[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”13%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-16%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s my unsolicited two cents\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Fans of Novak Djokovic and anti-vaxxers combined were outraged at how the Australian government treated the unvaccinated tennis champion. The authorities\u2019 refusal to let him in was a blatant example of authoritarianism, right? How dare they enforce their rules on him, demanding that all who enter the country fall within the margin of the law? If that\u2019s not a sign of authority gone mad, we\u2019ve lost our wits, no better than sheep who deserve to be penned in, sheared, fattened, and munched on by the powers that be.<\/p>\n Ask anyone who knows anything about the world, and they\u2019ll tell you who\u2019s behind all this. Bill Gates, of course. It\u2019s part of the tech-nerd\u2019s nefarious plan. Pay attention to the words and the truth rises up to meet you. The Broken Windows Theory<\/strong> explains how neighborhoods go down the real-estate drain \u2013 it\u2019s real, look it up \u2013 and the Microsoft Windows Coronavirus Conspiracy describes how They<\/em>, serpents in human skin, are hell-bent on taking over our genetic code with biological hardware.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pexels-lisa-fotios-3703737.jpg” title_text=”pexels-lisa-fotios-3703737″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”1%||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|2px|2%|2%|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||3%||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Look around. From the moment They<\/em> declared a pandemic, the world was thrust into tyranny. Everyone\u2019s freedoms were canceled, including the freedom to disagree with scientific findings and other facts. Dissent, i.e.<\/em> refuse to inject yourself with unknown chemical substances loaded with Trojan Horses (wake up, the Greeks have breached the gates \u2013 Gates, get it?), and They<\/em>\u2019ll take care of you. One way or the other, you\u2019ll be assimilated \u2013 that\u2019s their plan.<\/p>\n Trekkies can spot the Borg connection (let\u2019s mix our metaphors) between Star Trek<\/em> and the brave new world we live in. George Orwell fans sense Big Brother at work. Take your pick of wicked power analogues. The Supervillains are here to prey on humanity from behind the veil of a pandemic they either fabricated or abetted. Their sights are on revolutionaries like Djokovic, i.e<\/em>. anyone who dares challenge their advance.<\/p>\n Djokovic, the hero \u2013 how courageously he awaited the result of his appeal in the “hotel” they designated. As all free-minded people know, it was a trap. Gates\u2019 teams of gene manipulators lurked inside the walls, spraying Djokovic and his team with undetectable nerve agents, subliminal narratives and DNA-hungry aerosolized microchips designed to turn him into one of Them.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-3%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][cwp_image_collage num_image=”4″ four_style=”five” st_src_one=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Borg-scaled.jpg” st_src_two=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Trojan-Horse.jpg” st_src_three=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Bigg-Brother.png” st_src_four=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/circuitry-gb2b22aa40_640.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”circuitry-gb2b22aa40_640″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/cwp_image_collage][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(48,128,193,0.27)” custom_margin=”0%||||false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset6″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n But Djokovic went prepared, taking all the antidotes that were provided to him by the non-sheeple movements of the free world (buy yours for 10.99 at any .inf website), remaining his sovereign self.<\/p>\n Also note how They<\/em> tried to smash the Djokovic brand\u2019s windows and wipe out his entire value in an attempt to send a message to the world: either fall in line or face the hammer of annihilation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-11%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-2%|7%|5%|16%|false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Exaggerations? Sure, and they don\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the other side, the counter-fundamentalist approach so prevalent in parts of vaccinated society, about which we don\u2019t talk enough.<\/p>\n For starters, if you\u2019re not a Djokovic fan and\/or if you happen to support the vaccination programs for COVID-19, the signs are on the wall, and the answers crystal clear. No-vac Djokovic is a monstrous millionaire \u2013 duh! \u2013 who sustains himself with freshly killed baby seals and the tears of virgin unicorns. Rich people like him are all the same \u2013 bloodthirsty brats with swamps for a conscience, abusing their power to subvert the system and get away with murder. He doesn\u2019t care how many people he kills with COVID. He\u2019s a murderer, like all unvaccinated people.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”-4%||||false|false”]<\/p>\n A medical exemption? Please, No-vac didn\u2019t merit one. If he did, why not make his medical records public immediately? What was he afraid of? Privacy, our left foot! This was a public matter.\u00a0No, the two independent medical panels that granted No-vac a medical exemption suffered a lapse in judgment. Yes, they\u2019re part of the system in whose name Australians rose up in arms to prevent Djokovic to ride shotgun, but that\u2019s beside the point. The panels\u2019 unanimous decision was misguided. The unvaccinated fat cat, lean as he may appear, had to be cut down no matter what.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-3%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][cwp_image_collage num_image=”3″ st_src_one=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/hammer-g28c89604c_640.jpg” st_src_two=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/lake-g5a8a9e5ff_640.jpg” st_src_three=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/vaccinate-ged6ec78ce_640.jpg” st_src_four=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/citron-unveiled-322900_640.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” custom_margin=”3%||||false|false” sticky_enabled=”0″ title_text=”vaccinate-ged6ec78ce_640″ three_style=”six”][\/cwp_image_collage][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-3%||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Sure, Djokovic contracted COVID a few weeks prior to flying to Australia, meaning he had antibodies when he entered the country, but screw that. He was unvaccinated, and that\u2019s reason enough to pillory him, his situation be damned. The vaccinated world\u2019s duty to science and critical thinking obliges us to stop people like No-vac in their tracks and send a clear message: Get vaxxed, or go f\u2013\u2013 yourselves!