FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Oct 16

When It Comes to Schools, A Latent American Parents’ Movement Emerged Partly Due to COVID

by bcurry

There appears to be a powerful frustration among American conservative mothers, who feel increasingly sidelined by school administrators and teachers.  Their targets tend to be sprawling — not only mask mandates but also curricula that touch on LGTBQ rights, race and discrimination, and even the way schools define a scientific fact.  Unlike in Canada, there has been more opposition against mask mandates in schools among certain American groups.  This despite the fact that a Washington Post-ABC News poll released in early September found that two-thirds of Americans support mask mandates in schools.  One of the parents’ groups that emerged recently is calling themselves “Moms for Liberty”.  According to the organization’s founders, in 10 months the Moms for Liberty grew to 135 chapters in 35 states, with over 56,000 members and supporters.

Like many American protest movements, Moms for Liberty believe they don’t co-parent with the government.  Restrictions implemented by school boards because of COVID-19, such as mandated masking in schools, brought such latent groups before the boards in protest, often using very outspoken tactics. They closely scrutinize the curriculum and textbooks used to educate students. They particularly attack any semblance of teaching related to “critical race theory” — an academic framework for examining systemic racism — which school boards have flatly stated is not part of any curriculum.  Needless-to-say, the Republicans quickly aligned themselves with such movements, hoping to garner political support for the GOP.  In Florida, for example, they are closely allied with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. 

What I find interesting is that, if parents are dissatisfied with the teaching in public schools, there is always the option of “homeschooling”.  Indeed, according to the most recent federal data, 3 to 4 percent of the school-going population in the U.S. is currently homeschooled.  Homeschooling is the practice of educating a child at home without enrolling him/her into a formal school.  Homeschooling is also permitted in Canada, but only about .7 percent of Canadian students are currently homeschooled.  There are a number of organizations in both countries that assist parents in setting up homeschooling for their children.  There are a whole slew of reasons why parents choose to homeschool their children, including the provision of a safe environment, a need for individual attention, crowded schools and religious/morality beliefs.  One study indicated that some 25 percent of homeschooling parents surveyed felt that schools simply did not meet the needs of the children.

While homeschooling may not be advisable for every family, particularly where both parents are working and there are monetary costs involved, the choice is there.  In the U.S., some states even offer tax breaks for homeschooling families.  COVID-19 actually forced more parents to take a greater interest in their kids schooling, particularly where the students were forced to undertake on-line learning as a result of school closures.  However, the vast majority of parents really wanted their kids to return to in-person learning, often for mental health reasons and the benefits of socialization in a school environment.  School boards have done a lot to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff, including masking, mandated vaccination for the staff and physical distancing measures.  A great deal of credit needs to be given to the boards, school administrators and teachers for their roles in continuing to educate our children under very extraordinary and difficult circumstances.

Instead, we find groups such as “Moms for Liberty” attempting to politicize the teaching of children and adolescents for all the wrong reasons.  Instead of trying to undermine the critical role of schools in our society, disenchanted parents are free to turn to homeschooling as a legitimate alternative.  After all, one can’t please all of the parents all of the time!

Canada Education in U.S. US

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Oct 11

Iraq: The Other Somewhat Forgotten American Combat Mission

by bcurry

With all the news today concentrating on what is happening in Afghanistan during and after the withdrawal of American and Allied troops, it is little wonder that the media has somewhat forgotten about the U.S. continued involvement in Iraq.  By January 2021, the U.S. had reduced its presence to 2,500 troops in Iraq.  However, as of March 2021, 11 U.S. soldiers had died in Iraq in 2020.  Iraq is still a very unsafe place to operate, particularly because of Iran’s influence.  Among countries where terrorist attacks are frequent, the number of terrorist attacks in 2019 in Iraq ranked fourth behind Afghanistan, Syria and India.  Of course, in previous years, many of the terrorist attacks were carried out by the followers of the Islamic State.  In April 2021, the U.S. Central Command stated that there were no plans for a total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, citing continued threats posed by the Islamic State insurgency and Iran-backed militias.  However, in July 2021, President Biden announced that he would end the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year, although the U.S. will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military.

