Reader’s Links for November 24, 2021

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

49 Replies to “Reader’s Links for November 24, 2021”

  1. Some boots just stay empty.

    It’s been too long. Anyone recall his last comment? Eeyore have you checked for it to see if there was anything in it? I remember he said he was stepping out but how long has it been? A month?

    If he knew he wasn’t coming back it’s because he didn’t want to upset you, Yucki.

  2. I know this news was making the rounds but here’s another tweet for those slides

    https://twitter.com/jonkay/status/1461847160253779974

    Ont Sec School Teachers’ Fed, District 20) announced that their rules would be changed so that each non-white union member would have his/her vote weighted more than white members. Here are the slides they used to justify the decision to rank & file

    • Google generated transcript from youtube
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS9xkjvxSL8
      so you’ve got questions about weighted
      voting well we’ve got answers
      some people have wondered is weighted
      voting an example of reverse racism
      well let’s unpack that statement
      we know that stereotypes and racial
      discrimination exist against all people
      even if you count yourself within the
      majority
      but this is known as racial prejudice
      and it’s not quite the same as racism
      when we’re talking about racism we can’t
      forget the relationship that racial
      prejudice has with power and that’s the
      definition
      racism is racial prejudice plus
      power
      according to the osstf equity statement
      promoting the engagement of members of
      indigenous peoples and equity seeking
      groups is a valid and necessary approach
      to reaching equity
      this is the why behind the weighted
      voting
      in order to understand why this motion
      was created and why 68 of agm voted for
      the change
      we must understand how systemic racism
      manifest in our union practices
      prior to motion 8.2 all 19 branch
      presidents co-branch presidents or
      alternatives would vote to decide on a
      mission brought to tbu council
      past practice of tbu council were that
      each voting member get one vote and that
      seems fair one person equals one vote
      but fair doesn’t necessarily mean
      equitable
      what if you found out that not all
      voices were being represented especially
      those that belong to the most
      marginalized communities
      would this still be fair
      motion 8.2 was created to address the
      disproportionate representation of
      voting members of tbu council
      this means that quorum must include 50
      representation of indigenous black or
      racialized members where possible
      otherwise votes will be weighted to
      ensure a 50 50 representation
      so what does this look like
      let’s take a look at an example of
      voting on an issue
      it has been brought to tvu council that
      as a union we have never recognized
      diwali it has been proposed that as we
      move forward we need to change this
      for this example we are going to assume
      that there are 20 voting members on tpm
      council
      now we’re going to vote on recognized
      diwali for staff and
      students as a whole 13 members voted for
      no and seven voted for yes as an entire
      council we vote that we will not be
      officially recognizing diwali as a
      holiday
      let’s take a look at how this vote broke
      down across racial lines for those who
      chose not to self-identify 75 of the
      group chose not to officially observe
      this holiday
      if we take a look at those who did
      self-identify 75 of this group chose yes
      we would like to observe diwali now why
      is this disconcerted well the social
      justice issue is important to indigenous
      black and racialized members but was not
      heard
      and while this seems like this might be
      an example of racial prejudice our own
      osstf equity statement says that equal
      opportunity to participate in the
      federation does not mean treating all
      members the same
      he goes on to say that promoting the
      engagement of members of equity seeking
      groups is a valid and necessary approach
      to reaching equitable outcomes
      [Music]
      let’s take a look at how things differ
      when we use weighted voting from the
      original example 65 of the voting
      members chose not to officially
      recognize divali as a holiday
      however when we take a look at the
      breakdown across racial lines we can see
      that the importance of this holiday
      differs between the non-identifying
      group and the four self-identifying
      group members
      [Music]
      when we use weighted voting we can see
      that the final outcome is significantly
      different
      in this example with the weighted votes
      we can see that 50 voted for the motion
      and 50 against
      this is quite a difference from the
      original vote of 65 against the
      recognition of this holiday voices of
      non-identifying members are heard and
      voices of indigenous black and
      racialized voices are amplified so that
      they can also be heard
      but some people may ask isn’t weighted
      voting a violation of my ontario human
      rights
      the development of motion 8.2 was
      designed with code 14 in mind it affords
      marginalized members the opportunity to
      achieve equality by amplifying their
      voices through voting power
      something that would not be possible
      with the original practice this is the
      why behind weighted voting
      we recognize that the ontario human
      rights codes ensures everyone equal
      rights and opportunities free of
      discrimination
      but similarly the code makes it clear
      that fair is not the same as equal and
      as such created section 14 to address
      these systemic barriers
      thanks for joining us we hope that as
      members of district 20 can continue to
      work together for equity and positive
      change
      for additional professional learning
      please feel free to check out these
      amazing resources to guide you in your
      learning around being an advocate for
      indigenous black and racialized members

