Concerned Citizen comments

The company ought to admit fault and either cancel the debts or offer large discounts on the debts with easy repayment plans. This will build customer loyalty.

Much of the entertainment industry is perpetually morally outraged while at the same time being morally corrupt to the core.

Heartbreaking. I really feel for the family.

The marches drew some 204,000 people around the country

Well done, saying no to discrimination based on one's personal and private health choices. Perhaps Australia and a few other countries could use the courage of these people.

Trolling of anyone is wrong.

However, the major villain here is the IOC which all allwed this injustice, and the major victims here are the discriminated against women who are being forced to compete against a biological male.

May common sense prevail.

@bass4funk

Well said.

Disney used to be a wholesome company that was built on family values and that put family and happiness above all else especially when the park was designed to be a get away from the every day license struggle and now it has morphed into an ugly and greedy corporate monstrosity that is a geared towards identity politics and political wokeness. The company destroys everything in its path.

How about real life diversity reflecting true US demographics?

Approximately...

50% Liberal

50% Conservative

75% Religious

25% Nones

98% Hetero

1.9% LGB

0.1% Q+

65% Caucasian

13%Black

5%Asian and others

15% Latino

Etc.

It will never happen because Hollywood execs are not interested in real life diversity. They them selves are heavily of one particulat ethnicity.

Poor Aussies ought to fight this human rights abuse in court.

Stay-at-home orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero

This is an impossible target and will never happen. Such expectations will lead to a continuation of the perpetual opening up and then locking down again cycle. Better to be realistic. Put in common sense strong protections for the vulnerable, make properly tested, safe vaccinations available for those who want them, provide effective drugs and medical equipment for the infected, and let society function normally. School, work, play, travel and visiting family and friends, etc are a human rights that cannot be stripped from citizens.

@theresident

and I don't think international travel/visiting Restaurants/Sports Venues can be defined as 'civil life'. They are privileges.

International travel for work/business, visiting sick or dying loved ones, attending funerals.....visiting restaurants to feed yourself, dine with friends, relatives and lovers, celebrate children's birthdays or entertain work clients.....attend sports venues to watch your children or family participate, or to gain your livelihood by engaging in professional sports are 'privileges'?

I think there are a lot of people who would strongly fight for thier human right to engage in these aspects of civil life.

I can see lawsuits coming against discrimination based on one's personal medical decision. Coercing the public into injecting potentially injurious or fatal substances into their bodies under the threat of exclusion from participation in civil life is serious breach of bodily autonomy and human rights.

@virusrex

That is a lousy argument to say it "must" be false in this case just because you would like it to be so.

I didn't say that the general consensus re Covid 'must' be false. What I did say is that the dominant opinion of experts has been known to be dead wrong, as in the Iraq War/WMD case I cited. Therefore I said that the opinions of dissenting experts, doctors and others that differ from the dominant narrative must be respected.

@virusrex

Laws are necessary to protect patients from unethical or badly prepared doctors that think their opinion is more valid than the whole scientific community in general.

The general consensus of the experts is not always correct. Remember how we were convinced by the 'experts' that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? The West invaded, hundreds of thousands died and.....you know the story. No WMD's ever found. At the time dissenting experts and others were mocked, marginalized, labelled unpatriotic and dangerous, etc.

The opinions of doctors and others that differ from the dominant narrative must be respected.

It's a complicated situation. There is genuine concern about limiting the spread of a nasty and possibly deadly disease by insisting on vaccinations. But then there is genuine concern about vaccination injury or death, with each side insisting on their rights.

The only solution is individual freedom to choose without judgement or punishment. Those concerned about Covid are free to get vaccinated, stay home, avoid crowded areas, etc. Those concerned about vaccine injury can avoid them. If concerned about Covid they can also stay home, avoid crowded areas etc.

I think that's a fair solution that takes everyone's rights into account.

Forget the past and feelings of victimhood over events that happened before most of us were even born.. Japan, China, the Koreas and other Asian nations are filled with amazing people who can enjoy a bright future together with a little mutual respect and cooperation.

My 80+ mother would much rather have her kids, grand kids, great-grand kids and friends be able to visit (with proper precautions) than perpetual lockdowns. Her whole reason for living is for her family and friends, so denying access in order to 'protect her' is not what she wants.

Put in strong yet reasonable protections for the elderly and vulnerable, but don't go overboard. Washing hands, regular sterilization and avoiding contact if actually sick should be enough. Let the country go about it's business as usual.

She didn't commit a crime...she only 'boasted on social media that she planned to breach the country's quarantine rules'. So you can get legally punished for words. Draconian.

Nevertheless, as a guest in OZ arriving in the country ahead of tens of thousands of local citizens stranded abroad she should have been respectful of the country. She should not have been there in the first place. Her snooty attitude backfired on her.

If you've got an opinion on Covid or any other issue, fine. But it doesn't help to be disrespectful towards others and their country when you say it.

Wow. Very beautiful!

Well done Ohtani san. A good example of generosity for all to follow.

Great job Watanabe san. Keep up the fine work.

Peanuts rom the selfish rich for the poor peons.

Continue to raise it by 1% per year until the working class can be guaranteed a decent living (2000¥/hr). Businesses and the economy will adjust.

The problem is not social media, it's us, the users. A change of heart to be more respectful of other's opinions and feelings would be welcome. Most people have sincere reasons for their opinions and this ought to be respected even if we disagree.

What a tragedy. What is there to complain about compared to these poor people?

The vicious cycle will just continue in OZ with the present strategy of attempted total eleminiation. Lockdowns and vaccines to tackle the virus, the virus mutates and so more lockdowns and new vaccines, another mutation and more lockdowns and new vaccines, and on and on.

Much of the public down there know this and are just ignoring the government directives.

Well done police officers! Great courage and skill. Thankfully these incidents are rare in this country. And even if they do occur we've got incredible officers like these to handle them. Glad to live here.

The Aussies are kidding themselves if they think that lockdowns or even vaccines will eradicate this or any other virus. They'll be permanently locking down, permanently isolated from the rest of the world and permanently trying to vaccinate everyone with new updated vaccines for the new variants. It's a no win strategy.

It's time they get realistic. Put in strong protections for the elderly and other vulnerable and then open the country up as usual.

But "we should never allow people to be discriminated against or forced unfairly according to whether they have been vaccinated or not

So then why have such a passport in the first place? The whole ideas behind it is to distinguish between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' and to discriminate between the two.

The noose is tightening on Rebuplicans/Conservatives with more and more censorship and corporate pressure. It will be fascinating to see how the 'deplorables' fight back.

I don't see any problem with public breastfeeding. Natural and normal and innocent.

Although some women might want to voluntarily use a covering cloth to escape the gaze of voyeurists. Up to them.

asking people whether they think friends are becoming extremists

Didn't the KGB urge citizens to turn in their friends?

Every culture from the ancient to the present demands unity and conformity. Rather than burn down buildings and point the finger over what our ancestors did, they should democraticaly decide what kind of culture they want and peacefully unite around that.