Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Yikes]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

He forgot to call us Sheeple.

He clearly needs to spend more time on the internet.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Knut

It is easy to say these things within the lens of Omicron variant. This virus is a different beast than the one dominating when Vaccines rolled out.

The Delta variant was nasty and it was hospitalizing at a really high rate. So the restrictions put in the place at that time made a lot of sense. Also the Vaccine Mandates. Our system could have collapsed without them or we would have been dealing with another full lockdown. Anti-vaxxers at that time were being selfish and were actively causing harm to others to a high degree. If you remember the vaccine was also reducing transmission of the Delta variant.

When Omicron became the dominant strain the equation changed. No longer did the vaccine prevent transmission. However, the virus itself was much less severe.

If you want to have a discussion about how the vaccine mandates were in place too long that is completely valid.

There was definite validity to vaccine mandates and vaccine passports when Delta ran rampant.

Is it though? They were removed for political reasons (coincided with the protests). Keep in mind this is the contentious issue where cabinet was found to have overrode Dr Hinshaw's advice). See below where hospitalizations were at their all time high. How, at that point, can you say it was wise to remove restrictions? The following peak is a result of that decision. Note also that HCW were in absolute distress, surgeries were canceled etc, the pain was dragged on longer because of the pre-mature removal of restrictions.

Spoiler!

BC kept their hospitalizations below 1000 and had a smaller rebound in May(despite having a larger population). BC eased their restrictions a month later. So I guess you could argue that Alberta removed them too soon, but not that they left them too long. The evidence doesn't support that position.

http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Info-Site...ion_Report.pdf

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Envitro

The only thing I'll add to this amazing discussion is how freely you guys espouse "science" when talking about people needing to get vaccinated to protect the rest of the population.

It is very well known now, and it was about a year ago that getting the double-shot of COVID-19 vaccine was never about protecting the "others". Rather it was about limiting extreme outcomes and avoiding overrunning our medical system.

Personal choice in medical procedures is very important, and forcing or coercing people to take a very experimental treatment, where the benefits were either overstated or simply made up is problematic at best.

The most recent admissions by executives from Pfizer don't give me much hope as someone that took the vaccine, under the assumption that it would protect my family and I, that any future endeavours like this would get me to take that risk again (obviously weighed against the risk of whatever next virus/pandemic we're up against).

This is, and always will be, a personal risk exercise. Most people suck at determining risk in their daily lives, let alone during a pandemic.

It's really easy to scream at "anti-vaxxers" or whatever term du-jour you decide to use against people that you disagree with. You may call me one too, except you can't since I did get the vaccine.

Am I getting my 5th or 6th booster, well, I don't think so. The more that comes out in the mainstream media reporting the more it makes me not want to take it.

I think the issue is that everyone is still really saddled in on their high-horse, and they look at anyone with a dissenting opinion as a stupid red-neck that believes every conspiracy theory out there. Now sure, there are plenty of people going on about WEF / New World Order BS and all that when talking about vaccines, but the majority of Albertans/Canadians that had, and still have, real actual hesitations about taking a vaccine that hasn't really been proven to do much to prevent the infection and spread of a deadly virus that killed millions of people.

Yet, somehow we're all just expected to hold the narrative from early 2020 about herd immunity and the saviour that is the mRNA vaccine (not saying that the vaccine didn't save lives, which it did, just to be clear).

Why can't we accept new information and maybe ponder that we were either lied to or severely misled, either on purpose or by the mere notion that we didn't have all the info at the time?

My goodness

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Envitro

The only thing I'll add to this amazing discussion is how freely you guys espouse "science" when talking about people needing to get vaccinated to protect the rest of the population.

It is very well known now, and it was about a year ago that getting the double-shot of COVID-19 vaccine was never about protecting the "others". Rather it was about limiting extreme outcomes and avoiding overrunning our medical system.

Personal choice in medical procedures is very important, and forcing or coercing people to take a very experimental treatment, where the benefits were either overstated or simply made up is problematic at best.

The most recent admissions by executives from Pfizer don't give me much hope as someone that took the vaccine, under the assumption that it would protect my family and I, that any future endeavours like this would get me to take that risk again (obviously weighed against the risk of whatever next virus/pandemic we're up against).

This is, and always will be, a personal risk exercise. Most people suck at determining risk in their daily lives, let alone during a pandemic.

It's really easy to scream at "anti-vaxxers" or whatever term du-jour you decide to use against people that you disagree with. You may call me one too, except you can't since I did get the vaccine.