  3. Slovakia follows Austria into lockdown amid record surge in COVID cases

    PRAGUE, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Slovakia’s government followed the example of neighbouring Austria on Wednesday and ordered a two-week lockdown to quell the world’s fastest rise in COVID-19 cases as the number of people sick in hospital reached a critical level and vaccinations remain low.

    The restrictions for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people will include closed restaurants and non-essential shops, TASR news agency quoted Economy Minister Richard Sulik as saying.

    Prime Minister Eduard Heger was due to detail the measures later on Wednesday after a government meeting.

    Slovakia on Tuesday registered more than 10,000 new daily infections for the first time since the pandemic started while hospitalisations hit what the Health Ministry called a “critical point” that meant limiting other care and possibly asking for foreign assistance.

    Slovakia is experiencing the world’s fastest rise in infections, adjusted for population, according to Our World in Data, topping a list led by other European countries. read more

    The neighbouring Czech Republic and Hungary both registered a record daily rise in cases on Tuesday, while Austria also implemented a total lockdown this week, shutting non-essential shops, bars and cafes for at least 10 days.

    The decision to return to a lockdown comes after the government already slapped new restrictions on unvaccinated people this week in a bid to push up inoculations.

    Less than 50% of people in the country of 5.5 million have been vaccinated, the third lowest rate in the European Union, and the unvaccinated count for the majority of cases and hospitalisations.

    President Zuzana Caputova made an emotional plea on Tuesday, saying the country was losing its fight with COVID-19 and needed a lockdown as healthcare staff became overworked.

    The number of hospitalised patients has reached 3,200, approaching peaks of around 3,800 seen in the last wave of the pandemic.

    Dagmar Sudekova, deputy director of the Zilina hospital in one of the harder hit regions, told the state broadcaster RTVS on Tuesday evening more than 80% of patients were unvaccinated and the hospital’s ventilation and high-flow oxygen beds were full.

    “We just manage with the help of neighbouring hospitals,” she said.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovakias-covid-cases-rise-by-record-government-prepares-lockdown-2021-11-24/

    • Germany: Bavarian city goes on lockdown after becoming country’s largest COVID-19 hotspot

      The Bavarian city of Rosenheim went into lockdown, on Wednesday, after exceeding a critical threshold of COVID-19 infections.

      New region-wide restrictions came into force to combat surging infection numbers, with municipalities like Rosenheim that breach 1,000 new COVID-19 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the space of seven days being forced to go into lockdown.

      In such locations, bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as cultural and sport venues will be closed.

      On Friday, Bavaria cancelled its popular Christmas markets. In addition, state premier Markus Soder announced the shutdown of clubs and bars, while gastronomy venues will have to close at 22:00 across Bavaria.

      Retail outlets are asked to restrict customer flows and sport and culture venues are only allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity.

    • UK – Man jailed over bomb scare which halted AstraZeneca vaccine factory

      A man with an “obsessive interest” in Covid-19 has been jailed after sending a suspicious package to a vaccine factory and sparking a bomb scare.

      Anthony Collins, 54, also sent similar parcels to 10 Downing Street and a laboratory in Wuhan in China, among others, a court heard.

      Production of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab at premises in Wrexham in Wales ground to a halt in January, causing “mayhem”.

      Collins, from Kent, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday for sentencing after being found guilty of dispatching an article by post with the intention of inducing the belief it is likely to explode or ignite.

