I have believed, for some time now, that Lockdown will in due course be retro-damned as a cure worse than the disease, that at the very least went on for far too long. A generation of “experts”, all gripped by the fallacy of the risk free alternative, are going to be proved as having been very inexpert indeed. What is ending Covid is herd immunity. And what does Lockdown do? Lockdown slows down the arrival of herd immunity and prolongs the agony, in a feedback loop of yet more Lockdown. Will it ever end? I’ll believe the end of Lockdown when I see it and when the idea of re-imposing Lockdown is no longer talked about. Such are my prejudices just now.
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Samizdata quote of the dayApril 16th, 2021 |
 32 comments to Samizdata quote of the day |
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I don’t believe that will happen, the power structures need that the narrative must be maintained.
Good article on lockdown sceptics and insightful comments too. This is all going to fall apart before too long.
https://lockdownsceptics.org/2021/04/16/is-the-government-levelling-with-us-about-the-vaccines/
Every human needs at least one religion.
Christianity has committed suicide, so the remaining major choices are Islam, Hinduism, the Socialism group, including Wokism, and the Scientism group, including Environmentalism and Covidism. Have I missed any big ones?
Covidism has allowed a large group of people to feel themselves brave and useful warriors in a battle to save lives. They love it. They love the masks, the ceremonials, the forced Days of Fasting, the whole deal. There’ll be sacred vestments coming soon, isolation suits or something similar.
SI, thank you for including that last bit about how these are my “prejudices” was included. I am not at all certain about this. These are merely my current guesses.
Fred Z, as I mentioned in passing at the end of my original posting, I agree with you. And I think Boris panicked, and created this atmosphere at the start of all this, and now believes that he is controlled by it. That’s the charitable explanation. The uncharitable one is that that he created this atmosphere on purpose.
The CoE was infiltrated, subverted and destroyed from within.
Travel around non-urban America and Christianity is quite robust and healthy.
Covidism, in those areas, is weak and ridiculed.
The faithless urban travelers passing through are masked and nervous-looking, amidst all the maskless locals who are viewing them with some humor (and a lower infection rate.)
So your point stands up well.
I’m non religious and also sceptical about all the Covid bollox. My take is, yes it is serious but the danger has been hugely exaggerated deliberately by the government and their advisers. I’m sceptical of the masks and lockdowns because they obviously don’t work, the lockdowns prolong the problem by delaying the population becoming resistant to the bug.
Brian is correct – neither the lockdowns nor the mask mandates do any good, the Czech Republic “did everything right” according to the international Collectivists and it had the worst Covid death rate (deaths in proportion to the population) on the planet – or did till Wikipedia and other places removed the evidence of the utter failure of establishment policies.
As for how many people the economic collapse will kill, the economic collapse NOT caused by Covid 19 but by international establishment reaction to it, I just do not know. Clearly there will be very large numbers of deaths – but I just do not know how many people establishment policy will end up killing around the Western World.
‘Christianity has committed suicide’
The mainstream sects but the Mormons and Amish seem to be doing well, and based on demographic trends may end up the largest religious blocks in the USA.
‘Have I missed any big ones?’
Buddhism and Judaism for starters (like the Amish and Mormons the Orthodox Jews are also doing well)
I’d suggest that a lot of aspects of modern pop culture fill the religious void for many people, particularly nerd culture (Star Trek/Star Wars/comic fandom), team sports, fashion (especially for women) and political ideologies (on both the left and right)
As for the United States – the States that “did everything right” (lockdowns, mask mandates and so on) according to the establishment (including that absurd clown Tony Fauci – who the Corporate media treat as a hero) were New York and New Jersey – the two States with the worst (highest – not lowest) Covid death rates in relation to the size of their population.
Is it all incompetence, or is the harm done to the Western world ON PURPOSE? We do not know for sure – but it is horrible how Early Treatment for Covid 19, which could have saved so many lives, was systematically smeared. The first thought of the international establishment in relation to Covid 19 (whether or not it was a natural virus or a natural virus tweaked by Gain of Function research, and whether or not the virus escaped the lab in Wuhan by negligence or was deliberately released) was “how can we use this disease to advance the Progressive Agenda of Stakeholder Capitalism and Sustainable Development”.
Almost everything that has been pushed by the international establishment has been about using the disease to advance the Corporate State (public-private partnership – Stakeholder Capitalism), and Sustainable Development – Agenda 21/Agenda 2030 (which goes back to 1992 – indeed before), “how do we cure the sick?” has, at best, been an after thought.
I think that’s a sound opinion. The situation reminds me of the practice of suppressing all fires in a forested area, so that the undergrowth is never cleared out, which of course makes fires more dangerous, which makes it more vital to suppress fires . . . with consequences that California has experienced in recent years.