Earlier this month, Iraqis voted in parliamentary elections meant to herald sweeping change to a dysfunctional political system that has dragged the country through almost two decades of deprivation.  Unfortunately, Iraqi politics is still dominated by the three sectarian groups, the majority Shiite population, the Sunnis and the Kurds in the northern region of Iraq.  Critics believe that the U.S. shares some responsibility for the failure of governance in Iraq.  After the 2003 invasion by coalition forces and with the country in the grip of a bloody sectarian civil war, the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council established a system of sectarian apportionment, which continues to this day.  This quota system divides cabinet roles and ministries and their resources between the ethno-sectarian parties.  The results of the current election will likely once again be followed by months of negotiations between the main players.  Meanwhile, Iran’s influence in Iraq’s government grows, and Tehran continues to strengthen the power of Shiite Iraqi militias it backs.

According to political analysts, the current parties in power — many backed by militias involved in attacks that killed some 600 demonstrators — appear once more to be poised to dominate.  Sweeping anti-government protests had forced out Adil Abdul-Mahdi, then the allegedly incompetent prime minister, in May 2020.  While this led officials to push the vote up by a year, Iraq’s system of dividing up government ministries among political parties along ethnic and sectarian lines will remain unchanged.  Almost every major political faction has been implicated in corruption, a major factor in Iraq’s poor public services.  Electricity in many provinces is provided only for two hours at a time.  In the sweltering summers, there is no clean water.  And millions of university graduates are without jobs.  Unfortunately, given the current state of Iraq’s economy and political divisions, many young Iraqis say they don’t see much if any future for themselves in their country.

By October 2018, beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the ensuing occupation, insurgencies and civil war, 4,550 American service members and 3,793 military contractors had died.  Although estimating war-related Iraqi deaths pose many challenges, we know that the number of violent civilian deaths has been in the hundreds of thousands and the amount of property damages due to the war, insurgencies and subsequent terrorist attacks — especially by the Islamic State — has cost Iraqis and Americans hundreds of millions of dollars.  Up until the end of 2020, it is estimated that the Iraq War has cost the U.S. nearly 2 trillion in current U.S. dollars, much of it to pay military contractors.  In the end, one has to seriously ask whether Congress or the American people got value for their investment in Iraq, in light of the tragic loss of American lives or the hundreds of millions of dollars paid out?

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Oct 8

Emergence of Mandated Vaccination for Workers in Certain Sectors in Canada

by bcurry

Back in July, I blogged briefly about the issues of Mandatory COVID Vaccinations vs. Civil Liberties in North America  and To Mandate COVID Vaccinations or Not?.  At the time, these issues had more to do with colleges mandating full COVID vaccinations for students in residence or on campuses and with governments requiring proof of vaccination for citizens to enter certain establishments such as bars and restaurants.  Now, an additional issue has increasingly emerged as the result of employers and governments requiring COVID vaccination for employees in selected sectors, especially in Canada.

For example, on October 6th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Canada’s new mandatory vaccine policy.  It requires the core public service, air travel and rail employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of this October.  The federal vaccine mandate mirrors provincial policies, such as in Nova Scotia where all school and health-care workers are required to have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November.  In the health care sector, several hospitals across the country have implemented mandated vaccination requirements for all employees.  Such policies often have deadlines after which unvaccinated employees will face suspensions without pay and possibly termination down the road.  In Ontario, the government has now mandated that all workers in long-term care residences must be fully vaccinated in order to continue working in such facilities.

Needless-to-say, Canada is facing a potential wave of terminations tied to mandatory workplace vaccine policies as a growing number of employers require workers to be fully inoculated against COVID-19 — or risk losing their jobs.  Most legal experts believe that the rights of individual workers will be overridden by the employer’s obligation to make sure the workplace is safe and meet their health and safety obligations toward staff, clients and the public.  It is recognized that there is a delicate balance between the individual rights of workers, such as by offering reasonable accommodations and maintaining a safe work environment.  Recent reviews of Canadian cases involving the balance between individual rights and public health have sided with the latter.  It is noted that while tribunals recognize that rights of individuals are important, in the time of a pandemic reasonable limits are going to be given broad scope.

