The panicked response to Covid is a feature of death denial.
We all die. Everyday there is a death for every two births roughly speaking. In 2020 an average of 89 people died each day. Incidentally that is fewer than the 94 in the prior year, pre-covid.
The profile of deaths by age is similar to covid deaths though the lowest bars would be non-existent on a covid death chart.
So why the gripping fear?
The chances of dying from cancer are very high - the highest. By a long shot.
In 2019 9,773 people died from cancer. Just short of a 1,000 died from diabetes.
These are big numbers.
But more importantly, some of these deaths could have been avoided. And on their deathbed some probably regrettably knew that was the case. But they hadn't been frightened enough of the prospect of death to change their behaviours.
A good chunk of the population has that mentality. I include myself. I keep very fit but I drink more than I should. I shouldn't drink at all if I want the longest life possible. I should also probably knock off cheese and red meat if I want to get a letter from the Queen ... except of course she will be dead by then. Yes, even the Queen is going to kick the bucket.
But I am also one of those quality versus quantity people. And I do want to enjoy my time here.
So if I am right, and most people indulge in some degree of life-shortening risk (and I haven't even got to the risk of death by accident) WHY this maudlin, unprecedented, pervasive fear of covid?
The answer matters because it is allowing our lives to be controlled in a way I never thought possible
The fear is driving glaring irrationalities that are more than something we can chuckle about and dismiss.
Why, in the Hutt Valley, is one local council banning unvaccinated people, and by implication their children, from the popular Huia swimming pool while the neighbouring local council is allowing unvaccinated people in to the very popular H2O swimming pool?
Even our so-called leaders can't agree on what is safe and what isn't. Their decisions appear more about their own covering- my- back safety as opposed to public safety.
There are many inconsistencies about protocols and rules - too many to list and plenty of people have already pointed them out.
The only reason for compliance with such abitrary confusion must be fear.
But I go round in circles.
Fear of what exactly?
If this virus was killing young people in their droves I would be petrified of my children succumbing. That kind of terror I could understand.
BUT IT ISN'T.
The likelihood of dying from covid is miniscule.
So why am I wearing a mask then taking it off to scoff that glass of lindauer I shouldn't really be having?
I'm wearing a mask because fear-ridden zombies tell me to. But I'm getting to that stage where I am going to simply stop. I am not one of you. And I'm not playing along with this stupid charade any longer. Get a grip for Gods sake.
We are all going to die ... some day.
18 comments:
.Fear of what exactly?'
Simple answer - Jacindas fear of losing control.
Exactly. Well said!!
Well said Lindsay. I only wear a mask when I absolutely have to, to avoid being denied access to businesses such as supermarkets. The mask comes off as soon as I'm out the door. I have no phone so I dont scan.
I'm fully vaccinated and needing to speak to a real person and not a machine at my bank, I took a 100K round trip to Palmerston North on Friday. . Wearing a mask, I attempted to communicate with a teller who was also wearing a mask while isolated behind a very thick plastic screen. I could make no sense of what was being said. I left to avoid a meltdown.
Back home I persevered on the phone. An hour and a half later, I spoke with a real person at a call centre in Auckland. Explaining the issue I had with my banking, this person in Auckland suggested my problem could best be solved by going to my bank and talking with a teller...............
I do not wear a mask I have a miniaturised letter from my Dr on a lanyard. It has only part failed once when Countdown refused to allow me through checkout complete with the perspex and a masked checkout operator. I declined the option of self checkout, handed the supervisor who began the raised voices and arm waving the 500 mls of Cream and told her New World were far better at customer relations, that received attention, deal concluded and I have not returned as yet.
We went into a jeweler's shop yesterday. Signs forbidding one from wearing hats or sunglasses - but signs saying we must wear mask. Like Mark I don't wear a mask unless specifically asked, and only then because it is not the shopkeeper's fault. Our friend who owns a restaurant has been told she will lose her license if she is caught letting in anyone without a passport.
