Reader’s Links for January 20, 2022

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

48 Replies to “Reader’s Links for January 20, 2022”

  1. NEW YORK STATE – COVID-19 Breakthrough Data

    Current estimates of cases and hospitalizations by vaccine status, and vaccine effectiveness

    1,023,704 laboratory-confirmed breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among fully-vaccinated people in New York State, which corresponds to 7.7% of the population of fully-vaccinated people 12-years or older.

    30,005 hospitalizations with COVID-19 among fully-vaccinated people in New York State, which corresponds to 0.23% of the population of fully-vaccinated people 12-years or older.

    […]Vaccine breakthrough cases are defined as instances in which an individual tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully-vaccinated (more than 14 days after completing their vaccine series).

    […]These results indicate that laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and hospitalizations with COVID-19 have been uncommon events among the population of people who are fully-vaccinated [ .....1,023,704.... ] 🙂 🙂 🙂

    […]To measure the real-world effectiveness of vaccines in reducing cases and hospitalizations, compared to unvaccinated people, additional information and analyses are necessary.

    […]Taken together these results demonstrate that vaccines continue to be highly-effective at protecting New York residents

    […]Role for Additional Protective Measures: Because vaccines do not offer 100% protection, additional protective measures, such as mask wearing, and social distancing will provide additional protection.

    MORE :

    https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-breakthrough-data

    ==================================

    the gateway pundit : WATCH: NHS Doctor Tells Patient NOT to Take Covid Vaccine Because They Will Be PULLED Soon – Warns That Vaccine Data is Being Hidden From Public

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/watch-nhs-doctor-tells-patient-not-take-covid-vaccine-will-pulled-soon-warns-vaccine-data-hidden-public/

    • Because They Will Be PULLED Soon

      Maybe, but probably discreetly.

      Very quiet on boosters here in the Moderna, Biogen, et al. community. In contrast to roll-out fanfare. Simply because:
      1) The shots stopped working.
      2) The variant *IS* the vax.

  2. CBC – Protesters increasingly target politicians at home

    Anger over COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations has politicians increasingly under siege, with protesters confronting them in public and at their homes.

    A security expert says such displays are likely a cascading effect from people sharing their frustration on social media.

  3. https://www.rebelnews.com/vancity_bank_requested_proof_of_vaccine_to_cash_in_investment

    A Vancouver woman, Tracie Mackie, has been trying to keep her head above water ever since Canada Post’s coercive vaccination policy resulted in her being laid off without pay due to not receiving two experimental COVID-19 shots.

    Things took a turn for the worse when Mackie’s bank, Vancity Credit Union, added salt to her unconstitutional wounds, informing her she would have to provide proof of vaccination in order to attend the necessary appointment to cash in her RRSP investments to help pay her bills.

    Mackie understandably questioned the logic behind the policy.

    She reminded the financial institution that B.C’s public health orders, list banks and credit unions as a place where proof of vaccination is not required.

    She also questioned how forbidding unvaccinated members from attending appointments needed to cash in an investment is based on science, considering the majority of hospital beds being occupied by COVID-19 patients right now, are by, those who are fully vaccinated.

    Thankfully, Vancity backpedaled on their policy.

    Mackie was able to attend her appointment without scanning a QR code, and even received an apology via phone call from the bank’s vice president Peter Reale, but not before Mackie recorded her whole ordeal to share with Rebel News.

    “What if it wasn’t me? What if it was a senior trying to get their money, and what if they weren’t able to push back?” Mackie responded when I asked her why Vancity’s apology wasn’t good enough.

    Thanks to Mackie’s efforts, it appears that scenario she envisioned will no longer be a concern.

    • Austrian parliament approves vaccine mandate for adults

      Austria’s parliament has voted to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults from Feb. 1, the first of its kind in Europe

      VIENNA — Austria’s parliament voted Thursday to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults from Feb. 1, the first of its kind in Europe, with maximum potential fines of up to 3,600 euros ($4,000) for people who don’t comply after a series of reminders.

      Lawmakers voted 137 to 33 in favor of the measure, which will apply to all residents of Austria aged 18 and over. Exemptions are made for pregnant women, people who for medical reasons can’t be vaccinated, or who have recovered from the coronavirus in the previous six months.

      Officials say the mandate is necessary because vaccination rates remain too low in the small Alpine country. They say it will ensure that Austria’s hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

      Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein, speaking in parliament Thursday afternoon, called the measure a “big, and, for the first time, also lasting step” in Austria’s fight against the pandemic.

