My biggest regret about the midterms was how I was so absolutely wrong about the Covid nonsense. I thought for sure that - surely - this was an issue that red-blooded Americans could come together on. Liberal and conservative. Red and blue. That there was no way THIS tyranny would stand. That there was no way that these politicians wouldn’t be punished now, two years later, when they were finally facing the voters.
Nope.
I’m not sure if I’m more ashamed of myself for being so naive or if I’m ashamed of my fellow citizens for being so mindlessly subservient.
Every zoomer needs to read this. They were most affected by college and high school closures, but still voted overwhelmingly for those who ruined their lives. Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction - we can’t let cognitive dissonance and TikTok take the kids.
"then “forgetting” your mask and making them ask, every single time"
A thousand times, YES. I did this for roughly the entirety of the mask tyranny. I MADE them tell me. Sometimes I'd turn around and walk out, if I didn't really need what I went there for. At Econo I'd say, "Are you still doing this shit??" when they'd accost me upon entering.
Other times I'd mask up when they told me to, then unmask when I left their jurisdiction. This worked very well in airports, because you go through up to 3 jurisdictions (bag check, TSA check, metal detector) before you escape to the freedom of the airport terminal, so I made every jurisdiction make me...and quite often at least 1 and sometimes 2 of the jurisdictions wouldn't confront me.
Even at the agriculture scanner in San Juan I deliberately entered the airport and carried on a conversation with the ag personnel for a minute or until my bags came through, and more often than not they didn't say boo. Ditto at bag check-in counters, and even the TSA checkpoint person. The point is, we MUST be, as you say, ungovernable, and MAKE them make us, if we've no other choice (e.g. to fly), and then immediately resist again. At Boston's Logan Airport earlier this year before the mask mandate was struck down, I went unmasked the entire time, and at one point I walked past maybe a dozen city cops, state troopers, and TSA agents over the course of 30 seconds, and I made sure to walk right next to them, and I looked at their faces, I didn't look away. Not a one of them said boo.
We must resist at every opportunity. Because it'll be easier to fight, when that time comes.
i focused on the fact that this was duress, coerced, and threat driven and tried not to let it seep into some sort of compliance acceptance.
Back when the Covid nonsense and tyranny first started, my pastor was all big on "We are all in this together" and that wearing masks and, later, getting vaccinated, was a sign of solidarity and caring. I pointed out that forced compliance was not a sign of solidarity anymore than paying your taxes by involuntarily having them withheld from your paycheck was a sign that you were civic-minded. I said that I would not object to people saying these things IF we truly had a choice in the matter; but the fact is, no matter how noble the rationalization, we did not. And that it was not a matter that was up for discussion. At the time I did not know how much longer I would be able to remain employed due to Biden's jab mandate. Fortunately, it never came down to my having to make a choice between the jab and work but the threat was there, and I did not appreciate it one bit. I told him that as far as I was concerned he was supporting medical tyranny and I could not, would not go along with it. I was not going to dress it up with pretty words and phony sentiments.
His response was "well, obviously this is something you feel strongly about" (ya think?) and that he wished to make an appointment with me to discuss this further. Having been through this sort of thing before, I knew that this was code for sit down and shut up and listen to your betters. My suspicions were confirmed when I learned that a long-time member of the church (40 years) was told in a similar sit-down session over this same issue that if they had a problem with this they would be better off leaving. In other words, "my way or the highway." They chose to leave. And so have I.
The pandemic was like a case study in cognitive dissonance of Orwellian proportions. So much about it was defined by the lies that covid spazzes told themselves to solve the broken connection between their actions and the values they preach.
One thing I’ve made into a little amusing hobby is finding “old” stickers and signs and other reminders of the Covid Craziness in and around businesses and other public places and discreetly peeling them off or otherwise folding them up, then depositing them in the nearest trash container. Haven’t been apprehended or reprimanded yet. It’s actually kind of amazing how people will not notice you bending over and peeling a “6 feet” sticker off the floor, as if you were invisible. Perhaps I am! 😸
Great stuff, Bad Cat! The book, "Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me" covers dissonance theory and confirms much of what you say. ION, please be advised that, as is my habit, I will likely use some of those images either on Twitter or on Instagram. Citing you is 50/50, but you expected that too.
Some inferences -- such as what we can expect governments to do with CBDCs -- are just too frightening for most people to contemplate. So they keep their thoughts on a leash.
