When in panic or in doubt,
run in circles, scream and shout… Children’s ditty
Social distancing. Masks. Shelter in place. “Essential” businesses. Terms and concepts that have become all too familiar and common in our lexicon over the past few weeks.
At every government level from the national to the municipal those policies have been imposed on the populace by executive fiat, without debate or legislative action, via the invocation of “emergency” powers of dubious nature and justification.
The current COVID-19 infestation has been portrayed in the most panic-inducing light possible. “Pandemic” is the term of choice, a word guaranteed to induce apocalyptic fears in the general populace. But let’s rationally consider some facts to see if we’re being gaslighted.
I think it’s imperative to first view the current “crisis” in true historical perspective. COVID-19 is, as the name suggests, a corona virus. It’s not something unprecedented. Corona viruses are actually fairly common. Some strains of the common cold are caused by corona viruses, as are SARS and MERS. In fact, the formal name of the current pathogen is SARS-CoV-2, meaning it’s simply a variant of the SARS pathogen, discovered in 2003, that we’ve seen before.
As I write this column COVID-19 deaths in this country just passed the 80,000 mark. Yes, that’s a lot of people and it’s very sad. But during the 2017 – 2018 common flu season “…more than 900,000 people were hospitalized and more than 80,000 people died from flu” in this country. (https://www.healthline.com/health/influenza/facts-and-statistics#5)
Where were the panic and hysteria then? I sure don’t remember any “shelter in place” or “safer at home” or “social distancing”, or masks, or businesses closed down by imperial fiat, or any other impingement on our constitutional rights to live our lives normally. Do you? Why is that?
Per the US Census Bureau our official population is 331,883,986. Assuming 80,000 people in this country have died from COVID-19, that’s a fatality rate of 0.024104%. That’s LESS THAN ONE-FORTIETH OF ONE PERCENT. Why are we completely and utterly destroying everything this country stands for over a ginned-up hysteria that’s a danger to a ridiculously miniscule portion of the populace? Wouldn’t it make more sense – a LOT more sense – to simply encourage those at the most risk – the elderly and unhealthy – to take precautions, rather than impose draconian and, frankly, un-American “emergency rules” of questionable legality (at best) on the general population?
Consider masks. Viruses are nano-scale particles, much smaller than bacteria. Unless one is wearing a mask or containment device capable of 
capturing or filtering such small particles masks are useless. The viruses can easily pass through the spaces in the mesh or fabric of the mask, or around the edge borders. So unless one is wearing an N95 or better device, masks – especially pieces of cloth – are really just decorative fashion accessories. And virtue signaling devices, of course.
The biggest and most dangerous problem is how dictator-wannabes – like Commiefornia’s Newsom, Colorado’s Polis, Michigan’s Whitmer, and New York’s Cuomo – have exploited this situation to grab power and impose their diktats by imperial fiat on every aspect of how people must live their lives. This is very reminiscent of life under the commissars in the old Soviet Union, right down to the bare shelves in grocery stores and neighborhood snitches. I never thought I’d see something like this in this country in my lifetime. It’s the stuff of old dystopian books and movies.
Many of those tin pot tyrants are bleating about how this is a preview of a “new normal” moving forward. Once we cross the finish line at wherever the constantly-moving goal posts end up – if they ever actually stop moving at all – they envision a restructured social order in this country. Well, though I had plenty of problems with the “old normal”, mostly having to do with the socialist bent of so much of our governance, I think it’s vastly preferable to whatever nightmare political hacks like these would like to see replace it.
As many times as I’ve read the US Constitution I have yet to come across an Exemption Clause suspending our rights in the event of a public health “crisis”. Yet at this time those rights have been completely obliterated as if the Constitution doesn’t even exist. It’s time for those hacks to be reminded that they work for us; we don’t “bend the knee” to them.
I think it’s high time for a good dose of civil disobedience. Otherwise this current hysteria will have set a very dangerous precedent. Think “climate change” hoax. You just know those fanatics, many part of the same cast of characters, are eyeing these events as a precursor to what they can do by ginning up a “crisis” on that topic. Think of the damage they can do if they’re successful.
“Give me liberty…”
©Brian Baker 2020
(Also published today in The Signal)
The View from the Island 
Hi Brian! All I can say is that I am so, so glad that I moved to Arizona!!! For the most part, everything is open here now, with social distancing. Granted, it isn’t quite back to normal yet, but it is much better than most other cities and states. Yes, our COVID cases are going up, but that is because they are doing much more testing, in fact, they have been doing testing “blitzes” every Saturday for the past 3 weeks, and they continue to do that for a few more weeks, which means, more people are testing positive. However, our hospitalizations from Covid is down, so to me, that is a better indicator that things are getting better here.
California is going to be in a world of hurt from their continued shut down! They were in pretty bad shape before, but it is going to get real ugly soon! California residents need to get ready for increased taxes, lower quality of services, and lower house values as more businesses move out, and more people want to escape from that state.
I just hope that as people move out of California, that they leave behind their voting habits! Please, if you move to a red state, make sure you VOTE to keep it that way!
Hey, Hopeful!
You got that right. We got out of there in the nick of time. They’re gonna be in a world of hurt.
Out here in Colorado things aren’t as good as for you in AZ, but then, where is, right? We’re stuck for now with a lefty governor who’s an absolute doofus. He even looks like Mr. Potatohead. Even worse when he holds news conferences wearing that stupid-looking mask.
Thank you Brian you put it all together and you are so right our doofus potato head governor
Thanks for the kind words, Joanne.
Yeah, doesn’t he? It struck me the other day watching my 2-year-old grandson play with his Mr. Potatohead.
