It’s with no sense of satisfaction that I note the materialisation of my prediction on the old Cat.
As the lockdowns continue, and the ‘voluntary’ vaccination rates climb, I see the pressure mounting on the hesitant from two different directions. That is, from Governments, in the form of ever louder hints of vaccination apartheid, and from the ever-growing block of vaccinated (and lockdown weary) public, for whom it is seen as a panacea for the government dictates.
Both will increase as the vaccination rate grows towards, and surpasses, what governments see as the mandate level. After that, the hints will become directions, and the pressure will become less perceived, and ever more tangible.
However, from accounts passing my ears, there is a third factor, that I never saw coming, but probably should have. That of the spouse; predominately those who have made a different choice in terms of the vaccine. Extended family, I foresaw, but from these accounts, a particularly insidious phenomenon is in play.
As the prospect of losing one’s job, or not being able to cross state lines (let alone travel internationally) slowly materialises, it would appear that the spectre of emotional blackmail is raising its head in the consent arena.
“Are you really willing to lose your job, and be unable to feed your family, over this ridiculous obsession/principle/fear?”
“I’ll take the kids on holidays without you, is that what you want?”
“Are you really prepared to prevent our child from completing Year 12 by refusing to let him/her get vaccinated?”
“You’re not going to embarrass me by becoming a Covid denier, are you?”
“You have responsibilities, it’s not fair to do this to us as a family over an irrational fear of a vaccine.”
“Get it now while you still have a choice, that way you can still maintain your principles.”
“If you believe it’s just like a bad flu, think of the vaccine as just another flu shot…you’ve had them before.”
All statements (or paraphrases thereof) that I’ve had recounted to me, mostly by men, I’m afraid to say. It’s just the manifestation of fear and uncertainty, I understand, and primal responses are to be expected in such unprecedented times (at least for most of us). I also assume that such conversations are not new to history and imagine similar conversations preceded some pretty bloody awful events and periods in the last century. We are getting a refresher on human (and group) manipulation.
For mine, I am refusing the pressure to get vaccinated precisely for the benefit of my family. I neither fear the vaccine (although I am suspicious of its long term impacts), nor COVID itself. I am, however, absolutely terrified of what follows when governments succeed in being able to dictate (either directly or indirectly) what an individual must do with or to their own body, in the name of the greater good.
Surely it’s the last bastion of individual rights and sovereign territory? Your own body? As I see it, once that fence has been removed, the wolves are free to roam, to hunt, to kill, largely without limits. My children deserve better, and the principle in play is more important than a holiday…perhaps even my job. History has told us that the thirst of such power is rarely slaked by appeasement. The line must be drawn somewhere, and this hill is a good one to die on.
I don’t know what the answer is here, but I do know that the government has already succeeded in pulling this country apart. I suspect they are not far behind in pulling apart, or irreversibly damaging, a large number of families, too.
P.S. It’s interesting to note how few (ie. none) of the spouse statements have to do with health and the direct impacts of COVID, merely potential Government policy and peer pressure.
Interesting… The nagging wife syndrome.
Of course they’ll respect you less for folding, but that’s the way of women.
I’m half way through Vax, but I will resist strongly any requests for my vax status.
Businesses that request it will not be receiving my trade.
Mater, I saw it coming weeks ago.
I am the only unvaccinated member of my family, apart from the little children. So far I haven’t really been pushed – my family is loyal and kind. But then, the rubber hasn’t hit the road yet.
Mine is an ethical issue, in addition to the unavailability of alternatives for my age group. The so-called Christian in the top job hitched his wagon to a vaccine that is unacceptable to many of his brothers and sisters at the exclusion of others. Now he plays catch-up, not for us, but for political gain with a younger cohort.
As time goes on, I’m becoming more and more convinced that the vaccines are useless and most likely dangerous in certain circumstances. I would rather catch Delta, take my chances, and acquire a degree of natural immunity, just as my body has been designed to do.
That has been my stance all along.
I even offered to pash Scarlett Johansson in order to get it. Only for the greater good, mind!
It is interesting to compare risk attitudes between men and women. To generalise, men are more likely to accept risk and prepared to go against the tide, women are very risk averse and tend to operate on concensus. This story reflects that.
It’s almost like genes and reproductive differences control attitudes. How unfashionable.
