To paraphrase Winston Churchill (Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result), it is a shame more of our population haven't had the benefit of a 152mm round going off nearby without effect. Or considering our forum, perhaps dropping a leopard or buffalo off the muzzle of a rifle. Experiences like that tend to put into perspective the actual threat represented by Covid and its ilk.
Instead, the vast majority of our fellow travelers lead hermetically sealed existences characterized by incredible personal safety. Without relative experiences to guide them, something like COVID becomes the existential threat of their lifetimes.
People have indeed died from this virus. More will. We all mourn Curtism 1234's loss. Others will die from complications that can be attributed to the virus (however tenuously). Many others will die from the measures taken to combat the disease. But compared to war, policing, firefighting, even dangerous game hunting, etc, Covid is little more than nuisance.
My brother and sister - both in their 60's - tested positive. He is a trial lawyer and loyal democrat. Like presumably most regular CNN viewers, he went to the doctor expecting serious medical intervention. Instead, his doctor offered him a general anti-biotic to prevent pneumonia. He was told to return if he experienced any real difficulty breathing. His symptoms were gone in a week, and his spouse never evidenced any real issues. According to the CDC, a quarter million deaths can be blamed on COVID. However, my brother and sister-in-law's experience is what more than 99.5% of those infected will actually experience.
What I believe history will eventually tell us is that this year has proven the overwhelming power of propaganda in the digital age. Goebbels would have used the term "Big Lie", but in our case it is the "Big Story." No one, regardless of their credentials, is allowed to deviate from the script of the Big Story. Respected physicians who actually have large case loads and do actual research (unlike a bureaucrat with a medical degree such as Fausci) are regularly silenced on social media, ignored by the MSM, and ridiculed when they do manage to successfully share their research and views.
The other thing we have learned is the intoxication of power as petty tyrants order populations to behave in ways that are "best for them." The old adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is being played out in localities big and small around the world. It is so intoxicating that these temporary dictators do lasting economic damage to their cities, states, and populations simply because they can. Occasionally, their overreach is ridiculed (Newsom "ordering" people to wear masks when visiting in homes the most recent), but more often, the thoroughly terrorized people go along.
Fueled by the political season, one senses a growing frustration. Politicians, vested in their courses of action become ever more intransigent, while citizens finally are beginning to overcome personal fear with some healthy bits of skepticism, common sense, and personal responsibility. The President's quick recovery must have been devastating to the proponents of the "Big Lie - er Story."
