Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
coup attempt in the US |
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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95537 |
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ViQueen24, In NL also a lot of people are not willing to think for themselves-seem to follow what others do...I hope in/for the US a democratic majority in both houses can restore some trust in politics. It is vital politics regains public trust to avoid anarchy...Politicians have to show the represent something other than their ego... In this crisis politics has to show what its "added value" is...if it fails democracy itself will sink deeper in an already there crisis... |
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein |
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ViQueen24
Adviser Group Joined: May 14 2013 Location: Verona, PA Status: Offline Points: 12270 |
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Yes, and that's a good point about the added value, Josh. The stimulus package I mentioned had $600 for each American, unemployment extension and enhancements. There was money for mass transit, and I believe there was money for vaccine distribution and alot of other needs that citizens have, and it took them 7 MONTHS to agree and pass it! And this was an election year. Meanwhile their miserable @$$e$ earlier in the year weren't sure they wanted to give us any more money because it would provide a "disincentive to work". Meanwhile we were well over 200 days into the year, and they have only worked half of those days! And they make a starting salary of174,000 plus benefits! And they were making that while they were p*$$ing around trying to decide whether we needed/deserved anymore money. Yes, when the rest of this last week comes out in the wash, and we get back to closer to normal, some of these people are definitely going to have to justify their existences, so to speak. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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Justify their existence..... That's a laugh...... They forget ultimately they work for the people...... Not the party they represent....... In this case the spineless Republicans have sold there soul to The great "Fiddler"...... I mean looking as an outsider would you trust an American with your back .......not at the moment........ Deffo not a Republican........old Abe must be spinning in his grave ...... SHAME ON YOU...... |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Hazelpad
Adviser Group Joined: September 09 2014 Status: Offline Points: 6910 |
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Angela Merkel attacks Twitter over Trump ban Here is how the European Leaders are interpreting. ( links at bottom) The farmers were too busy fighting to see the fox had taken his first delicious step towards the henhouse. This is just providing the alternative view for balance. They feel this is bigger than Trump. This is a huge power grab by the 3 main tech companies. Lots of meetings of governments today looking at rapidly regulating and decreasing their influence in Europe and the UK. They have cut off your White House from your public. Many believe these companies are not interested in you, they are interested in controlling the politicians that make policies that affect them. They say Trump was the useful tool they needed to take this 1st step. It was always always about getting that first step in. Is this them sending a clear message to all your representatives, don't dare mess with us, or we have the power to utterly destroy you. You will be "Trumped" Who would stand up against them now ? It is alarming to many of us in the UK how easily you endorse these companies having that power. Or maybe we are wrong, after all we dont live in your country, and maybe they did this purely to protect the people from a military coup or something. Are they your heros? Seriously would love to hear both sides. Anyway round up of Germany, France, UK, EU commission etc views and they arent too happy. Angela Merkel attacks Twitter over Trump ban German Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly objected to the decisions, saying on Monday that lawmakers should set the rules governing free speech and not private technology companies. Angela Merkel, German chancellor, has sharply criticised Twitter’s decision to ban US president Donald Trump, calling it a “problematic” breach of the “fundamental right to free speech”. Quote “free speech was a “fundamental right of vital importance” that could be restricted, “but only in accordance with the laws and within a framework defined by the legislator — not by the decision of the management of social media platforms”. https://www.ft.com/content/6146b352-6b40-48ef-b10b-a34ad585b91a
France Shocked by Trump Ban
Problematic Shocking And Perplexing: European Leaders Side With Trump Over Twitter BanMerkel, via a spokesperson Monday, said that Trump’s Twitter ban was “very problematic” and that the “fundamental right to freedom of opinion” should be determined by the rule of law and government, “not according to the decision of the management of social media platforms.”
Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and a key figure in Europe’s efforts to regulate big tech, wrote “the fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTUS’s loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing.”
Breton said it confirmed “the power of these platforms” and highlighted the shortcomings of Washington and other governments to regulate digital space, which he said is currently “reminiscent of the Wild West.”
