Dear mhaze and Lucifrase,

Here are the June quarter drops in GDP for the hard lock down Scandinavian countries, then Australia, then Sweden.

Finland 4.5%

Norway 5.1%

Denmark 6.9%

Australia 7.0%

Sweden 8.5%

Sweden was the standout worse of the lot. Economists have been saying how much of an impact letting the virus loose would have. This is now starkly bourne out by these figures.

You guys will of course want to kick the can down the road yet again asserting some drivel like “well the Swedes have got the pain over early and the next quarter will be better”.

Naturally this hasn't been the argument you were using up until now but idiocy is at the very least adaptable and often knows no bounds.

warning warning. No more people allowed to drive cars. They must be home by 8pm each night and the death toll for road accidents will be reduced to zero. The science is settled. What a dumbed down mob of sheep we have allowed the dictators to produce.

Well written Spencer,

It would also seem that the "China Virus" is quick becoming a great vehicle for many other "Agendas".

Fear induced by the media continues to control the mindset of many whilst "critical thinking" and "balanced invetigation" is being treated with disdain.

Keep fighting the good fight and stand firm.

warning warning. No more people allowed swim in the ocean. You may be eaten by a shark. The science is settled. The 'experts say so! What a dumbed down mob of sheep we have allowed the dictators to produce.

SteeleRedux,

<<You guys will of course want to kick the can down the road yet again asserting some drivel like “well the Swedes have got the pain over early and the next quarter will be better”.>>

If you read my article carefully, you will find that is not what I recommended: 'What's the alternative? Is there a national policy for Australia to emulate? The model set by Taiwan, with a similar size population to Australia (23.8 million), is worth considering.... It is important to remember that Taiwan learned its strategy as a result of the SARS epidemic in 2003. Thus, it was more prepared for the Covid-19 outbreak than many countries.As a result of these strict measures taken, there have been 487 Covid-19 cases; 462 recovered; and there have been only 7 deaths.

See: http://theconversation.com/what-coronavirus-success-of-taiwan-and-iceland-has-in-common-140455, http://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-coronavirus/a-52724523, and http://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/taiwan/

Dear OzSpen,

I did read your article and it was one of the most piss poor efforts I have seen from any author in the past year.

Your complete and utter disregard for treating statistics with any degree of honesty was astounding. I am hoping it was done through incompetence rather than wilfully. Either way it is inexcusable.

You posted “How do the flu deaths (with a vaccine) compare with Covid-19 deaths? 'As at 3pm on 12 August 2020, a total of 22,127 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 352 deaths, and 12,774 have been reported as recovered from COVID-19' (Australian Government: Department of Health). There you have it: 705 influenza-related deaths in Australia in 2019. To date, there have been 313 Covid-19 related deaths. So, flu deaths (even with a vaccine) account for double the number of Covid-19 deaths.”

Nowhere in that did you state the number of flu cases. How many more than the 22,127 COVID cases? 10 times? 20 times? 30 times? Nor did you state the number of people who have recovered from it.

In 2019 there were 313,085 confirmed flu cases in Australia. This did not include the numbers who just rode it out at home and did not get tested. Estimates put that at least double those confirmed, of course there was not any widespread public testing of asymptomatic of mild cases as there has been with Covid.

You also didn't relate just how effective the lock down has been in reducing flu cases and flu deaths this year. As of August there were only 21,094 reported cases of the flu. You really need to add the vast reduction in flu deaths on the plus side of the ledger for this lockdown.

But you won't because your ideology prevents it.

As to the growing debt I would have a lot more time for your bleatings if you had once raised the issue of the Coalition doubling Australia's debt without the excuse of a global financial crisis or a pandemic. A cursory look shows nothing. Is there a single instance?