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by kimmeld 1804 days ago
COVID has almost nothing to do with the erosion of civil liberties in the US. That ship sailed to much applause after 9/11 and neither party has done anything to remove the powers they have. Trying to rewrite this as some sort of COVID thing is silly.
3 comments
ehayes 1804 days ago
The erosion of liberties in the US started before 2020 AND it got a LOT worse under COVID. Both is true. And there's nothing silly about what's happening in Canada right now.
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TeMPOraL 1804 days ago
> The erosion of liberties in the US started before 2020 AND it got a LOT worse under COVID. Both is true.

Not really. The contentious part in your claim is the "a LOT". You need to prove that it got worse under COVID in degree even remotely comparable to how it got worse after 9/11.

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dukeofdoom 1804 days ago
In Canada, the government suspended elections, locked up an opposition leader, and locked seniors in retirement homes with stupid high mortality rate. Restricted right to travel, to visit family, and now passed laws against free speech directly aimed at its critics.

Also 9 churches have been burned in the last month alone. In the US riots something like 60 people died, and countless businesses and livelihoods were destroyed.

I would say its a LOT.

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ploxiln 1804 days ago
It seems to me that more "bush did it" 9/11 conspiracy videos were allowed to stay up, than COVID-19 vaccine critical or alternate treatment discussing videos.

And I think I understand why, it's because we worry less about the stuff that we think few other people believe, and more about things that we think lots of other people will believe and act on. Flat-earthers were firmly in the "who cares" category for a long time (and probably still are but I'm less sure these days).

But it's unfortunate that the COVID-19 related content is now setting the precedent for what kind of speech should be scrubbed from all popular platforms and hosts, with what kind of government guidance and public pressure.

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pokstad 1804 days ago
As a result of COVID-19, Americans were forced to wear underwear on their faces, close down businesses until bankrupt, and were restricted from places of worship. Additionally, the end of COVID introduced a new class system of who is vaccinated and can have full roaming rights.
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