Bruno Le Maire, France’s finance minister, said France was “shocked” by Twitter’s decision to ban Trump, adding that “digital regulation should not be done by the digital oligarchy... (and) is a matter for the sovereign people, governments and the judiciary.” Britain’s health secretary Matt Hancock said tech companies were now “taking editorial decisions,” adding that it is very clear that platforms are “choosing who should and shouldn’t have a voice on their platform.” This would have consequences. Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP group at the European Parliament, concurred, telling Brussels Playbook: “The EU mustn’t let Facebook and Twitter decide what’s within the boundaries of the acceptable on their platforms.” “We cannot leave it to American Big Tech companies to decide how we do and do not discuss, what can and cannot be said in a democratic discourse. We need a stricter regulatory approach,” Weber added Twitter loses $5 billion in market value after Trump is permanently barred from the platformTwitter tumbles as Trump ban puts social media in spotlight(Reuters) - Twitter Inc’s stock tumbled over 6% on Monday after its move to permanently suspend U.S. President Donald Trump’s widely-followed account spurred concern among investors over the future regulation of social networks. https://fortune.com/2021/01/11/problematic-twitter-merkel-france-trump/ https://www.ft.com/content/6146b352-6b40-48ef-b10b-a34ad585b91a https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-11/merkel-sees-closing-trump-s-social-media-accounts-problematic https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/facebook-twitter-trump-ban-raises-questions-in-uk-and-europe.html |
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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95537 |
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DJ-Hal Turner is an extremist, pro-trump...[url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/wall-street-banks-freeze-political-donations-threaten-pro-trump-politicians-with-blacklisting[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/wall-street-banks-freeze-political-donations-threaten-pro-trump-politicians-with-blacklisting DJ-Is it wise to "silence a fool" ? We have had this discussion for many years in NL about neo-nazi groups...it may be better to know what they "think and do" then when the go into hiding, underground.. Pro-trump groups will remain active in and outside the US. I think january 20 will need an extreme lot of security...On the other side the US may in a position now where other countries soon could be. "Politics" that disconnected from society-not solving enough problems-people get fed up with "politics"... The idea of telephone companies denying services to clients they do not like is a bit bizar...why give internet media that room ? [url]https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/01/dear-congress-stop-wasting-time-with-impeaching-trump-end-his-famine-in-yemen.html[/url] or https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/01/dear-congress-stop-wasting-time-with-impeaching-trump-end-his-famine-in-yemen.html DJ-At least trump did not (yet) start another endless war....most of his predecessors did.. Again-in my view-trump is a symptom of the problem-to much power in the hands of tech-companies, banks etc (and their shareholders-the 0,1% claiming to own the planet) may be the basic problem . Such a disbalance never combines with real democracy. |
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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Yes, a whole debate needs to be had about the limits of free speech. I agree that it has gone too far when (and only when) lives are lost, but that is another argument. If you shout far-right propaganda in the street, that is your right, even if I utterly disagree with you. But twitter and facebook are privately owned; if you shout far-right propaganda on my lawn, I have every right to ask - no, tell - you to leave - and I would - with considerable relish!* These companies have a contract which their users must sign up to, so they are well within their rights here. When it comes to the power and influence of twitter, facebook and all the rest, they ARE way too powerful and influential, but that is a problem for monopolies comissions and a gaggle of quangoes, not a question of censorship. The malicious lies will continue elsewhere. *When BNP canvassers pushed their newsletter through my door, I chased them down the street and threw it back at them. I don't remember what I said exactly, but something on the lines of: "Keep your Nazi propaganda off of my property!" I am not going to deny anyone that right. |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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Hazelpad
Adviser Group Joined: September 09 2014 Status: Offline Points: 6910 |
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Thanks very much to both of you for your detailed replies. Good to see/learn of all the different opinions out there. Just the reactions in US and EU leaders very different so was interested to learn more. |
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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95537 |
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DJ-If facebook, twitter etc is used for criminal activities-armed uprising etc.-a judge can shut down the account. Maybe there should be more legal action possible against misuse of "social" media...(and punishment for those that misuse it..) |
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein |
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Hazelpad
Adviser Group Joined: September 09 2014 Status: Offline Points: 6910 |
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That makes sense and ties in with what Merkle was saying. Quote “free speech was a “fundamental right of vital importance” that could be restricted, “but only in accordance with the laws and within a framework defined by the legislator — not by the decision of the management of social media platforms”. |
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WitchMisspelled
Adviser Group Joined: January 20 2020 Status: Offline Points: 17170 |
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Right or wrong. Who's to say? I think back to the bakery owner who won the right to refuse making a wedding cake for a gay couple. Granted it was for religious reasons, but a smarter mind than mine has to figure out the ethical boundaries of a business' right to refuse service. |
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AndyPOW
V.I.P. Member Joined: December 31 2020 Status: Offline Points: 675 |