      The parcel caused 120 factory workers to be evacuated from the site and vaccine production to be paused.

    • UK – LONDON NOV 20 2021 – NO VAX PASSPORTS MEDICAL FREEDOM RALLY

      FROM HYDE PARK TO THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY

    • the gateway pundit – Sheffield United Star John Fleck Collapses on Pitch During Tuesday Match and Rushed to the Hospital –

      TV Live Feed Cut when Announcer Asks If He’s Had COVID Jab

      […]The live feed was cut after one of the announcers asked, “I think everyone wants to know if he’s had the COVID vaccine?”

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/sheffield-united-star-john-fleck-collapses-pitch-tuesday-match-rushed-hospital-tv-live-feed-cut-announcer-asks-covid-jab/

    • AUSTRALIA – Major Adelaide private hospitals set to ban unvaccinated partners from birthing suites

      Unvaccinated partners of pregnant women will soon be banned from birthing suites.

    • sky news UK – What does Europe’s COVID-19 surge mean for the UK?

      Sky News explains why it’s happening

    • DEUTSCHE PRAVDA – Germany’s vaccination rate too low for herd immunity, tightens restrictions

      Germany’s pandemic response started strong and then strangely turned lax, despite rising case numbers.

      By early summer, there was enough vaccine available for all Germans to get their shots.

      But up to now, a third of the population has refused to get vaccinated.

      The country has never reached herd immunity.

      And was ill prepared for the winter.

      Now, the country is in the grip of its fourth wave.

      One of the hardest hit states is Bavaria where the traditional Christmas cheer now has to take a back seat.

    • SOUTH KOREA – COVID-19 soars to new record in Korea – will vaccine passes be expanded?

      South Korea is facing its most serious COVID-19 situation since the start of the pandemic, with daily infections and critical cases jumping to all-time highs.

      The country added 4,116 new cases in the latest daily report – 824 more than the previous record – while the number of critically ill patients has reached 586.

      And this spike in infections comes in the same month that the government eased social distancing rules under its ‘living with COVID-19’ plan.

      Officials are now pondering whether to expand South Korea’s vaccine pass system.

    • BBC – How anti-vax Facebook groups fuelled violence in Holland –

      After three nights of unrest in several Dutch cities, there are concerns Facebook is failing to remove anti-vaccine content from non-English language communities.

      The Netherlands saw violent protests last weekend after the country imposed a partial lockdown in response to a record spike in Covid cases.

      Dutch anti-vaccine activists inspired by bad information have been involved in organising the rallies on Facebook and fanning the flames of violence online.

      There are concerns Facebook is failing to remove anti-vaccine content from non-English language communities due to the lack of foreign language moderators.

      Meta, which owns Facebook, told Newsnight it’s investigating the groups flagged the by the programme and they remove harmful misinformation and content that incites violence when the company becomes aware of it.

      BBC specialist disinformation reporter Marianna Spring investigates.

    • DEUTSCHE PRAVDA – Germany tightens restrictions as COVID-19 cases soar

      In Germany, the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections continues to rage out of control.
      Health minister Jens Spahn says further restrictions are needed to slow the spread of the virus.

      Here’s a look at the most significant of the new measures in Germany from today on.

      Anyone going to work or using public transport will need to fulfil at least one of three criteria: be vaccinated, have recently recovered from infection, or show a negative COVID-19 test result.

      This is known in Germany as the 3G rule.

      The eastern state of Saxony has already stepped up restrictions after a spike in new infections, but many residents remain skeptical about getting vaccinated.

      + COMMENTS ON THE YT PAGE


    • sky news UK – Time for conversation on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, say WHO

      The World Health Organisation says ‘it’s time’ to have a conversation on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in Europe.

      Speaking to Sky’s Kay Burley, Executive Director of WHO in Europe, Robb Butler, said it’s a ‘healthy’ but ‘delicate’ debate to have.

      He also said that 160,000 lives could be saved on the continent if more people wear face coverings.