Andy ex-Taiwan – sadly Disney (KK) killed Star Wars, and CBS Viacom (STD) killed Star Trek.
Team Sports have been undermined by BLM – who wants to see a bunch of millionaires “take a knee” is supposedly sincere support of a Marxist terrorist group (which is funded by Big Business). Fashion? What fashion?
But more seriously, even when these things (comics, before they were destroyed by “Woke” Marvel and D.C., television, films, team sports, and so on, were alive – NO they did not fill the void.
Most people at some point in their lives ask fundamental questions of the purpose of life and the prospects of individual survival after death – and none of the thing you mention really deal with those questions.
The tragedy is that the establishment churches are now also disinterested in these questions. They have reinterpreted God to mean the Collective – and see their role in political terms, not in terms of individual survival after physical death. Most Churches are “Woke” (Frankfurt School) now.
As for non religious answers to the basic questions of existence.
Historically that meant the “Meditations” of Marcus Aurelius – the great effort to find meaning in a existence without hope.
However, today (leaving aside the hollow fraud of “Woke” Marxism) the main non religious effort to find meaning in life is found in the works of Ayn Rand and those of her school of thought.
Having a weak sense of smell and being inwardly directed (a nice way of saying self obsessed and indifferent to what is actually around me) I had missed how most people seem to have spent the Covid period.
Going around leafleting with other people over the last few days has drawn my attention to it. Endless “can not you not smell the drugs” from the people I have been walking round with – and pointing out of drug dealers and so on. People I would not normally notice – as I walk along preoccupied with my own thoughts, and they have to get out of my way.
It appears the town is flooded with drugs and the police campaign against them has been a total failure. I was unaware of this – but I can not say I am surprised.
Well if they can not enforce the drug laws even with a lockdown (which I am told has actually INCREASED consumption) and with the borders supposedly closed – the conclusion is obvious.
As for people who say “religion was a drug” – no it was not, and it is not.
The effort to replace religion with drugs will not end well – and one does not have to a Prohibitionist to say that. Nor will the, sly and dishonest, effort to replace theology within the churches with politics.
William Stoddard makes a good parallel between the foolish forestry policy in places such as California and Australia, and the C-19 responses of many governments.
JP and William Stoddard are correct – State governments that are pro lockdown tend to be pro Collective control of land (such as forests) as well.
This is all of a piece – for example even some Democrats became alarmed when California started using the “legally non binding” Agenda 21 (agreed in 1992 – but only gradually imposed in various parts of the world, it is now called “Agenda 2030” or totalitarian “Sustainable Development” I see elements of it many local council election leaflets, of various political parties in the United Kingdom) to start imposing more and more Collective control of land – including private land, in California and lots of other places. The same Collectivists support Covid lockdowns – this is not surprising.
Someone like the Governor of California, or the Premier of Victoria in Australia, blame fires on “Climate Change” (a term that can mean anything – and is, therefore, without meaning), rather than their own policies preventing the clearing of brush and dead trees. Much land has to be managed (by private owners) – it can not just be left to “Mother Nature” (a being who DOES NOT EXIST). As for the land management of governments – it tends to be insane, demanding that no fires at all be allowed, which means that forests become choked with brush and dead wood – which eventually explode in a mega fire.
Ironically leaving things to “Mother Nature” (even though she does not exist) would be better than the sort of management that governments indulge in. There would be smallish fires from time to time – rather than vast mega fires due to government suppression of smaller fires. Although actually managing the land – clearing brush and dead wood, would be better.
In California Governor Newsom, like his relative Nancy Pelosi, is very much part of the so called “capitalist elite” who control both the economy and the government, and they have made pig’s ear of both – not because of their “capitalist class interests” (Marxism is nonsense) – but because all their core beliefs (what they were taught in school and university – and get from the media and the “experts” to this day) are wrong.
I wonder if the litter question and the drugs question are linked – there has been a massive increase in litter during the Covid period (or rather the government restrictions reaction to Covid period), towns are choked by rubbish everywhere – I wonder if this is at least partly due to so many people being on drugs and not knowing what they are doing?
Hard to know for sure – so just speculation.
I am glad my parents are not alive to see the Western World as it is now – including this house and garden (and I do not have drugs as an excuse).
Still at least there is not litter in the front or back garden – I deal with that, even if I do little else.
Still think it is a plan to get a worldwide CCP-style social credit system.
On that score I have gone from “oh FFS, don’t be daft” to “Um, probably not, but… well… maybe, we’ll see.”
Almost anything is now possible.
“Will it ever end?”