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You all may want to listen to this later today. It may well be the biggest shock of your life. https://www.simonparkes.org/post/trump-to-address-the-nation-2 It be worth listening to the other presentations. |
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"Every thing looks great, until you think." Dr. Al Bartlett
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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Sorry, Andy; the link does not work. To continue the whole debate about free speech. "Deplatforming" has been applied frequently within the USA as a way of dealing with terrorist threats from outside the country. This is the first time (that I am aware of) it has been used against "domestic" threats - not to mention against a POTUS. Amazing how, when the hate is promulgated by a foreigner, or persons of colour, deplatforming goes unnoticed, but when the platform had been used by far-right extremists within the country, it is suddenly an infringement of free speech. |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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AndyPOW
V.I.P. Member Joined: December 31 2020 Status: Offline Points: 675 |
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"Every thing looks great, until you think." Dr. Al Bartlett
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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Trump still has a platform but he's choosing not to use it. He still has the White House Press Office at his disposal. He can release statements at any time, and he can organise press conferences. He's choosing not to because he likes being uncensored, and the kind of bollocks he's been releasing on Twitter will be judged and publicly criticized by his peers if he releases it through his more formal channels. When I studied tort law we learned that a shopkeeper is only issuing you with "an invitation to treat" (known as an invitation to bargain in the US). In other words, I advertise my wares for sale in my shop window and they have a price attached. You come in and say "I'd like to buy that pie priced at $5" and I sell it to you if I want to. I don't have to. I can refuse to do so without giving you a reason. I'm not obligated by law to sell it to even if it has a price attached. I sell at my discretion. Twitter and Facebook have that same right of discretion. It's vital under law that they retain that right or else they cease to be free traders but instead become "employed" by some other authority. You can't have it both ways. You can't have a free market economy and remove the invitation to treat. |
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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ViQueen24
Adviser Group Joined: May 14 2013 Location: Verona, PA Status: Offline Points: 12270 |
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Too many Americans don't understand that the First Amendment only protects the citizen from the government interfering in free speech, not private or corporate entities. Not your boss, your neighbor, or the laundromat down the street. That said, definitely the tech companies have become too-large monopolies and need to be reined in. The main difference between a telephone system/company in this context is the volume. You generally used the telephone to talk to one person at a time. Information moved very slowly. Social media's speed of disseminating information is more comparable to that of television and radio, and they had their own self-regulating entities. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Practices_for_Television_Broadcasters https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine The Code of Good Practice was television's attempt to self-regulate in the wake of the TV Quiz Show Scandals of the 50's. It was that or face governmental regulation. I think the tech companies are in the same boat. They're going to have to self-regulate or have it done for them. There is a lot of false information on social media. A certain amount of that false information is used as recruitment tools by different groups that are up to no good. It's no different than propaganda pamphlets prevalent a couple generations ago. My mother, who was born in 1938 and lectured me constantly when I was young about the likelihood of history repeating itself with regards to propaganda-spreading, whipping up people into a frenzy and inspiring them to lawless and destructive behavior, even to murder. We saw that happen last week. We can protect ourselves by getting a clue. Getting the majority of one's news from social media, where there is little accountability for falsity, is not a good idea, IMO. Take everything you see on social media with a grain of salt till you look it up somewhere credible. I can't believe how much BS some of my friends came to me with in the early stages of Covid, (I am the one that all my friends come to with medical questions), and just how stupid some of it was. There was alot of product sales generated around the awareness and exploitation of the layman's lack of medical knowledge. Nobody says you have to know as much as a doctor or a nurse, but some basics on nutrition, exercise, how some common illnesses manifest and how to protect yourself from them, and how to postpone or prevent the ravages of aging are things everyone should know, I believe. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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Yep....... And the rednecks who would support the cake makers would agree they have the right to refuse service,but Twitter can't ban them dumb fecks.... Sign "I agree" when you join any social media site and Yoh have to stick by the rules....... You can't move the goal posts when you dislike those rules..... mind we are talking about people who want to overturn an election.... and a person who always wants his own way.....aka Chump..... |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95537 |