Am I getting my 5th or 6th booster, well, I don't think so. The more that comes out in the mainstream media reporting the more it makes me not want to take it.

I think the issue is that everyone is still really saddled in on their high-horse, and they look at anyone with a dissenting opinion as a stupid red-neck that believes every conspiracy theory out there. Now sure, there are plenty of people going on about WEF / New World Order BS and all that when talking about vaccines, but the majority of Albertans/Canadians that had, and still have, real actual hesitations about taking a vaccine that hasn't really been proven to do much to prevent the infection and spread of a deadly virus that killed millions of people.

Yet, somehow we're all just expected to hold the narrative from early 2020 about herd immunity and the saviour that is the mRNA vaccine (not saying that the vaccine didn't save lives, which it did, just to be clear).

Why can't we accept new information and maybe ponder that we were either lied to or severely misled, either on purpose or by the mere notion that we didn't have all the info at the time?

Rarely does a post so perfectly align with the user's avatar.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Envitro

The most recent admissions by executives from Pfizer don't give me much hope as someone that took the vaccine, under the assumption that it would protect my family and I, that any future endeavours like this would get me to take that risk again (obviously weighed against the risk of whatever next virus/pandemic we're up against).

I hear this one from covid skeptics at work all the time. "The covid vaccine didn't produce sterilizing immunity and prevent transmission and therefore vaccine mandates were useless."

Except that
1) Vaccine mandates increased uptake of the vaccine (reducing severe outcomes and overflow of hospitals)
2) Vaccines need not produce 100% sterilizing immunity, even if it only somewhat reduces the viral load that may be enough to reduce transmission.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...the-pandemic1/
https://theconversation.com/coronavi...problem-152204
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...870-9/fulltext
3) And I really wish this didn't have to be said, but calling it an experimental vaccine does not make it an experimental vaccine.
4) Even if it was an overreach, it was (is?) a global pandemic with imperfect information. Get over it.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Torture

I hear this one from anti-vaxxers at work all the time. The covid vaccine didn't produce sterilizing immunity and prevent transmission and therefore vaccine mandates were useless.

Except that
1) Vaccine mandates increased uptake of the vaccine (reducing severe outcomes and overflow of hospitals)
2) Vaccines need not produce 100% sterilizing immunity, even if it only somewhat reduces the viral load that may be enough to reduce transmission.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...the-pandemic1/
https://theconversation.com/coronavi...problem-152204
3) And I really wish this didn't have to be said, but calling it an experimental vaccine does not make it an experimental vaccine.

Well technically all vaccines at some point were experimental, either way though ever since I got my vaccines I get great cell phone reception.

[Cycling76er]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well technically all vaccines at some point were experimental, either way though ever since I got my vaccines I get great cell phone reception.

It's likely from the third testicle

[Yikes]

Originally Posted by Cycling76er

It's likely from the third testicle

I think my tail acts as some type of antenna?

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well technically all vaccines at some point were experimental, either way though ever since I got my vaccines I get great cell phone reception.

That’s great! Ever since I got my last booster, my cell reception has cratered. You must have got a different vaccine than I did

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well technically all vaccines at some point were experimental, either way though ever since I got my vaccines I get great cell phone reception.

How's your Russian?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by calculoso

That’s great! Ever since I got my last booster, my cell reception has cratered. You must have got a different vaccine than I did

Moderna Bivalent FTW. Those guys know a thing or two about implanting bio-chips into your body.

Personally I pity the poor Government bastard that is assigned to monitoring my whereabouts and conversations. Thats gotta be the worst job in the world.

"Its all taxes and hockey! This is brutal!!"

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

How's your Russian?

Its coming along. My Mandarin tho...thats the sweet spot!

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1590188730169831425

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1590188730169831425

Are these guys credible? I haven't seen anyone else declare her the winner yet

[Faust]

Kathleen Petty
The CBC News is ready to project that UCP Danielle Smith will win the byelection in Brooks-Medicine Hat.#
#abpoli

https://twitter.com/kathleen_petty/s...557133315?s=21

[Ferarri]

Nm

[Wormius]

Complete garbage. Hopefully that victory is the last for the UCP.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Complete garbage. Hopefully that victory is the last for the UCP.

Well....she wouldnt have parachuted into it if it wasnt a near certainty.

[GGG]

Who won Calgary Elbow?

[Fuzz]

So I guess she just got away with that government announcement she made in the riding during the campaign period? Sounds about right...