Covid General discussions

[Alan Klein]

Well, the Ottawa mayor could ask for help from our Capitol Police. 

OTTAWA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on Sunday declared a state of emergency to help deal with an unprecedented 10-day occupation by protesting truckers that has shut down much of the core of the Canadian capital.

"(This) reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government," he said in a statement.

Watson, who complained earlier in the day that the demonstrators outnumbered police and controlled the situation, did not give details of what measures he might impose.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/protest-against-vaccine-mandates-paralyzing-canada-capital-mayor-says-2022-02-06/

[Robert Roaldi]

It's getting worse in Toronto.  Police are unconstitutionally shutting down access to prevent Canadians from speaking freely.  Obviously acting like fascists.  ...

It really would be a lot better for everyone if you'd stop talking about things you don't know the first thing about.

They've been protesting for a week now, there are social media pages about them, NO ONE has stopped them from saying their piece and making their views known. They have more than amply made their points known. No one denied them their say. We're way past that.

Just heard from a friend who lives downtown that he was yelled at a couple of times for wearing a mask. Thank goodness they're fighting for freedom, eh?

You might be interested in this Twitter thread about an arson committed by these freedom fighters, https://twitter.com/TiMunoz/status/1490473045965815812.

Btw, the city has now declared a state of emergency. I haven't read all the details but I think that may be because the city is limited in what it can do on its own. By declaring a state of emergency then the provincial government gets involved. This is right, imo, because the dispute is really about provincial (and federal) regulations so it only makes sense that those levels of government be involved.

[Alan Klein]

Arson? In Canada? I'm shocked.

[Peter McLennan]

The Jan 6th protestors at the Capitol were out-of-towners too.

Yah, but they weren't from out-of-country.

There are very few things that piss me off more than knowing that a large percentage of these idiots are replicas of the idiots that voted for Trump.

There are very few things that piss me off more than knowing that a large percentage of the GFM donations are either anonymous, or American.

Why would you hide your identity?  Isn't the whole idea one of making YOUR voice heard?

There are very few things that piss me off more than knowing that some of those idiots were sporting Nazi, Trump and Confederate flags.

Just like in the USA.

[Robert Roaldi]

Arson? In Canada? I'm shocked.

Are you 10 years old?

[Robert Roaldi]

A heartwarming story this morning from the front lines of "freedumb fighting", https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/moo-shu-ice-cream-employee-assaulted-1.6341207.

[LesPalenik]

OTTAWA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on Sunday declared a state of emergency to help deal with an unprecedented 10-day occupation by protesting truckers that has shut down much of the core of the Canadian capital.

The worst of the protesters may be deplorables, but they are our deplorables, peculiarly and certifiably Canadian. As long as they are not stopped by the police, tolerated by the public and ignored by lawmakers, they will be free to sit on the sidewalk, sleep in the cold and honk into the wind.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/opinions/canada-truckers-protests-covid-19-trudeau-cohen/index.html

[Alan Klein]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/opinions/canada-truckers-protests-covid-19-trudeau-cohen/index.html

I see Elon Musk is supporting the truckers.  I guess he wants to sell them EV trucks when the holiday is over and they have to go back to work. 

[Robert Roaldi]

I see Elon Musk is supporting the truckers.  I guess he wants to sell them EV trucks when the holiday is over and they have to go back to work.

I heard about that. I wonder why he thinks he has anything of value to add to the discussion. Does he mistakenly think that someone voted for him and that he is expected to say something about it? Does he think his opinion matters?

This must an occupational hazard among successful people. He has done well in previous endeavours, it goes to his head, and so he assumes that his views about all kinds of things unrelated to his area of expertise are correct and important.

[Alan Klein]

Looks like the Capitol.  Smells like the Capitol.  Are you sure there wasn't an election?

Trucks and hundreds of protesters on Monday still occupy the downtown core in Ottawa, where fuel is banned from entering the protest "red zone" in front of parliament. Of more than 60 criminal investigations underway in the capital city, most involve alleged hate crimes, property damage, thefts and mischief, police there said.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/americas/canada-trucker-protests-covid-weekend-arrests-monday/index.html

[Alan Klein]

I heard about that. I wonder why he thinks he has anything of value to add to the discussion. Does he mistakenly think that someone voted for him and that he is expected to say something about it? Does he think his opinion matters?