Dido on all you said. Happy Father’s Day from me and Ken aka Jay. You were such a positive influence on Ken and without you being the father to him he never had, he wouldn’t be the good man he is. Thank you Brian for being there, I hope you realize how important and loved to those who really know you!
Thanks, Kathi. It was my pleasure and privilege.
The panic and hysteria come from the virus being an unknown. We know the flu, although new strains come along every year, so it doesn’t scare us as bad as the unknown, The longer this fiasco has gone on, the more they change their minds about wearing masks, the story on how contagious it is, and whether or not it came from bat soup, etc. It’s laughable and all of this just further proves they don’t know squat about it.
Just like they always do, the Dems’ solution is to throw more money at it, and to drag out the lockdown, and as usual blame Trump, even though, initially, he was the only one suggesting a drug that actually worked.
I had to laugh at all the hoarders grabbing up the toilet tissue instead of food. If you don’t have the food, you don’t need the paper!
LOL!
Well said, Kathy. That’s a great point: no food going in one end eliminates the need for TP for the other end.
Very well written article Brian. The governments playing games with what is essential and what is not essential is just plain crap. If a person is working and providing for himself and/or his family, he is working in an essential business. So far my wife, son and myself have not worn a mask. When they first started this nonsense we couldn’t purchase one mask in 3 counties. Last week my former barber shop opened up so I carry my 12 year old son and myself down to get a clipping. Walked in and a lady barber there told me we couldn’t come in without a mask. She had her’s hooked on one ear while cutting a gents hair and yaking at me. I informed her we hadn’t been able to purchase them and she refused to let us in. I went to another shop, explained my dilemma and was welcomed in anyhow.
Thanks, Bill.
Yeah, it’s really insanity. Fortunately my barber runs a one-woman operation, is a conservative, and thinks the masks are as crazy as we think they are. So my haircut was no muss, no fuss.
As a Gen-X libertarian I remember Baby Boomer ‘conservatives’ utterly rejecting the ‘blame-America kook’ Ron Paul in 2008 & 2012 in favor of Republican Progressives John “Open Borders/Amnesty” McCain & Mitt “Father Of ACA” Romney. Back then most of you scoffed at the notion of actually following the Constitution.
I remember y’all succumbing to panic post-911 & supporting the police-state rape of the Constitution which was the ‘Patriot Act’ & GW Bush’s disastrous wars (which WE opposed from the get-go).
Add to this the spending profligacy & malignant growth of govt. that has been the hallmark of Republicans since ‘small govt. conservative’ Reagan assumed office in 1981. Trump has proven to be FDR 2.0 & an utter betrayer of his campaign promises. Add Reagan’s amnesty & continuing failure of BoomerCons to check immigration. Slavish devotion to the hostile nation of Israel is also on YOUR backs.
Now that your chicks have come home to roost, you feign shock/anger?
An apology to folks like me would be nice…and an admission that y’all are the WORST generation in American history is in order.
I won’t hold my breath…because we all know that entitled Baby Boomers (who still expect to collect Social Security, Medicare, and pensions that their children, grand-children, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren will be paying for) NEVER admit their wrongs…
You’re right about one thing, bonehead. Nothing further from you will be posted here. You’ll be blocked as spam. But FYI, I’m not a Republican, most of you Paulbots are assholes, as you’ve adequately illustrated here, and you can take any idea of an apology and shove it up your ass.
In one of your other comments you bleat that if your comments are trashed by me it’s “more proof that he doesn’t even believe in the most basic of Constitutional Rights (1st Amendment)”. For someone who claims to be such a constitutionalist you are displaying abject ignorance, because this is MY blog, run by ME, not the government, and the First Amendment doesn’t apply. You have absolutely NO “right” to have your bullshit published on MY blog.
Now go crawl back under your rock, moron.
Great post as always, Brian. The children’s ditty is perfect. I also whole-heartedly agree with your comments about “the new normal.” We, the American People, will decide what the definition of “normal” is, thank you. It’s not necessary or desirable for the “leadership” to define what “normal” is on our behalf.
This pandemic has shown the spotlight on the sinister and dangerously destructive path of the Left. Even as every stupid TV commercial chirps that “we’re all in this together,” the actions of the leftists prove that they only think about themselves. As the Trump administration tries to navigate uncharted territory, rather than helping or offering encouragement the leftists turn any and every misstep into an opportunity for blame and finger-pointing. They are shameless Monday-morning quarterbacks, snooty geniuses who could have foreseen this crisis and done everything so perfectly that not a single American would have perished from a world-wide pandemic. And their lemmings, right on cue, are falling in line, choosing to believe what they are told rather than what they can see and hear for themselves. As a result of the Left’s dirty schemes we could end up with the sleazy, dithering idiot, Joe Biden, as POTUS.
Welcome to the new normal!
Thanks for the kind words, CW, and the terrific comment. You need to restart your blog!
I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote. In fact, I feel pretty sure that if this weren’t an election year and “Orange Man Bad” is up for re-election, none of this would even be happening. It sure didn’t when the H1N1 epidemic hit in 2009, but then, Obozo was Prez. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
New post up. Blog restarted…
Excellent! I’m on my way, and looking forward to it.
There is so much we don’t know about Covid19 and the so-called experts keep changing their recommendations, so it’s hard to know who is telling the truth.
I take common sense precautions like social distancing and hand washing. Like the flu, it can kill you, and the odds are probably somewhat higher that it will.
Well, I get what you’re saying, Chris. I just can’t even buy into that much (or little). I can get killed any time I drive away from my house. I just can’t live my life on the off chance that something with a very small percentage of killing me will actually do so.
Aside from that, it seems to me that the wearing, or not wearing, of a mask has now become a political statement of sorts, and in that case I want my position VERY clearly known.