Sick Times: Coronavirus

[zeoevil]

They named it Omicron because they didn't want to appear racist or to upset China by naming it Nu or Xi. Seriously. This is a completely serious answer.

[rodox_head]

They named it Omicron because they didn't want to appear racist or to upset China by naming it Nu or Xi. Seriously. This is a completely serious answer.

Xi probably had to do more with not pissing off the president of China. We already had a large group of people over here ready to call it "Kung-Flu", so I'm fine with that. "Nu-Variant" or "Nu-Strain" just sounds like a band name.

[Jonse]

It is so hard to balance an act where whole groups agree not to be along.

[Josh]

They named it Omicron because they didn't want to appear racist or to upset China by naming it Nu or Xi. Seriously. This is a completely serious answer.

Yeah, well, it would appear racist. And considering there are Asian Americans who have already been harassed and worse since COVID started by idiot racists, I think WHO made the right call.

[SamuraiDrifter]

They named it Omicron because they didn't want to appear racist or to upset China by naming it Nu or Xi. Seriously. This is a completely serious answer.

Why wouldn't that be a serious answer? And what exactly would be the advantage of naming a newly emerging variant of a virus after a specific geographical area? Epidemiologists and historians have long pointed out the stigma that naming infectious agents after places attaches to those regions and the people hailing from them (also, it's frequently inaccurate - the "Spanish flu" came from the United States, not Spain, and there's significant doubt that COVID-19 even originated in China).

So yeah, agreed with Josh, they made the right call both from a social and a scientific standpoint.

[Gazebo4]

Why, oh, why does the new COVID variant have to be named Omicron, which is the Greek numeral 70?

Perhaps because how countries react to the new variant is quite 'mOronic'?

That, or maybe they have foresight and this variant is going to last for about 70 years.

[Gazebo4]

Very interesting conversation about the pandemic being used as a ruse for a dangerous future technocratic, authoritarian world society that we seem to be heading towards, if people don't stand up and draw a line.

[Gazebo4]

There's no conspiracy needed to see that the way that this is being managed, through technology, through the vaccine as a techno-fix, through authoritarian mandates, QR codes that you have to scan to go to the pub, all of that stuff is taking us into a normalization of ourselves as acceptable, digital members of society. And we move towards - this is the great fear, and I think there's truth in it - that we move towards a Chinafication of the West, where we're basically walking into a social credit system. And if people have now normalized scanning their smartphone to go anywhere with their QR code that tells them they're healthy, what gets added to that? Is it your insurance details? Is it your social media profile, whether you've said anything bad and got mobbed today? And we have to see that in another way, in the context of the work I was doing for years on environmentalism, we're going into an age of climate and crumbling ecosystems. It becomes more and more necessary to tightly manage people, so that we don't create a damaging mass society - control their emissions, control their behavior. And again, lots of good people will say, "well, this is necessary". So you don't need an evil cabal who wants to destroy you. You just have to look at the logic of where the technological society is moving. So that's the fear. And as I say, as I've watched this- two years ago, I heard people predicting that this would lead to vaccine passports and it sounded like the sort of thing David Icke would say. And now it's here! So where do we go next?

[SamuraiDrifter]

Very interesting conversation about the pandemic being used as a ruse for a dangerous future technocratic, authoritarian world society that we seem to be heading towards, if people don't stand up and draw a line.

You realize we're already at the technocratic authoritarian world society, right? That it's literally not even secret, it's blatantly out in the open, and that it has next to nothing to do with vaccines (besides the fact that they're yet another medical necessity being price gouged by pharmaceutical giants)?

The top 1% wealthiest people in the world own over half the wealth. Multinational corporations buy governments and use their police forces and militaries to protect horrific mining and factory operations and crush attempts to unionize, so they can drain countries of resources and force them to live in poverty in order to sustain a privileged class of consumers who themselves are constantly under surveillance and are forced to sell their labor to make ends meet.

Even in the United States, sitting at the top of the global imperialist hierarchy with corporate profits made off the backs of impoverished workers in the global south, citizens can't afford their own goddamn healthcare and have every piece of essential information on them collected and sold. More and more people are ending up on the street outside vacant homes because their jobs don't pay enough, jackbooted state enforcers are free to murder people in the streets with impunity, over 1% of the United States population is in prison (mostly for nonviolent "crimes") serving as cheap labor for corporations... and people are worried we're *heading* towards a technocratic authoritarian dystopia... Because vaccines? Look around for 5 minutes.

