Morrison needs to dump the Crown

Originally posted by Scott th Ratbag ↑

on the matter of vaccines, the conundrum certainly is highlighted.

imo, from the public health perspective, it makes sense to make vaccination compulsory, as was done for tuberculosis and many other diseases.

but I recognise the difficulty in finding the balance between liberal freedoms and good governance. like "personal responsibility" there is always an issue wrt individuals' greater demands for "freedom" and national/public health needs. the protection of the community from individual irrational demands is compromised by excessive respect for excessive demands wrt "freedom'.

like freedom of speech however, all freedoms come with responsibility and obligations. some demands for freedoms should be agreed to, but some are so extreme as to jeopardise community freedoms and so, as with free speech, there must be prescribed limits to such freedoms in order to attain the best overall result.

As you rightly point out, there are costs associated with excessive freedom demands. but any reasonable balance of cost/benefit would find that both libertarians and more authoritarian govt controls (which we have never seen in Aus) are excessive and should be compromised to find the best mix of mandates and freedoms.

illicit drug prohibition can be seen as an example of excessive govt control, especially when the preference for alcohol use, which is encouraged by inadequate Govt controls, becomes the example of too libertarian......

as you asked for my thoughts, such as they are, I think my view is limited by my own pre-occupations with public health. As you example, seat belts and helmets are necessary compromises.

I'm keen to read your thoughts, and those of any other posters.

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I guess the issues will always lay with individual interpretations of what is fair and reasonable. I might think wearing a bike helmet should be individual choice however another person see's the benefit of the protection not only for the individual but the extension of costs (not just financial) that go beyond that same individual. I think if we extend that simple analogy to the vax or no vax arguments there is the same dilemma's. Ultimately when someone is vaxxed they usually fall in line with their 'team'. For me it is simply about risk vs reward and being vaccinated wins out. For others I can understand why they don't feel that way. It however shouldn't be as divisive as it is but I have no idea how that will change.
If we look at the USA where they have far more 'freedoms', do we think they have a better lifestyle than us? They don't have to wear helmets or seatbelts although encouraged I believe. They have extremely dangerous gun laws also imo. So even though we have less freedom I think we have a better life style.