Australian Open

[+ Charlie]

1 hour ago, Unicorn said:

Now, really. This man is not Mahtma Gandhi going on a hunger strike in protest against caste separation or being arrested for sedition by the British for making salt. Djokovic (unlike Gandhi) is a liar who lied on his immigration documents, potentially endangering the lives and health of others, due to his ignorance of science. Admiring someone for being a liar, an ignoramus, and an asshole? Who's next? Putin? It's one thing to have the courage of one's convictions if the convictions are for something honorable such as freedom or ending the suffering of others. It's quite another matter when your "convictions" are to spread disease, lies, and ignorance. 

Djokovic did not lie on his immigration documents--he did not claim that he was vaccinated, but that he had previously tested positive for COVID (which was verified), because he was led to believe by Tennis Australia that would qualify him for exemption from the need to be vaccinated. It was the immigration officials who decided that a prior infection with COVID was not sufficient reason for exemption from vaccination requirements for visiting the country to play in the tournament, despite the tournament being willing to let him play without being vaccinated.

He has said that he will not be vaccinated, even if it means that he will not be allowed to play in future tournaments--he has not said that the other players are wrong for getting vaccinated. He has accepted the penalty that he will have to pay for doing what he thinks is right for him, which is what I admire, even though I think he is objectively wrong about vaccination.

Edited March 8, 2022 by Charlie

[mike carey]

36 minutes ago, Charlie said:

Djokovic did not lie on his immigration documents--he did not claim that he was vaccinated,

Indeed, and as to the other question, his 'other country' travel omission was not unambiguously untrue. How long was he in Spain, was he there when that declaration was made, was going to Australia via Serbia travel to 'other countries'. It's generally the case that if you 'clarify' (read 'correct') your written declaration on arrival, Australian Border Force will take the oral clarification as your definitive statement. Still, there will always be some observers who will see grey as either black or white.

[+ WilliamM]

1 hour ago, BSR said:

Hold the phone!  Yes, Novak stated incorrectly that he had not traveled to other countries during the 14 days prior to filling out the form, but to say he lied is too harsh.  Novak didn't fill out the form, his agent did.  Everyone on the planet knew that Novak had been training in Marbella because he posted pix on social media.  Don't ask me why his agent made such an obvious error, but she was anguished over it.

Is there any other lie you're referring to?

What was Novak Djokovic's plan for the Australian Open? All the other players got vaccinated.

[+ WilliamM]

2 hours ago, BSR said:

I'm calling bullshit.  People make their own decisions about something as important as Covid vaccination.  Yes, someone who has decided against vaccination might cite Novak's anti-vaxx belief to buttress their own decision to avoid vaccination, but to claim that people decided against vaccination solely or even in large part because of Novak is a bridge way too far.

Novak was for a while in the grips of a nutjob guru Pepe Imaz, who believed in insanity like telekinesis.  I don't recall a telekinesis movement springing up because Novak embraced such nuttiness.  People make up their own minds.

Not too far for teenagers.  Look at the reaction pro and cons concerning Robert Kennedy, Jr.