Here in Wanganui we are red until a week after Christmas. That strikes me as deliberately nasty. We have no local cases but my daughter thinks it is unsafe to bring the grandchildren here for Christmas(from Wellington). I said good. maybe it will turn a few more people against this 'government' but not her - she thinks if the other lot had been in power we would all be dead. We are red because of a low vaccination rate. The local Saturday market was requiring vaccine passes, but round the corner there was an alternate market with everyone welcome.
Я хотел сделать прививку, поэтому я был там в первых рядах!
Люди смеялись надо мной, говоря, что это уловка, чтобы вставить RFID-чип, чтобы правительство могло прочитать то, о чем я думаю.
Альтернативная точка зрения заключалась в том, что я вдруг начну говорить на каком-то странном языке.
О, как я смеялся!
"Я хотел сделать прививку, поэтому я был там в первых рядах!
Люди смеялись надо мной, говоря, что это уловка, чтобы вставить RFID-чип, чтобы правительство"
"I wanted to get vaccinated, so I was there in the front row. People laughed at me, saying,"
"могло прочитать то, о чем я думаю".
"maybe they could read what I was thinking"
"Альтернативная точка зрения заключалась в том, что я вдруг начну говорить на каком-то странном языке.
О, как я смеялся!"
"The alternative view was that I would suddenly start talking in some weird way"
Am I close??
I'm dyslexic, I dont need a vaccine to think weird!!.
WCC has banned unvaccinated people over the age of 12 from using libraries (including the internet) which is particularly cruel given the types of people who would use those facilities.
The only outcome here is manipulating people into doing what you want them to do. Is this the type of governance we deserve?
Exactly Zoe. And it's now school holidays when many low income kids (whose parents are among those most likely to be unvaccinated) would normally be taken to council-run facilities like libraries, pools, gyms and sports grounds. Not to mention other privately run activities. Now excluded. By a PM who built her persona on being their champion.
To his credit Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy resisted for these reasons.
The whole point of rates funding/subsidising this stuff is universal accessibility.
I wonder how much all the security guards cost too. They weren't there in branch libraries before the masks were required, and the one in the pool only appeared Dec 12th.
Hi Lindsay
What an excellent post, it deserves wider coverage. It is certainly true that fear is the prevailing characteristic of our times. It seems there are only a few of us who refuse to be dominated by it. Good on you for reminding us that we are all going to die. Psalm 103 describes our life as a flower of the field that flourishes, the wind passes over it, and it is gone, remembered no more. (paraphrase).
It’s difficult to avoid being cynical about the government and their response to Covid-19. The ramping up of fear appears to be deliberate, a means of control and the justification for coercion; the abrogation of our liberties ‘guaranteed’ under the NZ Bill of Rights.
As for Councils who have arbitrarily withdrawn services from those who have chosen not to participate in Pfizer’s novel gene therapy (their description), I encourage you to push back, particularly if you are a rate payer. Issue an OIA request to them asking when a rates rebate proportional to the services withdrawn will be credited, demand a proportional refund for rates already paid in advance, request a copy of all legal advice they have sought and obtained prior to implementing the vaccine pass, ask them when they plan to remove these sanctions. Cause them to regret unjustifiable discrimination against you. Speak up.
And then having done all, enjoy that glass of Lindauer.
Absolutely Lindsay.
I reckon there's great news coming, Dr. Malone thinks Omicron could be the best Xmas present as for first time the virus doesn't work at base of lungs but at the top of the lungs, just like a cold or ordinary influenza, and it does that on very mild symptoms. Ie, it's a vaccine far superior to these dreadful C19 vaccines and may well be Covid blowing itself out. But of course if true that will only be the start: next we have to wrestle power and our civil liberties back from governments who have effectively created under emergency powers full on totalitarian bio-surveillance states. That' may well prove harder than the virus.
By the by, Pauline and I have joined the great unvaxxed so are learning the still relevant historical lessons on mob fear and behaviour :) It's got to be quite interesting. I'm not starting my old blog up again, but put a post up on it here if you're interested:
https://lifebehindtheirondrapeii.blogspot.com/2021/12/why-pauline-and-i-have-chosen-not-to.html
Oh, regarding your point on 'we all die', and then Brendan's point above, without the Jesus bit :) it's evident that the deep South and rural communities are far more resistant to using these damned mandates and passes: some of the Southland cafes have chosen to shut up their businesses rather than comply, and others, like Godfrey Pies, bless them, are refusing to use the passes.
