Are governments that serious about the protection of human life?

We can be unhappy most activities and individuals have been restricted, that many have been inhumanly confined, and some have been persecuted at the specific behest of politicians in blatant violation of the legal traditions of this land. But many of thes

DUR & NAVARRO-GENIE

From the early reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in Western countries, the rhetoric has strongly focused on saving lives. Canada has not been an exception. Prime Minister Trudeau has said as much countless times, claiming he’s prepared to do “whatever it takes” to save lives. 

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Across ideological lines in Alberta, the message has been the same, if slightly modified. The premier speaks about putting his powers to work in terms of four layers of protection. He often speaks about protecting the healthcare system, protecting doctors from having to make the awful choice of deciding who gets care and who doesn’t, and the twofold formula of the latest political mantra: the protection of lives and of livelihoods. 

The claim of protecting doctors from making choices they often make daily has gone unchallenged by media and pundits. The claim of saving lives and livelihoods, however, has not. There has been a large number of Albertans who have…