Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Abraham Lincoln is attributed to have famously said “You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” A more recent US President coined a more manipulative spin on Lincoln’s erudite words… “You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.” Preying on ignorance is a human trait which, although frowned upon, certainly thrived in history, and definitely thrives today.
When those who are being fooled find out and that the truth has been covered up, they feel aggrieved or even angry. The truth is often deemed to be secret, at least for those who need to keep the truth to themselves. Big, government truths are covered up or hidden away until some statute of limitations runs out and, hopefully, for those who covered up, the generation that was duped has either passed away or forgotten about it. For those who remember and want to resurrect the past they can be blackballed or become a victim of cancel culture but become persona non grata all the same.
But how, eventually, will COVID and its effects on the global population and the global economy be remembered. Obviously, and despite no out-and-out definitive statements from so-called world leaders, we have moved away from the fear and loathing of two years ago and the prospect of death at every cough or sneeze. It’s, and again obviously, not as bad as it was originally portrayed by governments and the media. However, it’s still newsworthy but, incongruously, we are advised of lockdowns and restrictions in some places, borders opening for tourism in others, and people openly challenging government guidelines and the draconian removal of democracy. But why?
The Variants
COVID has variants and WHO, although unelected and allegedly self-governing, have identified five “Variants of Concern”. The geographic qualifiers have been replaced by Greek letters that we typically use for algebraic unknowns. These are, logically, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta but, illogically, the ‘’fifth’’ is Omicron. Strange that we use the fifteenth letter of the Greek alphabet rather than Epsilon, what’s that about?
For the conspiracy theorists among us, and who believe in hidden messages à la Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, when we couple Delta and Omicron we have Media Control. Perhaps the combination with the logical Epsilon would have been too close to the truth…It’s all opened. Far-fetched, yes but who’s to say it’s wrong?
Can those that blindly follow the statements made by the media and the politicians believe that they are correct and everybody else is wrong? It can be easier to go with the flow and avoid asking questions that upset the status quo of the ‘new normal’ as established by politicians and so-called experts. The decisions about what’s best are based, we are told (and told repeatedly), upon hard evidence and science. After all governments wouldn’t want to be seen to be fooling their peoples, would they?
The Evidence.
Hard evidence and science govern the decisions our leaders make. So why do we have so many different rules? Red and Green countries are all but consistent as are social distancing rules. Quarantine periods are based upon nationality or residency, and they range from 2 days of ‘self-isolation’ to 7, or 14, or even 21 days. And we have science?
We have acquired evidence from, possibly, the largest clinical trial of all time related to death rates, inoculation performance, recovery rates, infection rates and the like. Pfizer works for some governments, Astro Zenica works for others, but vaccines in other countries aren’t acceptable. Vaccinated people can become ill, even with double and triple shots, and some even die. Two doses are universally mandated but three may become the norm. Unvaccinated people can sometimes be immune. Countries with ‘’zero tolerance’’ have the same problems as those with more open borders. Some nations declare victory in one breath but, in the next, admit that COVID’s back.
Confusing? Of course it is! Despite scientists and politicians working with evidence and science there is no consistency and they, like the lay people whom they are meant to serve, are bamboozled. Evidence exists but for those who ask awkward questions there are no answers despite the largest medical experiment ever and perhaps unprecedented government collaboration. Just like Iraq in 2003 and the alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction, is only hyped-up information being released to deceive the masses?
The Truth
Do politicians really focus on those who can be fooled all of the time? If this is the case then will the truth ever emerge? Keeping people in the dark and happy in their own bubbles of existence may be a utopia for some but it’s devious. Terminological inexactitudes and platitudes may be frowned upon, but it can be for the greater good. Look at WW II and the Enigma Code. The truth was a secret for decades and while many people were fooled the fooling was for good reason, at least for some.
When COVID first emerged, there was chaos and confusion, and decisions were made on a paucity of data, fear and rumourmongering. The focus was on protecting lives and slowing or even eradicating infection. “Flattening the curve” was the media mantra and daily death tolls were headlines around the world. COVID is everywhere, and it has come in waves as it mutates and evolves. Mankind too is evolving as we learn to live with our viral foe. Some countries want to treat the pandemic as endemic. Is this common sense?
Common sense can be difficult to acquire but power, once acquired is difficult to give up. Politicians, while wanting to be seen to be doing something, wield their self-declared COVID authority like an autonomous prison warden. Without any apparent thought or consideration for the evidence or people we hear, “Lockdowns”, “Travel Bans”, and yet more restrictions despite the knowledge that they aren’t working. Doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results is insanity. But what is working is divisiveness which, far from merely attempting to fool people, fuels unrest and hostility as people who are fearful and fed-up exercise their freedoms
Conclusions?
We have global uncertainty and economic crises after two years of lockdowns, and travel, and work restrictions. The imposition of inconsistent and, it seems, arbitrary rules haven’t helped. We have vaxxers and antivaxxers, believers and non-believers and with many a heated debate over government mandates we now have riots over freedoms.
Many have suffered and, be they a silent minority or a majority, they are taking to the streets and making their voices heard, “enough is enough” they say. Have the fooled found out and will those that did the fooling find out that they were foolish? Will time tell?
Bio:
Malcolm Peart is an UK Chartered Engineer & Chartered Geologist with over thirty-five years’ international experience in multicultural environments on large multidisciplinary infrastructure projects including rail, metro, hydro, airports, tunnels, roads and bridges. Skills include project management, contract administration & procurement, and design & construction management skills as Client, Consultant, and Contractor.
Leave a Reply