It will end when enough of us realise it’s not meant to end ever, and start to stand up to them.
Not before.
Paul Marks: I don’t think drugs are needed. All you need is the sort of education that makes people unable to think consecutively, or to retain a conclusion from one discussion to the next.
William H. Stoddard – you have a good point.
Mr Ecks and Perry – I do not think this is some sort of secret, although it is not to be called a “Social Credit” system.
It has long been understood that certain behaviours will be rewarded and other behaviours will attract disadvantages in life – international government organisations and “Woke” corporations do not hide this, they explain it in detail.
In America it is called the ESG (environment, social justice and governance) system – and it is applies to Corporations (been growing for years – since the Obama Administration) with the Federal Reserve and the Credit Bubble banks determining who will get finance – on political and social grounds.
Such systems are gradually being applied to individuals – in law in the Republic of Ireland the vaccinated can already do many things the unvaccinated are not allowed to do, although the vaccinated are certainly not free (they are just a bit less unfree than the unvaccinated) – and it will not just be vaccinations, it will be a whole range of behaviour. And it is very much international – no disrespect meant to the government of the Republic of Ireland, but they do not come with ideas themselves (they are told what to do – just as so many other governments are, even down to what slogans to use).
After all you do not want “racists” to have a bank account or a job do you Perry? If you say “yes” or “it should not be a matter of politics” then you must be a “racist” yourself. Perhaps you are also a “Transphobe” suppressing your unconscious desire to “transition” – do not worry Perry, international governance (both governmental and corporate – not that there is any real distinction any more) will help you – eventually you will thank them.
“Nudge” becomes SHOVE and eventually becomes cut or shoot. But only for those people who do not respond positively to education – it is all for our own good, to create a better world.
None of this is a conspiracy – the international conferences and agreements have been out in the open for many decades (after all Agenda 21 dates from 1992 and people were arguing for such things for many years before that) – it is not the fault of the international establishment elite if people did not take them seriously and dismissed such things as the UN and the World Economic Forum as “powerless talking shops”.
Policy is decided internationally (and not by any conspiracy – quite openly) and then it gradually comes down to the national and then local level – I have seen this in local government for many years. There is no conspiracy – on the contrary there are many conferences where what Policy has-to-be is explained quite hopefully. The people who put Policy into practice are not monsters – they are just doing their job, and they do not decide Policy (it comes from above – from all those international conferences that people go to).
I remember even some Democrats in California being astonished by land use Policy, “legally nonbinding” Agenda 21, becoming State and local regulations – that are very much legally binding. But it is not just California – it is international, and it is not just land use Policy – it is Policy about most things.
“But Paul – government ministers do not have to go to these international conferences, or you can go and agree to nothing and mock them to their faces”.
Quite correct – and that is what President Trump did.
I hear he is no longer President.
80 million votes – and it could have been eight billion votes (if they were needed). The Supreme Court would have rubber stamped that to – remember the candidate has “no legal standing” to bring a case abo0ut the violation of Election Law. Nor does any voter or voters.
The laws of a State say there can not be post in ballots without I.D.? No problem – just ignore State law.
Mr Mark Z (of Facebook) wants to spend half a Billion Dollars to control the counting of votes in key cities – again no problem at all.
No conspiracy (although Time magazine used the word “cabal” – they said that as PRAISE) – all out in the open.
Remember ordinary people do not know as much as the establishment elite – we are not so well educated. So we need to be helped so that the election will have the correct result – regardless of how people vote. Only a White Supremacist (especially a black White Supremacist) Running Dog, Insurrectionist would see anything wrong in this.
It is done to help people – for our own good.
If all political parties adopt basically the same policies then none of this is needed – it is only if someone decides to go AGAINST Policy (as Mr Trump did) that such measures are needed.
After all, as Google pointed out in various conferences, if the people are allowed to vote for anything they want – then you get such things as the “Brexit” vote of 2016, or the election of Donald John Trump (also in 2016).
The “Brexit” vote of 2016 and the election of Mr Trump in 2016 proved that democracy had to be guided in future – for the good of the people.
Hence the motto of Google was changed – from “Don’t Be Evil” to “Be Good” – i.e. do good. The Corporations agree – it is not just Google, it is a consensus of international organisations (corporate and government).
And guiding elections is part of doing good – everything that is done internationally is for our own good.
Otherwise “Populists” and “Nationalists” (really “Racists” – “Nazis”) would take over – due to the lack of social responsibility of unguided populations.
It is all explained, endlessly, by the great and the good.
“Most Churches are “Woke” (Frankfurt School) now.”
The established churches yes, but the evangelical churches most certainly aren’t. And they are the ones growing, and are significantly non-white too.
