Why is this NOT a Faustian bargain?

- Because Faust's devil is intelligent!

No sane person blames the lion for being violent - we understand that lions act according to their nature, they do not kill and eat other animals because they are cruel, but because their DNA dictates to them how to respond to hunger.

Likewise, a government does what governments do by their very chaotic and opportunistic nature: the author's comparison with Hitler, Lenin and Mao, is misplaced because these evil three knew what they wanted, they acted deliberately, they had principles - despicable principles all right, but still. The Australian government does not have any, by which they could sort out which decrees are legitimately acceptable and which are not.

Nor do the majority of voters have sound rational principles to act on.

I do no blame the government nor the people who voted them in - I blame the era we live in, the harsh age of Kali Yuga, the age of iron, the age of strife, the age of moral instability. Yet there is one ray of hope: in this terrible age, while society as a whole is doomed, individuals who make even a small effort to rise above the chaos and live a principled life, gain merit and blessings well beyond what they could get in better ages with similar efforts.

Great article.
I used to think we were a freedom loving people. I now know we are a safety loving people. Being the kind of person who actually looks at the data and makes up my own mind, I know this virus is relatively harmless to the vast majority of the population and we could have easily protected the small vulnerable group without overly impacting on the rest. So how did the population become so scared they were willing to give up freedoms that no-one a year earlier thought the government even had the power to do?
1) a totally incompetent press that failed to look at data and facts and spread fear willy-nilly.
2) incompetent academics who failed to do their job.
3) cowardly academics who knew the truth but did not speak out because of fear of being branded a "covid denier". (Note the link to holocaust denier)
4) Politicians who quickly realised that they could increase their popularity by keeping "the people safe".
5) The same politicians who became drunk on their own power. These people remain in power and will be highly reluctant to give up this power.
6) a population that has lost sight of the traditional values that made Australia what it is (or at least once was). A land of freedom where people rely on themselves and each other and want the government to keep out of their lives.
7) Rampant censorship by big tech and the mainstream media of any views that don't fit the "deadly pandemic" narrative.
8) Big business and other vested interests making an absolute fortune.
9) A failure to accept death as a natural and inevitable part of life. 75% of Australian deaths from covid were nursing home residents.

You can be prosecuted for spreading Hiv/aids! Even so, we have a suite of antivirals that will keep the infected relatively healthy. Now we would seem to have a couple of promising therapeutics for covid. with one, an out of patent medication that was approved ages ago. And can be safely retasked to prevent clotting. And provide some cover for covid as well. And applied as a thrice daily, nasal spray. And we could be making it here!

Because it's out of patent there's nothing but the missing political will to prevent it The other missing element is fit for purpose quarantine! And for mine, that's island quarantine! And because small islands population can be fully vaccinated and workers can be island residents.

after the island, another could be a transition centre that makes sure you really are negative before proceeding Meaning we can keep the virus out. Lockdowns only occur, because of inadequate, not fit for purpose, quarantine!

And because those at the helm are just too dumb to understand that? Believe we need to learn to live with this killer virus and accept a level of death toll among the old and infirm! Even as they ensure it's not them or their equally callous cronies!
Alan B.