This must an occupational hazard among successful people. He has done well in previous endeavours, it goes to his head, and so he assumes that his views about all kinds of things unrelated to his area of expertise are correct and important.

Musk is a rebel.  Look at his businesses.  Of course, he would be with the truckers.  Besides tweeting, "Canadian truckers rule".  He also tweeted, "CB radios are free from govt/media control".  Obviously a rebel.

When he sells his EV trucks, they have to include a CB.  He'll have customers for life. 

[Robert Roaldi]

Musk is a rebel.  Look at his businesses.  Of course, he would be with the truckers.  Besides tweeting, "Canadian truckers rule".  He also tweeted, "CB radios are free from govt/media control".  Obviously a rebel.

When he sells his EV trucks, they have to include a CB.  He'll have customers for life.

A multi-billionaire rebel? Give your head a shake.

Your position is that these truckers are "rebels"? Oh stop trolling. Who is paying you? They're not getting their money's worth.

Are you in favour of them accosting people on sidewalks and yelling at them for wearing masks? Is that rebellion in your book? How about assaulting store employees because of their Asian background? Is that rebellion?

You're making a fool of yourself.

His tweet about "Canadian truckers rule" can be read a different way. 99.9% of Canadian truckers are out there working. Are they the ones he's supporting? And anyway, what does his "support" amount to? A few typed words on social media? Maybe he should start up a competitor to PayPal, only with lower fees this time. Now that would be "rebelllious". Isn't competition good, like you keep reminding us.

[Alan Klein]

A multi-billionaire rebel? Give your head a shake.

Your position is that these truckers are "rebels"? Oh stop trolling. Who is paying you? They're not getting their money's worth.

Are you in favour of them accosting people on sidewalks and yelling at them for wearing masks? Is that rebellion in your book? How about assaulting store employees because of their Asian background? Is that rebellion?

You're making a fool of yourself.

His tweet about "Canadian truckers rule" can be read a different way. 99.9% of Canadian truckers are out there working. Are they the ones he's supporting? And anyway, what does his "support" amount to? A few typed words on social media? Maybe he should start up a competitor to PayPal, only with lower fees this time. Now that would be "rebelllious". Isn't competition good, like you keep reminding us.

You're putting words in my mouth.  I didn't take a side for or against the Canadian truckers.  I've already stated that I'm trying to show that Canada has their groups of individuals who violate the law and protest just like Americans.  Too many Canadians here are always putting down America and Americans, looking down your noses at us, as if you have a monopoly on civility.  People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. 

[Robert Roaldi]

You're putting words in my mouth.  I didn't take a side for or against the Canadian truckers.  I've already stated that I'm trying to show that Canada has their groups of individuals who violate the law and protest just like Americans.  Too many Canadians here are always putting down America and Americans, looking down your noses at us, as if you have a monopoly on civility.  People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

You've invented a bullshit cover story that Canadians think we're better. No one ever claimed this. You're just choosing to see criticism that way. There is no shortage of morons anywhere, including Canada.

I don't recall anyone putting down Americans, mostly we've put down Trump and his hangers-on. There's a difference.

And don't be a hypocrite now. YOU called them rebels, thus trying to dignify them. That's what I was calling you on, don't try to deflect.

[Alan Klein]

You've invented a bullshit cover story that Canadians think we're better. No one ever claimed this. You're just choosing to see criticism that way. There is no shortage of morons anywhere, including Canada.

I don't recall anyone putting down Americans, mostly we've put down Trump and his hangers-on. There's a difference.

And don't be a hypocrite now. YOU called them rebels, thus trying to dignify them. That's what I was calling you on, don't try to deflect.

