WildPath

I personally know, as an acquaintance, Conservative Senator Don Plett. Long before he became a senator he was well known as a pretty big slimeball. Not at all surprised the eventual controversy that followed him as a senator - defending residential schools, travelling during the first Covid winter holidays, etc. And worse yet... he's known as a cheater in curling!!!😁 They say the cream rises to the top, but so does the slime. Senators are not immune from being pretty horrible or ignorant people.

Reading a book about the immune system (Immune by Philipp Dettmer). Did not realize the impact some diseases can have on our bodies even after we have cleared them. According to the book, measles can basically wipe out a lot of your immune cells that remember how to fight infections/diseases that you have already had. So while most people will cope alright with measles, the challenging thing is that your body will not know how to fight previously known enemies and this includes enemies that your body has come to know through vaccines. This is especially dangerous as the anti-vax movement gains steam(which is likely even more popular with Covid). Additionally, previous mono infection (which 90% of people have had by the age of 20 in developed countries), is linked to other conditions such as MS, IBD and type 1 diabetes later in life. The long term consequences, which I assume many of them are unknown, are fairly concerning to me with Covid. We already know children are more likely to develop type 1 diabetes and I'm assuming more lasting consequences will play out over time. Its good that we are learning more how to treat long Covid, but I would really like to know how strong the correlation between Covid infection is with later diseases and how much a strong/weak case of Covid changes these risks (along with how much vaccination would act as a preventative, if any).

Last poll I saw had Reeves in the lead, but that was before Khan was officially the candidate (but I think his name was still used in the poll). Good opportunity to put some fear into PC MLAs that a lot of safe seats may no longer be safe. Also interesting is the outspoken Anti-Science loonie Patrick Allard has decided to run in the election as an independent...

When you've used the term Justinflation to regurgitate Poilievre talking points, I listened, looked up the facts, and proved you completely wrong. You admitted it by saying that leaders sometimes take the heat for things beyond their control. Yet you still think there is some credibility in using it again 🙄 You've admitted that Conservatives can gain support by provoking anger even though it isn't backed up by facts. I agree, but I think this is a bad aspect of our political system and leads to Canada becoming a worse country. Appealing to anger and pandering to those informed by misinformation for personal gain is NOT a way to make our country better. We've seen this show in the US. I have no problem listening to opposing viewpoints, but I have no patience for arguments that are admittedly not based on facts. I will call out bullsh** every time I see it and have time to actually look up the facts myself. I have voted for at least 4 different political parties that I can recall of the top of my head. I do not have my vote parked with any party, but will evaluate where I vote in elections based on who provides the best policy that is backed up by facts. If a party's main arguments are completely, objectively false, I have no reason to support a party without credibility. My hope is that most voters will engage in critical thinking when choosing a political party rather than just listening to their chosen side and utilizing their talking points as facts without actually checking if they are based in reality.

Spoken like a true Conservative with thinly-veiled contempt for Canadians - facts don't matter, its all about how angry you sound to make people believe your lies. I actually agree with you though - that is their hope and it can't be just disregarded in Canada. The next few elections in Canada will be really telling. See what happens in MB and AB with the Conservative governments there and what happens in the next Federal election. While most people I talk with have the critical thinking ability to wade through the noise put out by political parties, I'm concerned that there are a significant amount of people who don't. And we know which party targets them as their base.

We've gone over this garbage before.... If people actually care about inflation and it will be a major issue in the next election, the Liberals should make huge gains. Based on real inflation data, Canadian inflation is doing significantly better than inflation in the US. and most of the rest of the developed world. The gap between inflation in Canada and elsewhere is also continuing to grow. Keep regurgitating what they tell you is the death of Canada as we know it though... It is easy to just repeat Poilievre talking points, but those arguments are laughable when real data is examined. The hope the Conservatives have in the next election is that they can rile up enough people who will vote without taking a critical look at the issues and what politicians are saying and the rest of the informed voting populace is too apathetic to oppose them.

I agree, they are definitely complicit in this garbage. They've given credibility to misinformation-fueled idiots trying to destroy our country. I just don't see how any of "us" can do anything about it. Poilievre, Bergen, prairie Premiers & Co. have all realized that it is much easier to pander to these morons and get easy votes. They are showing they don't respect the intelligence of the general Canadian populace as they think they can win elections while still cheering this sh** on. I just don't see anything "we" can do about this other than making sure we vote and hopefully get them destroyed in elections. Prove a point that you can't cozy up to the loonies and racists and have a chance in elections in Canada.

Who are you referring to that is pandering to their tantrums? I only see the provincial and federal Conservatives doing this.

What does that look like to cut them loose? Obviously when we try to restrict the damage they can do to the rest of our society, they cause quite a bit of chaos for the amount of people they represent.

We're more divided than I can ever recall as a country. At least that I have seen in my life and it really concerns me for the future. But I also don't see how we can find a common ground with people who believe in conspiracies and claim that mainstream media (and facts in general) are all part of the conspiracy that the rest of the population is too dumb and foolish to see(sheeple).

This is because these exact same people, the organizers and the spineless politicians that have backed them, have advocated for violence against other protestors.

Yet many on the right are sharing the hugging of protestors by the RCMP at Coutts as proof that there was never any violence and it has always been solely a peaceful movement. No, it shows law enforcement is complicit and treats protestors differently based on political beliefs and skin colour.

We've had a lot worse candidates including ones that have won like Slimy Sam. I believe former mayoral candidate and douchey realtor Brad Gross was a donor to the occupation.

Weird. I thought there was someone touting him as the frontrunner not too long ago....

