Above: Novak Djokovic, the world’s number one ranked male tennis player. http://www.shropshirestar.com

09-01-2022: At the time of writing, the Australian federal government lost a bid to delay the court case launched by Novak Djokovic’s legal team, which would allow him to remain in Australia and play at the Australian Open.[1] Novak Djokovic is the world’s number one male tennis player, and has been at the very top of the sport for most of his career. He currently has 20 winning Grand Slam titles to his name, alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. If he won the 2022 Australian Open, he would move to 21 Grand Slam titles and could arguably claim to be the best player in history. Unfortunately, Australian politicians are making entirely political decisions in an attempt to disbar him from playing in Melbourne, and even deporting him from the country – in the name of “Covid”. Djokovic has withstood enormous pressure to succumb and submit to taking the extremely dangerous and experimental Covid vaccine – and thus stands with the anti-lockdown freedom movement, even if he has never been a participant.

Detention based on ideology, not “health”

If he played the Australian Open – a title he has won a record nine times – he would be a big chance to win. If he is banned from the country over “Covid” and does not play the Australian Open – the “winner” (at least of the Men’s Singles) will forever be remembered as a second-hand champion. The real reason the Australian government is attempting to block Djokovic from playing in Australia’s biggest tournament is that an unvaccinated winner will expose large parts of the Covid narrative as even more false than it already is. A fit and healthy unvaccinated Djokovic playing a physically gruelling Grand Slam and winning it obviously sends the message that Covid vaccination is completely unnecessary, and in fact that you are better off without it. This reason – and not risible claims that an unvaccinated person poses some kind of health danger to anyone or any country – is why Djokovic is now in detention awaiting the outcome of his court case. Working people should demand his immediate release and his entry into the Australian Open.

While it is true that Novak Djokovic – with a net worth of approximately $220 million[2] – can afford a high-powered legal team to represent him, he is fighting a battle that working people the world over must win. That is, people should have the right to undertake any occupation, and earn a living, without facing a vaccine mandate. Srdjan Djokovic, Novak’s father, is certainly aware of issues at stake. He emphasised that “This is not a fight for the libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world!”.[3]  Hundreds of supporters and members of the Serbian community in Melbourne have rallied for days outside the hotel where Novak is currently detained.[4] These folk are not just mobilising on the basis of Serbian nationalism, but against an epic injustice against a non-Western figure who refuses to yield to the scientific and medical absurdity of the Covid narrative. And Covid ideology originates and is enforced principally by the ruling classes of Western imperialism.

Australia the testing ground for unlimited repression

Many in Australia had hopes that 2021 would be the last year of Covid lockdowns, facemasks, vaccine mandates, domestic and international travel bans and other restrictions. The start of 2022 soon put paid to this yearning. Incredibly, Northern Territory (NT) Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced the introduction of a “vaccine pass” and a four-day lockdown for the unvaccinated – denying the ability of those who have not taken the poisonous injection to work or even to exercise for one hour per day.[5] Covid political repression in Australia thus now has no legal or physical limit. The politicians imposing insane levels of Covid oppression are doing so without even so much as a pretence of passing an act of parliament (although Victoria’s “Pandemic Powers Bill”[6] represents somewhat of an exception), or oversight by a parliamentary or judicial committee. Decrees and edicts are simply announced, posted on a government website – and then are enforced by security and police forces on the ground. In other words, the shell of parliamentary democracy has been shattered into a thousand pieces.

Australia has become regarded as the canary in the coal mine, or the testing ground for the implementation of a totalitarian terror never previously seen. Australia, as its national anthem sings, is “girt by sea”. In almost all directions, thousands of kilometres of deep blue water confront those who aim to travel internationally. For the unvaccinated, there is no escape from the island continent, unless one has an oversize boat or private jet. Covid travel bans clamped on the country ensure that only the “fully vaccinated” (a constantly shifting definition) can freely leave or enter. It appears that the global ruling classes behind Covid have decided to test the limits of political repression they can get away with in Australia, with “successful” experiments then cleared to be applied elsewhere.

Whether or not a novel coronavirus exists, and whether or not Covid-19 is some form of respiratory illness, Covid is a class war waged by the wealthiest multi-billionaires and the states that protect them against the overwhelming majority whose labour has created endless zeroes in their bank accounts. Covid represents the replacement of liberal democracy with liberal fascism. Capitalism approaches an “end of days” scenario, due to being rapidly overtaken by the sheer power and performance of the largely nationalised and planned economy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). If capitalism is to have any chance at all of a “re-set”, the deliberate destruction of large parts of the Western economies may open new fields of investment. So, regardless of the human cost, Covid repression via lockdowns, facemasks, vaccine mandates, travel restrictions etc. – are imposed.

Thankfully, the freedom movement – the largest political movement ever – completely rejects the lies which buttress Covid, and therein lies its power. At the same time, the leaders of the freedom movement must learn that only a class struggle for socialism has any chance of forever consigning Covid repression to the dustbin of history.  Not only should Novak Djokovic be free, but all vaccine mandates, all lockdowns, all travel restrictions, all Covid passports and so on, should be abolished.

WORKERS  LEAGUE

http://www.redfireonline.com

E: workersleague@redfireonline.com

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[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-09/court-documents-detail-timeline-of-djokovic-deportation/100746228 (09-01-2021)

[2] https://wealthygorilla.com/novak-djokovic-net-worth/ (09-01-2021)

[3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10372539/Novak-Djokovics-dad-issues-urgent-message-Australian-government.html (09-01-2021)

[4] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10383215/Shock-twist-Novak-Djokovic-visa-saga-Home-Affairs-minister-asks-court-DELAY-hearing.html (09-01-2021)

[5] https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/coronavirus/northern-territory-placed-into-lockout-until-noon-on-monday-unvaccinated-residents-to-enter-lockdown/news-story/85112b44c171b0196694c65807d1ed63 (09-01-2021)

[6] https://www.rebelnews.com/pandemic_powers_bill_passes_to_give_dan_andrews_dictator-like_control (09-01-2021)