Regrettably, I am one of those spouses in that precise position. No doubt the pressure will ramp up once Mrs MS has her first injection. I wonder if I will be ostracised and possibly even discouraged from seeing the grandies once travel for the unwashed is again permitted by the political scum.
As am I.
It’ll be coming for me too, at some stage. Even the best, have their limits.
While neither of us are scared of contracting or dying of the Chinese Pox, Mrs D is petrified that Pileofshit is going to take the Binchicken approach and we will need a vax to do anything. She is registered with QHealth for a jab and when an appointment is available she will take it. She is eligible for the Pfizer.
I am still waiting, but as I don’t need to register to go into a queue as I am only entitled to the AZ, and can get that done as a walk in at the local chemist I am not too concerned and am going to try to wait the hysteria out.
That’s my approach, currently.
Often you don’t have to out run the Bear, just the bloke beside you.
I will confess to having my jabs as quickly as I did to keep Mrs Entropy happy.
It is what is most important after all.
Or, as the bald kiddie said in The Matrix…
There is no Bear.
While losing my wonderful man two and a half years ago (were did that time all go?) was bad and has left me alone to deal with this, I am thankful that I now only have to make decisions for myself, however hard that is without his support or the opportunity to discuss options. We had no children, so I don’t have that concern either. That’s fortunate.
The decision itself is not difficult to make, but being alone to deal with whatever consequences the government/s decide to inflict on the sensibly hesitant is not so easy to contemplate. It’s a genuine red pill/blue pill choice – except that the blue pill may well have devastating effects. We just cannot know who will lose in the lottery of the jabs until it’s too late. I have no intention of risking being injured by the jabs, particularly of ending up dependent on the uncaring “care” of the “health system” to manage ill effects from a cause they would do everything to deny. I have no intention of ever being caught up in that sausage factory!
I have good friends who understand and share my hesitation and concerns, but am not keen to engage with the remaining members of my family as I know their usual mindset too well. I don’t want to be hammered by their “concern” for me, but I’d still prefer to see them understand the risks associated with these jabs.
I have no intention of getting vaccinated. The more the fascists push the more resolute I am. I don’t even wear a mask. Nothing has happened to report on that.
My partner made her own decision not to get vaccinated. Her parents ring her up and try and convince her to get the jab.
I have heard first hand horror stories of the jabs. What sort of ethics do the medical profession have these days?
I notice the stories about full hospitals change as often as those grubs change their underwear.
This is spot on Mater.
At the moment Mrs Eddystone is fully on board with no vaxx, but she is a conscientious mask wearer and QR coder, so pressure will probably sway her, especially if it involves restrictions on seeing grandkids.
I tell there is no value in being able to see family if you are blinded or turned into a vegetable by the jab.
I will probably lose my job soon as a result of the vaxx mandate for paramedics. It just hasn’t reached my region yet. But I’m past retirement age so I’ll just be going a bit earlier than I wanted.
Divorce these skanky hos.
If they are this easily convinced by the stupid crap being put out by government on vaccines, imagine how many dudes were able to talk them into the sack.
“Triple shots of tequila are good for you, have another”.
As for the females in the same pedicament, I dunno. Maybe Bobbit his ass. Any man that compliant is worthless anyway. Keep it in a box in the shed and let him see it on anniversaries for old time’s sake.
*ummmm.
Not incitement. Just humour people.
I rang my big brother for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. He’s in country Vic and I’m in Qld now. After the usual catch up about grandkids he asked me if I’d had the jab. When I said no he asked me what I was afraid of. I told him I’m afraid of nothing except government compulsion to take the vaccine. That is the steepest of slippery slopes. Didn’t chat for long after that.
Golden rule has always been that if you get involved with other people in an emotional sense, one day it’s going to break your heart. First time was when I was 16, multiple times since, tragic life events, hard decisions to make, deaths of loved ones and so on. It’s life and it has it’ shit times for everyone. So many different takes on the non-virus and non-vax and what’s to come. The worst part is the waiting for the inevitable, which is death one way or another. If I get a eulogy I hope it’s along the lines of “well, that was interesting”. It may be I’ll be remembered for the manner of my death rather than a life well-lived. Personally I think this meme from Kaysee the other day should be emailed to your local, state and federal member and every TV talking head with the simple comment “you did this”. Somebody will see it but probably not the addressee of the email. Doesn’t matter, staffers are all enablers. Anyway, back to practising the sports I had no previous interest in.
