, widespread business closures, mask mandates, and/or draconian lockdowns,” writes Jordan Schachtel in his latest Substack update.
- “White House Downplays Biden Not Wearing Mask While Walking Inside Restaurant” – The White House has authentic but downplayed footage of the President breaking mask-wearing rules.
- “Police officers are stood down for not having a Covid vaccine” – Victoria Police has confirmed 34 police officers and nine Protective Services Officers have been stood down after refusing to get a Covid vaccine.
- “Italian riot police fire tear gas, water cannon at anti-Covid health pass protesters blocking Trieste port” – Police in northeastern Italy deployed tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters staging a sit-in at Trieste port in opposition to the introduction of the country’s ‘Green Pass’ Covid health document, reports RT.
- “SAS, Norwegian to drop mask requirement for Scandinavian flights” – Airlines SAS and Norwegian will drop their requirement for travelers to wear face masks on flights within and between Scandinavia on October 18th, reports Sveriges Radio.
- “While we tie ourselves up in environmental regulations, China is taking advantage” – No wonder President Xi doesn’t want to come to COP26. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself laughing, writes Ross Clark in the Telegraph.
- “There is nothing ‘normal’ about our addiction to alcohol” – In the Telegraph’s latest ‘Mad World’ podcast, Camilla Tominey talks about how as a teetotaller she has to constantly justify why she doesn’t drink.
- “Free speech didn’t kill David Amess” – There’s no evidence that heated rhetoric caused the MP’s death, writes Brendan O’Neill in the Spectator.
- “Crisis is the new normal” – The Left’s embrace of globalism has left Britain on life support, writes Aris Roussinos in UnHerd.
- “How Stonewall conquered our institutions” – Nolan Investigates Stonewall exposes why so many public bodies uncritically embraced the trans lobby, writes Joanna Williams in Spiked.
- “The feminist revolution is eating its children” – “Professor Kathleen Stock’s rejection of transgender orthodoxy that people can change their sex at will and are entitled to impose their ‘preferred pronouns’ on the populace has attracted and exposed the worst of pro-transgender ‘activism’,” writes Luke Perry in Bournbrook Magazine.
- “When it’s best not to ignore terrible science” – Professor Francois Balloux says a press release on “human children as reservoirs for a virus infecting human adults” is “such an egregious example of many things that are wrong with Covid mainstream science that it may be worth a comment”.
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Equilibrium does very briefly mention the “revolutionary precept of the hate crime”. Seemed strangely irrelevant at the time, not so much now.
I don’t think that is the driving force.
I think these prescriptions of insane behaviour are driven by people that have a pathological desire to control others, rule over them, exercise power in that way.
And I think in their minds they are constantly concocting things will make things “better’.
Better in their minds means more orderly, or more “equal” or more “logical”. But essentially it’s a rationalisation, an excuse, to get what they really want which is to exert power over others.
Bureaucracies are full of these people.
What the author observes therefore is the use of bureaucracy by people who want to control others.
It doesn’t need a plan or organisation. Left to themselves and allowed free reign, this is what you get.
If you see it appear all over at the same time it’s because these are motivated people who quickly adopt what they see working elsewhere.
A lot of it is power, or at least believing they have power, for the sake of power even when they know their commands don’t make any difference.
“Noncompliance is an essential start regardless.”
Interestingly I have some colleagues who are all rampant covidiots but lately they have started to develop some anti tendencies. And what has set them off?
The Horizon Post Office scandal which they have all surprisingly woken up to because it has been made in to a telebox drama. Now some anti-establishment mutterings are being voiced – ‘bloody government,’ British justice is a joke,’ ‘damned NHS’ etc.
Comments which are not normal for these “normies.”
Perhaps a slight awakening is occurring and perhaps the anti sentiments will widen in scope. Hope and all that.
I hope you’re right and that anti-government sentiments widen.
I work in Liverpool and my half a dozen work colleagues all hate the Conservatives with a passion. I get along with them all fine, despite our political differences. Things are either not discussed or we agree to disagree.
