Covid in Austria: Delusions Edition as Former Health Minister Realises He's Been 'The Only One Wearing a Mask on Public Transport'

Sounds like an apt mix of lunacy and ridicule is in order, but Mr. Anschober 'learned' (sic) that 'personal responsibility does not work'. I beg to differ.

And now this happened. A few days ago, former Health Minister and devout Branch Covidian Rudolf Anschober (Greens, what else?) gave an interview to bourgeois-liberal daily Die Presse (paywalled). Appearing on 6 April, the interview is quite a gem—as Mr. Anschober wears his own incompetence, arrogance, and intransigence proudly.

Citing health concerns, specifically a burn-out, Mr. Anschober resigned two years ago. According to Die Presse, he never regretted this decision.

In line with his self-righteousness, however, Mr. Anschober continues to second-guess his successor’s—and the government’s—Covid policies. Of course, these are too lax:

You continue to comment publicly on policies related to Covid and environmental mandates. Can’t you let go?

[Anschober] It was a departure from party politics. But I am and always will be a political person. That is also part of my lectures and my work as an author.

Well, I’m glad we’ve got this sorted out.

There’s a bit more in the interview, for which we may now turn to right-of-centre alternative media outlet eXXpress, which summarises the entire shit-show as follows (my translations and emphases:

Anyone travelling on public transport in Vienna—and elsewhere, of course—rarely sees FFP2 mask-wearing people any more. This worries Austria’s former Health Minister Rudolf Anschober: ‘I was the only one in my carriage in the underground today who was still wearing a mask’, he complains in a new Presse interview. For Anschober, this shows once again that ‘personal responsibility does not work’. [well, I disagree: everyone else has moved on, but Mr. Anschober is still living in 2020]

The former cabinet official, who resigned two years ago citing ‘health reasons’, still wears masks elsewhere, too, at least ‘in closed quarters’, as he puts it, i.e., when too many people get too close. [I don’t see a problem—for me—here: if I see someone with a mask, I’ll gladly continue and let that person switch to the other side of the road; I suppose that would work for Mr. Anschober, too; I won’t comment on Mr. Anschober’s obvious problems, though…]

Anschober Does Not Lose Sight of the Infection Figures

Through the first year of Corona, Anschober accompanied the Austrians with Corona figures that depicted the incidence of infections. Here, too, the former Green Minister is dutiful to this day: ‘I look at the infection figures every day: We are currently averaging around 2000 new infections.’ [so what? Does that mean anything today? Did it back then? You know, when I’m driving my daughters around, they often sing Frozen songs. Loudly. Why don’t you, Mr. Anschober, ‘Let it Go’? Also, get professional help.]

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach declared the pandemic officially over on Wednesday. For Anschober, it is apparently not quite over yet. [rofl]

Anschober's categorical rejection of personal responsibility is equally surprising. Sweden was the only European country to rely on personal responsibility. There, it was mostly left with recommendations, only occasionally and for short periods of time were there Corona bans, such as the wearing of masks. Nevertheless, the country came through the pandemic excellently. It even has the lowest excess mortality.

We Have Not Taken Fake News Seriously Enough For Too Long

Rudolf Anschober does not seem particularly impressed by the Swedish example. But he calls for a ‘scientific reappraisal’ in view of all the ‘militant corona deniers who follow conspiracy theories’. He says that ‘as a government, fake news has not been taken seriously enough for too long’. [well, here’s what I think: yes, I’m militantly pro-evidence and a staunch defender of my and anyone else’s natural rights and liberties. I call on you: why don’t you dare trying to take them?]

The former health minister ‘doesn't really think much of a parliamentary Corona committee of enquiry. That’s not the level at which we can move forward’. After all, ‘everyone has tried to work to the best of their ability.’ [you and your ilk, incl. the ‘experts’, been found wanting; if we don’t get that kind of kangaroo investigation, let’s try criminal proceedings; and if that doesn’t work for you either, I’d call for a trial on grounds of high treason]

Sharp Criticism of the Right-Wing Gov’t in Lower Austria

Anschober considers Lower Austria's vaccination advertising ban, including the repayment of Corona fines, ‘fatal’, adding: ‘This signal is absurd. The militant denialist camp feels confirmed in the mood.’ [background here]

However, Rudolf Anschober sees himself as very much ready for talks. ‘I wrote a book as a reappraisal project. It did me a lot of good to reflect on things that happened at the speed of decision-making. At readings I realise: you can have excellent discussions with many critics. We need this dialogue.’ But that does not apply to militant Corona deniers. Here, there was a ‘hardening of tens of thousands of people who are caught in a non-reality’.

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Bottom Lines

Well, as I wrote a few days ago:

This is the ‘reckoning of the pandemic’, Branch Covidian style. It won’t get any ‘better’. It’s all downhill from here.

Sadly, we’re not ‘there’ yet.

We’re getting ever closer.

Also: don’t tread on me.