      “This is how we can manage to escape the cycle of opening and closing, of lockdowns,” he said, noting that it’s about fighting not just omicron, but any future variants that might emerge. “That is why this law is so urgently needed right now.”

      The Austrian government first announced the plan for a universal vaccine mandate at the same time it imposed a since-lifted lockdown in November, and amid concern that Austria’s vaccination rate was comparatively low for Western Europe. As of Thursday, about 72% of the population of 8.9 million was considered fully vaccinated.

      The measure passed easily in parliament after a fierce debate. Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s governing coalition, made up of his conservative Austrian People’s Party and the Greens, worked with two of the three opposition parties in parliament on the plan. The far-right Freedom Party vehemently opposed it.

      “I’m appalled, I’m stunned, I’m shaken and I’m shocked,” said Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl, calling the law “nothing more than a huge blow to the freedoms of Austrians.”

      Speakers from the four other parties criticized what they said were the Freedom Party’s deliberate attempts to stoke anti-vaccine sentiments in Austria, accusing it of spreading deliberate falsehoods about the safety and effectiveness of available vaccines.

      Pamela Rendi-Wagner, head of the opposition Social Democrats, said the vaccine mandate is something “that we all didn’t want,” but that it “has unfortunately become necessary to close this vaccination gap that still exists in Austria.”

      Once the mandate goes into effect in February, authorities will write to every household to inform them of the new rules.

      From mid-March, police will start checking people’s vaccination status during routine checks; people who can’t produce proof of vaccination will be asked in writing to do so, and will be fined up to 600 euros ($685) if they don’t.

      If authorities judge the country’s vaccination progress still to be insufficient, Nehammer said they would then send reminders to people who remain unvaccinated. If even that doesn’t work, people would be sent a vaccination appointment and fined if they don’t keep it. Officials hope they won’t need to use the last measure. Fines could reach 3,600 euros if people contest their punishment and full proceedings are opened.

      Austria’s governing coalition also announced Thursday that 1.4 billion euros ($1.59 billion) will be invested in efforts and incentives to encourage unvaccinated people to get the jab. Of that sum, 1 billion euros will go toward a national vaccine lottery beginning March 15, while the remaining 400 million euros will be directed to towns that reach a certain high vaccination rate.

      The mandate is supposed to remain in place until the end of January 2024. An expert commission will report to the government and parliament every three months on vaccination progress.

      The government originally intended for the mandate to apply to all residents 14 and over, but changed that to 18 during consultations with political opponents and others.

      Since the vaccine mandate was initially announced, the measure has led to regular large-scale demonstrations in Vienna, some of which have drawn upwards of 40,000 protesters. Like other protests against coronavirus measures across Europe, the Vienna demonstrations have drawn vaccine skeptics and right-wing extremists alike, and officials have warned that the protests are radicalizing.

      Some other European countries have introduced vaccine mandates for specific professional or age groups. Greece, for example, makes COVID-19 vaccination obligatory for everyone aged 60 and over, as that age group accounts for the majority of deaths and hospitalizations in intensive care units.

      Austria’s neighbor Germany is considering a mandate for all, but it’s not yet clear whether, when and in what form that will go ahead.

      https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/austrian-parliament-vote-universal-vaccine-mandate-82368990

  4. Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Under 5 Could Be Authorized Soon: Officials

    Omicron cases are levelling off and even going down in some areas. Pediatricians say this surge has been especially hard on children and there may be relief soon for those under 5. Ian Cull reports.

    • CBC – How to get the most protection wearing an N95 mask

      More people are wearing N95 or KN95 masks after the surge of the Omicron variant.

    • ctv – Winnipeg mail carrier sent home without pay for wearing N95 mask

      ( age restricted on YT )

    • city news – How to identify the best masks to use for protection against Omicron

      + comments on the YT page

    • reuters – U.S. to distribute millions of free N95 masks

      The U.S. will distribute 400 million non-surgical N95 masks for free to the public starting next week.

    • W.H.O. – Dr Tedros: Omicron causes hospitalizations and deaths

      The Omicron variant is still responsible for hospitalizations and deaths around the world, and poses threats to unvaccinated communities

    • World Economic Forum

      Ursula von der Leyen | Are Democracies Strong And Fast Enough To Face The Challenge of COVID-19?

    • global news – 40 Ontario physicians currently being investigated for COVID-19 issues: College

      + VIDEO

      More than 40 physicians are currently being investigated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for promoting unproven treatments for COVID-19 or sharing unverified information about its vaccines, Global News can reveal.

      The revelation comes after Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott publicly urged the CPSO to crack down on a group of doctors accused of spreading unverified medical information about the vaccines, after the situation was brought to light in a Global News investigation.

