Coronavirus Open Thread 2022

Well remember that the Helsinki is 4 times smaller than Taichung. Even the combined population of the greater Helsinki is only about the third of Taichung. Its small.

Finland is tightening up though not loosening. There is a huge discussion going on about closing schools (likely not happening) but restaurants are now forced to shutdown at 6pm and are possible shutdown entirely. Gym’s and exercise places is a funny one, they were shutdown by the municipals governments (the central government cannot actually do it themselves by law). All the owners run into courts and now part of the country the courts allowed a temporary injunction (Gym’s can open until the cases can be heard in a more refined way) but other parts they didn’t. Its a mess.

The hospitals really are full though, I have two cousins who are doctors and it really is bad, not a normal flue season but more sick people that they can handle. Pile up the idiots on top who should not be at the hospital and you end up with the 45 hours lines (record is 60 hours wait at the main hospital in Helsinki right now according to the newspapers) Remember that even in normal times the hospitals are almost at capacity.

1 Like

Sounds a lot like Taiwan. You have to wear a mask if you want to exercise in the gym or go for a run. If you want to eat at McDonalds, you can take it off.

Clown world.

That’s why hospitals should be non-profit. Use all the money to attract the best talent, conduct research and improve the facilities. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Mass General etc… There’s a reason for their reputation.

Then there would be no reason not to have extra capacity. Without shareholders and investors to answer to, they have a bit more flexibility. That said, even those hospitals seem to run at 90% capacity. I’d like to see it around 75%.

I have to post this here. There’s a lot of weird videos popping up purporting to be evidence of the New Normal going horribly wrong. Unfortunately, with most of them you could legitimately claim “hmm, looks bad, but not entirely sure what’s going on here”. So I generally refrain from posting them even in the Humbug thread.

In this one there is no ambiguity. I don’t understand what’s being said, but I don’t think there’s any other possible interpretation other than a harmless woman arrested for the purpose of intimidating the masses. 7 police officers involved in what looks like a carefully-choreographed set piece.

If anyone here is of the view that she should have been polite to the officers and produced her papers, have a think about whether you would feel the same if it were an elderly aunt, your mother, or even some random colleague who you don’t like very much.

This is not the sort of world I want to live in.

If you don’t want to watch (it’s quite upsetting), the dog appears to be wearing a safety collar that detaches as it’s hoisted in the air, and somebody does look after it as the woman is hauled away.

1 Like

Hospitals in Finland are non profit (well there is a private sector as well but even that is mostly paid by government). So as a tax payer you would be happy to pay for extra capacity?

Government run hospitals are not truly non-profit, they are public hospitals that serve the underprivileged, at least in the US sense of the word.

That said, I doubt the majority of taxpayers would be against it.

The ostriches with their heads in the sand will say she deserves it. This makes me so mad.

3 Likes

Who the hell follows PRC sources to learn about developments in Finland?

I guess we are learning more about one of our very active posters.

Guy

Some people believe Finland doesn’t exist.

Here you can find more information if you translate from German.

There is a process for holding a demonstration. There was an illegal demonstration announced which was deemed illegal by a court. Police was enforcing that. People tried to gather illegally.
That woman refused to provide identification to police (at that point police may legally detain her until identity is clear). She argued and hit one of the police and was resisting arrest.

Police is not harassing people randomly.

2 Likes

Stop the presses. CNN has gone off the narrative trail.
Where’s the debunk team to refute these 2.

1 Like

That “fact check” confirms that the video is exactly what it appears to be: the police were deliberately provoking a “situation” so that they could arrest someone for walking their dog. In ok that verbosity there is no indication that the woman is a dangerous fugitive, and she was charged only with defending herself from arbitrary thuggery.

The fact that it is old is irrelevant.

3 Likes

She was arrested for not providing identification and assault, not walking her dog. :man_shrugging:

2 Likes

Oh, that’s ok then. For a minute there it looked like fascism.

Why on earth should she give her identity? The police had no valid reason to ask for it.

2 Likes

Did you read my post?

This is the law in Germany. Police may ask for your identity in various situations. You will be detained if identity can not established.

Such arrests happen all the time when people do not cooperate. This is nothing new.

3 Likes

Leaving aside the fact that you think “gathering illegally” is a meaningful description of a crime, she was clearly not gathering with anybody, unless the dog is a known terrorist.

Do you seriously think that this is a sensible use of police time and judicial expense? Do you think any good was done here?

Nothing would have happened if she provided identification, unless she was issued a Platzverweis (Instruction to leave an area for a specified amount of time) previously.

Produce your papers and the Gestapo will leave you alone. I see.

Are you sure it would have all turned out ok, or is it possible they would have simply found a different excuse for some fun?

It doesn’t surprise me in the least that those most vocally critical of fascism in HK are those who are most vocally supportive of it in Europe.

3 Likes

You have abroad definition of that word. :man_shrugging:
This arrest is very tame and avoidable by that woman.

There is a lot of red tape around demonstrations in Germany. You should know the laws if you don’t want to be arrested.

The police were, as you said, there for the purpose of monitoring a protest. And yet they thought it more important (the whole lot of them) to establish the identity of a dog walker instead of, for example, make sure none of the protesters were throwing bricks. So I would guess no, she could not have avoided it. These guys were looking for aggro.

You are not disturbed in the slightest by that video? You think this is completely normal behaviour that needs no comment?

Again : consider if this was your relative. Would you still be saying “its her own fault”?

As for your prim comment about the law: the same is true of HK.

1 Like