This situation has led to two additional issues: one being the terminated individual’s right to some form of compensation (e.g. severance pay), and the other being related to workers simply quitting their jobs and thus creating a shortage of skilled labour for employers.  Fortunately, given the current rate of COVID vaccination in Canada for adults 12 and over (slightly more than 80 per cent of all Canadians), the impact on most sectors will be lessened.  Except for a few workplaces, the majority of health care workers, education workers, federal and provincial public servants have received a least one dose of a COVID vaccine.  Even public and private sector unions have generally supported vaccination policies for their workers, while ensuring that reasonable accommodation for unvaccinated workers is part of those policies, particularly where exemptions are granted for medical reasons.  Where mandated vaccination by an employer is seen as imposing a new rule and one that was not part of the original employment agreement, some legal experts believe that the policy’s implementation may be determined to be a termination without cause.  This becomes a case under contract law whereby severance pay would most likely have to be paid to the worker.

Overall, mandating vaccination for workers in certain sectors and by employers with particular valid health and safety considerations should not be taken too lightly.  Such policies represent one of many implemented to control the spread of the delta variant, and can be justified as another temporary public health measure.  In most cases, employers will have to continuously consult with existing employee representatives and unions to ensure that individual rights are being respected where reasonable.  Otherwise, numerous cases involving unvaccinated employees may end up before labour tribunals or the courts.

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Oct 4

Alcohol Poisoning Causes Deaths of College Students in North America

by bcurry

This past September, eight Virginia Commonwealth University students were charged with hazing in a fraternity pledge’s death from alcohol poisoning after a party earlier this year.  The eight men arrested range in age from 19 to 22 and all were charged with unlawful hazing of a student, 19-year-old Adam Oakes.  Four were also charged with buying and giving alcohol to a minor.  Unfortunately, deaths on campuses attributed to alcohol poisoning are not all that uncommon.  According to data compiled by Hank Nuwer, a journalism professor at Franklin College, more than 200 university students have died from hazing-related accidents in the United States since 1838 — 40 in the past decade alone. While some die from drowning or falling, most often the cause of death is alcohol poisoning.  He noted that “Harmful drinking by university students is a problem for most, if not every university.” Binge drinking by university students is not unique to Canada or the U.S.  Other countries report problems with high rates of university drinking that are on par with those in North America.

What is different in the U.S. is that binge drinking became part of a fraternity hazing ritual.  An advantage that Canadian universities have over their U.S. counterparts is the absence of a strong fraternity and sorority culture, which can contribute to heavy drinking.  American universities have generally responded to recent hazing accidents by suspending recruiting by fraternities and sororities, cancelling social events and banning hard liquor and kegs of beer at parties.

A 19-year-old Acadia University student died in Nova Scotia in September 2011 during orientation week, after consuming a large amount of alcohol.  An excellent report by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness was subsequently published in the spring of 2012.  The report noted that: “The university environment has a significant role in shaping student behaviors, and as such, the campus context needs to be altered so that it does not support a heavy drinking culture.” The report, “Reducing Alcohol Harms among University Students,” is available online at *Generic Strang Report (novascotia.ca).   

Unfortunately, binge drinking came to be seen as a rite of passage among many students.  Each year, along with the start of classes, there are the inevitable pub crawls, keg parties and excessive drinking that often accompany frosh week events.  Such gatherings can lead to drunken behavior, violence, sexual assaults and property destruction.  Such incidents were unfortunately observed this fall in Ontario at Windsor University, Ottawa University and Queen’s University in Kingston.  Some believe that having lockdowns due the COVID-19 may have contributed to the higher than usual violent behavior and drunkenness among students.  As a result, more universities are cracking down on these behaviors and have been putting policies in place to discourage binge drinking.

