Events have been so frenetic over the past few years that it may be difficult for some to remember, but at the height of the covid panic there was a massive media campaign to destroy the image of any celebrity that publicly refused to take the vaccine. They could be TV or film celebrities, famous scientists, politicians or even sports figures; it didn't matter. Anyone with a “platform” and an audience was expected to toe the line on the government covid narrative, or suffer the consequences.
One could argue that the mandates and vaccines were more a loyalty test than an effort to save lives: Those who complied were considered devout collectivists or at least people who could be controllable, and those who refused to comply immediately stood out as a potential threat. This is how a world-class tennis player from Serbia, Novak Djokovic, was treated when it was revealed that he was not vaccinated when he entered the Australian Open in early 2022.
Djokovic was subsequently removed from the tournament and had his travel visa revoked. Keep in mind the player had a clean bill of health at the time, but his example of defiance of the jab was considered unacceptable by Australian authorities. What would follow was an endless attack on his character and intelligence on social media, which a number of corporate journalists joined in on.
One of the lead instigators of this attempt at cancellation was Mike Dickson, a prominent British sports journalist working for the Daily Mail. Dickson is noted as being relentless in his criticism of Djokovic, calling the player "arrogant and deplorable" for refusing to submit.
This week, Mike Dickson is reported to have collapsed and “died suddenly” this week at the age of 59 while covering the Australian Open. The cause of death has been kept confidential.
Despite Dickson's attempts to paint Novak Djokovic as a global villain, the player had only kind words for the journalist upon news of his passing, offering his condolences. Contrary to all the accusations, very often it's the covid cultists that act like villains while the people they criticize display character and honor.
Australia proved to be an exceptionally submissive country when it came to the mandates, and some may blame the lack of complete info available that debunked frantic mainstream claims. However, even in 2022, there was considerable evidence contrary to government assertions on covid and the vaccines.
For example, it was well known that the vaccines do not necessarily prevent transmission or infection of the virus, as was originally argued when they were distributed. And the proof is in the fact that there are endless breakthrough cases (people who are vaccinated but who still get infected). The FDA doesn't even require evidence that a vaccine can prevent transmission or infection for the product to be approved.
It is was also a fact that covid infections and fatalities from the original strain dropped dramatically well before the vaccines were widely distributed.
Then there was the Infection Fatality rate, which dozens of studies show to be around 0.23% regardless of how many vaccinated or unvaccinated people there are in a particular region, and the vast majority of deaths were among people with multiple preexisting conditions. Why take an experimental vaccine for a virus with a 99.8% survival rate, especially if you are a top athlete?
All of this information and more was available to journalists from 2021 onward, but they ignored it in favor of creating artificial panic.
The chaos of covid hysteria has faded and cooler heads have prevailed, but the event still offers a lesson on the fragility of civil liberties and how vulnerable they are to mob mentality and mass fear. Those that championed the destruction of the lives and careers of the unvaccinated are discovering that nothing guarantees longevity, and taking other people's freedoms is not the path to safety.