      + COMMENTS on THE YT PAGE

      • How does he arrive at the figure of 160000?why not 50 or two million?Does he have a crystal ball or a hot line to the fates?

    • Montreal – Parents talk about Health Canada approving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11

    • reuters – Israeli PM’s 9-year-old son gets COVID-19 vaccine

      Bennett’s youngest son, aged 9, received his first COVID-19 vaccine shot as Israel began rolling out Pfizer/BioNtech vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds

    • WHO says vaccines reduce Covid-19 transmission by 40%

      WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that Covid vaccines reduce transmission of the dominant Delta variant by about 40 percent.

    • Guadeloupe protesters stage new roadblocks against Covid measures

      … to protest against the health pass and mandatory vaccination of workers.

    • France plans tighter social distancing rules, booster ramp-up to fight COVID wave

      – The French government will announce new COVID-19 containment measures on Thursday as the infection rate surges nationwide, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

      Attal said the government wants to avoid major curbs on public life, preferring to strengthen social distancing rules and speeding up its vaccination booster campaign.

      The government would also tighten health pass rules, he said.

      The epidemic was likely to get worse in coming days, with the incidence rate – the number of infections per week per 100,000 people – set to rise above 200 in the next day or two.

      “We must protect the French people by building on what we have, to save the end-of-year festivities and get through the winter as well as possible,” Attal told a press conference.

      France’s health pass – which allows entry to cafes, restaurants, museums, cinemas and other public places for people who are vaccinated or have a recent negative COVID test – is a key reason why France is doing better than some of its neighbours, President Emmanuel Macron says.

      Attal declined to comment on what measures Health Minister Olivier Veran may announce on Thursday, but the government is widely expected to follow the advice of health regulator HAS, which said on Friday that a third dose of the vaccine should be extended to everyone over the age of 40.

      “While we see a significant increase in pressure on the hospital system in coming weeks, we think we can avoid being submerged, provided that we continue and increase our vaccination drive, social distancing and our use of the health pass,” Attal added.

      So far the third booster shot is only available for people older than 65 and the vulnerable, but from Dec. 1 it will also become available for the 50-64 age group. From Dec. 15, people over 65 will also need to present proof of a COVID-19 booster shot in order for their health passes to remain valid.

      https://news.trust.org/item/20211124131619-sptwj/

      ============================
      France’s “epidemic situation is clearly deteriorating”: government

    • zero hedge – Pfizer Employee Stole 12,000 Files Including COVID-19 Vaccine Secrets, Lawsuit Claims

      Pfizer claims that a “soon-to-be-former employee” uploaded more than 12,000 files – including “scores” with confidential information – to her personal Google Drive account and other personal devices, a lawsuit from the company claims.

      The company has accused Chun Xiao Li (“Li”) and five potential co-defendants of corporate espionage, saying Li “decided to leave Pfizer for a competitor believed to be Xenocor, Inc.”

      What’s more, Li apparently gave Pfizer a ‘decoy’ laptop to throw internal investigators off the trail.

      Per the filing:

      Had Ms. Li left Pfizer honorably, she would not be named in this Complaint. But she made a different choice: on her way out the door, she transferred onto personal accounts and devices over 12,000 files, scores of which contain Pfizer confidential and trade-secret information, and tried covering her tracks repeatedly.

      She went so far as to provide Pfizer’s security team a decoy laptop, leading Pfizer to believe it was the one she used to download the 12,000 files from her Google Drive account. Forensic analyses confirmed it was not, and Ms. Li (or somebody else, including potentially DOES 1-5) likely remains in possession of the actual computer that contains those 12,000 files.

      The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent Li from using, disclosing, transmitting or altering any confidential information she stole, per Bloomberg Law.

      Li’s tenure with Pfizer began in 2006 at their Global Product Development Group in China, before transferring to the company’s La Jolla, California campus in 2016. She had signed a confidentiality agreement as part of her employment.

      Her alleged theft was first detected as part of routine tracking of employee activity on company devices in October, when she transferred 12,000 files from her Pfizer laptop, per the complaint.