This is what I’ve been saying about Tom Elliott on Drive. He is driving the vaccine passports policy in order to reward the vaccinated and punish the unvaccinated not because of the ‘efficacy’ of vaccines per se but because he wants an escape valve from LockDan forever. And it’s the usual fatalism we get from Conservative Inc.: oh, it looks like ‘the world is going that way’, and look, corporates, sorry, private organizations should be able to mandate anything they please, so grab your ankles and stop whining.
I have no intention of getting vaccinated.
Ditto. As long as I am able to make my own decisions, I’ll stand my ground against any ‘compulsion’ by govt ar anyone else. Mrs D has been advised by her GP and oncologist NOT to have the jab, so no pressure from that quarter. I have also made her aware of the enormous risks in have the vaccine.
I’m not so sure that we will get to that extreme state. Assuming that the vax does reduce the rate of infection and life starts to return to normal, its importance is likely to fade as we get on with living. Here on the Gold Coast, there is very little checking of QR code registering and mask-wearing is ignored by many, even on public transport. I had a visit to the local hospital opthalmologist a few days ago, where our faces were only a few centimetres apart. No masks!
Arky,
I am amazed she has held out this long(she only registered yesterday), given the relentless media panic porn, given her hysterical bunch of cronies(“we’re all gunner die” – which in their case is probably true given age & comorbiditities), her aunt (just get the fucking vax so I can leave this shithole), hints from rocket surgeons like Pileoshit(we will never ever be allowed to reenter Qld if we go interstate for any reason), fuckwits like Joyce, (no jab no fly), and that even bigger fuckwit Scummo(store owners have the right…)
At this point she is like a child with her eyes screwed shut, hands over her ears , crying “all right all right , please just make it stop”.
Diogenes, the best advice I can give is this:
Get. Off. Social. Media.
You have to separate yourself from abusers. Even if it is your family. Especially if it is your family. Take a break.
That’s exactly my thinking and the more these fascist imbeciles demand I submit, the more I’ll resist. This concept of vaccine passports is so offensive and ridiculous it beggars belief that various mongrels (such as that loathsome fat stupid pillow Morristeen) are now openly espousing them.
It’s also staggering that any business hit hard by schlockdowns would even contemplate attempting to deny service to any potential customer. Any business I’ve purchased from previously that attempts to do this will automatically lose my custom forever, even if they later recant.
The other galling aspect of this insanity is the obsession various idiots now have (most of whom I come into contact with through my job) about my private medical information. So another line in the sand has been drawn. Morons asking me if I’ve been administered one of those useless toxic chemical cocktails are now told in no uncertain terms to mind their own bloody business.
As for family and friends, if they attempt any kind of push back regarding my refusenik status they will be disowned. For good.
All our siblings have been vaxxed, but none of our kids, their spouses or our grandchildren. We produce offspring as stubborn as ourselves.
Mater & Calli together cover our objections. We wait and hope that the madness ends before total feudalism is in place.
The objection we get the most is, “You’re being selfish.” And for the most part, they seem to think it’s just about this virus and you’re a tin-foil hat wearer if you point out what the overlords are saying about using this to bring about their Great Reset.
I don’t get that. Why is it crazy to believe that those with all the power and money will try to do what they want to do? I mean, look at history. Freedom is a rare and precious commodity for plebs like us.
..
As intended, D. As intended.
My position as well. The coercion began a few weeks back with Firstborn’s partner putting pressure on him to get it and to convince us as well. He caved to her but refuses point blank to force us into it. The daughter has given in because she will be locked out of childcare centres and kinders if she doesn’t have it. The Boy Genius has also begun to subtly and not so subtly argue for us to get it and is refusing to visit because he “wouldn’t forgive himself” if we caught the Cov because he gave it to us unvaccinated weaklings.
This morning it was my sister using the “we need to do it because everyone is telling us we won’t be free without it.”
Fortunately for the two inhabitants of Villa Megan we are, for once, in complete agreement on this. The more pressure that government and society put on us to get it, the less likely we are to trust them and change our minds.
Reading Laura Dodsworth’s State of Fear was a great exploration of what’s being done to us. And knowing that there are those here at NewCat who are making similar decisions for similar reasons keeps me sane.