I have this feeling that rural folk are far closer to the cycle of life and death, their farm systems revolve around this every season, it's just natural processes, thus they are not cowed by the governments fear campaign like pampered city folk are, many of whom are laughingly scared to even get on public transport with unvaxxed (despite transmission between vaxxed and unvaxxed it for all that it matters the same).
Just a theory :)
And one more thing.
The studies and data have been showing for many months that transmission is little or no different between vaxxed and unvaxxed (I deal with them in my blog post (earlier comment)).
On that basis mandates and covid passes were unconscionable.
I'm not forgetting Covid, because on the above I feel greatly let down by too many of New Zealand's libertarians, including especially David Seymour and ACT. David called unvaxxed people like myself dickheads. In the face of some pretty shonky science and some recklessly developed vaccines that are poorly designed against a virus which my survival probability, even against Alpha, was 99.9887%, every one simply dropped philosophy and its importance for living free lives. There is no freedom left in New Zealand now: litle freedoms here and there are doled out by Ardern as a luxury to select groups that meet her approval. I can't even get a bloody haircut. How absurd.
Everyone just went all authoritarian. Even now with the mild mannered Omicron there is not a single MP in Parliament championing the removal of mandates (and redress for all those who've lost their jobs) and covid passes. No MP has stated that now rolling the state back and recovering our civil liberties is first order business.
Thank god you, of course, kept your classical liberal head Lindsay. But of course that was never in doubt. But ACT is terminally wounded now for me, after such hope.
Um. Interesting debate going on over here too Mark:
https://pc.blogspot.com/2021/12/forced.html
Yes. I can't see myself have dealings with Peter after Covid. Not that we did much beforehand, but I used to respect him a lot.
It's a shame.
My blog post above explains in every way important to me how he is wrong in that piece and his continual vilification of those of us who rationally chose not to have these particular vaccines put into us.
As I said. I am hugely disappointed with many of New Zealand's supposed libertarians.
But then libertarians have always been good at falling out :)
Hi Lindsay and Mark
It's a global thing of course, check out this joyful contribution just issued by the WhiteHouse:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/12/17/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-74/
"We are intent on not letting Omicron disrupt work and school for the vaccinated. You’ve done the right thing, and we will get through this.
For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm."
The President and our PM clearly following the same script.
Mark, I suspect your thesis about rural people is generally correct, they are considerably more grounded (pardon the pun) than their urban counterparts. Oh, and to be fair, I didn't mention Jesus in my post, but even if I were to do so, maybe it's culturally acceptable in the lead up to Christmas? :-)
I was prepared to forgive David Seymour for the euthanasia bill; what's done is done, if only he would have defended our civil liberties and the NZ Bill of Rights. What a shameful abdication of responsibility not just from him but of all current politicians who have refused to speak up.
I'd vote for any new political party that campaigned on a platform of making the NZ Bill of Rights supreme law in NZ, and prosecuting any Government Department or employer who acted in breach of its statutes and precepts. Oh, and for Government ministers only, why not make the law retrospective. :-)
Most people (even some Libertarians) want to be in the in-group more than anything. The prospects there are good. Access to markets and all that. That in-group has narrowed a fair bit of late. It got Woke.
At university we had a paper that taught us about this in terms of R.K.Merton's theory of anomie. The in-group was called the Conformity. Nurses, doctors, midwives, even policemen who were in the Conformity only weeks ago have been made redundant. They are Deviants and branded so in very abusive terms.
Most people booted out of the Conformity try to make out they are still in it. Remember all those prospects and the access they get. And they would be stunned to be identified as a Deviant. What they really are is in Merton's Ritualism group. They go through the motions of check points, MIQ, masks, jabs, nose tests, social distanging, checking in, lockdowns etc as the price of being in the Conformity group. They don't really believe. Their hearts are not in it. They are performing rituals.
They don't literally believe they're going to die from COVID if they don't perform these rituals. But they do understand that they will die socially and economically and politically etc. if they do not perform these rituals. That's a very real death and the relevant one here.
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