Yet the frontrunner for the next leader has been emphatic in support of the occupation (despite basically saying the complete opposite against indigenous protestors previously). As well as the current interim leader until big business let her know that it was hurting them too. The damage was already done. Clearly just looking for political/personal power, regardless of what it does to separate and cause chaos in the country. It is sickening that the occupations have been supported and encouraged by the big wigs in Canada's official opposition. They continue to spew misinformation because they know their followers will suck it all up, even if it causes them to become radicals that damage the country. Same thing as major US politicians hitching their wagon to Trumpism.

I would love to see the gay community co-opt this occupation. A huge winter pride party all around the occupiers. Really press them on their espoused belief about personal freedom and "my body, my choice." I have a hard time believing many of the protestors actually believe in absolute personal freedom when it conflicts with their other deranged beliefs.

Oh, Winnipeg police aren't always playing nice. It depends on the side you are on and the colour of your skin. Detainment of Indigenous demonstrator causes outrage and disgust (citynews.ca)

From the very article you posted - "Experts say COVID-19 vaccine mandates have been effective at reducing transmission, hospitalizations and compelling people to get vaccinated, but ending them too soon could undo some of what’s been accomplished in the past year." The article does a good job of discussing both sides of the argument. Obviously this is a very dynamic situation as we learn more about the virus and the potential limitations of vaccinations/booster shots. I agree that there is less of a case for mandates when they aren't as protective for infection/transmission, but they are still overwhelmingly keeping hospitals from being overrun and keeping vulnerable people protected. Boosters are currently protective against infection/transmission. The situation may also change as more vaccines emerge, including Omicron-specific vaccines and vaccines with potentially longer lasting protection. It may also change as new variants emerge, we don't really know. Now that the prairie provinces have caved to occupiers it will be very hard to ever re-introduce mandates for vaccines or masking, even if science is overwhelmingly in favour of it. We know who's voices have priority. It still seems like there is significant consensus among health experts that mask mandates should continue as well.

NSFW: Pretty interesting video surfacing from Pat King, one of the lead organizers of the occupation. He compares indigenous protests to "what would happen if" yellow vests decided to protest and block infrastructure and trade. He tries to incite violence against indigenous protestors and warns about shelves being bare because of their protests. I can't think of a strong enough superlative to show my disdain for this.

I don't see your point with this article. The title literally says "Omicron may be peaking but COVID-19 isn't done with us yet: Tam" It says nothing about getting rid of vaccine or mask mandates. The quote you highlighted says the exact same thing I already said - that Tam said it is time to look at how to manage Covid in a sustainable way. I am curious at what she means by getting nearer normalcy, but it says nothing about getting rid of mask/vaccine mandates. I would be shocked to see Tam give the thumbs up to the reopening plans of Alberta/Sask and likely Manitoba. Again, this is just Tam (your example). Here is an article where other experts say that it is too premature to open - Manitoba reopening plans initiated prematurely, say experts | CBC News.

As far as I am aware, Dr. Tam has said that restrictions need to be reviewed once we are out of the Omicron wave. Maybe she did say that we should get rid of all restrictions, but I just can't find that anywhere. I've never heard her say anything about getting rid of mask mandates, but again, I could have missed it. I still have seen nothing stronger from her than saying policies will need to be re-examined to be sustainable for a longer period of time.

Just want to contrast that with the reality that I know from working with some of the most affected families. I teach a group of kids who have someone in their family that is at high risk of dying if they contract Covid. There are people in their families that have had to quit their jobs in order to protect someone vulnerable at their house. There are kids trying to take classes while in the hospital. These kids have not been able to see friends for almost 2 years because of the risk to their lives that it poses. They have accepted these realities because that is what is required to keep them safe. The more Covid that is spreading in communities, the more these families are at risk regardless of how careful they try to be. They can get Covid from the many doctor appointments they have. They can get Covid from going to pick up groceries. These are kids who desperately want to play with friends again, but a reckless attitude towards Covid places them at too great of a risk. While this is my experience with a vulnerable group, there are many other vulnerable groups who are similarly put at heightened risk and lose some freedoms because of uncontained Covid spread in communities. It is so easy to pretend that the pandemic is over because we all desperately want normal lives back, but that fairy tale just isn't the case. Hospitals are still "flexing" for capacity which means normal operations are just not happening. This puts everyone at risk. We are learning more about the lingering effects of a Covid infection, including for mild cases which would not be considered "long covid". There is an increased risk of kids developing type 1 diabetes after a previous Covid infection. There are likely also lingering effects in the brain and heart from Covid post-infection. It is easy to frame it as "scared to go out", but why not "scared to wear a mask" or "scared to get a vaccination"? Both should actually not be a big deal breaker when we are talking about saving lives and protecting from long term effects of Covid. If masks/vaccinations aren't mandated, those most likely to be infected/spread are placing an even greater burden on those who choose to stay safe. The vast majority of the population does not support moving on. According to a recent Leger poll only 32% support removing all restrictions. In addition, I am assuming a lot of people are still underestimating the impact of Covid because of government attitudes towards Covid - "if they say if is over/safe, then we really should be opening up." This is not what the WHO or most medical experts say.

Federal Conservatives have realized big business is not liking this and gotta tow that line. This has been condemned by a large number of large corporations on both sides of the border. Shame on them for encouraging and emboldening the occupations. Look where it has got them in a short amount of time. Third party status is more than these selfish, spineless grifters deserve. They could have prevented a lot of this from happening. The PC government proposed Bill 57 to protect critical infrastructure and protests like this from happening. Definitely don't see any of the same sentiments being expressed now that the protestors look like them and support their party. This would(and has been in the past) be handled completely different by the government and the police force if it was an indigenous movement.

Unfortunately I think this trucker protest would make just about any government really hesitant to update definitions of fully vaccinated, despite it making medical sense with Omicron and potentially a new shot from Pfizer specifically targeting the Omicron variant.