I’m in the same position with my wife. She thinks that vaccination will allow us to resume travelling and a pick up on two missed trips that were planned and booked for last year. Alas, she has always been one to “defer to authority.” Several family members, some overseas, have been vaccinated and there is one hold-out here in Australia. So some pressure is on – but under no circumstances will I voluntarily be vaccinated. And as I have said to my wife, we could be needed to take assist with care for our grandchildren in years to come depending on what happens. And that will likely be visible over the next few years as the death rates from the pathogen developed in people’s bodies from the messenger RNA instructions in the vaccine start really kicking in.
Interesting isn’t it that the focus around Covid is now to get everyone vaccinated. I wonder why? – actually I don’t, because there is only one answer and it isn’t pretty or humane. The PCR test is not fit for purpose, as said by the man who developed it, a recycle rate at 40 or more cycles as used here will give any result you want with>97% false positives, and the “test” does not differentiate between Covid-19 and the so called Delta variant. We are being strung along for only one reason and it’s to be vaccinated! So about all that can be said is beware.
Thank Christ today is my last day in the NSW school system. The fuckwits have made just vaccination mandatory for teachers.
We have a fly in vax crew on site today, one lady i know fairly well and a newer nurse.
On the trip in after hearing how 12 year olds would have the shot etc i decided to drop the consent bomb.
Younger bloke trotted out the “you have no right to allow yourself to become a source of infection to another”
I shot that down by referring to patient autonomy and the extensive case law surrounding patients giving consent.
I then questioned if consent was valid in the face of business or government coercion.
Our older nurse liked the conversation, as it brought up issues she had thought about a bit, the younger chap was full “coercion is fine for the greater good”.
We arrived at the clinic before i went the full “how about we do the same for AIDs then”…
Arky,
you are evil.
.. but funny.
Vax passports are making less and less sense, in inverse proportion to the pressure to use them.
Vaccine protects you from infection
simultaneously..
Vaccine reduces viral loads and your infectiousness
wait, what?
.. and we know from OS stats that it does neither very well.
I have no intention of getting vaccinated.
Me neither, nor any of their fucking stupid rules. I haven’t been wearing a mask but have decided to get a mask exemption for the purpose of havoc at work, will encourage the troops to do the same.
domestic peace
And herein lies Thing One.
None of what is currently being offered is in any way a “vaccination” (and, no offence, I do wish people who have more sense would stop referring to it as such). If it were a “vaccination” then the Boy Genius couldn’t give it to anybody, because he wouldn’t, ahem, have it. It is a best an ameliorator and at worst an insidious/accidental way to breed a better, more lethal, version.
I will happily have a Novavax shot (which I doubt will be very effective, give the history of cold jabs, but hey) when it becomes available. Because that would actually be an (attempt at) a vaccine.
The whole “vaccine” branding has been enormously successful, and goodness only what harm might come from it.
SWMBO has had her two jabs – basically because of peer pressure whilst walking near a major walk-in site – and had one mild attempt at the “I wish you’d just…” thing. But to be honest, her heart really wasn’t in it.
I am lucky in that there is no way short of gunpoint I can be coerced into the jab. In fact, not having to travel “because I can’t… no jab” is upside!
But I do feel for those who are in a different position.
Drax
Mrs D has been advised by her GP and oncologist NOT to have the jab,
If it isn’t a rude question, what form of cancer did Mrs D have?
Fortunately Mrs. OB shares the same view as I do regarding the “vaccinations”, she is probably a bit more adamant than me.
Only one of our children, all now adults with their own families, has broached the subject of vaccinations with me. I explained that the vaccines were experimental and their efficacy would be determined sometime in the future by the body count of the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. I have volunteered myself into the unvaccinated cohort as my personal contribution to science.
The topic hasn’t been raised again since.
I’m single and live alone (week 10 of not being able to have a visitor. Don’t get me started on the bastardry of the Health Hazzard and Beryl G). Every now and again my parents or siblings will ask when I’m going to do it. I usually fob it off. My colleagues boast about it all the time, I just say nothing in those conversations. If I’m asked directly, the answer is none of your business. If I get forced into it, I might have to go the AZ route as the after the fact science on the mRNA is pretty bad for my otherwise easily managed health conditions