      During a press conference on Wednesday morning to update Ontarians on the province’s fight against the Omicron variant, Elliott labelled the reports “extremely concerning.”

      “At a time when it’s never been more important for Ontarians to have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, this is unacceptable,” she said.

      Elliott said she would be sending a letter to the CPSO “urging them to do everything that is possible to put an end to this behaviour.”

      “They should consider all options in doing so, including reviewing the licences of physicians found to be spreading misinformation,” Elliott says.

      But the CPSO says they are already doing that.

      Currently, more than 40 physicians are being investigated in regards to their conduct relating to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, a CPSO spokesperson said. Some are the subject of multiple complaints.

      Seven have suspensions or restrictions placed on their medical licences. The rest can continue to practice without any additional restrictions.

      However, the bar to suspend or restrict a medical licence is set high and must demonstrate that a physician’s conduct “exposes patients to harm” or was necessary to warrant immediate disciplinary action to “protect the public,” a CPSO spokesperson said.

      The spokesperson said the CPSO “takes these issues very seriously” and court orders had been sought in “several cases” to ensure they are fulfilling their mandate and ensuring “the public is protected.”

      “The College has been clear about our concerns related to physicians who are utilizing their unique positions of trust to promote unsupported, unproven treatments for COVID-19; and who are undermining public health measures,” he said.

      According to the CPSO’s last annual report, in 2020, the College received complaints about 2,832 physicians over the course of the year.

      The CPSO spokesperson said almost half of these were resolved early, which meant they did not represent a threat to patient safety.

      Allegations of inappropriate prescribing of COVID treatments and the issuance of fraudulent vaccine exemptions represent “significant concerns” for the CPSO because of the “extraordinary risk” to public safety that they represent, the spokesman said.

      There are currently 35,543 active physicians in the CPSO.

      Global News’ investigation revealed that a number of doctors — mostly located in B.C. and Ontario — are sharing unverified information on blood clots and myocarditis side effects, while others have been accused of issuing false medical exemptions for wearing a mask or receiving a vaccine. Several have claimed the vaccine “kills children.”

      All of the doctors, except one, have active medical licences.

      The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) refuses to release the number of complaints they have received in relation to COVID-19.

      https://globalnews.ca/news/8524589/ontario-physicians-investigation-covid-19/

    • global news – Canada providing $125 million in COVID-19 public health funding to First Nations

      “Some examples of how the money may be used could include to administer vaccines and boosters or to conduct rapid testing. It could also be used to pay for surge staffing and other resources,” Hajdu said.

      Chief medical officer of public health Dr. Tom Wong also said on Thursday that as of Jan. 18, more than one million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in First Nations, Inuit and territorial communities. He added that more than 85 per cent of people aged 12 and up have received a second dose.

      + COMMENTS on the YT PAGE

    • sky news australia – Queenslanders eligible for booster vaccine after 3 months

      …. the state is reducing the timeframe for booster shots.

    • global news – Experts call for change after investigation reveals doctors spreading COVID-19 misinformation

      …. doctors in Ontario and BC are spreading information about COVID-19 that contradicts public health advice…

      and some were alleged to be heading out falsified mask and vaccine exemptions.

      + COMMENTS on the YT PAGE

      • “Experts call for change after investigation reveals doctors (EXPERTS) spreading Covid-19 misinformation.”

        So the word “expert” in this case is intended to marginalize, or trump the word “doctor”. A malevolent reversal given the non-specificity of “experts”, and the fact that doctors displaying independent critical thinking and integrity are by definition superior to those following the status quo or corporate orthodoxies of the day. This is an effort to negate the legitimate arguments of the most experienced medical voices in the field, while promoting the misinformation of centrally-controlled government diktats.

  5. Photo of Pileated woodpecker reminds me of Phil Colin’s song “Leave your hat on.” Not you eyeore, just sayin.

  6. Why do neo-Nazis love ‘Haaretz’?

    The reason right-wing anti-Semitic extremists frequently cite a radical leftist Israeli newspaper is its hostility to the Jewish state.
    […]
    The question that arises … is why right-wing anti-Semitic extremists would want to cite a radical leftist Israeli newspaper. The answer is two-fold.

    In the first place, unity between the far-right and far-left is nothing new.

    In 1940, Hitler and Communist leader Joseph Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, to join forces and divide Europe among themselves. Stalin often expressed admiration for Hitler. It was only when Hitler later threatened to take over the Soviet Union that the communists decided to fight the fascists….

    In the second place, Haaretz is obsessed with finding the negative in anything Jewish or Israeli. This applies even to organ donations.…

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/320602