All Covid-19 measures are permanent, don't be a boiling frog!

The funniest part is that the US has been in far more of a precarious position as a functioning democracy in the last few years as a result of both internal and external influence. Meanwhile Ireland is the polar opposite, we regularly get votes on issues that most countries only need to legislate for. (Do actually think the need for endless referendums can be a problem though)

Do you really think Ireland is a functioning democracy? During the last referendum all of the political parties came out on one side and one side's posters were regularly taken down. At least the US has different political parties. The US is a great hope for many people. States such as Texas and Florida, for example. Dave Rubin recently moved to Florida from California because life was unbearable in California. It will be interesting to see will lots of people from Europe, particularly from Ireland and England (to a lesser extent because that has a strong tradition of liberty that is similar to the one that exists in the US), emigrate to the US next year.

Do you expect the parties that are elected by the public to oppose in a referendum for the sake of it? That sounds like an awfully stupid idea....

I believe they should remain neutral.

Is it good for a democracy when posters are taken down and the media of a country is 100% biased against the opinions of a third of the population? It doesn't matter what camp you're in. That's irrelevant. Is it healthy for a democracy when a third of the population finds itself voiceless? Fringe or small parties aren't a voice.

And to get back to the thread, is it realistic to believe that vaccine passports especially are a temporary measure when billions has been spent on them? On rolling out the system. On updating apps. In many ways the following point by brianhere is perhaps the most salient of all the interesting points he made and examples of temporary measures that ended up being permanent that he highlighted:

"... they have invested so much money and time in changing the whole apparatus of society, in schools for example, and other places. Clearly these changes were not implemented in order to disappear in only a few weeks, they show the planning and expense of permanent measures."

Also, why do you think Doug Ford thought it necessary to say that he understood people's concerns about vaccine passports?

Ford “understands” concerns about vaccine passport as he assures Ontarians it’s temporary | News (dailyhive.com)

Why the need, in your opinion, to stress that vaccine passports are a temporary measure? Or is anyone and everyone who has concerns about vaccine passports a 'conspiracy theorist' in your view?

What's drivel about the following points:

"i) During the hype about TB in the 1950s the state introduced a voluntary scheme to control the disease in cattle. It involved those who had tested negative for the disease to be given a special tag and the farmer a 'herd number'. This voluntary scheme then evolved into the state controlling all aspects of agricultural activity by only allowing any such activity - even keeping a few hens - with the permission of the state, via compulsory herd numbers.

ii) Similar to this current panic, in the 1970s the state amended earlier WWII legislation to enable it to abolish jury trials. This was a great shock to the legal profession - even to the then President - and affront to the time honoured legal practices in Ireland but it was rushed through on the basis of sunset clauses whereby it would have to be renewed every year, and hence was temporary. Of course it is still with us long after the troubles have ended.

iii) After 9/11 and some hyped episodes like 'underwear bombers', this state and all around the world introduced time consuming and very intrusive security procedures particularly at airports. This of course is still with us long after the scare has died down."

Are they, or are they not, examples of temporary measures that ended up being anything but? Doesn't matter whether you like them as measures. That's not the question.

So restrict the freedom of all political parties even though many of their members will end up legislating on the issues if the referendum passes....