Masks. Most people knew they were BS. But most went along with them. Feeling an obligation to not frighten those who did. Kindness. Compassion. Those poor little old ladies, frightened by bare faces. To wear a mask was just being nice to your fellow man. Not a big deal. But it was. A "big f'n deal."
Masks. Most people knew they were BS. But most went along with them. Feeling an obligation to not frighten those who did. Kindness. Compassion. Those poor little old ladies, frightened by bare faces. To wear a mask was just being nice to your fellow man. Not a big deal. But it was. A "big f'n deal."
"Masks mandates aren't my hill to die on."
=
"Free speech isn't my hill to die on."
All who said the first were actually saying the second, whether they knew it or not. And by making that declaration, followed by the widespread compliance with mask mandates the authorities have predictably continued to strip away our First Amendment protections.
Masks were always known to be unsupported by medical science, ineffective, worthless facial decorations. But the *symbolism* of them had value for the behavioral scientists. They helped "amplify fear" (aka terrorized) of disease and spread awareness, acting as "nonpharmaceutical interventions" that scared people apart, changing perceptions and resulting in behavioral changes in social interactions.
Symbols. Symbols are speech. The oldest form of speech. Communication even the illiterate understand. Like flags, crosses, mascots, colors, cave drawings, etc. "Show you care." "Be afraid." "I'm protecting you." "I'm taking this seriously." Speech.
And to mandate speech, "Show you care" is the other side of the same free speech coin from censorship. To show a bare face when masks were mandated to "follow the (behavioral) science of "Fear Amplifcation" was to contradict and ineffectuate the NPI. How dare you shout "calm down, there is no fire" in a theater where those in charge screamed "fire" to clear it?!?! That was their thinking and rationale. So much so that even a baby without a symbolic mask on his/her face was grounds to toss entire families off of planes, "Your baby isn't amplifying fear sufficiently with a free face, others might get the idea that we have nothing to fear. And we can't have that!"
To not wear a mask was to speak "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" against the state as it was demanding our fear - for our own protection and safety, of course!
But, masks weren't the hill to die on for most of our friends, families, neighbors, employers, business owners, teachers, lawyers, judges. That told those of us who were making this argument all we needed to know about how little most people truly care about free speech and how few will even fight to preserve it.
The Land of the Free, Home of the Brave? Apparently not. Not brave enough to fight for free speech. Which was what mask mandates were all about. And here we are four years later. Predictably for those of us who saw the implications to the First Amendment of mandating symbols, speech. They get people to give up essential rights and liberty, the most essential right of all, as an act of "kindness."
In the words and song of Nick Lowe, there are times that require us to be cruel to be truly kind. They convinced most to believe it's kind to terrorize each other.
"Nice" societies are rarely free. Remember when Americans would be characterized as "ugly Americans" by Europeans when they travel? We were known as being rude, selfish, overbearing, entitled, etc. The continental elites would tsk-tsk us, the effete Americans would look down at their fellow nationals, embarrassed to be American, wanting to be liked, seen as the "nice" American, contrasted with the typical Neanderthal.
Very much like those who've called other Americans "deplorables" and "bitter-clingers." Same people. Well it's that deplorable bitter-clinger American DNA that once kept us free. And it will be the deplorable bitter-clinger American DNA that will set us free again...once we stop caring about being "nice." It may sound counterintuitive, but it's nicer to be rude as a society than it is to be "nice." A free society is the nicest society there is. "Selfish freedom" is the only type of freedom there is. It's a virtue, not a defect.
Masks. Most people knew they were BS. But most went along with them. Feeling an obligation to not frighten those who did. Kindness. Compassion. Those poor little old ladies, frightened by bare faces. To wear a mask was just being nice to your fellow man. Not a big deal. But it was. A "big f'n deal."
"Masks mandates aren't my hill to die on."
=
"Free speech isn't my hill to die on."
All who said the first were actually saying the second, whether they knew it or not. And by making that declaration, followed by the widespread compliance with mask mandates the authorities have predictably continued to strip away our First Amendment protections.
Masks were always known to be unsupported by medical science, ineffective, worthless facial decorations. But the *symbolism* of them had value for the behavioral scientists. They helped "amplify fear" (aka terrorized) of disease and spread awareness, acting as "nonpharmaceutical interventions" that scared people apart, changing perceptions and resulting in behavioral changes in social interactions.
Symbols. Symbols are speech. The oldest form of speech. Communication even the illiterate understand. Like flags, crosses, mascots, colors, cave drawings, etc. "Show you care." "Be afraid." "I'm protecting you." "I'm taking this seriously." Speech.
And to mandate speech, "Show you care" is the other side of the same free speech coin from censorship. To show a bare face when masks were mandated to "follow the (behavioral) science of "Fear Amplifcation" was to contradict and ineffectuate the NPI. How dare you shout "calm down, there is no fire" in a theater where those in charge screamed "fire" to clear it?!?! That was their thinking and rationale. So much so that even a baby without a symbolic mask on his/her face was grounds to toss entire families off of planes, "Your baby isn't amplifying fear sufficiently with a free face, others might get the idea that we have nothing to fear. And we can't have that!"
To not wear a mask was to speak "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" against the state as it was demanding our fear - for our own protection and safety, of course!
But, masks weren't the hill to die on for most of our friends, families, neighbors, employers, business owners, teachers, lawyers, judges. That told those of us who were making this argument all we needed to know about how little most people truly care about free speech and how few will even fight to preserve it.
The Land of the Free, Home of the Brave? Apparently not. Not brave enough to fight for free speech. Which was what mask mandates were all about. And here we are four years later. Predictably for those of us who saw the implications to the First Amendment of mandating symbols, speech. They get people to give up essential rights and liberty, the most essential right of all, as an act of "kindness."
In the words and song of Nick Lowe, there are times that require us to be cruel to be truly kind. They convinced most to believe it's kind to terrorize each other.
https://vimeo.com/3393451
Tell it like it is FF!
Love this post!
Thank you for this. 1,000%.
It was unreal - and we've never recovered. Lately I hear "Better to be kind than right." Get ready for Part II.
"Nice" societies are rarely free. Remember when Americans would be characterized as "ugly Americans" by Europeans when they travel? We were known as being rude, selfish, overbearing, entitled, etc. The continental elites would tsk-tsk us, the effete Americans would look down at their fellow nationals, embarrassed to be American, wanting to be liked, seen as the "nice" American, contrasted with the typical Neanderthal.
Very much like those who've called other Americans "deplorables" and "bitter-clingers." Same people. Well it's that deplorable bitter-clinger American DNA that once kept us free. And it will be the deplorable bitter-clinger American DNA that will set us free again...once we stop caring about being "nice." It may sound counterintuitive, but it's nicer to be rude as a society than it is to be "nice." A free society is the nicest society there is. "Selfish freedom" is the only type of freedom there is. It's a virtue, not a defect.
I believe millions of cruel Boomers born of the cruel Greatest Generation are going to do our part in November.