‘Where do you get ideas, Nazi Germany?’ Andrew Yang eviscerated after backing digital vaccine certificates

Tech entrepreneur-turned-political-candidate Andrew Yang has suggested the use of digital vaccination certificates to speed the reopening of society – a suggestion his followers swatted down with copious Nazi references.

Yang asked his followers if there was a way for “someone to easily show that they have been vaccinated – like a bar code they can download to their phone” on Twitter on Friday, reasoning that it was “tough to have mass gatherings like concerts or ballgames” without such intrusive technology.

Several such apps are already in the works, including the Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored CommonPass, which several international airline bodies have championed as key to resuming ‘normal’ travel. Individual countries have also considered adopting “health passports” for residents who receive a Covid-19 vaccine.

Social media users weren’t having the idea, however. “Yeah, something like that really doesn’t work well in a free society,” one user deadpanned. 

Some sarcastically went along with Yang’s suggestion, playing it out to its (il)logical conclusion.

“Might want to rethink this one before running for mayor of the city with the largest concentration of Jewish population in the country,” one commenter pointed out, referencing Yang’s exploratory campaign for Mayor of New York City.

Indeed, many got a distinct Third Reich vibe from the idea of carrying around a barcode…

…while others likened it to the “mark of the beast.”

Even many who favored such an app argued it would just prevent the already-hesitant from getting a Covid-19 vaccine.

More than half of Americans have said they’re disinclined to get the experimental Covid-19 jab, citing the rapid development and safety concerns. While the US – as well as the UK and several other countries – approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier this month, its rollout is rapidly turning into a PR nightmare, with fainting nurses and allergic reactions being shared online. Worse, some pharma companies have admitted it’s not clear if a vaccine prevents transmission of the virus – and not just makes infection less severe – and it’s not publicized how long its effects are supposed to last.

While most countries have stressed they do not plan to make the jab mandatory, various health policy officials have hinted it will be a requirement to travel, attend public events, or even work outside the home. US corona czar Anthony Fauci and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates have long floated the idea of vaccine certificates as a prerequisite for opening up society, while the media establishment has dismissed all privacy and health concerns as conspiracy theories.

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