> grasping at straws
So stay at home orders and gathering bans [1] aren't authoritarian? Note, I am not asking if they were justified, or necessary (or perceived as such, given the information known at the time), but if they were authoritarian.
If someone argues a point poorly, that doesn't make the point itself invalid.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state_and_local_governmen...
By all means, believe whatever you want. I doesn't bother me one bit.
You're the one focusing on the specific arguments made, instead of the substance of the point being argued itself, and running away when faced with an argument you can't weasel out of.
Old mate was asking a stupid question - people care enough about the COVID restrictions to protest in every country they were bought in. Exactly how heated the protests get isn't really a factor and how unreasonable the police response gets isn't really a factor either. What is jeffbee's complaint supposed to be - COVID protesters in the US behaved too well for his liking? People only show they care about law and principle when they are physically threatening police? Maybe he wanted them to act like monkeys to show they were serious? Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. The literal one is yes. People were tear gassed. Move on to the next question.
Comment two: "When Americans were “resisting authority” by not wearing masks... did you feel the same pride in anti-authority behavior then?"
Comment three: "Anybody get tear-gassed for not wearing a mask?"
Comment four: "Yes.... In Australia"