There are many places around the world (and in America) where a "pandemic" simply didn't occur because citizens ignored, didn't know about, or refused to participate in it.
On the whole, those aren't the people I'm thinking of in the above essay who "enjoyed" or don't see as evil with actions the U.S. government took in early 2020. People who rejected all of it as a farce from the very beginning don't have to be convinced that what happened was evil.
“ What’s hard to handle is how well-meaning, rule-following people like Joe Average mistook for these evils for social and scientific “goods”. I’ve realized that getting millions of compliant, go-with-the flow-Joes to see, let alone say out loud, “Yes, all of that was destructive & wrong, whatever the intentions,” is a lot harder than getting people to say hijackers and their accomplices were villains of the worst kind.”
One of the biggest changes since 2020 is our relationship to sickness. It used to be, if you got sick and felt well enough, you would take some treatments to lessen the symptoms and go about your day. You can find commercials for them everywhere. Dayquil Sudafed, etc. But now, the new "social contract" is "stay home/stay safe," and the supposition is that going to work/about your day is "endangering other people." This has a profound effect on the populace. It is one of my theories as to why some, if not all, industries suffer.
Second, and I don;t know if others feel the same as I do, but I felt almost "shame" in buying these over-the-counter treatments because, according to people, I am putting others in danger merely by being in others' presence. Covid, according to them, is a "novel, deadly disease" so if I. pick up these symptom mitigations, am I not by proxy "carrying a concealed weapon?"
Back before 2020, if you were "out sick" a lot, you could count on being fired. But now, if you "don't feel good." You can call into work, and if you want to further legitimize it, have a COVID-19 test at the ready. You're golden, you're sick, you can't go in.
I was hospitalized twice in 2021, and 2023, and can tell you that hospitals are suffering from a staffing issue. I heard it from a number of nurses. They said that just about any day, you could count on about a third of them being "out."
The whole "avoiding infection" idea has had a profound effect on Americans, who at one time were "can-do." If reality presented challenges, they rose up to meet those challenges. This is one of the sad legacies of pathologizing normal.
Typo? Scan for “like Joe Average mistook for these evils for” – should the first “for” be deleted?
==
Very thoughtful; but my thoughts are not collecting very well just now, so I will tell a story, re-tell a joke actually.
(One of my problems here is that in my context people have just about stopped telling stories about Sept 11 and that story-telling cessation seems to be much accelerated with “the pandemic” – is that because The Rulers are getting better at these ops? - the technology – it is that – has gotten so much better?)
Oh right – my joke: - a riff on your “the Human Rights Heist of 2020” – there was this guy named Faust – who had an opportunity to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for – the 19C version goes – the grant of unlimited knowledge and pleasure. (We would, of course, update that: swap in wealth for knowledge.) As a result – in short – all hell breaks loose.
The anti-Faust version goes: Faust gets home that evening and tells his wife what a great day he’s had: “I now have the capacity to gain unlimited knowledge” – and with a gleam in his eye but also thinking ahead he continues – “and pleasure too!” “All I had to do was sell my soul to some guy” … he stops, looks puzzled, and concludes: “I just don’t get it, what’s the catch?”
Regarding 9/11 storytelling, what you're saying is different from my experience. "Where were you on 9/11?" is akin to the "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" question. It's not going away anytime soon. In the past year alone, I can think about at least 5 times when I've had a face-to-face conversation around that "where were you?" 9/11 question.
Re: technology - much like in a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, the very technologies that officials & agencies use to manipulate will be their undoing.
You were at some distance on 9/11? I was 20 miles due west from "Ground Zero" (odd, how that term got recycled); can't think of the number of times I heard people say in the following 10 days: "It was like a *movie*!" to register their sense of heightened immediacy of experience. So, naturally, "where were you on 9/11?" is current for now - but asked in a context not too different than "did you see?" this or that movie. Has anyone queried your take on the "mini-nukes" vs "directed energy" controversy? Entirely different questions as are - I dunno - "lab leak?" vs "did all those people really die in NYC in Mar Apr 2020? "
We were talking about Sept 11 - and the current landscape of discussion in our social circles. Those who find the official conspiracy theory absurd (Arab teenagers flying aluminum jumbo jets into the towers) - have discussed alternative explanations to account for the massive, steel reinforced concrete structures being reduced to dust. Two of those are mini-nuclear charges being implanted in the structures or DEW - directed energy weapon - used to destroy the buildings.
An interesting Haiti connection involves this qualitative study by Kevin Bardosh & colleagues. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623004331, which I've commented on previously (e.g., https://x.com/Wood_House76/status/1679826465158823936 and https://x.com/Wood_House76/status/1693250263597957326)
There are many places around the world (and in America) where a "pandemic" simply didn't occur because citizens ignored, didn't know about, or refused to participate in it.
On the whole, those aren't the people I'm thinking of in the above essay who "enjoyed" or don't see as evil with actions the U.S. government took in early 2020. People who rejected all of it as a farce from the very beginning don't have to be convinced that what happened was evil.
