:: Corona :: Reality Check ::

:: Opinion NOT Oblivion ::

:: Corona :: Reality Check :: 1 ::

Corona – Symbol of Fear of the Unknown OR the Imaginary Enemy and Dictatorship as Savior

Published :: on March 23, 2020, in Macedonian :: and in German in April 2020 

by :: Elizabeta Lindner

The solar corona can only be seen during a total solar eclipse. This is a beautiful and symbolic image for reflecting on the present and its majesty: the coronavirus.

If someone had told me just two weeks ago that the day would come when intellectuals, thinkers, artists, and other leading minds and creative individuals in our modern society would welcome totalitarianism and dictatorship as the only way to “prevent the enemy (the pandemic)”—I would have said they were out of their mind; no way. But two weeks ago, that began to change when I noticed that even people close to me were “mentally influenced”* by the virus and were angry at the “disobedient” ones, and automatically rejected my attempts to get them to think for themselves (conspiracy theories, untrue, real danger, etc.), because they naturally trust the media, the well-paid experts, and their governments (yes, plural, because I live in two cultures and in an international environment). So things turned out quite differently, and I still can’t understand that this reality—with all its madness—is what it is: reality.

There’s no one who could pinch my arm to check if I’m dreaming; we’re all in quarantine, which isn’t a problem for me because, as a freelance artist and independent contractor, I’ve never known it any other way and wouldn’t want to change it—if it were my free choice. But when the government presents this as my only option and forbids me from traveling, moving about, and meeting with friends—because it’s imposing a curfew as part of a state of emergency, claiming it’s “for our own good”—one naturally has to ask: Why is this “for our own good”? What exactly is the threat?

I’m no expert on the coronavirus or COVID-19, nor do I intend to become one; I’m just like all of us—an ordinary mortal trying to understand the threat and get closer to the truth.

:: BOO!::

The biggest threat we’re told about is the “spread of the coronavirus,” which—even though it’s happening too fast—still doesn’t seem logical or relevant to me; rather, for better or worse, I see the loss of common sense due to fear of the unknown as the real threat. The media are playing their role perfectly, as Chomsky has brilliantly demonstrated, so that right now, the coronavirus is taking center stage everywhere and is more powerful than any reasonable explanation—which everyone rejects anyway. Suddenly, everyone understands only the numbers, the curves, and the statistics from the experts—that is, the numbers from those experts who work closely with the powerful (not to say, who depend on them). Anyone can verify this (Google, WHO funding); I’m simply stating my opinion, for which I naturally expect to be fiercely attacked or at least rejected, because in these moments of pure fear, I expect nothing else from my fellow citizens—not even any sound, reasonable thinking or reasoning—since they are incapable of it.

I don’t want to impose an opinion—I can’t do that anyway—I just want to encourage people to think and reflect; that’s why the attacks and insults don’t trouble me so much. What worries me is that everyone refuses to think and to search for logical explanations, for the truth… and, accordingly, for appropriate protective measures.

Instead of being used as a preventive tool, COVID-19 tests are being used to generate dizzying statistics that indicate not the danger to life but the speed at which the virus is spreading—and our insufficient immunity to the new COVID-19 is constantly emphasized in this context. The horror is generated by numbers and statistics… Of course, those who test positive should remain in isolation; of course, the precautionary measures that apply to everyone are fine—but here we encounter another problem: Is it sufficient to assume that a potential lack of medical care is the cause of totalitarianism? Because, in my opinion, this is anything but logical and far from the truth, which is why I’d like to try to get closer to it.

This denial and ignorance of reality on the part of thinkers, journalists, artists, and intellectuals shocks me… I will endure the attacks because I know it’s normal to experience this; everyone—especially this minority that tries to get closer to the truth, or at least to encourage an openness to questioning and find logical answers—is exposed to them. What worries me most is that almost without exception, everyone refuses to get closer to the truth, choosing instead to focus on the mass media and viral videos on the internet, and that in the end, it is easier for them to tacitly and willingly accept the attack on our human dignity and human rights, to accept the restriction of freedom without hesitation—simply out of fear of COVID-19. But they’re forgetting one thing—the most important thing:

That we will never regain this freedom.

