{"id":7368,"date":"2026-09-04T13:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T11:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slovokult-literatur.de\/?page_id=7368"},"modified":"2026-09-04T18:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T16:44:46","slug":"corona-reality-check-1-english","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.slovokult-literatur.de\/index.php\/opinion-instead-of-oblivion\/corona-reality-check-1-english\/","title":{"rendered":":: Corona :: Reality Check ::"},"content":{"rendered":"

:: Opinion NOT Oblivion ::<\/a><\/h4>\n

:: Corona :: Reality Check :: 1 ::<\/h4>\n

Corona \u2013 Symbol of Fear of the Unknown OR the Imaginary Enemy and Dictatorship as Savior<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Published :: on March 23, 2020, in Macedonian<\/a> :: and in\u00a0German in April 2020\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

by :: Elizabeta Lindner<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 \u201cprevent the enemy (the pandemic)\u201d\u2014I 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 \u201cmentally influenced\u201d* by the virus and were angry at the \u201cdisobedient\u201d 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\u2019t understand that this reality\u2014with all its madness\u2014is what it is: reality.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no one who could pinch my arm to check if I\u2019m dreaming; we\u2019re all in quarantine, which isn\u2019t a problem for me because, as a freelance artist and independent contractor, I\u2019ve never known it any other way and wouldn\u2019t want to change it\u2014if 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\u2014because it\u2019s imposing a curfew as part of a state of emergency, claiming it\u2019s \u201cfor our own good\u201d\u2014one naturally has to ask: Why is this \u201cfor our own good\u201d? What exactly is the threat?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m no expert on the coronavirus or COVID-19, nor do I intend to become one; I\u2019m just like all of us\u2014an ordinary mortal trying to understand the threat and get closer to the truth.<\/p>\n

:: BOO!::<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The biggest threat we\u2019re told about is the \u201cspread of the coronavirus,\u201d which\u2014even though it\u2019s happening too fast\u2014still doesn\u2019t 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<\/a><\/strong>, so that right now, the coronavirus is taking center stage everywhere and is more powerful than any reasonable explanation\u2014which everyone rejects anyway. Suddenly, everyone understands only the numbers, the curves, and the statistics from the experts\u2014that 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\u2019m 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\u2014not even any sound, reasonable thinking or reasoning\u2014since they are incapable of it.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to impose an opinion\u2014I can\u2019t do that anyway\u2014I just want to encourage people to think and reflect; that\u2019s why the attacks and insults don\u2019t trouble me so much. What worries me is that everyone refuses to think and to search for logical explanations, for the truth\u2026 and, accordingly, for appropriate protective measures.<\/p>\n

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\u2014and our insufficient immunity to the new COVID-19 is constantly emphasized in this context. The horror is generated by numbers and statistics\u2026 Of course, those who test positive should remain in isolation; of course, the precautionary measures that apply to everyone are fine\u2014but 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\u2019d like to try to get closer to it.<\/p>\n

This denial and ignorance of reality on the part of thinkers, journalists, artists, and intellectuals shocks me\u2026 I will endure the attacks because I know it\u2019s normal to experience this; everyone\u2014especially this minority that tries to get closer to the truth, or at least to encourage an openness to questioning and find logical answers\u2014is 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\u2014simply out of fear of COVID-19. But they\u2019re forgetting one thing\u2014the most important thing:<\/p>\n

That we will never regain this freedom.<\/p>\n

I simply refuse to believe that so many intelligent and open-minded people would remain silent\u2014or 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\u2014including labor and human rights\u2014to 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 ::<\/p>\n

:: FEAR ::<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 \u201cstrict measures\u201d 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\u2019t these measures work in Italy? From where images and information about hundreds of deaths are spreading daily through the global media?<\/p>\n

The reasoning given for why the virus is spreading so rapidly in Italy\u2014which, incidentally, is laced with veiled hate speech, albeit so subtle that no one notices it\u2014is that the Italians \u201chave only themselves to blame\u201d because they were \u201cundisciplined.\u201d So the Italians are to blame for dying in such large numbers\u2026 I see. The imposition of curfews, a state of emergency, and police checks\u2014accompanied by panic and media surveillance, including the \u201cdocumentation\u201d of COVID-19 deaths (the number of which isn\u2019t as spectacular as the media would like, see below!), as well as the sometimes shocking and melodramatic viral spread via social media\u2014such as horror videos from hospitals, followed by emoticons with tears and sighs\u2014are all part of what has already been drummed into everyone, and with which (almost) everyone is already infected: the fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

:: COVID-19 =?? COV=19 = FEAR = ?? CORONA = SARS-CoV2 ::<\/strong><\/p>\n

But in today\u2019s modern world, information is easy to find\u2014provided 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\u2014there 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\u2014which, 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\u2019t call them \u201cundisciplined\u201d or say \u201cit\u2019s their fault\u201d\u2014instead, take a look at this long-term medical study, which clearly illustrates mortality rates from 2014 to 2017<\/a><\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n