You've called Americans treasonous, racists, and other impolite names for years.  You've made fun of American activities, political and otherwise.  Calling the people who voted for Trump "Hangers-on" is an insult in itself. We're not "hangers-on" but his supporters and voters.   Calling him a racist, a traitor, a Nazi, a fascist, is insulting to his supporters. That's what you're calling us by association   74 million people voted for Trump.  Now the chicken comes home to roost and you deny what you said and thought.  It won't work. 

[Robert Roaldi]

You've called Americans treasonous, racists, and other impolite names for years.  You've made fun of American activities, political and otherwise.  Calling the people who voted for Trump "Hangers-on" is an insult in itself. We're not "hangers-on" but his supporters and voters.   Calling him a racist, a traitor, a Nazi, a fascist, is insulting to his supporters. That's what you're calling us by association   74 million people voted for Trump.  Now the chicken comes home to roost and you deny what you said and thought.  It won't work.

By hangers-on, I was referring to his political cronies. Who, by the way, are starting to abandon him bit by bit, which is not surprising given his habit of throwing temper tantrums when anyone disagrees with him.

There is nothing wrong with ridiculing and attacking politicians. They're fair game. You've been doing it with every Democrat who breathes.

Trump is demonstrably racist, and the people who refuse to see that are making a mistake.

If you had a sensible political system, instead of a de facto arbitrary two-party state, some of those 74 million might have had someone better to vote for.

As for your feeling attacked, you should learn to differentiate between political criticism and personal insult. They're not the same thing.

[Peter McLennan]

When he sells his EV trucks, they have to include a CB.  He'll have customers for life.

Just more proof that you're an old, ignorant white guy. 

While you weren't looking, CB radios have all but vanished as a communications medium for truckers.

Today, they wear a headset and communicate by cellphone.  Unlimited, coast-to-coast plans allow them talk to anyone, anywhere, whenever they choose for as long as they choose.  They have scheduled group chats, like Zoom meetings, but talk only. 

As an aside, one of the primary disabilities seen in long distance truckers is loneliness.  Unlimited countrywide talk is a huge mitigator of this.

I know it's hard, Alan, but try to keep up.  There's more to life than high school economics and geopolitics lectures.

[Peter McLennan]

You've called Americans treasonous, racists, and other impolite names for years. 

We've called SOME Americans "treasonous, racists, and other impolite names for years". 

And with good reason, as recent events will attest.

[Alan Klein]

By hangers-on, I was referring to his political cronies. Who, by the way, are starting to abandon him bit by bit, which is not surprising given his habit of throwing temper tantrums when anyone disagrees with him.

There is nothing wrong with ridiculing and attacking politicians. They're fair game. You've been doing it with every Democrat who breathes.

Trump is demonstrably racist, and the people who refuse to see that are making a mistake.

If you had a sensible political system, instead of a de facto arbitrary two-party state, some of those 74 million might have had someone better to vote for.

As for your feeling attacked, you should learn to differentiate between political criticism and personal insult. They're not the same thing.

And your PM Trudeau insultingly and racistly wore blackface three times that we know about.  All I'm asking is for a little humility.  Canadians aren't perfect either.  You spend too much time as a Canadian putting down Americans like we're inferior.  That's not right.  I'm not an ogre and neither are most Americans. 

[Alan Klein]

Just more proof that you're an old, ignorant white guy. 

While you weren't looking, CB radios have all but vanished as a communications medium for truckers.

Today, they wear a headset and communicate by cellphone.  Unlimited, coast-to-coast plans allow them talk to anyone, anywhere, whenever they choose for as long as they choose.  They have scheduled group chats, like Zoom meetings, but talk only. 

As an aside, one of the primary disabilities seen in long distance truckers is loneliness.  Unlimited countrywide talk is a huge mitigator of this.

I know it's hard, Alan, but try to keep up. There's more to life than high school economics and geopolitics lectures.

I didn't say it, Musk said it. Try to keep up. ("CB radios are free from govt/media control")

And his point is well taken.  The government can secretly listen to your cell phone calls.  The NSA is doing it all the time.  So are Putin and Xi.   It's much harder with a CB radio moving in a truck on the interstate. 
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1486806256027422730