[jcnporter]

Very interesting conversation about the pandemic being used as a ruse for a dangerous future technocratic, authoritarian world society that we seem to be heading towards, if people don't stand up and draw a line.

You realize we're already at the technocratic authoritarian world society, right? That it's literally not even secret, it's blatantly out in the open, and that it has next to nothing to do with vaccines (besides the fact that they're yet another medical necessity being price gouged by pharmaceutical giants)?

The top 1% wealthiest people in the world own over half the wealth. Multinational corporations buy governments and use their police forces and militaries to protect horrific mining and factory operations and crush attempts to unionize, so they can drain countries of resources and force them to live in poverty in order to sustain a privileged class of consumers who themselves are constantly under surveillance and are forced to sell their labor to make ends meet.

Even in the United States, sitting at the top of the global imperialist hierarchy with corporate profits made off the backs of impoverished workers in the global south, citizens can't afford their own goddamn healthcare and have every piece of essential information on them collected and sold. More and more people are ending up on the street outside vacant homes because their jobs don't pay enough, jackbooted state enforcers are free to murder people in the streets with impunity, over 1% of the United States population is in prison (mostly for nonviolent "crimes") serving as cheap labor for corporations... and people are worried we're *heading* towards a technocratic authoritarian dystopia... Because vaccines? Look around for 5 minutes.

Amen. We've been heading that way for decades, unfortunately many folks only pay attention when it begins to impact themselves.

[jcnporter]

They named it Omicron because they didn't want to appear racist or to upset China by naming it Nu or Xi. Seriously. This is a completely serious answer.

Yeah, they should be renamed the WOKE Health Organisation, hahahahahaha, am I right?

[Gazebo4]

You realize we're already at the technocratic authoritarian world society, right? That it's literally not even secret, it's blatantly out in the open, and that it has next to nothing to do with vaccines (besides the fact that they're yet another medical necessity being price gouged by pharmaceutical giants)?

The top 1% wealthiest people in the world own over half the wealth. Multinational corporations buy governments and use their police forces and militaries to protect horrific mining and factory operations and crush attempts to unionize, so they can drain countries of resources and force them to live in poverty in order to sustain a privileged class of consumers who themselves are constantly under surveillance and are forced to sell their labor to make ends meet.

Even in the United States, sitting at the top of the global imperialist hierarchy with corporate profits made off the backs of impoverished workers in the global south, citizens can't afford their own goddamn healthcare and have every piece of essential information on them collected and sold. More and more people are ending up on the street outside vacant homes because their jobs don't pay enough, jackbooted state enforcers are free to murder people in the streets with impunity, over 1% of the United States population is in prison (mostly for nonviolent "crimes") serving as cheap labor for corporations... and people are worried we're *heading* towards a technocratic authoritarian dystopia... Because vaccines? Look around for 5 minutes.

Maybe you should actually watch the video before misinterpreting what I said. I didn't say it is because of vaccins. It's about the polarization and technocratic control that is further increased by digitalization of ID's, etc.

I agree that the trend itself is going on for a long time, but that was not the point of the video.

[rodox_head]

The thing that worries me most is that we're all pretty pacified enough to not put up a fight, unless it's with each other.

[jcnporter]

Maybe you should actually watch the video before misinterpreting what I said. I didn't say it is because of vaccins. It's about the polarization and technocratic control that is further increased by digitalization of ID's, etc.

I agree that the trend itself is going on for a long time, but that was not the point of the video.

My problem with a lot of these folk is that the time to stand up to this stuff was years, if not decades ago. I've no problem with anyone having well-grounded concerns about the vaccines, vaccine passports etc, but my litmus test for anyone bringing this stuff up is - why now?
The fact that this is on Unherd is telling - an awful website - an agenda is being pushed here.

https://brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/ ... e-cow-site

[Gazebo4]

Maybe you should actually watch the video before misinterpreting what I said. I didn't say it is because of vaccins. It's about the polarization and technocratic control that is further increased by digitalization of ID's, etc.

I agree that the trend itself is going on for a long time, but that was not the point of the video.

My problem with a lot of these folk is that the time to stand up to this stuff was years, if not decades ago. I've no problem with anyone having well-grounded concerns about the vaccines, vaccine passports etc, but my litmus test for anyone bringing this stuff up is - why now?
The fact that this is on Unherd is telling - an awful website - an agenda is being pushed here.

https://brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/ ... e-cow-site

Why now you ask? Why not now? Not everybody can wake up at the same time. It is never too late to stand up and say that enough is enough. So just because you are of the opinion that the time to stand up was years ago, nobody should say anything anymore? What kind of logic is that?