I simply refuse to believe that so many intelligent and open-minded people would remain silent—or worse, call for and welcome totalitarianism! Because of their unfounded fear (UNFOUNDED!!!) they are willing to destroy the cultural achievements, cultural clubs and associations, and events that have been built up over years and decades, as well as small and medium-sized businesses and institutions—including labor and human rights—to which people have dedicated themselves for decades and even a century, so that we can now destroy them all at once with a clouded sense of irresponsibility. And all this just BECAUSE OF ::

:: FEAR ::

Well, let me address this fear: The coronavirus broke out in China, a totalitarian country where police bans and checks are routine and the media is regulated by the government. The message was spread that it was these “strict measures” that defeated the coronavirus. And why are these data and reports credible when they come from a country that controls practically everything? And why didn’t these measures work in Italy? From where images and information about hundreds of deaths are spreading daily through the global media?

The reasoning given for why the virus is spreading so rapidly in Italy—which, incidentally, is laced with veiled hate speech, albeit so subtle that no one notices it—is that the Italians “have only themselves to blame” because they were “undisciplined.” So the Italians are to blame for dying in such large numbers… I see. The imposition of curfews, a state of emergency, and police checks—accompanied by panic and media surveillance, including the “documentation” of COVID-19 deaths (the number of which isn’t as spectacular as the media would like, see below!), as well as the sometimes shocking and melodramatic viral spread via social media—such as horror videos from hospitals, followed by emoticons with tears and sighs—are all part of what has already been drummed into everyone, and with which (almost) everyone is already infected: the fear of the unknown.

:: COVID-19 =?? COV=19 = FEAR = ?? CORONA = SARS-CoV2 ::

But in today’s modern world, information is easy to find—provided someone is interested in looking beyond the tiresome repetitions in the mass media and the propaganda; if they did, they would surely find information: The mortality rate in Italy is ENORMOUS every winter, partly due to the common flu. The numbers (as is also the case in Germany—there are studies and information available!) of deaths from influenza are, in fact, very high. Why? Because Italians enjoy good living conditions, lead good, healthy, and contented lives, and live to a very old age—which, unfortunately, combined with the flu, other illnesses, air pollution, and other factors (see below), leads to the death of a large portion of the elderly Italian population. If you want to be fair to the Italian people, who are currently the focus of the global media, don’t call them “undisciplined” or say “it’s their fault”—instead, take a look at this long-term medical study, which clearly illustrates mortality rates from 2014 to 2017. Ignoring this data is not only irresponsible but also dangerous and reckless, as it fuels the spread of misinformation and hatred toward innocent people who are subjected to an unprecedented media spectacle.

The government certainly bears some responsibility for this—through the already-criticized austerity measures and cuts to healthcare (this is the case in many other countries, even in Germany): miserable conditions and overburdened hospitals are a reality even without the coronavirus spectacle currently being played out around the world. This is a common situation during “flu season,” which has now only become more acute because Covid-19 means more people need help at the same time, putting even greater pressure on the system—all while under the constant scrutiny of the global public.

Added to this on social media are the quarantine videos of traumatized people (some of whom are exhibitionists, others because this is their only form of occupational therapy), which are flooded with disturbing images, and amid the chaos surrounding them—under pressure from the police, the media, and the hysteria—are sending these very video messages to lecture the world’s population to “stay home” and “not let what happened to them happen to you.” Yes, it’s true—it’s something “special,” and for the first time, the many deaths are being attributed to a “novel” flu-like illness—with the lovely name Corona or COVID-19—and this situation is being closely monitored by the media and broadcast worldwide under extreme conditions (police, hysteria, and quarantine). There were even photos of military trucks in a convoy allegedly transporting the bodies of the deceased (not visible in the picture—they could also be full of weapons or COVID-19 tests, or simply empty), which, unfortunately, had to be cremated rather than buried, without the family being able to be present—and quite a bit more—though I’m not saying that any of this isn’t also true; I’m just saying that, to a certain extent, it’s part of the overall media-driven and hysterical spectacle—which can hardly be denied.

Then there are even “selfies” and videos of exhibitionists mumbling or screaming messages from hospital rooms while on ventilators… I don’t see the point of this, because I don’t know what purpose they’re supposed to serve amid this chaos and hysteria, other than to fuel the panic—which they certainly succeed in doing. In this world with its eternal paradox: fearful yet eager for more sensation and horror… but let’s see how long that lasts.