Deaths due to alcohol poisoning are not just a fraternity and sorority problem.  According to one estimate, almost 90 percent of Canadian university students drink alcohol, while 32 percent reported drinking heavily at least once a month.  U.S. research shows that universities with the highest drinking rates tend to be in communities with high drinking rates.  As the above noted report states, focusing on the individual drinker in a university context has a limited impact because the actual drinking environment on campus supports, and in some cases promotes, heavy drinking.  For this reason, universities have to do a better job at controlling their campus environments, especially where pubs are serving alcohol on campus.  Programs which provide public education and help screen individual students for potential alcohol abuse must be put in place.  Policies must prevent the promotion of binge drinking by students and others on and off campus, accompanied by stiff penalties for the violation of such policies — including the expulsion of culpable students or staff.  Much more needs to be done to prevent the needless and tragic deaths of our youth due to alcohol abuses.

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Oct 2

Holdouts for COVID Vaccination Will Prolong the Pandemic

by bcurry

In past pandemics and epidemics, the two most critical human reactions have been “fear and misinformation”.  At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear reigned among the population because of the unknowns about the nature and spread of the coronavirus.  People were more inclined to accept the implementation of public health measures, restricting their movement and activities.  As it became clearer as to the dangers of COVID, reflected in the increasing numbers of hospitalizations and resulting deaths, governments had to move quickly to lockdown our daily lives, literally closing schools and businesses.  Then, months later, came the miraculous appearance of vaccines against this horrendous disease.  They have proven to be safe and reliable for adults 18 and over.  Vaccines are now viewed as the single most important weapon against COVID and the current spread of its variants.

It cannot be argued that concerns about vaccine safety are behind vaccination hesitancy, especially in light of the scientific evidence based on the millions of people who have been vaccinated.  For example, according to Health Canada, as of Sept. 17, 2021, of 16,090 individual reports of adverse events following vaccination against COVID (0.029 per cent of all doses administered), only 4,288 (0.008 per cent of all administered doses) were considered serious.  One would think that this would reassure people and reduce any vaccine-related fears.  In addition, statistically, the unvaccinated make up the vast majority of current hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths during the current fourth wave.  Let us not forget that about a quarter of Americans age 18 and older reportedly remain unvaccinated.

As for misinformation, regrettably the Internet has continued to play a major role in terms of disseminating misinformation about vaccines and other COVID-related treatments.  In recognition of this, public health officials and Internet providers have had to find effective ways to combat such misinformation, not an easy task given the volume of interactions globally.  However, with valid and reliable information sources available, one would hope that no one can claim to be so misinformed at this time as to promote vaccine hesitancy.

What is most disconcerting today is the fact that there remains a portion of the population in the U.S. and Canada who still don’t believe in being vaccinated against COVID.  Since fear and misinformation shouldn’t play a role, what appears to have happened is the obvious “politicization” of objections to government policies and especially mandates regarding the vaccination of selective groups.  What one hears is that being vaccinated is a “personal choice” and should not be mandated in a free society.  Even among those objecting to mandated vaccination are first responders, including health care workers, police and firefighters.  Moreover, their unions and professional associations appear to be split on the concept of mandated vaccination.  Unfortunately, hundreds of their members have died or will die because of the nature of their work and direct high risk interaction with the public.  One would think that these first responders would want to be protected against the delta variant, along with their loved ones.  For example, in the U.S., COVID was the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths last year, killing at least 182 police officers, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund which tracks such deaths.  That’s nearly double the number killed by gun violence and vehicle crashes combined.  At least 133 officers have died of COVID so far this year, according to the same organization.  In Canada, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions reports that as of September 2021, 54 health care workers have died from COVID-19.

The U.S. has now seen over 700,000 COVID-related deaths.  Given the severity of the fourth wave and the fact that being vaccinated is the only recourse for preventing the worst of the pandemic, governments increasingly will be forced to ensure that the vast majority of their populations are vaccinated.  Otherwise, there is little doubt that holdouts for COVID vaccination will prolong the pandemic.