I don’t know if the evangelicals are actually growing, but they’re certainly the only churches that seem willing to split off from the wokesters in order to maintain the integrity of their theology and creed.
Most of the other main Christian sects seem willing to re-interpret for themselves in a changing arc what their god really wants, which makes them maybe a keen social club but hardly an actual religion (at least by my atheistic definition.)
The end of lockdown begins today in Israel with the exception of indoor masks. They have been the experiment all along and are approaching herd immunity. So we shall see how that goes.
We already know how it will go, at least for the vast majority of people under 80 without cofactors
Most old ‘mainline’ churches are in decline, yes; They have all been subverted from within and no longer teach people to follow Christ. In terms of absolute numbers, there are more Christians in the US now then there ever were, and God is most certainly moving in the US. Christianity hasn’t ‘committed suicide’. Many denominations have committed suicide; other churches have risen up in their place.
Paul Marks: Nor will the, sly and dishonest, effort to replace theology within the churches with politics.
Meanwhile, the Church of Woke … a faith more blind, in its trust in the omniscience and infallibility of selected members of the human species, than any faith that invokes a supernatural Deity … is making every effort to place our governments in the service of their desired global theocracy.
“For the greater good”, of course.
Peter MacFarlane: It will end when enough of us realise it’s not meant to end ever, and start to stand up to them.
Unfortunately, that will be a tall order, given why Western society has descended into this mess of social technocracy.
> We have put formal education and celebrity on pedestals of worship, as possessing the insight, wisdom, and virtue of superhuman deities … while summarily dismissing wisdom presented outside those channels as not worthy of consideration or trust.
> We also put “non-profit” status on a pedestal of worship and trust, while treating those honest enough to state their intent to profit with perpetual suspicion and the application of restraints in a manner reminiscent of Gulliver.
> We have come to believe that rules are the answer to every problem, assuming that compliance with them removes the need to think beyond them – and deal with their failures by creating more rules to cover the exception to the rule.
> The above has combined to establish the conventional wisdom that all of us, except the elite few on the above pedestals, are incapable and unworthy of competently managing your own lives … and therefore you should be given a pass on the responsibility to make your own decisions to get through life; instead being content to just go to work, or to school, and trust The Pedestaled to make your decisions, use your resources, and dictate what you can and can’t do from their lofty heights as though they are standing right beside you … all in the name of establishing their definition of the “greater good” as though it is one-size-fits-all.
Under these assumptions – benignly accepted by millions as simply the way an “advanced” civilization is to live, and is beyond question – the incentives to develop and exercise competence are highly diminished among the masses, who come to believe that they can’t really rise above their situation and should just (f__k up and) trust their “betters” in grand Flounderian fashion … while The Pedestaled come to expect such trust and OUR SUBMISSION, regardless of their actual competence, oblivious to their own human limitations and capability for perpetrating evil upon others like a bull in a china shop.
By this way of thinking, reinforced by The Pedestaled for decades, we have been led to sell OURSELVES short as though we’re shares of GameStop, and let them establish their rule over us.
This also has the effect of effectively unplugging most of the distributed intellect in the world from the problem-solving processes. Intellect that might not meet the standards of MENSA or rocket scientists, but combined with its proximity-informed insight is far better equipped to solve the problems around the individuals possessing it. In favor of centralized decision-making by an elite few, who come to believe that faceless, industrial approaches and economies of scale can be applied to solve problems with up to 330 million living, breathing INDIVIDUAL variables in America alone. That’s akin to trying to text on your smartphone with a sledgehammer.
It is this way of thinking that can be (perhaps already is being) leveraged by a crisis-not-to-waste to open the door to the Great Reset, and the intergenerational decline under the then-entrenched oligarchic rule that will follow.
If we want to reverse this lemming parade we are on now and make it stick … getting ordinary people to QUESTION the world around them, then build trust in their own insights and NOT delegate their decisions to others – even if that looks like more risk and effort for them – is essential to diminish the power of The Pedestaled and engage that distributed intellect.
Perhaps the first question to ask your neighbors who are just going with the flow, is … how can the “experts” and “leaders” you put so much trust in, ever know YOU well enough to get the answers right for YOU from the top down?
The need to meet the enemy … and realize that he is us.
Americans have forgotten to ask their “experts’” and “leaders” to answer a very important question. “WHO DIED AND MADE YOU GOD TO TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE IF I DO NOT IMPINGE ON THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS”. If you do not like my feelings and beliefs, you are welcome to leave me to my business and go about your own.
Force and fraud were used to make the question irrelevant.
Dinesh D’Souza has posted this refreshing perspective on Covid restrictions from a young and forthright American lady, strong language.