I followed the petty rebellion approach. For example - mask required inside. someone approaches with a mask, very polite. "I forgot mine". make them get one for you...multiple times. Take mask and put in pocket, approaches again, I say "oh thank you," take one, do not put it on. They eventually leave in disgust but don't do anything about it. If escalated to manager, "I have asma, I have a disability". I did not mask within the airport - only on the plane (cost too high for me). Recently at Dr's office, I loudly say "I thought this was over! and Jeez, still doing this?" My kids get uncomfortable but they are learning life is uncomfortable. I don't mind it but you need the mental energy to push back hard and make their cost to enforce higher than they are willing pay.
Resist in all ways possible, even if it feels small and insignificant. It isn’t petty at all. It is resistance, and can even be fun. Don’t let any of this go quietly or assumed. Question the rules, poke fun at them, ask incisive questions; make it hard, not easy, for the system to garner compliance.
"if you accepted the magnitude of the threat, you'd have to do something about it or feel like a craven and a failure for doing nothing. and very few are willing to do that, especially if the cost of standing up is high."
Interesting thought. It seems the COVID crisis appears as the counter example: people readily accepted an overstatement of the magnitude of risk and then rejected any kind of realistic risk assessment process. In deed those calling for risk analysis were called extreme. We got to the point where using emergency authorizations to administer an unapproved drug to a population with near zero risk of serious complications from COVID (kids) seemed reasonable. Because the risk was vastly overstated (or even fabricated). So how did we get there?
Let's jump in the way-back machine, set for November 2019. The US economy was booming. US Energy exports had freed most of Europe from the lock of Russian energy products. OPEC and Russia were not happy about the competition. Despite much media and political effort, the US president at the time was gaining popularity, especially in Europe where the disdain from elite rulers was being overcome by the mass of relative peace and prosperity. The media was flummoxed. The Party's outlook for sweeping away this outsider seemed bleak. A re-election of the outsider seemed a lock. Times were dire, in deed. A few racially motivated riots hadn't don the job. Dire times require dire measures: a good crisis was needed. But what?
Along comes a new flu bug. Reports were that it was a nasty one. Still, in December 2019 "all the experts" were cautioning not to panic. By early January, it was clear there was a threat, but all evidence was "a bad flu year" and not global disaster. But, by the end of January, it was clear this could be escalated and used for political benefit. But could it escalate to the level of crisis needed?
Remember, at this stage, president Trump expressed concerns were labeled an over-reaction. When president Trump echoed the WHO advice that travel to and from China might be restricted, WHO reversed the recommendation to say "travel restrictions are NOT recommended". Don't believe orange man, he doesn't know "science".
What a difference a month made. By March, we were in full blown crisis. Coordinated efforts to shut down economies in most states were achieved. The rate at which people accepted a magnitude of risk that, on any rational analytical method was hard to justify, was astounding. Even absurd. And the absurdity snow-balled. With millions of prospering businesses shut down by edict, the strong economy was much less a barrier to effective campaigning against Trump.
So failing to accept the true magnitude of risk, but in the reverse direction, was essential - still is essential - to the COVID phenomena.
I had some wonderful conversations with wonderful people who I'd've never conversed with, because I only ever wore two masks, and the masks were what encouraged people to talk with me:
MY GOVERNOR IS AN IDIOT
and
THIS IS DUMB
You'd be amazed and how well they worked as conversation starters. Fellow customers, FAs, pilots, gate agents, other gate employees, even passengers as I'd walk down the aisle to my seat.
“the exact people who just got done being lied to by the government for the gazillionth time turn around and trust it.” And, by extension, the media who have mastered the art of lying and gaslighting. I mean, it only took CBS News 769 days to acknowledge Hunter’s laptop wasn’t “all the hallmarks of Russian disinformation” and was, actually, Hunters. Conveniently acknowledged after the mid-terms nonetheless.
All of it spot on. The only time I wore masks was on a few flights. But what I did do is walk around the airport without one in defiance.
Gnashing of teeth resentment. I think that's what they wanted for folks like us that saw through the tyranny. To break our will and to sow conflict in a no win situation.
Take pictures of flight attendants breaking their own rules next time. They all did back by the lavatories. Blackmail works.
My biggest regret about the midterms was how I was so absolutely wrong about the Covid nonsense. I thought for sure that - surely - this was an issue that red-blooded Americans could come together on. Liberal and conservative. Red and blue. That there was no way THIS tyranny would stand. That there was no way that these politicians wouldn’t be punished now, two years later, when they were finally facing the voters.