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Sep 25

Absurdity of Province of Alberta Government’s Approach to Dealing with a Pandemic

by bcurry

One cannot imagine implementing a public health approach to tackling COVID-19 worst than that taken by the province of Alberta under its Premier, Jason Kenny.  As of April 1, 2021, Alberta’s population was almost 4.5 million people.  However, in May, Alberta had over 23,600 active COVID-19 cases — the highest rate of infection in Canada.  Nevertheless, the province permitted the Calgary Stampede to proceed in July with thousands in attendance and relatively minimal restrictions.  Albertans today continue to be among the least vaccinated in Canada, particularly in its rural regions.  Back in June, Premier Kenny announced that the province had reached the vaccination threshold for the third and final phase of reopening, because 70.2 percent of Albertans 12 and over had received at least one dose of a vaccine.  Alberta had already reopened most of its community and business activities, although at reduced capacity.  It was also announced that there would be no more bans on indoor social gatherings; no more limits for gyms, sports and fitness activities; no more capacity limits at restaurants, in retail or for places of worship; and no more advisories against non-essential travel.

Today, a group of the province’s physicians declared that Alberta’s health-care system is on the verge of collapse.  The group is pleading with the government to strengthen public health measures to fend off a relentless fourth wave of COVID-19.  Alberta Health Services noted that there were 258 intensive care beds in the province, which includes 85 added spaces.  It said ICU capacity sat at 87 percent — just slightly below a seven-day average of 91 percent.  Recently, Dr. Verna Yiu, the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, indicated that intensive care beds are 130 percent over capacity, and critically ill patients are being directed to overflow wards.  Almost 90 percent of the COVID patients in ICUs are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.  The province has even talked about requesting federal military help and whether other larger provinces could take some of those patients currently requiring ICU care. 

Premier Kenny has now publicly apologized to Albertans for his government’s failure to protect them through its public health policies.  The government has had to reinstate an indoor mask mandate for public spaces and an alcohol sales curfew at 10 p.m.  It also announced a $100 incentive for unvaccinated Albertans who get their vaccine shots.  Could be too little, too late!  In the meantime, there are no signs COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are slowing in the province.  There was an unfortunate belief that, even with its low vaccination rates and more open economy, some Albertans would develop personal immunity by being exposed to COVID-19, similar in approach to the failed policies implemented by Sweden.  However, along came the more contagious and deadly Delta variant, causing the hospital system to become overburdened and increased burnout among health-care professionals.

Nevertheless, Alberta continues to act as if the pandemic is over.  An example is the fact that its two professional hockey teams, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, are being allowed to open the 2021-22 NHL season with 100% fan capacity for games.  Other jurisdictions such as Ontario are only permitting 50% capacity for hockey arenas, while the arenas are requiring proof of full vaccination for entry.  In light of COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths, critical care and infectious disease doctors across Alberta are calling on the province’s two NHL teams to drop their plans of playing in front of full-capacity crowds.  They warn that having full hockey arenas will lead to the further spread of COVID-19, worsening an already “dire” situation. 

Previously, Premier Kenney had staunchly refused to mandate proof of vaccination for anyone who wants to use non-essential services such as restaurants, clubs and sports events.  All that changed with the current deteriorating health situation in the province.  Alberta is now planning to introduce a “proof of vaccination” passport for such businesses similar to that being implemented in other provinces such as Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario.  All-in-all, one has to ask if attending a sports event is more important than preventing the further spread of COVID-19?  What an absurd question to ask at this time!  Just ask Albertans.

Canada COVID-19 Leadership

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Sep 19

Rise in Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies Used as Expensive Substitute for Vaccines

by bcurry

Everyone knows the old saying: “A once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Well, apparently, some people don’t believe this.  Instead of simply getting vaccinated against COVID-19, they are waiting to have the coronavirus and then ask to be treated with new experimental treatment using monoclonal antibodies to lessen the effects of COVID-19.  Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses.  Such treatments were originally designed to keep COVID patients out of hospitals and to lessen the symptoms experienced with the disease.  Even in Canada, the treatment was approved back in November 2020.  The authorization for its used was based on promising data that showed that the treatment by infusion appeared to reduce COVID-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression.

