What a lot of incredible bullshit the US media engages in with regard to Australia.
Covid restrictions are largely not regarded as attacks on personal freedoms and the widespread adherence to them are seen as responsible and necessary.
The few that engage in violent demonstrations are usually associated with the very small number of right wing extremists who get their marching orders from Sky (Fox) News and the usual online news services. They are a minority.
Thats not to say there are not problems we face, but that has largely been due to the conservative government’s consistent attempts to politicise issues along party lines favouring those states with Liberal party premiers, who have been just as draconian with lockdowns if not more so. We did not get enough vaccines to start with (“Its not a race,” the PM glibly stated and now we have problems getting RATs and CPRs. And the jerk declared Australia open for business just before Omicron took off despite the available information regarding its incredible infectiousness. I am hoping the imminent Federal election will be brutal for the right wing Liberal Party)here.)
Anyway, my girl and I have managed to catch Omicron. We are both double vaccinated but I was only surprised not to be infected earlier. We are both now in voluntary quarantine for a week. About 80% of her coworkers are similarly restricted to their homes until they get a second negative RAT (6th day). Today we filled out a government form that will actually pay her more money than she gets for her normal work week. (She’s casual and has no sick or annual leave accrued and no other form of income - this is more the kind of initiative of the leftist Labor Party, but the Liberals dare not revoke it just before a Fed. election).
Australia has a long way to go to becoming a dystopian authoritative fascism. The US is more likely to reach that point long before we do.
Cruz is a semi-sentinent carbuncle, and if he were to come to Australia again it really would spark a civil war here if he were allowed entry. We have rejected better and worse.
I feel like shit. The symptoms are mild but I am not use to being sick at all. I, like most of my fellow Australians understand freedoms come with responsibilites and the lockdowns and quarantines arent oppressive. But being infected with Omicron makes this old cockatoo less amenable to declarations of war against my country. Trump, Cruz, Greene, Hawthorn and all those phony gun crazy patriots can just bugger off. I take comfort that Covid and those clowns will eventually pass.
ps…actually I suddenly realise Cruz might be cosily trying to curry favour with us as a possible place of sanctuary if there really was civil war in the US. We won’t take him. We’re choosy we dont take foreign liars. He need only ask Djokovic.