<\/p>\n By the way, how insensitive of No-vac to apply for a medical exemption at a time when Australians suffer the fatigue of endless restrictions, cumulative lockdowns, etc. Has he no empathy at all?<\/p>\n As for the medical exemptions that were granted to other tennis players, whatever. The panels approved those requests in line with government requirements, and the exhaustive testing around the venue means that the Australian Open 2022 will be as safe as can be. Plus, the little guys and gals deserved a break. Let them play; no need to raise a fuss about their exemptions. The point was to cut down any and all unicorn-harvesting millionaires and their cadres. There\u2019s no place for them in our open, fair, critical-thinking society.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-11%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”1%|7%|5%|16%|false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Of course, dare to point out that both approaches, the anti- and pro-vaxxers alike, make a great argument when they point out how insane the other side is when it goes to extremes, and we\u2019re way off base. Don\u2019t we know anything? It\u2019s an all-or-nothing world. Anti-vaxxers are completely and utterly wrong in everything they say and do. The same with pro-vaxxers. The other side will tell you how it is. Argue that both approaches take things too far, to each their own, and their supporters will have us strung up by the thumbs for the public enemies that we are.<\/p>\n In other words, there\u2019s no room for disagreement. One is expected to embrace a point of view in full. Failure to do so and we\u2019re branded an obstacle that must be removed.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”-2%||||false|false”]<\/p>\n And when one points out that the above two approaches are two sides of the same toxic currency, mentalities that thrive on ignorance, hysteria, intimidation, and closed-mindedness, you become a universal target. Nothing unites those who thrive on fear and loathing like the sound of reason and a call for balance. In a world of polar opposites, the zealots hate their opposites as much as they despise those who cry for middle ground. They abhor sanity and want nothing to do with those who don\u2019t fully agree with them, so expect them to come after anyone who calls them out.<\/p>\n Having reviewed the situation, let\u2019s take a moment to state the obvious about Novak Djokovic. He is, in all likelihood, playing everyone for a fool, at least that\u2019s what his behavior implies. He either forged a positive COVID test to get an Australian visa exemption as a \u201crecovering patient\u201d (hence his public appearances in Europe immediately after his diagnosis \u2013 he didn\u2019t really have COVID, did he?), or he contracted COVID for real and then skipped quarantine because he couldn\u2019t give a toss about other people\u2019s health or the rule of law.<\/p>\n Either way, the man (his management?) failed to handle the situation. Djokovic comes across as a childish amateur in that respect, and one wonders how a multi-million-dollar brand is capable of so many basic mistakes on so many fronts.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/darts-gb1bf1ca8a_640.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ title_text=”darts-gb1bf1ca8a_640″ custom_margin=”4%||4%||false|false” align=”center”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-16%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||3%||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Still, that doesn\u2019t take away from the fact that some of the reactions in the vaccinated parts of society were, and are, as hysterical and fundamentalist as those of anti-vaxxers.<\/strong> The vaccinated world, for one, demanded empathy for all Australians, but what a politically expedient oversimplification that was. Medical exemptions are neither illegitimate nor immoral. Asking for one isn\u2019t a condemnable act. Failing to back up the request is the real problem, which can only be recognized once the process runs its course.<\/p>\n Also, how about respecting the panels that were appointed to judge all matters of exemption? Let the experts lend their expertise.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s recognize the immunity of recovering COVID patients. Failure to acknowledge said immunity makes the pro-vaccine world sound like hypocritical maniacs driven by ideology rather than science.<\/p>\n Like it or not, being on the side of science \u2013 and on the right side of history \u2013 comes with the responsibility of being reasonable. Just because anti-vaxxers and deniers have lost the plot doesn\u2019t mean that we must do the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/network-g655bbd4c3_640.jpg” title_text=”network-g655bbd4c3_640″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-12%||-2%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|2px|2%|2%|false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_spread=”14px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||3px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”||4%||false|false”]<\/p>\n Sadly, the world is as polarized as ever, locked in an absurd dance of attrition.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to recognize the problem, if we\u2019re to move forward.<\/p>\n But neither side will let us. When we point out that the real victims of the world\u2019s COVID-19 division are open society, critical thinking, and functionality at large, both sides call us weak, confused, indecisive and naive, or sold out, or closeted something-or-others<\/em> with hidden agendas because only closeted-something-or-others would dare consider the opposite point of view. Engage with the other side in any way, they say, and we deserve the axe.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, children all over the world wonder what on earth has gotten into adults lately, and why everyone is at each other\u2019s throats instead of sorting things out in a mature and civilized manner \u2013 in other words, practice what we preach \u2013 so we can enjoy life rather than mess it up even more.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Djokovic vs. Australia \/ the Vaccinated. Here\u2019s my unsolicited two cents\u2026 Fans of Novak Djokovic and anti-vaxxers combined were outraged at how the Australian government treated the unvaccinated tennis champion. The authorities\u2019 refusal to let him in was a blatant example of authoritarianism, right? How dare they enforce their rules on him, demanding that all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":239252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[334,332,333],"class_list":["post-239240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-the-sake-of-argument","tag-australia","tag-tennis","tag-vaccinations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersatlarge.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}So, let\u2019s talk\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n