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Does facebook, youtube etc have a responsibility for the content they spread-yes they do. Should they have the right to end contracts without a third legal party getting involved-in my opinion-NO ! I did get kicked of from a Dutch forum because it was "popularity based"-not fact based. Facebook, YouTube are commercial companies looking for advertisments...so less popular content may bring less advertising...[url]https://southfront.org/[/url] or https://southfront.org/ , [url]https://www.presstv.com/[/url] or https://www.presstv.com/ , [url]https://www.rt.com/[/url] or https://www.rt.com/ have been kicked of "social media"for political reasons... Since these media are becoming the main source of news for many "selection on advertismentvalue" may give a lot of people even less information they already do get.. Once the idea was TV would bring education to the masses..only the masses turned out not to be interested in education. Internet should offer more then kittens and porn...it would be nice if it did not become a digital sewage.. Do social media have a good point claiming trump did break contract rules ? Maybe they have-but they did not care as long advertisments were coming in..."News" based on facts is already hard to find. A lot of news is "marketed"to increase advertisments.. infotainment mixed with "embedded journalism" (and Julian Assange treated as a spy for publishing US crimes). -On the coup-topic. I do understand 3 democratic senators now did get Covid19 positive since republican senators refused to wear masks during the attack on the Capitol. There were 8000 demonstrators and 1400 policemen could not stop them ???? More violent protests are expected. [url]https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/multiple-claims-chinese-invasion-force-landing-in-canada-to-commence-physical-invasion-of-usa[/url] or https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/multiple-claims-chinese-invasion-force-landing-in-canada-to-commence-physical-invasion-of-usa hal turner did publish more often this kind of insanity-Chinese forces in Mexico and Canada waiting to invade the US...Since ht is wording the craziness of a larger group it is worrying.. Some compare the US with the Roman Empire...it also had some crazy emperors..one may claim it ended due to self destruction.. If indeed variants still have to start spreading on a larger scale in the US the outlook for the future is bad... |
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein |
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WitchMisspelled
Adviser Group Joined: January 20 2020 Status: Offline Points: 17170 |
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The US won't know if the new variant starts spreading. Unlike other countries, we don't do the type of testing necessary to find it. |
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ksc
Adviser Group Joined: February 09 2020 Status: Offline Points: 10995 |
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Ohio researchers say they’ve identified two new Covid strains likely originating in the U.S.https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/ohio-researchers-say-theyve-identified-two-new-covid-strains-likely-originating-in-the-us.html |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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True, Ohio researchers say they’ve identified two new Covid strains, but that does not mean they can track them. Identifying the strains requires a few brilliant researchers. The USA has an elegant sufficiency of them. The other requires millions of reliable testing stations and kits. OOPS! |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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ksc
Adviser Group Joined: February 09 2020 Status: Offline Points: 10995 |
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Are all these new variants more infectious, or is this just the seasonal increase many expected? We'll probably never know... " Following the discovery of new strains in the U.K. and South Africa, the CDC has ramped up efforts to track the genetic sequence of the virus in the U.S. Dr. Greg Armstrong, director of the CDC’s Office of Advanced Molecular Detection, said last month that the agency is contracting with academic centers around the country to sequence samples and search for new variants locally. Those centers, he said, are in Boston, New Haven, Connecticut, Athens, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee, Madison, Wisconsin, and the Scripps Institute in San Diego. He added that many academic centers across the country have the ability and expertise to sequence samples of the virus, and are ramping up efforts to do so. |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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Many is not enough. For some people "many" might mean over a dozen. The USA has over 300 million people. I can't find a federal list of test centres, despite the vast need for coordination across the union. But, for example, in Washington States's North Central region (incorporating Okanoghan, Chelan, Douglas and Grant Counties) all together had just 14 testing stations. That covers around half a million people. It is nowhere near enough. There may be areas doing much better. But a virus only needs one loophole to exploit. Washington alone is a Swiss Cheese. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/TestingforCOVID19/TestingLocations |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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WitchMisspelled
Adviser Group Joined: January 20 2020 Status: Offline Points: 17170 |
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Thank you! That's what I meant to say... we don't test for strains in order to track them. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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300 million will take 3 years to vaccinate all ABC News: Indonesia is preparing to vaccinate up to 180 million people against COVID-19 in 15 months. |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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This guy is a Chump supporter over here....twat..... ....The Guardian: Craig Kelly decries censorship but blocks dissenting voices from his Facebook page, constituents say. |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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That is an hypocrasy practiced by all sides. EVERYONE censors their output to some extent. The question is not: "Do they censor their information? " but: "Why do they censor their information and how much? " Drawing the line at terrorism, acts of violence and planning them, seems about right to me. Press oversight for honesty makes the grade too, but press oversight for insult, blasphemy and obscenity is probably a step too far. I personally get offended when a movement, party, group or individual gets upset at honest content or censorship which is not evenly applied. For instance: "You can't silence or deplatform my people - even when they incite violence - but you can silence or deplatform the other side." Yet (to varying degrees) we are all guilty. |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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