The government certainly bears some responsibility for this\u2014through 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 \u201cflu season,\u201d 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\u2014all while under the constant scrutiny of the global public.<\/p>\n

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\u2014under pressure from the police, the media, and the hysteria\u2014are sending these very video messages to lecture the world\u2019s population to \u201cstay home\u201d and \u201cnot let what happened to them happen to you.\u201d Yes, it\u2019s true\u2014it\u2019s something \u201cspecial,\u201d and for the first time, the many deaths are being attributed to a \u201cnovel\u201d flu-like illness\u2014with the lovely name Corona or COVID-19\u2014and 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\u2014they 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\u2014and quite a bit more\u2014though I\u2019m not saying that any of this isn\u2019t also true; I\u2019m just saying that, to a certain extent, it\u2019s part of the overall media-driven and hysterical spectacle\u2014which can hardly be denied.<\/p>\n

Then there are even \u201cselfies\u201d and videos of exhibitionists mumbling or screaming messages from hospital rooms while on ventilators\u2026 I don\u2019t see the point of this, because I don\u2019t know what purpose they\u2019re supposed to serve amid this chaos and hysteria, other than to fuel the panic\u2014which they certainly succeed in doing. In this world with its eternal paradox: fearful yet eager for more sensation and horror\u2026 but let\u2019s see how long that lasts.<\/p>\n

:: Actual Danger ::<\/strong><\/p>\n

What the media isn\u2019t reporting is that the coronavirus isn\u2019t 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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This year, it\u2019s being documented extensively, and there\u2019s also an explicit insistence on it: test, test, test\u2014which actually has no logical explanation but only serves to distort the facts even further; namely, the facts that are truly important for a virus\u2014not its rapid spread, but its actual danger::\u00a0the consequences of the disease and mortality rates\u2014among 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\u2026 But of course, that doesn\u2019t happen anywhere, since testing (as is the case in Germany) costs money\u2014between 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\u2019s inaccuracy, which is why up to three tests\u2014as in the case of Angela Merkel\u2014are 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.<\/p>\n

A virus is dangerous because of the consequences it has for the infected organism and the mortality it causes among everyone\u2014or, as in this case, among a high-risk group of patients. You don\u2019t have to be a doctor to know this; you just have to think logically\u2014but unfortunately, these two clear indicators of the danger posed by the coronavirus are being omitted\u2014whether 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\u2014most often in combination with other diseases and pre-existing conditions (which currently play no role at all in the statistics) of the deceased\u2014most of whom, as is well known, would have died even without the coronavirus! \u2014But as soon as COVID-19 is detected, regardless of any other illnesses, it is listed as the official cause of death. So it\u2019s very simple math; you can understand it if you want to. But unfortunately, most people are busy snitching on the \u201cdisobedient,\u201d caught up in their hysterical fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

\"\"Under these conditions, thinking becomes impossible; this ability is suppressed by fear. It\u2019s easier and more convenient\u2014you don\u2019t have to make an effort\u2014there are people who tell you what to do and how to do it; all that\u2019s left is to find the \u201cappropriate measures,\u201d and everything will be fine. And these appropriate measures are, of course, left up to the government. First it says, \u201cWash your hands, sneeze and cough into your elbow, don\u2019t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth,\u201d then \u201cStay home,\u201d then \u201cQuarantine, isolation,\u201d and then everything shuts down\u2014first cultural institutions, clubs, and caf\u00e9s, then small businesses, followed by medium-sized and large ones\u2026 But something remains open so that life doesn\u2019t disappear entirely. And life doesn\u2019t disappear entirely, but it changes, and that\u2019s reflected in toilet paper and other favorite products\u2014soap, flour, yeast\u2026 People are social beings; they need company\u2014some less, some more; we\u2019re all different. But as always, the state wants us all to be the same, identical, uniform\u2026 But that\u2019s not possible. That\u2019s why some people start insulting and attacking their fellow human beings because they\u2019re out in groups, \u201cthrowing Corona parties,\u201d not keeping their distance\u2014because they\u2019re undisciplined\u2014in other words, \u201cJUST LIKE the Italians,\u201d who are \u201cthemselves to blame\u201d for everything that happens to them. \u201cThe same thing will happen to us,\u201d they think to themselves, which means that the equivalence is already there, and with this behavior\u2014whether consciously or unconsciously\u2014people serve the state; they become its enforcers, exactly what the state expects of them: to divide themselves once again into \u201cus and them\u201d\u2026 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\u2019t help but give it to them.<\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it be a much more reasonable solution for everyone to better protect the elderly and the vulnerable?* To protect the so-called \u201cat-risk group\u201d in particular\u2014which doesn\u2019t mean abolishing hygiene and basic protective measures, but rather organizing the \u201cstay-at-home\u201d 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\u2014but 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\u2019re 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\u2019s the point?<\/p>\n