Nope.
I’m not sure if I’m more ashamed of myself for being so naive or if I’m ashamed of my fellow citizens for being so mindlessly subservient.
Every zoomer needs to read this. They were most affected by college and high school closures, but still voted overwhelmingly for those who ruined their lives. Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction - we can’t let cognitive dissonance and TikTok take the kids.
"then “forgetting” your mask and making them ask, every single time"
A thousand times, YES. I did this for roughly the entirety of the mask tyranny. I MADE them tell me. Sometimes I'd turn around and walk out, if I didn't really need what I went there for. At Econo I'd say, "Are you still doing this shit??" when they'd accost me upon entering.
Other times I'd mask up when they told me to, then unmask when I left their jurisdiction. This worked very well in airports, because you go through up to 3 jurisdictions (bag check, TSA check, metal detector) before you escape to the freedom of the airport terminal, so I made every jurisdiction make me...and quite often at least 1 and sometimes 2 of the jurisdictions wouldn't confront me.
Even at the agriculture scanner in San Juan I deliberately entered the airport and carried on a conversation with the ag personnel for a minute or until my bags came through, and more often than not they didn't say boo. Ditto at bag check-in counters, and even the TSA checkpoint person. The point is, we MUST be, as you say, ungovernable, and MAKE them make us, if we've no other choice (e.g. to fly), and then immediately resist again. At Boston's Logan Airport earlier this year before the mask mandate was struck down, I went unmasked the entire time, and at one point I walked past maybe a dozen city cops, state troopers, and TSA agents over the course of 30 seconds, and I made sure to walk right next to them, and I looked at their faces, I didn't look away. Not a one of them said boo.
We must resist at every opportunity. Because it'll be easier to fight, when that time comes.
i focused on the fact that this was duress, coerced, and threat driven and tried not to let it seep into some sort of compliance acceptance.
Back when the Covid nonsense and tyranny first started, my pastor was all big on "We are all in this together" and that wearing masks and, later, getting vaccinated, was a sign of solidarity and caring. I pointed out that forced compliance was not a sign of solidarity anymore than paying your taxes by involuntarily having them withheld from your paycheck was a sign that you were civic-minded. I said that I would not object to people saying these things IF we truly had a choice in the matter; but the fact is, no matter how noble the rationalization, we did not. And that it was not a matter that was up for discussion. At the time I did not know how much longer I would be able to remain employed due to Biden's jab mandate. Fortunately, it never came down to my having to make a choice between the jab and work but the threat was there, and I did not appreciate it one bit. I told him that as far as I was concerned he was supporting medical tyranny and I could not, would not go along with it. I was not going to dress it up with pretty words and phony sentiments.
His response was "well, obviously this is something you feel strongly about" (ya think?) and that he wished to make an appointment with me to discuss this further. Having been through this sort of thing before, I knew that this was code for sit down and shut up and listen to your betters. My suspicions were confirmed when I learned that a long-time member of the church (40 years) was told in a similar sit-down session over this same issue that if they had a problem with this they would be better off leaving. In other words, "my way or the highway." They chose to leave. And so have I.
The pandemic was like a case study in cognitive dissonance of Orwellian proportions. So much about it was defined by the lies that covid spazzes told themselves to solve the broken connection between their actions and the values they preach.
One thing I’ve made into a little amusing hobby is finding “old” stickers and signs and other reminders of the Covid Craziness in and around businesses and other public places and discreetly peeling them off or otherwise folding them up, then depositing them in the nearest trash container. Haven’t been apprehended or reprimanded yet. It’s actually kind of amazing how people will not notice you bending over and peeling a “6 feet” sticker off the floor, as if you were invisible. Perhaps I am! 😸
Great stuff, Bad Cat! The book, "Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me" covers dissonance theory and confirms much of what you say. ION, please be advised that, as is my habit, I will likely use some of those images either on Twitter or on Instagram. Citing you is 50/50, but you expected that too.
Some inferences -- such as what we can expect governments to do with CBDCs -- are just too frightening for most people to contemplate. So they keep their thoughts on a leash.