Bravo. This is a terrific perspective on human experience and point of view. Your bullet points are devastating.
“ What’s hard to handle is how well-meaning, rule-following people like Joe Average mistook for these evils for social and scientific “goods”. I’ve realized that getting millions of compliant, go-with-the flow-Joes to see, let alone say out loud, “Yes, all of that was destructive & wrong, whatever the intentions,” is a lot harder than getting people to say hijackers and their accomplices were villains of the worst kind.”
Bingo.
I wanted to add my one cent worth.
One of the biggest changes since 2020 is our relationship to sickness. It used to be, if you got sick and felt well enough, you would take some treatments to lessen the symptoms and go about your day. You can find commercials for them everywhere. Dayquil Sudafed, etc. But now, the new "social contract" is "stay home/stay safe," and the supposition is that going to work/about your day is "endangering other people." This has a profound effect on the populace. It is one of my theories as to why some, if not all, industries suffer.
Second, and I don;t know if others feel the same as I do, but I felt almost "shame" in buying these over-the-counter treatments because, according to people, I am putting others in danger merely by being in others' presence. Covid, according to them, is a "novel, deadly disease" so if I. pick up these symptom mitigations, am I not by proxy "carrying a concealed weapon?"
Back before 2020, if you were "out sick" a lot, you could count on being fired. But now, if you "don't feel good." You can call into work, and if you want to further legitimize it, have a COVID-19 test at the ready. You're golden, you're sick, you can't go in.
I was hospitalized twice in 2021, and 2023, and can tell you that hospitals are suffering from a staffing issue. I heard it from a number of nurses. They said that just about any day, you could count on about a third of them being "out."
The whole "avoiding infection" idea has had a profound effect on Americans, who at one time were "can-do." If reality presented challenges, they rose up to meet those challenges. This is one of the sad legacies of pathologizing normal.
Typo? Scan for “like Joe Average mistook for these evils for” – should the first “for” be deleted?
==
Very thoughtful; but my thoughts are not collecting very well just now, so I will tell a story, re-tell a joke actually.
(One of my problems here is that in my context people have just about stopped telling stories about Sept 11 and that story-telling cessation seems to be much accelerated with “the pandemic” – is that because The Rulers are getting better at these ops? - the technology – it is that – has gotten so much better?)
Oh right – my joke: - a riff on your “the Human Rights Heist of 2020” – there was this guy named Faust – who had an opportunity to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for – the 19C version goes – the grant of unlimited knowledge and pleasure. (We would, of course, update that: swap in wealth for knowledge.) As a result – in short – all hell breaks loose.
The anti-Faust version goes: Faust gets home that evening and tells his wife what a great day he’s had: “I now have the capacity to gain unlimited knowledge” – and with a gleam in his eye but also thinking ahead he continues – “and pleasure too!” “All I had to do was sell my soul to some guy” … he stops, looks puzzled, and concludes: “I just don’t get it, what’s the catch?”
Fixed the typo, thank you.
Regarding 9/11 storytelling, what you're saying is different from my experience. "Where were you on 9/11?" is akin to the "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" question. It's not going away anytime soon. In the past year alone, I can think about at least 5 times when I've had a face-to-face conversation around that "where were you?" 9/11 question.
Re: technology - much like in a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, the very technologies that officials & agencies use to manipulate will be their undoing.
I appreciate a good Faust joke. :)
FWIW, since 2020, I associate "Faust" less with the German legend and more with Jeremy Faust. https://x.com/jeremyfaust?lang=en
You were at some distance on 9/11? I was 20 miles due west from "Ground Zero" (odd, how that term got recycled); can't think of the number of times I heard people say in the following 10 days: "It was like a *movie*!" to register their sense of heightened immediacy of experience. So, naturally, "where were you on 9/11?" is current for now - but asked in a context not too different than "did you see?" this or that movie. Has anyone queried your take on the "mini-nukes" vs "directed energy" controversy? Entirely different questions as are - I dunno - "lab leak?" vs "did all those people really die in NYC in Mar Apr 2020? "
"Has anyone queried your take on the 'mini-nukes' vs 'directed energy' controversy?"
I'm not sure what this is referring to.
We were talking about Sept 11 - and the current landscape of discussion in our social circles. Those who find the official conspiracy theory absurd (Arab teenagers flying aluminum jumbo jets into the towers) - have discussed alternative explanations to account for the massive, steel reinforced concrete structures being reduced to dust. Two of those are mini-nuclear charges being implanted in the structures or DEW - directed energy weapon - used to destroy the buildings.
I don't have an opinion on the causes and players involved in 9/11.
I like that - perfectly acceptable stance. You are focused and doing important work.
(Hello) - I have some catching up to do Woodhouse-wise; pleased to be a (comment enabled) subscriber; one of my computers insists that I am not.