However, in the U.S., demand for treatment using monoclonal antibodies, especially by the unvaccinated, has begun to outstrip the supply by the federal government.  What is particularly interesting is that the federal government presently is covering the price tag of the remedy — presently at about $2,100 for every dose.  On the other hand, one dose of a COVID vaccine in the U.S. costs only $20.  In addition, while just one vaccination safeguards untold others from exposure, a single infusion only helps one affected individual.

The sudden rise in demand for monoclonal antibodies treatment is seen as partly due to the fact that people who shunned COVID vaccines have embraced antibody treatment.  In turn, it is now reported that waning federal provides and soaring demand from much less-vaccinated Southern states (e.g. North Carolina, Texas and Florida) have brought about what many states have described as massive shortfalls in deliveries.  The Biden administration has already invested $150 million in expanding accessibility to monoclonal antibodies, but the required delivery of the treatment to patients by health care workers is taking a toll on already scarce hospital resources.  Accessibility for the treatment has also become an issue, resulting for example in the transformation of dental clinics, mobile models and auditoriums into infusion facilities in several counties.  Unlike COVID vaccines which are readily available to most Americans, the monoclonal antibodies infusions continue to be inaccessible to many people.

There is little doubt that governments and public health officials are concerned about providing legitimate treatments for COVID patients.  This is why agreements were signed by the American and Canadian governments to purchase new antibody treatments, while maintaining their standards for safety, efficacy and quality.  However, such treatments were never intended to be a replacement for COVID vaccinations which serve as a much more reliable and safe preventative measure.  Championed by mainstream medical doctors and conservative radio hosts alike, the use of antibody treatments have tended unfortunately to take on just that role.  It’s difficult to understand that anyone knowingly would forgo getting vaccinated, relying instead on an experimental treatment in the event that they become infected and sick.  This has become another one of the crazy absurdities emerging out of the pandemic!

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Sep 16

Canada Has Its Own Mini-Trump Running In Current Federal Election

by bcurry

In Canada today, there are a number of small parties running in the current federal election.  Among these is the self-described hard-right populist People’s Party of Canada (CPP) founded in 2018 by Maxime Bernier.  Bernier was once a member of Canada’s Conservative Party, but left due to differing views with the party on a number of policy issues.  Overall, he believed that the Conservative Party had strayed from some of its traditional right-wing beliefs.  In its first election in 2019, the CPP received 1.6 percent of votes, placing it well behind other small parties, such as the Greens (6.5 percent) but well ahead of others, such as the Christian Heritage Party (0.1 percent).  Currently, the CPP does not have a seat in the national parliament.  Recent polls show that the CPP could get slightly more than 6 percent of the popular vote, but again the party is not expected to win any seats, including that in the riding where Maxime Bernier himself is running.

The primary difference with the emergence of Donald Trump in the Republican Party is that Bernier decided to offer his ultra-right views by forming a new national party.  However, many of the same positions taken by Trump’s followers are reflected in the CPP’s platform.  Bernier is attempting to appeal to a portion of the Canadian electorate who are disgruntled with the current political establishment in Ottawa, be it Conservative or Liberal, and are simply angry about the current state of Canadian society and big governments.  Like Trump, Bernier is in favour of reducing immigration, preventing refugees from entering Canada illegally, promoting the construction of pipelines, denying the human contribution to climate change, pushing for a single national identity, moving away from promoting multiculturalism, eliminating foreign aid funding and repealing existing firearms laws. Fortunately, unlike Trump, Bernier has not to date raised issues about voter fraud or rigged elections.

