Authoritarian. Totalitarianism requires a large mobilization of the population under a single ideology.
Putin aspires to be a totalitarian leader but even he has not managed to pull it off. He depends quite heavily on a depoliticized "silent majority" of Russians who are too scared/complacent to challenge his security apparatus. If Russia were a totalitarian state then you'd see that majority rushing to join the military and join the government.
I don't get how any of this was a shock. A lot of vaccines are mandated when you're in the public school system. Most people in the US have gotten these "mandated" shots without much complaint in the past. So much of this seems like rationalization of a purely reflexive reaction to the idea that there's any kind of social responsibility.
Consider the similar backlash to mask mandates. I didn't like wearing a mask, but it's not a huge imposition. Some people treated it like it was greatest injustice they'd ever experienced though. And then they went on to rationalize this emotional reaction by making up shit about masks cutting off their oxygen supply or causing brain damage, etc. All this despite the fact that wearing a mask (or even a respirator) is necessary for a big chunk of the day in many jobs ranging from construction workers to surgeons.
You can throw labels around as much as you like. My opinion is still my opinion. Call me stupid, anti-*, dumb, whatever you like. Sticks and stones you know. This way of labeling people with a different opinion is another thing I consider very very dangerous. But apparently, if it is done by left leaning people, it is always a good thing tm.
Are you aware of the testing they did before releasing the vaccine? It's not like they cooked it up in the lab on Monday and started injecting the entire population on Friday. Not to mention that it was not even available for individuals outside of high-risk groups for several months after release.
I'm sorry to hear about your experiences with the medical system. It's certainly not good at treating patients with respect - even today. But consider that if the vast majority of the population was willing to get the COVID vaccine voluntarily the mandates would not be necessary. People like yourself would likely be able to opt out freely thanks to herd immunity.
In a lot of ways my main feeling about COVID is disappointment. COVID was an opportunity for people to come together and make a small sacrifice to contribute to protecting the weakest among us. Instead it turned into an everyone-for-themselves shitshow. I remember visiting Hong Kong in 2008 and I was amazed to see how many people wore surgical masks in public. This was probably carry over from the SARS outbreak in 2003. To me it showed a high level of care and empathy for others that people were willing to set aside their own comfort to try to prevent spreading whatever cold of flu they were carrying. I wish we could adopt some of that attitude here in North America.
Rape victims aside, what is medical autonomy to some is the right to kill unborn life for rather weak personal reasons to others. Thats how democracy works. People will have different opinions about things...
Besides, I totally fail how you create that box. Not every anti-experimental-vaxer is anti abortion. Heck, most people I know who didn't approve of mandatory vaccination were always voting left. But sure, if you like to think that everyone with a different opinion then you can conveniently be put into the right-wing box, go ahead. You're being silly, though.
And, what's been most alarming through COVID is the same people that would claim medical autonomy in the case of abortion are the exact same people that'll tell you to shut up and take your shot when it came/comes to COVID. People are idiots, generally, and politicians doubly so.
Perhaps the general sentiment was to just get the damn shot, but it was not the case that people didn't have choice. People absolutely had the choice. Comparing those two are not really the same. Cons want to outlaw abortion. Vaccines were never outright required, people still had autonomy.
The convoy drastically overstated the mandates. In practice the vaccine mandate they wanted removed was the one requiring vaccines upon entering Canada so they could go to the US. However, the US had the same requirement so it was a moot point. Furthermore, any sovereign state can determine who can and can't cross their borders. Vaccines is absolutely one of the requirements that are used by some countries. Anyone who's seriously traveled would know that.
We can agree that politicians are idiots. They are sewing division in ways I haven't seen in our country. Many of the issues being brought the forefront won't improve anyone's lives. We need housing addressed, we need the wage productivity gap addressed, we need education and healthcare addressed. These things will have generational impact.
Putin aspires to be a totalitarian leader but even he has not managed to pull it off. He depends quite heavily on a depoliticized "silent majority" of Russians who are too scared/complacent to challenge his security apparatus. If Russia were a totalitarian state then you'd see that majority rushing to join the military and join the government.