We all saw this coming, didn’t we? We all knew well before that first vaccination was delivered, we’d be dealing with this. Before the end of the year, I predict the majority of the US will be vaccinated against COVID-19, but the scare of it and its variants will keep the oppression engine powered. Lockdowns, closing small businesses and ruining lives will still occur because as long as the fear exists, the government can do what they want.
In Superman 4, the Quest for Peace, Lex Luthor said much the same about nuclear war. No one wants it, but the fear of it is the ultimate weapon. It’s the boogey man that keeps people from thinking for themselves. Keep your people afraid, and they’ll never see just how evil you truly are, or how badly you’re taking advantage of them. The US government knows this, and have used it as a bargaining chip since that fateful day in 1945 when global warfare took on a new, terrifying form.
Fast forward to 2001, when the twin towers fell in New York. It had been 12 years and 2 presidents since the end of the Cold War, and the US needed another boogey man. I’m not suggesting that Bush had anything to do with the attacks, but like any good gamer, he and his cronies took advantage of the incident to capitalize on it. Remember the whole “If you don’t do this, then the terrorists win” line of bullshit? How many laws, policies, and encroachment of government control arose because of 9/11? How much hatred towards Muslims was fomented because of it? Suddenly there was a terrorist on every block. I’m pretty sure the government wanted to reinstate the McCarthy trials again, but this time instead of searching for Commies, they would be looking for the Taliban, or ISIS later.
How bad is it when you look at society and realize the only thing that’s moved forward is time?
In 2016 the need for a boogey man arose again, only this time the lucky winner of that title was the new President. Yep, ol’ 45 was now the target. The cries of the masses screaming ‘Orange Man Bad’ echoed from TV network to TV network. From CNN to MSNBC, the Trump hate train rolled on like a juggernaut, crushing facts with feelings and screaming like a stuck pig at anything that resembled a different opinion.
This cycle of hate seems to run like a sine wave: We hate, then cool off, then hate, then cool off again. By that pattern, now that Trump is out and the Democrats are firmly in control of the country, now should be a time for healing…for reflection…for unity…
Ok, I had as hard a time writing that as you probably did reading it.
To be fair, sure, maybe tempers could cool off if given time to breathe. However, along came COVID, and the Dems are finding themselves in the collective crosshairs of every business owner who’s lost their livelihood. Everyone who doesn’t have any technological savvy – and many who do – are leveling their gaze at Biden and his ilk. There’s not going to be a ‘cooling off’ period this time in the sine wave of hate, and the Dems should take note. Biden’s been in politics almost as long as I’ve been alive…is he that short-sighted to not see that the pattern won’t be repeating this time?
Much of this anger is because despite vaccinations going on, many places are still on lockdown and some places are going back into lockdown because of huge spikes in confirmed cases. I know where this is coming from too: people figure that now they have the ‘Fauci Ouchie’ (insert Critical Drinker’s ‘FUCK OFF SOCIAL MEDIA’ sound here), they’re invincible. I blame people like Ben Shapiro for this, who’s been saying that once you’re vaccinated that should be it. Fuck the masks, open up them businesses and let’s get back to American-ing.
Never take medical advice from a podcaster…even if his wife is a doctor.
But hey, everybody’s pissed, everybody’s afraid, and everybody’s getting desperate. Funds are drying out, bills are coming due, and the stimulus check is about as efficient as the DM fucking V for delivery. Trillions of dollars are going to special interest groups while the American people get the crumbs, but that’s OK because Saint Joseph of Biden is in power.
I want COVID gone. I want it to be relegated to the flu in terms of severity. I want people to live, laugh, love, and work again. I want to be one of those people. Sadly, when this one passes into history, we will have learned nothing. We won’t be prepared for another one, and when it hits we’ll all do the same headless chicken run that we did with this one. While this pandemic keeps going and policies keep getting written up, the hate will grow…the pressure will build…
And I fear for anyone caught in the blast when it finally goes off.