      Read the complaint below:

      https://fr.scribd.com/document/542125876/Document#download&from_embed

      https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/pfizer-employee-stole-12000-files-including-covid-19-vaccine-secrets-lawsuit-claims

    • Germany: Public transport passengers required to show COVID certificates

      All passengers using German public transport may be subject to random screening by security and safety personnel following the continuing increase in COVID cases as the fourth wave of the pandemic hits.

      Following the Infection Protection Act, passed on 19 November, random checks by German railways staff will be carried out as of Wednesday.

      “There will be 4,200 DB Security employees on duty, in addition to the approximately 5,000 DB employees and also the companies we contract for these checks on commuter trains, i.e., on local trains, regional express trains, and regional trains,” said a DB spokesperson.

      The new regulation only applies to people over the age of six. Semi-private transport such as school buses and taxis will be exempt from the new measures.

      SOUNDBITES:

      SOT, Spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn (German): “We have started conducting random checks on our trains and our control and security staff report a high level of acceptance for the new 3G regulation on the part of our passengers.

      The passengers are very well informed they have their proofs ready and in the next few days we will carry out the random checks on 400 connections by well-positioned personnel, 4,200 employees of DB Security will be deployed in addition to some 5,000 of DB’s staff and also companies that we commission for such checks in the trains on local services, i.e. on S-Bahn, Regional-express and regional trains.

      We are obliged to do this by law, but it is also our contribution to fighting this fourth wave of the pandemic.

      We have already done a good job under difficult conditions in the past months and want to continue to do so.

      But we also rely on our passengers to help us fight the pandemic, and this includes proving that you have been tested vaccinated, or recovered.”

    • Germany: ‘3G’ COVID rules come into force on Berlin public transport

      Berlin’s public transport operator began applying ‘3G’ COVID-19 rules for all passengers on Wednesday. The regulations mean that all who travel by bus, tram, or metro are required to show proof of either vaccination against COVID-19, recovery from the illness, or a negative test.

      “In fact, it was only yesterday that we knew that 3G would be in place as of today, nationwide on all means of public transport, not just BVG,” said Berlin Transport Company (BVG) press officer Jannes Schwentu.

      “The first thing we did, of course, was to inform the passengers, via our website, via advertisements, scrolling lines, announcements and so on and immediately. As of today, it applies, that is, passengers must carry a 3G [document] with them and we will, as the law stipulates, check this compliance on a random basis,” he added.

      The public reaction was mixed, with some expressing approval of the measures and others seeing them as divisive. Anyone who is unable to provide 3G evidence is required to exit any given means of transport at the next possible occasion.

      SOUNDBITES:

      SOT, Resident (German): “I find it absolutely right, especially in the current times we must very thorough. Personally I have no issues with this, as I want to have safety when getting from A to B.”

      SOT, Resident (German): “It is difficult for many, when they do not want to get vaccinated and still want to use the public transportation. They will have to find other ways to move, I find it a bit divisive.”

      SOT, Jannes Schwentu, Berlin Transport Company (BVG) spokesperson (German): “In fact, it was only yesterday that we knew that 3G would be in place as of today, nationwide on all means of public transport, not just BVG. The first thing we did, of course, was to inform the passengers, via our website, via advertisements, scrolling lines, announcements and so on and immediately. As of today, it applies, that is, passengers must carry a 3G [document] with them and we will, as the law stipulates, check this compliance on a random basis. That means in smaller numbers depending on the occasion and in the next few days also in focused controls, with more staff, and also together with the police.”

      SOT, Jannes Schwentu, Berlin Transport Company (BVG) spokesperson (German): “Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a proof on the mobile phone, so a printed proof or the yellow vaccination book are perfectly fine. What the passengers always want to know, such proof usually also includes a photo ID to be checked specifically, be it an identity card or a driver’s license, which you should also always have with you, but everything that is official proof is accordingly accepted by us.”

  4. YEMEN – THOUSANDS of Yemenis denounce ‘US-backed siege’ at armed rally

    Massive crowd of protesters rallies to denounce US involvement in the war as they chant anti-American slogans