Dearest readers, thank you for being patient this time around. Truth be told, I struggled with picking a topic. I was about to post an article last week but I scrapped it completely after a series of news reports related to reopening in Canada and many parts of USA. I realized last week that the media, by and large, is trying to make us happy about the reopening and is also trying to make us think that reopening is the same as everything being back to normal. I do not like this one bit, and would like you to follow along and see my take on how they are doing this, the dangers of it, and what we can do about it.
So, what exactly is most media doing out there? Well, one thing is for sure- they do not want us to devolve into anarchy, organized crime galore, or something as horrible as a civil war. Oh yes, all of these are possible outcomes of any situation like the one we are in right now- that is an empirical fact. As the lockdown dragged on longer and longer, so is this reopening. The media, the government, and other stakeholders want us to celebrate that our favorite suburban parks now have half of parking lots open, if any at all. They want us to celebrate that we can follow convoluted signs to get inside Home Depot to get things we badly need for our households. They want us to celebrate that the garden centers are open so we can fill up our back yards, patios and balconies with plants so they look like parks, so that we decide to stay home and not go to an actual real park. They want us to celebrate that at clothing stores we have to put every piece of clothing we touch into a bin so it can be doused with disinfectants, and someone buys it after it has chemicals on it from 100 sprays. Finally, they want us to celebrate that maybe, perhaps, some time this summer, we will be able to enjoy drinks and food at bars, pubs and restaurants that are barely a third full and all of us still have to yell because we have to sit far from each other. They want us to think that this is good, that this is great, that this is the best thing since sliced bread. While they do say that this is just going to be a long process, they want you to feel as this is such a good thing, this is life and this is how things should remain. Furthermore, they bolster this message by not questioning whether these half measures are any good, and what consequences they will bring. But wait, this is life now so any consequences from this are just the new normal...
Speaking of consequences, the most dangerous one is that most people out there adapt to new circumstances. This is great when times are good. You get a promotion and a huge raise, you adapt by getting a nicer car. It is good for you, good for the economy, good for everyone who needs a ride from you haha. However, when times go bad, many people eventually accept it and they do not aspire nearly as much to bringing the good times back because they lower their standards and let things just happen to them, and someone always takes advantage of that! it is dangerous for us to forget what is acceptable and what is not acceptable based on good times before the lockdown! We should be patient, sure. However, we should not be happy or satisfied or at peace until everything, and I mean everything, is restored to the way things were before the lockdown. If we fail to do so, we will accept terrible things as the new normal. Many people will continue to wear masks and maybe gloves for years after this. People will weaken their immune systems due to too much hand sanitizer and they will develop rashes and allergies as well. There will be less public gatherings, less trust. Oh, and do not get me started on crime. It is now perfectly fine in a city like Toronto to wear a mask, big glasses, a hat and gloves when you are out and about, and the police will not stop and question you at all! If I am out and see someone like that, I am crossing to the other side of the street and having 911 on speed dial. If masked people start assaulting and mugging people more than ever, and the government still says hey wear your mask, people will begin to arm themselves for self defense, which will automatically lead to more serious confrontations. Finally, we will see a huge cut in public services funding for years to come because many small businesses will fail, many people will take pay cuts and corporations may be more resilient due to their size but they cannot save us. Look, in Canada, 49 percent of government revenue comes from employees' taxes and small business taxes (small businesses that are not incorporated). Only about 15 percent of tax revenue comes from corporations. So, when you hear a bar close or a self employed consultant closes their business, be very concerned.
So, what can we do about this right now?
We are not living an apocalypse movie. It has not been years or decades since a virus hit the world. We still remember very well what life before this unfortunate situation looked like. While we have to be patient to an extent, we must accept everything short of things going back fully to normal as a serious problem and a bleeding wound that is far from closed. All the news in the world about the slow reopening that they want to sell us as good news are not good news, just updates that we need to take with a heap of reality check.
What do you think?
So, what exactly is most media doing out there? Well, one thing is for sure- they do not want us to devolve into anarchy, organized crime galore, or something as horrible as a civil war. Oh yes, all of these are possible outcomes of any situation like the one we are in right now- that is an empirical fact. As the lockdown dragged on longer and longer, so is this reopening. The media, the government, and other stakeholders want us to celebrate that our favorite suburban parks now have half of parking lots open, if any at all. They want us to celebrate that we can follow convoluted signs to get inside Home Depot to get things we badly need for our households. They want us to celebrate that the garden centers are open so we can fill up our back yards, patios and balconies with plants so they look like parks, so that we decide to stay home and not go to an actual real park. They want us to celebrate that at clothing stores we have to put every piece of clothing we touch into a bin so it can be doused with disinfectants, and someone buys it after it has chemicals on it from 100 sprays. Finally, they want us to celebrate that maybe, perhaps, some time this summer, we will be able to enjoy drinks and food at bars, pubs and restaurants that are barely a third full and all of us still have to yell because we have to sit far from each other. They want us to think that this is good, that this is great, that this is the best thing since sliced bread. While they do say that this is just going to be a long process, they want you to feel as this is such a good thing, this is life and this is how things should remain. Furthermore, they bolster this message by not questioning whether these half measures are any good, and what consequences they will bring. But wait, this is life now so any consequences from this are just the new normal...
Speaking of consequences, the most dangerous one is that most people out there adapt to new circumstances. This is great when times are good. You get a promotion and a huge raise, you adapt by getting a nicer car. It is good for you, good for the economy, good for everyone who needs a ride from you haha. However, when times go bad, many people eventually accept it and they do not aspire nearly as much to bringing the good times back because they lower their standards and let things just happen to them, and someone always takes advantage of that! it is dangerous for us to forget what is acceptable and what is not acceptable based on good times before the lockdown! We should be patient, sure. However, we should not be happy or satisfied or at peace until everything, and I mean everything, is restored to the way things were before the lockdown. If we fail to do so, we will accept terrible things as the new normal. Many people will continue to wear masks and maybe gloves for years after this. People will weaken their immune systems due to too much hand sanitizer and they will develop rashes and allergies as well. There will be less public gatherings, less trust. Oh, and do not get me started on crime. It is now perfectly fine in a city like Toronto to wear a mask, big glasses, a hat and gloves when you are out and about, and the police will not stop and question you at all! If I am out and see someone like that, I am crossing to the other side of the street and having 911 on speed dial. If masked people start assaulting and mugging people more than ever, and the government still says hey wear your mask, people will begin to arm themselves for self defense, which will automatically lead to more serious confrontations. Finally, we will see a huge cut in public services funding for years to come because many small businesses will fail, many people will take pay cuts and corporations may be more resilient due to their size but they cannot save us. Look, in Canada, 49 percent of government revenue comes from employees' taxes and small business taxes (small businesses that are not incorporated). Only about 15 percent of tax revenue comes from corporations. So, when you hear a bar close or a self employed consultant closes their business, be very concerned.
So, what can we do about this right now?
We are not living an apocalypse movie. It has not been years or decades since a virus hit the world. We still remember very well what life before this unfortunate situation looked like. While we have to be patient to an extent, we must accept everything short of things going back fully to normal as a serious problem and a bleeding wound that is far from closed. All the news in the world about the slow reopening that they want to sell us as good news are not good news, just updates that we need to take with a heap of reality check.
What do you think?