As I have said any number of times before, there is no mystery as to why the drastic social control measures were implemented during covid. They had long been planned. The governmental response to pandemics was regularly war gamed (on essentially an annual basis) since the early 2000’s. These social measures were an integral part of the war games.
This is all laid out in the last chapter of RFK’s “The Real Anthony Fauci”. One of these days you should do yourself the favor of reading it.
Interesting---I believe that in the EU university education is a function of the state? And in the USA there is a very strong tradition of independent, private colleges (EU "uni"). For us, public universities only got going after the civil war, to promote the science of agriculture. However, it is clear to me that our once 'private' institutions have become de facto arms of the state--my own alma mater, Mount Holyoke College, as I look back through the subject lines of its e-mails to me, shows its "beholden-ness" to the government. My 50th Reunion comes in just 3 weeks; I have decided that I cannot bear to go to that place and those people once the source of such happiness and pride.
Most Science now just serves to justify whatever the currently fashionable beliefs among our society's professional managerial class happen to be. This is an outgrowth of the increasingly severe competition that exists for funding.
This is why, rather than following whatever the latest Science says, I generally try to stick to simple heuristics, like the precautionary principle. For health this means I look at what people with a long life expectancy have eaten for generations. I don't know for example if aspartame is safe for you, to think we can determine this based on "science" seems naive.
Genuinely competent scientists tend to be the ones most keenly aware of its limitations (see: Ioannidis).
There is really only one thing that will save us from the Pharma-medical Leviathan: thoughtful discourse and exchange of ideas in the public square, and a willingness to counter all the paid-off shouting down from the midwit/dimwit class who purport to rule us.
It's not a good or efficient solution.
One additional thing: the sudden rise to prominence of mid level bureaucrats to positions of "czar" may be accidental / incidental / coincidental, but the RFK Jr. book lays out very clearly the pattern of public health organs to colloquy and sympose and white paper exact scripts for how to bamboozle and then lock down society.
While the rest of us were busy WTFing about Mad Sheep Neil Ferguson's model and projections, they were already 2 steps ahead in the script, ready with players (like Drosten etc) in place to act as universal "thought leaders" toward bad results.
The result is a catastrophe which will reverberate well into the 2030s.
The level of incompetency exhibited across the globe in all of this has been astounding. Drosten may be one of the worse I've seen. All Covid decisions fall on party lines. So much for "Science" being our guidepost. I was always taught to challenge every assumption and cross check then peer review for a very broad consensus. No politics. Those days are over. The "Big Lie" method has taken over public health. Looking forward to the torches and pitchforks. Until then, pray, plan, prepare and RESIST.
Very fortunate that due to our "system relevant" status here in DE we could choose to continue to send our kids to school almost the entire time. I'm not happy about the pathological testing/masking regime they have endured (and they know it) but others have really missed out on classroom life and teacher/peer contact. I continue to see ripple effects 2 years on in those students who had to stay at home "learning" online.
Science, in its purest form, is inquiry, not dogma. Unfortunately scientists have to make a living, too. Even the best and brightest can become so invested in their own theories that they are hostile to anything which contradicts them. Those with the fewest scruples prostrate themselves before institutions and donors. We've seen the latter at work by our rulers' invocation of "follow the science" every time they are called to account for their blunders. It's interesting that both Drosten and Fauci at first said sensible things (Fauci initially opposed universal mask wearing) before being pressured (or seduced by power) to support the senseless and destructive policies we witnessed for the past two years.
Certainly the best cure for such blind obedience to politically appointed "wizards" is the widespread education of the public in matters of science. In my own case, a couple of excellent public school teachers were able to spark my curiosity in the sciences, which kept me active in following publications in journals and the media regarding various advances, and helped my understanding of the world around me. This essentially 'inoculated' me against believing the so-called "experts" during the pandemic without doing my own research. As a result, I am vaccine free and can measure the total time I spent masked during the last two years in minutes. Unfortunately, it also led to alienation from friends, relatives, and colleagues. Those people are conformists who became convinced that I was part of a lunatic fringe of conspiracy theorists.
But, like many of your readers, I refused to give up the pursuit of truth for social acceptance. In fact, I'm taking a measure mischievous satisfaction in hearing their reaction to the unwinding COVID narratives.
And here's another thing. If "the science" or "the scientists" ever stopped serving the agenda of the political establishment, it/they would be thrown under the bus so fast it'd make our collective heads spin.
If the last two years haven't taught us anything else, it's that the establishment is vicious and will "eat" everyone/everything that stands in their way. No amount of credentials, propriety, knowledge, experience or success can prevent it.
I think in a couple of years covid madness might be studied as an example of the "perfect storm" - a bureauracy eager to micromanage all aspects of life
- overwhelmed politicians who do not want to be criticized by the media
- media that thrive on sensationalism
- social media plantforms where much weight and reach is given to emotional and dramatic responses, no matter what the subject is
In my view, it is the media that drove politics, but I do not know enough about the informal networks between politicians and journalists. The do exist, but that would mean that either the more fearful politicians were more successful in convincing their allies in the media to push the "panic narrative", or that the less fearful politicians just had less clout with the most important journalists. Both options are rather uncomfortable to consider.
At least with religion the priests admit that the truth is ultimately unknowable and that you have to rely on faith. I actually prefer that.
When's Drosten's trial? or does making catastrophic mistakes in public health mean one isn't subjected to the same scrutiny the rest of us are?
