Mantis, I opened up this thread intending to post about the Atlantic article but when I saw your post I could hardly have done so without commenting on your post. So the Atlantic article wasn't a can of Mortein, even if the juxtaposition might suggest the contrary. 
For sure, if you reckon the Andrew Govt should be voted out, cast your vote that way. Although I'm a rusted on ALP voter, I'm not an ALP member and couldn't be bothered trying to change others' voting intentions, if that were even possible. One thing that irks me, though, is the notion that pandemic restrictions and mandates are tyrannical and anti-democratic when they are in fact implemented by democratically-elected governments. That's the point of elections. Conservatives are all law & order when conservative governments are elected: elections have consequences, if you don't like the laws, go back where you (or your ancestors) came from. But the moment a Labor Government comes in, suddenly the Government has no right to interfere with individual freedoms irrespective of the public interest, therefore the laws should be flouted as a moral crusade.
This sort of attitude is on full display in the US with attempts to undermine the voting process, the rise of "sovereign rights", and the undermining of constitutional rights such as the right to abortion. An interesting article about Christian Dominionists paints a troubling picture of an anti-democratic strain of thought that has been influential in the rightwing in the US: How extremist Christian theology is driving the right-wing assault on democracy, Salon. And there are echoes of that thinking apparent over here too.
The issue of consistency in pandemic rules is certainly a minefield. When the Government has tried to be consistent by cracking down on parents taking advantage of playgrounds to enjoy picnics with friends when otherwise that wasn't permitted, it was pilloried with the idea being that this should have been ignored. But when big events happen, people get out the fine tooth combs to tease out inconsistencies with other entertainment venues.
Firstly, consistency is overrated. I remember listening to Fatprick Smith telling KB that the AFL's new rules to protect the head against bumps were desirable, but the AFL should act consistently when it came to marking situations. He believed a player who raised his knee or otherwise threw himself into a pack should be rubbed out if he made contact with the head of another player. If you live your life being a slave to consistency, then it will be a mess. There are nuances and differences between situations. In the big event example, opening them up to double-vaxxed people drives vaccinations and that's in the public interest. As those events are generally more secure than your average cafe, it's easier to ensure that only the double-vaxxed gain entry. The small mom & pop cafe will find it hard to enforce those rules as they don't have turnstiles protected by security with police in attendance to quell disturbances. Anti-vaxxers find it harder to make an impact at those events than they do at the local cafe. If you want to make an impact on the mood of the State by providing bread and circuses, this is the way to go. I don't like it particularly and I wouldn't want to go to those events but I can see their utility in psychological terms.
For sure, if you reckon the Andrew Govt should be voted out, cast your vote that way. Although I'm a rusted on ALP voter, I'm not an ALP member and couldn't be bothered trying to change others' voting intentions, if that were even possible. One thing that irks me, though, is the notion that pandemic restrictions and mandates are tyrannical and anti-democratic when they are in fact implemented by democratically-elected governments. That's the point of elections. Conservatives are all law & order when conservative governments are elected: elections have consequences, if you don't like the laws, go back where you (or your ancestors) came from. But the moment a Labor Government comes in, suddenly the Government has no right to interfere with individual freedoms irrespective of the public interest, therefore the laws should be flouted as a moral crusade.
This sort of attitude is on full display in the US with attempts to undermine the voting process, the rise of "sovereign rights", and the undermining of constitutional rights such as the right to abortion. An interesting article about Christian Dominionists paints a troubling picture of an anti-democratic strain of thought that has been influential in the rightwing in the US: How extremist Christian theology is driving the right-wing assault on democracy, Salon. And there are echoes of that thinking apparent over here too.
The issue of consistency in pandemic rules is certainly a minefield. When the Government has tried to be consistent by cracking down on parents taking advantage of playgrounds to enjoy picnics with friends when otherwise that wasn't permitted, it was pilloried with the idea being that this should have been ignored. But when big events happen, people get out the fine tooth combs to tease out inconsistencies with other entertainment venues.
Firstly, consistency is overrated. I remember listening to Fatprick Smith telling KB that the AFL's new rules to protect the head against bumps were desirable, but the AFL should act consistently when it came to marking situations. He believed a player who raised his knee or otherwise threw himself into a pack should be rubbed out if he made contact with the head of another player. If you live your life being a slave to consistency, then it will be a mess. There are nuances and differences between situations. In the big event example, opening them up to double-vaxxed people drives vaccinations and that's in the public interest. As those events are generally more secure than your average cafe, it's easier to ensure that only the double-vaxxed gain entry. The small mom & pop cafe will find it hard to enforce those rules as they don't have turnstiles protected by security with police in attendance to quell disturbances. Anti-vaxxers find it harder to make an impact at those events than they do at the local cafe. If you want to make an impact on the mood of the State by providing bread and circuses, this is the way to go. I don't like it particularly and I wouldn't want to go to those events but I can see their utility in psychological terms.