What has really brought out the CPP supporters to the federal election are the restrictive measures taken by the federal and provincial governments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.  Bernier has referred to COVID-19 public-health measures and vaccine policies as being “tyrannical”.  He has often told his supporters that: “People are fed up and they want to get back their freedom.”  This is a common theme, declaring that government public-health measures are an attack on one’s liberties, especially when it comes to lockdowns, mandated vaccinations and vaccine passports. 

What’s unfortunate about the participation of CPP supporters in the campaign is that their anger has gotten the better of their common sense and civility.  Supporters have been part of a number of often-violent demonstrations protesting the other parties’ leaders, especially at events being held by the current Liberal leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  The protesters have attempted to drown out the leaders at campaign stops and have revealed signs with vulgar and insulting slurs and graphics.  What’s regrettable is that Maxime Bernier refuses to condemn the incivility and lack of respect shown by CPP supporters against the opposing leaders, and in particular the PM.  In these difficult times, there is no doubt that there is a lot of pent-up anger among those whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively affected by the pandemic and some of the public-health measures that had to be implemented.  However, given the severity of the pandemic, Canadian support for such measures and the current growing fourth wave, it doesn’t appear that the CPP will gain very much additional support.

Unlike in the U.S. with its firmly established conservative base in several regions, there is little chance that Canada will see a similar ultra-right populist administration in power anytime soon.

Maxime Bernier himself does not like to be compared to Donald Trump for obvious reasons.  Unfortunately, his party has tended to politicize some of the more critical issues such as public-health measures aimed at preventing more COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths.  Unfortunately, the anti-vaxxers now have a political means to promote their virulent opposition to such measures.  By encouraging unfounded and unreasonable protests, Bernier does appear to have taken a page from Donald Trump’s agenda.

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Sep 13

One Cannot Deny Anyone’s Right to Die Because of COVID

by bcurry

A group calling itself by the misleading name ‘Canadian Frontline Nurses’ is planning cross-country protests in Canada rejecting vaccine passports and COVID-19 public health measures.  Among them are anti-vaxxers.  Interestingly, two of the group’s primary leaders travelled to Washington last January for a rally organized by ‘Global Frontline Nurses’, an organization that claims there is no evidence that social distancing is helpful in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and that “lockdowns do not work,” both positions widely disputed by public-health experts.  Unfortunately, the planned protests are expected to occur in the vicinity of hospitals where the real frontline medical staff is having to cope with increasing COVID-19 cases, particularly involving unvaccinated patients who make up the majority of such cases.

In light of the current fourth wave created by the Delta variant, the best way to prevent more COVID-related hospitalizations and potential deaths is through having more people vaccinated.  The cold hard statistical facts are that unvaccinated individuals are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized and 9 times more likely to die.

Now that we are hearing more about vaccine mandating and vaccine passports to enter non-essential venues, those that didn’t support public health restrictions such as lockdowns, masking and social distancing have resurfaced under new slogans.  “I’m not anti-anything. I’m pro-choice and pro-freedom.”  Reminds one of: “Give me liberty or give me death”.

Think about it.  Most American states and Canadian provinces already strictly mandate vaccines, which have not drawn opposition from most elected officials.  For example, they require children to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and other diseases to attend school. Even states like Mississippi and Alabama, which reacted angrily to the coronavirus vaccine mandates President Biden recently imposed on private businesses, go a step further than most states by barring parents from claiming “religious, philosophical or conscientious” exemptions for mandated child vaccinations.  In the past, even the U.S. Supreme Court has twice upheld vaccine mandates, reasoning that a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.

Let’s face it.  I would hope that conservatives and so-called libertarians care about getting beyond this pandemic every bit as much as most of us do.  Unfortunately, there are politicians and groups who are more than happy to exploit this issue for political or ideological gain.  The anti-vaxxers, including some of those among the wellness influencers, have jumped on the libertarian bandwagon.  They continue to spread misinformation about the vaccines.  Sprinkled throughout social media, there are posts to their followers that continue to question the safety of the vaccines.  For example, one study found a large cluster of Facebook groups that focused on posting and spreading COVID-19 misinformation, including anti-vaccine messages.  This is despite the fact that Facebook enacted stricter rules against coronavirus misinformation over the course of the pandemic.

