These protests seem small to me. I remember my adolescence in Belgrade, Serbia, back in the 1990s. Over the years, there were a great many anti-Milosevic protests with more than 100 000 people. What finally toppled him was one where something like half a million people showed up. So, I really don't think that 70 000 protestors can accomplish much.
Please understand: I don't disagree with the protestors. Quite the opposite, in fact. I live in the Czech Republic now, and once Austria and parts of Germany introduced a lockdown for the unvaccinated, CZ followed suit. Now there's talk of mandatory vaccination. We'll see what happens. Me, I'm officially "recovered" (for another few months), which buys me some time. But the situation looks ominous. (And obviously, it wouldn't be one and done. No, they're talking about boosters every six months.)
Anyway, thanks for your work! At this point, I get all my news from Substack and Twitter (and Unherd). Well, sort of. I do have to check some mainstream Czech web sites daily, mostly to keep myself informed about what the government plans to do to me next. Serious analysis comes from people like you, though.
thanks a lot for the kind words: I'm glad you (and BigT, below, too) appreciate this.
That said, I agree with your points: 70,000 isn't a lot (even though compared to Serbians, Austrians appear much more docile), but it's a start, I'd say. It is very unfortunate that the "pull" of Germany and other "western" states is so big, yet: the pseudo-medical tyranny--and that's what this is--is very, very brittle: politicians are so inept, medical doctors and other "experts" are so far up their own backsides, and police are very much completely exhausted--in fact, I'll have something about this in my next Austria-related piece (stay tuned for it tomorrow)--that while 70,000 isn't a lot, it's also about as much "pushback" this pseudo-medical tyranny can actually withstand.
I also understand that these numbers are also quite relative: mass protests have been going in neighbouring Italy for weeks, and they have done nothing (yet). Given the current trajectory, my best guess is: whoever will be in charge, the day of reckoning will come, and I believe it'll come sooner rather than later.
As to your personal status: I'm not sure if "congratulations" are in order--you've "survived" this dreadful plague (/sarcasm). Personally, I wish you very well, and I understand your reservations about news media all to well. Curiously enough, I've been to Prague recently (early November), in a work-related matter, and this was just after Covid Passports were re-introduced: only once in the five days I've been to Czechia have I've been asked about it (if you'd discount the two times at the airports).
I may have been "lucky", but one may only tempt "fate" so often. Discontent is rising everywhere, and I do think that most bad-faith actors don't want "Covid-19" to become political (which I think it is, basically), so: let's make it so and the lives of these bad-faith actors troublesome.
Here's a good piece by C.J. Hopkins, writing from the belly of the German beast:
I'm using that moniker to indicate that there's perhaps no other profession that's more discredited today as opposed to, say, two years ago than "medical science" (career politics doesn't count, in my opinion, for that's a somewhat less despicable way of saying "grifter", which may be unfair to 1-2 decent people, but an overall fair characterisation, I'd say).
I'm also aware that this is similarly "unfair" to a few--hopefully more than a handful--of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who are honest and dedicated to their patients, and they are not the people I mean. It's the Neil Ferguson's of this planet (not a real medical doctor, I know) and his ilk whom I mean.
These protests seem small to me. I remember my adolescence in Belgrade, Serbia, back in the 1990s. Over the years, there were a great many anti-Milosevic protests with more than 100 000 people. What finally toppled him was one where something like half a million people showed up. So, I really don't think that 70 000 protestors can accomplish much.
Please understand: I don't disagree with the protestors. Quite the opposite, in fact. I live in the Czech Republic now, and once Austria and parts of Germany introduced a lockdown for the unvaccinated, CZ followed suit. Now there's talk of mandatory vaccination. We'll see what happens. Me, I'm officially "recovered" (for another few months), which buys me some time. But the situation looks ominous. (And obviously, it wouldn't be one and done. No, they're talking about boosters every six months.)
Anyway, thanks for your work! At this point, I get all my news from Substack and Twitter (and Unherd). Well, sort of. I do have to check some mainstream Czech web sites daily, mostly to keep myself informed about what the government plans to do to me next. Serious analysis comes from people like you, though.
Hi Irena,
thanks a lot for the kind words: I'm glad you (and BigT, below, too) appreciate this.
That said, I agree with your points: 70,000 isn't a lot (even though compared to Serbians, Austrians appear much more docile), but it's a start, I'd say. It is very unfortunate that the "pull" of Germany and other "western" states is so big, yet: the pseudo-medical tyranny--and that's what this is--is very, very brittle: politicians are so inept, medical doctors and other "experts" are so far up their own backsides, and police are very much completely exhausted--in fact, I'll have something about this in my next Austria-related piece (stay tuned for it tomorrow)--that while 70,000 isn't a lot, it's also about as much "pushback" this pseudo-medical tyranny can actually withstand.
I also understand that these numbers are also quite relative: mass protests have been going in neighbouring Italy for weeks, and they have done nothing (yet). Given the current trajectory, my best guess is: whoever will be in charge, the day of reckoning will come, and I believe it'll come sooner rather than later.
As to your personal status: I'm not sure if "congratulations" are in order--you've "survived" this dreadful plague (/sarcasm). Personally, I wish you very well, and I understand your reservations about news media all to well. Curiously enough, I've been to Prague recently (early November), in a work-related matter, and this was just after Covid Passports were re-introduced: only once in the five days I've been to Czechia have I've been asked about it (if you'd discount the two times at the airports).
I may have been "lucky", but one may only tempt "fate" so often. Discontent is rising everywhere, and I do think that most bad-faith actors don't want "Covid-19" to become political (which I think it is, basically), so: let's make it so and the lives of these bad-faith actors troublesome.
Here's a good piece by C.J. Hopkins, writing from the belly of the German beast:
https://consentfactory.org/2021/11/22/pathologized-totalitarianism-101/
More soon. Stay strong.
"Pseudo-medical tyranny" Why do you think it's only "pseudo"?
Hi (again) UM Ross,
I'm using that moniker to indicate that there's perhaps no other profession that's more discredited today as opposed to, say, two years ago than "medical science" (career politics doesn't count, in my opinion, for that's a somewhat less despicable way of saying "grifter", which may be unfair to 1-2 decent people, but an overall fair characterisation, I'd say).
I'm also aware that this is similarly "unfair" to a few--hopefully more than a handful--of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who are honest and dedicated to their patients, and they are not the people I mean. It's the Neil Ferguson's of this planet (not a real medical doctor, I know) and his ilk whom I mean.
Would that do as a (kind of) reply?
Excellent reporting!
Hi BigT,
thanks a lot for the kind words: I'm glad you appreciate this.