Djokovic

So you accept that his deportation had nothing to do with public health or his vaccination status and the reason for cancelling his visa was because some people didn't like who he was as a person? Do you think that is some you should be cheering?

Despite widespread misconceptions, vaccination is not a requirement to enter Australia. There are exemptions available which Djokovic applied for and which two separate medical boards reviewed and concluded that he was eligible for the exemption under the law despite being unvaccinated. Not only that, a judge ruled in his favour that the border patrol had been unreasonable, un-rational and unfair in the procedures they used to ban him entering the country. His visa was then reinstated and he was then allowed enter the country. Finally, late Friday afternoon the Australian immigration minister decided he was going to invoke his absolute power and nullify his visa and order his deportation. The reason the minister gave, which he was required to provide under the law, was that Djokovic's presence would excite anti-vaccine sentiment. If any of you have information that was not available to the two medical boards and one judge then please let us know. Otherwise you should be concerned with the reasons for his deportation because once a convention like this is broken, what is to stop the Australian minster from banning a singer, performer or any other persons whose opinions were considered dangerous? Once the precedent has been set (as it has with Djokovic) it is no longer valid to argue that you cannot ban someone from entering the country because they hold opinions that you don't agree with because you agreed to it when they did it to someone else.

You want to rely on social media reports if you wish however, two separate medical boards reviewed his application and concluded that he was eligible for the exemption under the law despite being unvaccinated. Not only that, a judge ruled in Djokovic's favour in that the border patrol had been unreasonable, un-rational and unfair in the procedures they used to ban him entering the country.

You can invoke gurning Olympics all day but the reality is that the real reason people are cheering his deportation is because of his choice he made about his body and his health, and that decision happens to be different with the vast majority of people which they feel he should be punished for.

You can rely on whatever you want but the fact is that he wasnt deported because of what he did or didn't do in Marbella, he was deported for his political opinions. You want to get annoyed and have arguments about very separate things and have no arguments on the merits. You should direct your anger at the people who are imposing these rules rather than getting annoyed with Djokovic for decisions he makes about his health and his body which you don't seem to agree with. The reality is that the real reason people are cheering his deportation is because he was unvaccinated.

But he wasn't deported for lying on visa application, he was deported because of his political opinions. Are you in favour of people being deported from countries and prevented from pursuing their livelihood because of their political opinions?

Bingo. His acolytes on here keep banging on about it not being about his actions and more about his words/thoughts. This is BS. A quick breakdown of the whole saga:

He was granted a medical exemption from having to be vaccinated, along with a few others

He travels to Aus, then is denied entry because he doesn't meet the requirements of entry for unvaxed passengers

Visa cancelled and he is moved to immigration detention building

Story of him contracting Covid on 16th December, which is basis for exemption, is leaked

This date is weeks/months after he'd entered the Aus Open, and conveniently means he can end his isolation just in time for the tournament

He confirms he was notified on 17th December, and admits not isolating in the days/weeks afterwards

He appeals the cancellation and is successful, on procedural grounds only, because they didn't allow enough time to get his papers in order

He later claims the reason for his initial refusal is because of human error, throws his staff under the bus

Minister for immigration cancels his visa, citing "health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so".

So, he put his name down, despite not having any plausible way into the country. Then, weeks later, he 'gets' covid and has to isolate for 10 days.....but doesn't. The 10 days ends at a stage that, at the very least, makes it look like he lied in order to get an exemption. Then, he says it wasn't him that signed / filled out the forms, when it turns out that the forms were the issue.

He could have played this all a whole lot smarter, and he'd be on his way to breaking records. He didn't, he made a mockery and a circus out of the whole ordeal.....pissing all over the entire Aussie immigration staff, policies and procedures in the process. A litany of lies, coupled with a blatant disregard for the health and well-being of others, including a whole gaggle of young tennis stars, means he cannot be trusted. He literally burned whatever little goodwill he had and kept on lighting matches everywhere he went.

He wasn't refused entry for political reasons. He was refused entry for trying to deceive the people responsible for the safety, health and well being of 20+ million people. Imagine the uproar over here if you weren't allowed to do (insert whatever you want here), but rich and famous people were allowed, even after they made a dog and pony show of your whole legal system.

The Australian government, in deporting Djokovic, did not contend that he posed a threat to the public health due to a risk of transmitting COVID. The opposite is true: the government acknowledged that he qualified for a legal exemption from the vaccine requirement to enter the country given that he just contracted COVID as reflected by a December 16 positive test, followed by a negative test on December 22, and therefore has high levels of natural immunity. That is why he received a legal visa to enter Australia despite being unvaccinated. The proffered justification from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who cancelled his visa and ordered him deported, was that Djokovic’s statements in April, 2020 implied that he was sceptical of vaccines, and the presence of someone in Australia who is viewed as an “icon” of personal choice would foster social disruption and “excite” anti-vaccine sentiments.

In other words, the principle just embraced by the Australian government and upheld by its judicial system (whose hands were largely tied due to the virtually absolute power vested in the government) is that anyone who has ever expressed any scepticism over vaccines in general, or the COVID vaccine in particular, can and should be denied entrance to the country and be prevented from pursuing their livelihood — even though the government admits they pose no threat to the public health by transmitting the virus to others. Immigration lawyers and civil liberties activists in the country are warning of the grave dangers posed to everyone from this precedent.

You always know when you're winning the argument when they eventually give up and call you anti-vax. At this point, the functional definition of "anti-vax" is the same as "grifter," "white supremacist," "contrarian," "misogynist," etc.: i.e. anyone who questions or defies accepted orthodoxy. These are not so much words as weapons. It's such a well know script that it is indeed deserving of the name cliché and I pin that accusation on my accusers, because that's what they're resorting to. That's how it can apply to covid maximalists and vaccine absolutists.

Pure fantasy. Like all conspiracy theorists, you're starting out with a false narrative and trying to fit the actions around it so that they support it.

That's just a statement of fact. You started out with the narrative that you don't like Djokovic because of his choices and worked backwards. Neither the two medical boards, four judges or the minister himself stated anything you mentioned as a reason for being deported.

I just find it hard to believe that now the whole unsavoury episode is over, it's still not actually over on here!

He didn't lose in court, a judge ruled in his favour in that the immigration was unfair in their procedures when cancelling his visa. The Australian government even acknowledged that he wasn't a threat to public health. The reason his visa was cancelled was because of comments he made about vaccines in April 2020 which the Australian immigration minister deemed to be dangerous and may excite anti-vaccine sentiment. Nothing to do with public health or The Science TM.