Also, I don't really care for that article you linked, because I don't care for UnHerd or its agenda. I just found the video, watched it and found it had a good conversation and it has a very important message.

Things are going to get rough in the coming months on all levels in the world, but I have a very good feeling about it. Exciting times ahead!

[jcnporter]

Why now you ask? Why not now? Not everybody can wake up at the same time. It is never too late to stand up and say that enough is enough. So just because you are of the opinion that the time to stand up was years ago, nobody should say anything anymore? What kind of logic is that?

Also, I don't really care for that article you linked, because I don't care for UnHerd or its agenda. I just found the video, watched it and found it had a good conversation and it has a very important message.

Things are going to get rough in the coming months on all levels in the world, but I have a very good feeling about it. Exciting times ahead!

I've no problem with folk who are 'waking up' now, but most of the prominent people in public life who are shouting the loudest about 'our freedoms' and so on re. Covid are folk on the right who have been openly hostile when those on the left have pointed out such issues in the past, or suggested changes. Even as recently as the start of the pandemic.
The difference now is the issues are now potentially affecting the lifestyles of white, middle class westerners. See also climate change.

[Gazebo4]

Why now you ask? Why not now? Not everybody can wake up at the same time. It is never too late to stand up and say that enough is enough. So just because you are of the opinion that the time to stand up was years ago, nobody should say anything anymore? What kind of logic is that?

Also, I don't really care for that article you linked, because I don't care for UnHerd or its agenda. I just found the video, watched it and found it had a good conversation and it has a very important message.

Things are going to get rough in the coming months on all levels in the world, but I have a very good feeling about it. Exciting times ahead!

I've no problem with folk who are 'waking up' now, but most of the prominent people in public life who are shouting the loudest about 'our freedoms' and so on re. Covid are folk on the right who have been openly hostile when those on the left have pointed out such issues in the past, or suggested changes. Even as recently as the start of the pandemic.
The difference now is the issues are now potentially affecting the lifestyles of white, middle class westerners. See also climate change.

Fair enough! And perhaps I'm putting words in your mouth now but I think you see that as hypocrisy? But then again, don't you agree that it is only logical that people start standing up when their own freedom gets challenged? I mean, in an ideal world people will stand up for the freedom of other groups as well, but we have to be realistic, we don't live in that kind of world (yet).

[Gazebo4]

To police state, or not to police state. That is the question.

If you can be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you can be told what to say or think. Defend your constitutionally protected rights. No one else will do it for you. Thank you.

[Gazebo4]

Another very heartfelt message by 5 MEP's responding to Ursula von der Leyen's proposal to talk about mandatory vaccination in EU. Great to see people within the European parliament standing up for the freedom of the people!

[saturdayindex]

Very interesting conversation about the pandemic being used as a ruse for a dangerous future technocratic, authoritarian world society that we seem to be heading towards, if people don't stand up and draw a line.

You realize we're already at the technocratic authoritarian world society, right? That it's literally not even secret, it's blatantly out in the open, and that it has next to nothing to do with vaccines (besides the fact that they're yet another medical necessity being price gouged by pharmaceutical giants)?

The top 1% wealthiest people in the world own over half the wealth. Multinational corporations buy governments and use their police forces and militaries to protect horrific mining and factory operations and crush attempts to unionize, so they can drain countries of resources and force them to live in poverty in order to sustain a privileged class of consumers who themselves are constantly under surveillance and are forced to sell their labor to make ends meet.

Even in the United States, sitting at the top of the global imperialist hierarchy with corporate profits made off the backs of impoverished workers in the global south, citizens can't afford their own goddamn healthcare and have every piece of essential information on them collected and sold. More and more people are ending up on the street outside vacant homes because their jobs don't pay enough, jackbooted state enforcers are free to murder people in the streets with impunity, over 1% of the United States population is in prison (mostly for nonviolent "crimes") serving as cheap labor for corporations... and people are worried we're *heading* towards a technocratic authoritarian dystopia... Because vaccines? Look around for 5 minutes.

If you suddenly realized your finger was in a vat of boiling water, would you then shrug and immerse your whole arm as well? Your view seems unnecessarily nihilistic.

Where is the benefit in castigating others for realizing their finger is immersed in boiling water and wishing to resist further immersion?