Vaccine mandates are not new, nor is resistance to vaccination.  Moreover, there is a clear and established principle behind mandated vaccinations.  It is that the safety of the community supersedes personal liberty when everyone is at risk from a communicable disease.  In our struggle to contain COVID-19, these remarkable vaccines are a critical tool that community members can employ along with other preventive measures.  Each one of us has a choice, especially those of us who are parents.  To put it bluntly, no one can deny you the right to choose how you die.  What’s crucial is whether your choices could lead to the death of someone in your family or in your community?

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Sep 10

U.S. President Finally Getting More Serious About Combating COVID-19

by bcurry

Let’s set the stage.  So far, the COVID pandemic has claimed more than 650,000 lives in the U.S.  The U.S. recorded 176,000 new cases on September 8, far above the roughly 10,000 a day seen in June when the pandemic was at its ebb.  A quarter of eligible Americans — some 80 million people — have so far not been vaccinated for the coronavirus.  Just as millions of American families navigate sending their children back to school, the number of children admitted to hospital with Covid-19 has risen to the highest levels reported to date.  States with the lowest vaccine coverage have child hospital admissions that are around four times higher than states with the highest vaccination rates.  According to the American Academy of Paediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, nearly 252,000 American children tested positive for COVID-19 last week, marking the single highest week on record for paediatric infections.  Nearly 30,000 of them entered hospitals in August alone.  Hospital resources and their staffs in several states are being strained under rising hospital admissions due to COVID.

Now, President Biden has declared that he will order all executive branch employees, federal contractors and millions of health-care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, and that his administration would issue rules requiring large private employers to mandate shots or testing.  New federal safety regulations that call for businesses with more than 100 workers to require vaccinations against the coronavirus will affirm mandates already in place at many companies.  The requirements will be imposed by the Department of Labor and its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is drafting an emergency temporary standard to carry out the mandate.  Some 80 million American workers will be affected.  President Biden will also require vaccinations for more than 17 million health-care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and in other health-care settings, a significant expansion of an existing requirement aimed at nursing homes.

There is little doubt that the President’s order will face political pushback, particularly from some Republican state governors and legislatures, and will result in some litigation.  However, some of the largest employer organizations, such as the Business Roundtable, and largest unions, such as the Teamsters, the AFL-CIO, and the United Food and Commercial Workers, have endorsed the President’s move as the only possible way to achieve a full recovery.  They especially agree with the proposed requirement that companies offer paid time off for workers to get vaccinated.  However, concerns have been expressed over how to deal with unvaccinated workers, particularly those who are vaccine hesitant.  Of course, under the OSHA requirements, accommodation will also have to be made for those employees who can’t be vaccinated due to medical reasons.  Unions want to ensure that workplace COVID-19 health and safety plans include mitigation measures like ventilation, removing infected individuals, masking and training workers.

The U.S. cannot continue to take the fourth COVID wave involving the Delta variant lightly!  It is now affecting more children, particularly those under twelve who can’t get vaccinated at this time.  Unlike in some states, Canadian schools are requiring pre-screening protocols, rapid COVID testing, masking and other precautionary measures to minimize the impact of the variant on children.  As of the end of August, Canada reached a milestone with over 83.5 percent of the eligible population (12 yrs and up) receiving at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.  There is a fairly clear recognition that the more adults and parents who are vaccinated, the less likely children will become infected.  Many Canadian employers, notably in the health care and education sectors, have now mandated full vaccination of their employees, again as a health and safety measure.  In several provinces, vaccine passports are being introduced as proof of full vaccination in order to access non-essential establishments (restaurants, bars, sporting events, etc.).  Like the U.S., Canada has entered a fourth wave and the federal and provincial governments are doing everything in their power to limit its impact, both human and economic.  There is little doubt that President Biden is moving in the right direction given the nature of the COVID crisis.

Canada Coronavirus COVID-19 Joe Biden US

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