"It may be vastly worse than that. "
Yep, I would say 500%.
As I have said any number of times before, there is no mystery as to why the drastic social control measures were implemented during covid. They had long been planned. The governmental response to pandemics was regularly war gamed (on essentially an annual basis) since the early 2000’s. These social measures were an integral part of the war games.
This is all laid out in the last chapter of RFK’s “The Real Anthony Fauci”. One of these days you should do yourself the favor of reading it.
Interesting---I believe that in the EU university education is a function of the state? And in the USA there is a very strong tradition of independent, private colleges (EU "uni"). For us, public universities only got going after the civil war, to promote the science of agriculture. However, it is clear to me that our once 'private' institutions have become de facto arms of the state--my own alma mater, Mount Holyoke College, as I look back through the subject lines of its e-mails to me, shows its "beholden-ness" to the government. My 50th Reunion comes in just 3 weeks; I have decided that I cannot bear to go to that place and those people once the source of such happiness and pride.
“Follow the Science” = “Follow the Money”
Most Science now just serves to justify whatever the currently fashionable beliefs among our society's professional managerial class happen to be. This is an outgrowth of the increasingly severe competition that exists for funding.
This is why, rather than following whatever the latest Science says, I generally try to stick to simple heuristics, like the precautionary principle. For health this means I look at what people with a long life expectancy have eaten for generations. I don't know for example if aspartame is safe for you, to think we can determine this based on "science" seems naive.
Genuinely competent scientists tend to be the ones most keenly aware of its limitations (see: Ioannidis).
There is really only one thing that will save us from the Pharma-medical Leviathan: thoughtful discourse and exchange of ideas in the public square, and a willingness to counter all the paid-off shouting down from the midwit/dimwit class who purport to rule us.
It's not a good or efficient solution.
One additional thing: the sudden rise to prominence of mid level bureaucrats to positions of "czar" may be accidental / incidental / coincidental, but the RFK Jr. book lays out very clearly the pattern of public health organs to colloquy and sympose and white paper exact scripts for how to bamboozle and then lock down society.
While the rest of us were busy WTFing about Mad Sheep Neil Ferguson's model and projections, they were already 2 steps ahead in the script, ready with players (like Drosten etc) in place to act as universal "thought leaders" toward bad results.
The result is a catastrophe which will reverberate well into the 2030s.
Please continue to include photographs. So nice to see parts of Germany.
The level of incompetency exhibited across the globe in all of this has been astounding. Drosten may be one of the worse I've seen. All Covid decisions fall on party lines. So much for "Science" being our guidepost. I was always taught to challenge every assumption and cross check then peer review for a very broad consensus. No politics. Those days are over. The "Big Lie" method has taken over public health. Looking forward to the torches and pitchforks. Until then, pray, plan, prepare and RESIST.
Very fortunate that due to our "system relevant" status here in DE we could choose to continue to send our kids to school almost the entire time. I'm not happy about the pathological testing/masking regime they have endured (and they know it) but others have really missed out on classroom life and teacher/peer contact. I continue to see ripple effects 2 years on in those students who had to stay at home "learning" online.
Science, in its purest form, is inquiry, not dogma. Unfortunately scientists have to make a living, too. Even the best and brightest can become so invested in their own theories that they are hostile to anything which contradicts them. Those with the fewest scruples prostrate themselves before institutions and donors. We've seen the latter at work by our rulers' invocation of "follow the science" every time they are called to account for their blunders. It's interesting that both Drosten and Fauci at first said sensible things (Fauci initially opposed universal mask wearing) before being pressured (or seduced by power) to support the senseless and destructive policies we witnessed for the past two years.
Certainly the best cure for such blind obedience to politically appointed "wizards" is the widespread education of the public in matters of science. In my own case, a couple of excellent public school teachers were able to spark my curiosity in the sciences, which kept me active in following publications in journals and the media regarding various advances, and helped my understanding of the world around me. This essentially 'inoculated' me against believing the so-called "experts" during the pandemic without doing my own research. As a result, I am vaccine free and can measure the total time I spent masked during the last two years in minutes. Unfortunately, it also led to alienation from friends, relatives, and colleagues. Those people are conformists who became convinced that I was part of a lunatic fringe of conspiracy theorists.
But, like many of your readers, I refused to give up the pursuit of truth for social acceptance. In fact, I'm taking a measure mischievous satisfaction in hearing their reaction to the unwinding COVID narratives.
And here's another thing. If "the science" or "the scientists" ever stopped serving the agenda of the political establishment, it/they would be thrown under the bus so fast it'd make our collective heads spin.
If the last two years haven't taught us anything else, it's that the establishment is vicious and will "eat" everyone/everything that stands in their way. No amount of credentials, propriety, knowledge, experience or success can prevent it.
It gives new meaning to the term 'political science.'
Following "the Science" is 180° from what our policies have actually been.
I think in a couple of years covid madness might be studied as an example of the "perfect storm" - a bureauracy eager to micromanage all aspects of life
- overwhelmed politicians who do not want to be criticized by the media
- media that thrive on sensationalism
- social media plantforms where much weight and reach is given to emotional and dramatic responses, no matter what the subject is
In my view, it is the media that drove politics, but I do not know enough about the informal networks between politicians and journalists. The do exist, but that would mean that either the more fearful politicians were more successful in convincing their allies in the media to push the "panic narrative", or that the less fearful politicians just had less clout with the most important journalists. Both options are rather uncomfortable to consider.