However, despite their hatred for the “evil tories”, when Hancock and Johnson told them to mask up, shove the swabs up their nose, isolate, track and trace and get jabbed and so on – they all complied ethusiastically and trusted them without question. I pointed out at the time (and still do) that they all must be closet Tories as they trust and obey whatever the tory politicians tell them to do – and that part of the reason for my non-compiance was that I wouldn’t trust any politician (of any party) as far as I could kick them. Their collective cognitive dissonance is quite stunning.
Thanks for that story. Incredible really.
cheers Hux. Thank goodness for old school “anything goes” workplace banter. They’re all great fun to work with – despite our political differences. We all take the piss – with people taking it on the chin and accepting back as good as they give.
I know this sounds pretentious – but the bonds that tie us are far stronger than any differences we may have. These days, in many groups, companies, towns and cities – the differences and traits that divide people seem much stronger than any bonds that might unite them. Such a shame.
That was one of the weirdest things about that whole time. People who wouldn’t vote Tory if they were the only party on the ballot paper, happily going along with something against which it was often the small c conservatives protesting. Things truly turned on their head.
I’d like to agree with that, and hopefully a slight awakening is indeed taking place; but of those in my personal directory, many seem capable of holding two contradictory views at the same time: yes, the Post Office scandal shows that the governing elite is corrupt, selfish, wicked – but of course the Covid ‘response’ reveals a governing elite that is ethically honest, objective, responsible and well-meaning. They hold these views simultaneously, regardless of ‘social status’: I know a lot of people from all walks of life – Left, Right, rich, poor, educated, uneducated (which, other than in one or two cases doesn’t mean unintelligent or uninformed). To take an example, D – Imperial College/Sciences/BA pilot – is maddened by the government’s part in the Post Office scandal but demonstrates no tendency whatsoever to question his deeply pro-EU, pro-vaccine, climate-alarmist position in the light of his new-found scepticism. He can hold two views at once, in other words; the philosophy of scepticism that assumes all human beings to be inclined to corruption, graft and deception, does not underpin his world view. On the contrary – he sees events concerning the Post Office as an exception that proves the rule. We get on because we don’t talk politics!
I’m surprised you don’t rectify it; I try to at any opportunity.
Bureaucratic opportunism. You never know, some academic might create a course on the theme of Bureaucratic psychology, or something like that – and make a profit from it.
Disagree in the strongest terms. The reason why so many sheep got into the lift is nothing to do with humans spiriting free will, and everything to do with sheep following other sheep who follow other sheep.
A story. A true one. About three months ago I found myself in a bar in Stafford with a few friends. It was quite late and there were lots of pissed people. Anyway, someone spilt a drink on the floor and a woman behind the bar came to mop up the spillage. A guy, surrounded by his mates, grabbed hold of the woman and made her dance with mop in hand. At first the bar lady found it mildly amusing, but that faint amusement soon turned into irritation, then distress, as this idiot refused to let her go. The place was packed and what did the mass of people do? They pointed and laughed. Pointed and laughed because other people pointed and laughed. I prized this idiot from the poor woman and suddenly everyone stopped laughing. It got a bit lively after that, but I know the lady I helped was grateful and it was the right thing to do regardless of cost. My point is this: the majority of people will do whatever the majority of people will do. Nothing to do with the romantic notion of the human spirit.
Well done. If this man wasn’t “surrounded by his mates”, he would likely have done nothing as there were no predictable sheep to entertain.
I’m inclined to agree with the sheep explanation for non-compliance. People are no longer actively telling people what to do, and so they don’t do it (having ceased to notice mere signs).
Case in point – we are told there is a lot of Covid about, and maybe even a new strain. And indeed, people say they’re staying away from gatherings because they have it (which means they were scared enought to pay for a test).
But does anybody think they ought to open windows in such gatherings, as the advice was just a couple of winters ago? In fact it’s advice that might well reduce virus load in aerosols, but because nobody on the news is interested any more, neither are they, even though they’re still unduly scared of the killer virus.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/in-praise-of-doubt/
A useful complementary article from TCW.
For whatever reason, my life – 72 now – has been marked by a strong streak of refusal to comply. From my teenage years. Speak the truth, stand firm in your beliefs, and it is amazing what apparently powerful forces will crumble before you. My faith helps hugely in that.
As what wonderful hymn to Muscular Christianity goes
“Fight the good fight with all thy might”
Or in my wife and I favourite toast as we click glasses
“Fuck ’em all”.