- Dec 1, 2011
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13 years ago is recently?That has nothing to do with the fact we didn't need one between the US and Canada until recently.
An app is required to enter Canada from the US now let alone a passport which was never needed before either.
There is for us. Go figureNo it is not. I went to Canada two months ago, no app required.
Basically unless you want to lug around a computer or have access somewhere 72 hrs ahead.No one without a smart phone is able to travel?
That does not sound realistic.Basically unless you want to lug around a computer or have access somewhere 72 hrs ahead.
So, the fact that many people agree is irrelevant when we're talking about principles. A whole lot of the Germans agreed with killing the Jews. I'm not going to try and convince you that some in government want to take away your freedom because it will be clear and irrefutable very soon. Yes, there are many people who are perfectly willing to have their freedoms abridged in order to obtain some perceived benefit. Many are perfectly happy for the government to take money from those who earned it and give it to those who didn't. Doesn't make it right.The great majority of people in many countries agree with that - and consider that the actions taken by governments in response to COVID outbreaks in their countries were in their best interests. Without the restrictions the pandemic would, in most people's opinion, have been worse.
All the democratic countries in the world which imposed COVID related restrictions on their populations have subsequently removed them in a timely fashion. Even China, which has imposed the most stringent restrictions, has removed them when it considered it to be safe to do so. And with obvious good reason - such restrictions are bad for their economies.
All this malarkey about evil governments stealing our liberties is just silly.
So, the fact that many people agree is irrelevant when we're talking about principles. A whole lot of the Germans agreed with killing the Jews. I'm not going to try and convince you that some in government want to take away your freedom because it will be clear and irrefutable very soon. Yes, there are many people who are perfectly willing to have their freedoms abridged in order to obtain some perceived benefit. Many are perfectly happy for the government to take money from those who earned it and give it to those who didn't. Doesn't make it right.
I suppose you have no problem with the weaponization of the FBI against political opponents either. Will you "own nothing and be happy"? Will you be alright with a digital currency controlled by them? Are you OK with a Chinese-style social credit system? These are serious questions because all of these things are real.
I have lost faith in most of my fellow Americans, and consider them as heathens.
You forgot the definition.It is not the heathens you should be worrying about.
I am a heathen, and I pose no threat! Here is a good definition of a modern heathen. I invite you to check whether there are so many Americans that fit the definition and to see how dangerous we are!
It is not the heathens you should be worrying about.
I am a heathen, and I pose no threat! Here is a good definition of a modern heathen. I invite you to check whether there are so many Americans that fit the definition and to see how dangerous we are!
You aren't an American.
Heathen has the connotation in the US of somebody barbaric and uncultured.
You forgot the definition.
I feel that I have lost nothing and gained quite a bit. Food and certain retail services now offer contactless delivery options, which is wonderful. I just got a cold for the first time in 3 years this week, which I attribute to the ubiquity of masks in public until recently. Work from home infrastructure has been developed by necessity, which helps to lighten traffic for those of us who work on-site. People in public now make a conscious effort to keep their distance from one another, which is another boon both for my health and my preference not to be subjected to other people’s body odors. Things are simply better now in a handful of ways and I find it baffling that some people feel a sense of loss with these changes.Over the last 2.5 years little has changed in my life. I did not miss the bars, theatres, and public social interaction. Wearing a mask at the local grocer was no setback. I was not isolated and went about my routine of travelling around my native area exploring and taking photos, which is a solitary endeavour anyway.
However, my question is... how many of you, especially if barely inconvenienced, have felt you have still subtly been brainwashed into being wary of fellow man and the old freedoms we took for granted all our lives. Are you as comfortable as you once were in going about your daily life or has something been taken away?
Just wondering if anyone has been noticing things are not as free and easy psychologically as before.
If I notice anything, it's that people are tired. Our personal resources have been stretched beyond reason and our resilience has been exhausted. Creative thinking, new initiatives and anything out of the normal routine are too hard. I see it in my community and I see it in myself.
I don't think this amounts to anything intentional on anyone's part - I think governments etc. have been doing their best (not always doing well) in unprecedented and trying circumstances - but it does beg questions of how we recover, and where to from here.
As to whether I've gained or lost over the pandemic, for me personally it's been a bit of both. Overall I do feel that I've lost through restriction of opportunities, at least.
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