A leader can't make it extremely clear that every last life matters, then turn a blind eye to the indirect non illness related death's that happen because of the choice to lockdown. What they're doing at that point is considerably influencing who lives and dies. If those who die belong to another with no connection, it's seen as not so bad. If it impacts individuals directly, all the sudden it's a major problem. It's not just the politicians who are hypocrites.

The 'greater good', can mean many things to different people, all justified to them and their groups, which at times can go against the majority. This is why people need to be free to choose, within reason. The more of that freedom you take away, the more problems you will cause down the road. A community requires most to be on the same page. When it's split, it's no longer a community.

People can't always be free to choose because then you end up with many people dying as the result of the selfish actions of a few who refuse to behave responsibly. Absolute individualism is impractical, you can't have rights without responsibilities. Sometimes, to save as many lives as possible, the individual has to accept inconveniences such as wearing a mask.

As I said prior, free to choose, within reason.

Most people will make the more logical choice if it's properly presented to them by trustworthy sources. If you can't convince those people, it's just as much your problem as theirs. Forcing them to comply is not the right answer. It will eventually lead to the opposite of what you're trying to achieve.

It can work; here in Victoria Australia we had mandatory masks and lockdowns for nearly 3 months to combat our second wave. It was one of the strictest sets of anti-COVID measures anywhere in the world and a lot of people complained, but at the end of the day, we're now at our 49th day of zero cases statewide.

Our state premier got a lot of hate for it, but ultimately it proved effective and a few months of inconvenience bought us all freedom from COVID.

Does forcing people to do what you want always work out for the best? Has it worked as well everywhere else? Have countries or the media seemingly lied or spun the numbers at times? Didn't NZ announce they defeated covid, getting huge praise for it, only to later have another unforeseen outbreak? How many people suffered or died indirectly because of the lockdown?

'We won the war by nuking them into extinction', wouldn't be seen as acceptable in the most vile hate filled war to rival the ages, because of everything else you would need to take into account.

It's not about "forcing people to do what you want", it's about protecting people from an irresponsible few putting the lives of the wider community in peril. It's no different than having speed limits on the roads, mandatory seatbelts for cars and helmets for bikes, or having drink driving be illegal.

There was no increase in people dying by suicide and such during the lockdown either. These kind of points were all things raised by anti-lockdown folks here and all turned out to be wrong.

How many still injured or die because of not wearing seatbelts or speeding? How many still injured or die wearing a seatbelt or driving the speed limit? Why hasn't the world shut down all motor vehicle travel for the greater good, as per health and life?

Surely not because it would be seen as an inconvenience, or that it would hurt the overall economy...

Should we just give people absolute freedom to drive any speed they want? To drive on the sidewalks? To drive drunk? Of course not. Safety measures need to be put in place to protect human lives. It's the same with masks and other anti-COVID measures. 

How would you convince our fellow Ontarians to do the right thing? It's not working, yet another new record today. How many chances do you give before resorting to lock downs.

By now we have enough examples of what works and what doesn't. Letting it up to the people to self regulate their social distancing has proven not to work. Pls reduce your contacts by 25% so the spread goes down again was the message a couple months ago. Then, if this continues we'll have to add extra measures. Now we're getting into heavier measure again.

I'm not sure there is a way anymore nowadays with social media and people self isolating in self reinforcing 'news' groups. Government has successfully eroded all trust in government over the past decades. A direct result when political campaigns resort to making the other side look bad, which is the new standard. All you hear during election time is what everyone did wrong and is going to eff up. Why would people trust the government or anyone they appoint to speak for them.

I don't have any answers, I'm staying home. Doing my groceries once a week, 8 AM right as the store opens, air still uncontaminated, nice and quiet, mask on, sanitizer handy.

So when COVID is all over with and the Gov decides, 'now it's time to solve MOVED' (motor vehicle deaths), when they outlaw motor vehicles, as inconvenient as that would be, you and most others worldwide will get on board and put your best foot forward to save every last life possible?