I followed the petty rebellion approach. For example - mask required inside. someone approaches with a mask, very polite. "I forgot mine". make them get one for you...multiple times. Take mask and put in pocket, approaches again, I say "oh thank you," take one, do not put it on. They eventually leave in disgust but don't do anything about it. If escalated to manager, "I have asma, I have a disability". I did not mask within the airport - only on the plane (cost too high for me). Recently at Dr's office, I loudly say "I thought this was over! and Jeez, still doing this?" My kids get uncomfortable but they are learning life is uncomfortable. I don't mind it but you need the mental energy to push back hard and make their cost to enforce higher than they are willing pay.
This is really vital, imo.
Resist in all ways possible, even if it feels small and insignificant. It isn’t petty at all. It is resistance, and can even be fun. Don’t let any of this go quietly or assumed. Question the rules, poke fun at them, ask incisive questions; make it hard, not easy, for the system to garner compliance.
More powerful than we might realize.
"if you accepted the magnitude of the threat, you'd have to do something about it or feel like a craven and a failure for doing nothing. and very few are willing to do that, especially if the cost of standing up is high."
Interesting thought. It seems the COVID crisis appears as the counter example: people readily accepted an overstatement of the magnitude of risk and then rejected any kind of realistic risk assessment process. In deed those calling for risk analysis were called extreme. We got to the point where using emergency authorizations to administer an unapproved drug to a population with near zero risk of serious complications from COVID (kids) seemed reasonable. Because the risk was vastly overstated (or even fabricated). So how did we get there?
Let's jump in the way-back machine, set for November 2019. The US economy was booming. US Energy exports had freed most of Europe from the lock of Russian energy products. OPEC and Russia were not happy about the competition. Despite much media and political effort, the US president at the time was gaining popularity, especially in Europe where the disdain from elite rulers was being overcome by the mass of relative peace and prosperity. The media was flummoxed. The Party's outlook for sweeping away this outsider seemed bleak. A re-election of the outsider seemed a lock. Times were dire, in deed. A few racially motivated riots hadn't don the job. Dire times require dire measures: a good crisis was needed. But what?
Along comes a new flu bug. Reports were that it was a nasty one. Still, in December 2019 "all the experts" were cautioning not to panic. By early January, it was clear there was a threat, but all evidence was "a bad flu year" and not global disaster. But, by the end of January, it was clear this could be escalated and used for political benefit. But could it escalate to the level of crisis needed?
Remember, at this stage, president Trump expressed concerns were labeled an over-reaction. When president Trump echoed the WHO advice that travel to and from China might be restricted, WHO reversed the recommendation to say "travel restrictions are NOT recommended". Don't believe orange man, he doesn't know "science".
What a difference a month made. By March, we were in full blown crisis. Coordinated efforts to shut down economies in most states were achieved. The rate at which people accepted a magnitude of risk that, on any rational analytical method was hard to justify, was astounding. Even absurd. And the absurdity snow-balled. With millions of prospering businesses shut down by edict, the strong economy was much less a barrier to effective campaigning against Trump.
So failing to accept the true magnitude of risk, but in the reverse direction, was essential - still is essential - to the COVID phenomena.
Covidians:
Six feet! Social distance. Wear your mask!!!
Me
Awwww, does Grumpty Dumpty need a hug?
"you may find you develop quite a taste for it.
you may find you develop quite a flair for it.
you may find that you are having fun."
I had some wonderful conversations with wonderful people who I'd've never conversed with, because I only ever wore two masks, and the masks were what encouraged people to talk with me:
MY GOVERNOR IS AN IDIOT
and
THIS IS DUMB
You'd be amazed and how well they worked as conversation starters. Fellow customers, FAs, pilots, gate agents, other gate employees, even passengers as I'd walk down the aisle to my seat.
“the exact people who just got done being lied to by the government for the gazillionth time turn around and trust it.” And, by extension, the media who have mastered the art of lying and gaslighting. I mean, it only took CBS News 769 days to acknowledge Hunter’s laptop wasn’t “all the hallmarks of Russian disinformation” and was, actually, Hunters. Conveniently acknowledged after the mid-terms nonetheless.
All of it spot on. The only time I wore masks was on a few flights. But what I did do is walk around the airport without one in defiance.
Gnashing of teeth resentment. I think that's what they wanted for folks like us that saw through the tyranny. To break our will and to sow conflict in a no win situation.
Take pictures of flight attendants breaking their own rules next time. They all did back by the lavatories. Blackmail works.
Worked for me most the time.
"i made waters and coffees and crackers last HOURS to keep the masks off in acts of self-protection"
Lol. So did I. "Two waters, please". And I bought my own supply of crackers. Rage against the cosplay tyranny, one nibble at a time.