:: Actual Danger ::

What the media isn’t reporting is that the coronavirus isn’t entirely new and was likely already present in earlier influenza outbreaks, but no one documented it as anything special; more on that :: A fiasco in the making? As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, we are making decisions without reliable data

This year, it’s being documented extensively, and there’s also an explicit insistence on it: test, test, test—which actually has no logical explanation but only serves to distort the facts even further; namely, the facts that are truly important for a virus—not its rapid spread, but its actual danger:: the consequences of the disease and mortality rates—among which groups of patients, etc. Testing would make sense if ALL CITIZENS of a country were tested at the same time and those who tested positive were immediately placed in isolation… But of course, that doesn’t happen anywhere, since testing (as is the case in Germany) costs money—between 120 and 250 euros. If you have severe symptoms and serious health issues or have been to one of the high-risk countries, health insurance covers it; if you want to get tested on your own, you pay for it yourself (if you can even get an appointment). Not to mention the test’s inaccuracy, which is why up to three tests—as in the case of Angela Merkel—are necessary to obtain reliable results. From this perspective, testing is not just a fiasco, but rather a statistical and media circus surrounding the coronavirus, which, incidentally, also generates profits.

A virus is dangerous because of the consequences it has for the infected organism and the mortality it causes among everyone—or, as in this case, among a high-risk group of patients. You don’t have to be a doctor to know this; you just have to think logically—but unfortunately, these two clear indicators of the danger posed by the coronavirus are being omitted—whether consciously or unconsciously. There is information about millions of infected people and thousands of deaths in Italy and Spain, but NOTHING about the actual danger: the course of the disease in patients (or patient groups), treatment, recovery, and mortality—most often in combination with other diseases and pre-existing conditions (which currently play no role at all in the statistics) of the deceased—most of whom, as is well known, would have died even without the coronavirus! —But as soon as COVID-19 is detected, regardless of any other illnesses, it is listed as the official cause of death. So it’s very simple math; you can understand it if you want to. But unfortunately, most people are busy snitching on the “disobedient,” caught up in their hysterical fear of the unknown.

Under these conditions, thinking becomes impossible; this ability is suppressed by fear. It’s easier and more convenient—you don’t have to make an effort—there are people who tell you what to do and how to do it; all that’s left is to find the “appropriate measures,” and everything will be fine. And these appropriate measures are, of course, left up to the government. First it says, “Wash your hands, sneeze and cough into your elbow, don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth,” then “Stay home,” then “Quarantine, isolation,” and then everything shuts down—first cultural institutions, clubs, and cafés, then small businesses, followed by medium-sized and large ones… But something remains open so that life doesn’t disappear entirely. And life doesn’t disappear entirely, but it changes, and that’s reflected in toilet paper and other favorite products—soap, flour, yeast… People are social beings; they need company—some less, some more; we’re all different. But as always, the state wants us all to be the same, identical, uniform… But that’s not possible. That’s why some people start insulting and attacking their fellow human beings because they’re out in groups, “throwing Corona parties,” not keeping their distance—because they’re undisciplined—in other words, “JUST LIKE the Italians,” who are “themselves to blame” for everything that happens to them. “The same thing will happen to us,” they think to themselves, which means that the equivalence is already there, and with this behavior—whether consciously or unconsciously—people serve the state; they become its enforcers, exactly what the state expects of them: to divide themselves once again into “us and them”… this time based on a virus and the (lack of) discipline regarding it. Because our fear (as you already know!) is their power, and we can’t help but give it to them.

Wouldn’t it be a much more reasonable solution for everyone to better protect the elderly and the vulnerable?* To protect the so-called “at-risk group” in particular—which doesn’t mean abolishing hygiene and basic protective measures, but rather organizing the “stay-at-home” policy differently in a targeted way and taking special care of this group? No. The government wanted EVERYONE to be part of this strict program of measures—but how? As if we were all the same as human beings and did the exact same things? Even robots can be different, even though they’re programmed the same way; even dogs, cats, mice, and all animals have different personalities. And how are we all supposed to be the same all at once? What’s the point?

So that it doesn’t work?

And one last question: Is the threat posed by the virus really justified? Or is it simply that the fear of those who have sufficient grounds for it—and who belong to the group of academics, the highly educated, thinkers, artists, etc.—is stronger, while among the “illiterate,” “simple,” “young,” “teenagers,” it isn’t heightened at all—they “hang out without social distancing” and “endanger everyone else” with an unclear threat? I don’t think it’s okay to do things “out of defiance” or to accuse the “disobedient citizen” of a lack of discipline simply because they’re different and their social and personal instincts work that way—do we think we’re going to “re-educate” these people? Laugh at them first? Then threaten them with a beating? A fine, prison, a bullet? —Well, not far from reality—those are the next steps. “Because otherwise we’ll all die.” No, we certainly won’t die, since there are logical explanations for the danger posed by this virus, which isn’t as deadly (an “apocalyptic horseman”) as the media wants to portray it as being “in irresponsible Italy” (Spain, soon New York).

