Australia Is the Canary in the Coal Mine of Eroding Liberty – Reason.com
As an Australian, and a Victorian, this article is inflammatory US-centric crap.<p>The Australian state of Victoria, which has had some of the harshest lockdowns, has a bill of rights, and has had for some 15 years. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Victorian_Charter_of_Human_Rights_and_Responsibilities" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Victorian_Charter_of_Human_Rig...</a><p>Unlike the United States, Australia does not so universally place individual freedom on an unassailable pedestal, to be placed above all things at all times; instead, some of us actually have some concept of social duty and obligation, and an appreciation that our actions affect others around us.<p>Rights have corresponding duties; my freedoms come with a duty to protect others, and I am happy to do so. How controversial, to be willing to make personal sacrifice for the greater good of the nation and its people.<p>This article does raise some valid concerns about freedom in Australia - the raiding of press offices, and attempts at backdooring encryption. But while I find those an affront to freedom, I will gladly wear a mask and stay indoors so that other people won&#x27;t suffer and die a horrible death from a miserable fuck of a virus.<p>Australians did not protest against lockdowns; selfish idiots who happen to be Australian did.<p>[edit: Also, we Victorians are now out of lockdown, because a quick, hard lockdown got the outbreak under control. The article seems to imply our freedoms are somehow restricted because we chose to NOT DIE by preventing the spread of the virus. Unbelievable.]