That’s why it’s clear: Precautionary measures and a two-week quarantine, YES! Totalitarianism and dictatorship, NO!

If you ask me—but even if you don’t, I’ll tell you anyway—I find some of these “disobedient and undisciplined people” more likable than many who snitch, point fingers at others, insult and belittle them, or lecture them. Because I think that, since their minds are less brainwashed, they intuitively don’t trust the state, which in this case neither has enough arguments to keep them all at home nor can it present such arguments. Nevertheless, the majority is convinced by these presentations, but how and why remains unclear to me.

In both Macedonia and Germany, the mortality rate from COVID-19 is quite low; one could even say there are only isolated cases. I won’t say anything more about the reporting of infection numbers and these curves that we’re supposed to “flatten”… The numbers speak for themselves. Despite the “lack” of deaths and information from the ICU, fear is still deeply ingrained. Practically everyone is afraid and is taking action against the “imaginary enemy” because there is no real enemy. But unfortunately, this imaginary enemy is spreading through the statistics and “clinging” to the people mentioned above—whom I’m not saying I fully justify, but whom I still understand—yet as potential carriers of the imaginary enemy, the virus, they are the ones who stir up outrage, hatred, and anger among the “conscious and conscientious,” to the point that they even begin to demand even stricter protective measures—and then go so far as to call for dictatorship as the best way to handle the situation. Because—and here’s the paradox again—(the always totalitarian) China and Italy—both of them!—are successfully managing the crisis in this way.

Is anyone even aware of these comparisons and the scale of the catastrophe that is coming our way and will soon call our future into question? Does anyone even realize that it is not the coronavirus—which is not the feared “killer”—that is destroying our future and placing us under total control, but rather those fighting it?

It is time to think about the real enemy, because if you allow this to happen, you will be the one handing out “Stars of David” this time and marking the area with a different symbol instead of a swastika. YOU are the ones who, unconsciously—driven by the desire to protect yourselves from the “imaginary enemy”—will bring about precisely what still takes our breath away to this day: fascism.

Do YOU think that’s not you? No, no, not YOU? YOU are doing everything right, but “those others” are to blame—they’re undisciplined, this and that, different, enemies! And because of them, YOU need tougher measures… Okay, but don’t forget that those tougher measures will then apply to all of US, and that even when the coronavirus is gone, the next madness will already be upon us in the form of an economic crisis—and when you’re fighting over flour, yeast, and toilet paper, there will be a state of despair, poverty, hatred, and depression—a state of abnormality. And your children will never forgive you, just as they never forgave the parents of World War II; on the contrary, even grandchildren are still having to work through these family traumas to this day —it’s not over yet—and the next crisis is coming, and likely the next generation will be subjected to yet another totalitarian system, thanks to the recklessness, fear, and conformity of parents and fellow citizens who neither learn anything from history nor wish to prevent its repetition; on the contrary, the time has come when the citizens of democratic countries applaud and welcome dictatorship, because—as always—with its firm hand, it will protect them from the unknown enemy and pit them against one another—while its politics will immediately turn to triumph—and move forward with new ventures toward new profits and projects intended for personal gain in collaboration with corporations and the infamous 1%. And we will all, as always, be the big losers… But perhaps now is our chance to finally say NO and leave behind the fear and the idiotism and all the other “-isms” that, as we should have already learned, are not suited for the future—and to seek more appropriate measures for the present against the plague, measures that are transparent, comprehensible, and in line with common sense and human rights—because several respected doctors have already stated very clearly that these totalitarian measures are EXAGGERATED and UNNECESSARY—and have warned against the politicians’ frivolity. And unfortunately, we see all of this… but very few speak up with a critical voice, because those who think differently are immediately dismissed as “conspiracy theorists” by the “leading” (literally) media. That’s why Rosa Luxemburg’s* saying fits quite well as a conclusion: Freedom is always the freedom of the dissenters.

Think about that, and simply think differently from what the media tells you. Question things.

 

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

LINKS :: if you understand German, go under the German text :: HERE

I selected only the English ones here ::