So that it doesn\u2019t work?<\/p>\n

\"\"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\u2014and who belong to the group of academics, the highly educated, thinkers, artists, etc.\u2014is stronger, while among the \u201cilliterate,\u201d \u201csimple,\u201d \u201cyoung,\u201d \u201cteenagers,\u201d it isn\u2019t heightened at all\u2014they \u201chang out without social distancing\u201d and \u201cendanger everyone else\u201d with an unclear threat? I don\u2019t think it\u2019s okay to do things \u201cout of defiance\u201d or to accuse the \u201cdisobedient citizen\u201d of a lack of discipline simply because they\u2019re different and their social and personal instincts work that way\u2014do we think we\u2019re going to \u201cre-educate\u201d these people? Laugh at them first? Then threaten them with a beating? A fine, prison, a bullet? \u2014Well, not far from reality\u2014those are the next steps. \u201cBecause otherwise we\u2019ll all die.\u201d No, we certainly won\u2019t die, since there are logical explanations for the danger posed by this virus, which isn\u2019t as deadly (an \u201capocalyptic horseman\u201d) as the media wants to portray it as being \u201cin irresponsible Italy\u201d (Spain, soon New York).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s clear: Precautionary measures and a two-week quarantine, YES! Totalitarianism and dictatorship, NO!<\/p>\n

If you ask me\u2014but even if you don\u2019t, I\u2019ll tell you anyway\u2014I find some of these \u201cdisobedient and undisciplined people\u201d 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t say anything more about the reporting of infection numbers and these curves that we\u2019re supposed to \u201cflatten\u201d\u2026 The numbers speak for themselves. Despite the \u201clack\u201d of deaths and information from the ICU, fear is still deeply ingrained. Practically everyone is afraid and is taking action against the \u201cimaginary enemy\u201d because there is no real enemy. But unfortunately, this imaginary enemy is spreading through the statistics and \u201cclinging\u201d to the people mentioned above\u2014whom I\u2019m not saying I fully justify, but whom I still understand\u2014yet as potential carriers of the imaginary enemy, the virus, they are the ones who stir up outrage, hatred, and anger among the \u201cconscious and conscientious,\u201d to the point that they even begin to demand even stricter protective measures\u2014and then go so far as to call for dictatorship as the best way to handle the situation. Because\u2014and here\u2019s the paradox again\u2014(the always totalitarian) China and Italy\u2014both of them!\u2014are successfully managing the crisis in this way.<\/p>\n

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\u2014which is not the feared \u201ckiller\u201d\u2014that is destroying our future and placing us under total control, but rather those fighting it?<\/p>\n

\"\"
UH-1 Military Helicopter on sunset background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is time to think about the real enemy, because if you allow this to happen, you will be the one handing out \u201cStars of David\u201d this time and marking the area with a different symbol instead of a swastika. YOU are the ones who, unconsciously\u2014driven by the desire to protect yourselves from the \u201cimaginary enemy\u201d\u2014will bring about precisely what still takes our breath away to this day: fascism.<\/p>\n

Do YOU think that\u2019s not you? No, no, not YOU? YOU are doing everything right, but \u201cthose others\u201d are to blame\u2014they\u2019re undisciplined, this and that, different, enemies! And because of them, YOU need tougher measures\u2026 Okay, but don\u2019t 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\u2014and when you\u2019re fighting over flour, yeast, and toilet paper, there will be a state of despair, poverty, hatred, and depression\u2014a 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 \u2014it\u2019s not over yet\u2014and 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\u2014as always\u2014with its firm hand, it will protect them from the unknown enemy and pit them against one another\u2014while its politics will immediately turn to triumph\u2014and 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\u2026 But perhaps now is our chance to finally say NO and leave behind the fear and the idiotism and all the other \u201c-isms\u201d that, as we should have already learned, are not suited for the future\u2014and 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\u2014because several respected doctors have already stated very clearly that these totalitarian measures are EXAGGERATED and UNNECESSARY\u2014and have warned against the politicians\u2019 frivolity. And unfortunately, we see all of this\u2026 but very few speak up with a critical voice, because those who think differently are immediately dismissed as \u201cconspiracy theorists\u201d by the \u201cleading\u201d (literally) media. That\u2019s why Rosa Luxemburg\u2019s* saying fits quite well as a conclusion: Freedom is always the freedom of the dissenters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think about that, and simply think differently from what the media tells you. Question things.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Translated with DeepL.com<\/a> (free version)<\/i><\/p>\n

LINKS :: if you understand German, go under the German text :: HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

I selected only the English ones here ::<\/p>\n

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::\u00a0Giorgio Agamben: \u201cClarifications\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

::On Surveillance and Total Control:\u00a0: Yuval Noah Harari: the world after coronavirus<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

:: Mortality Data :: Age, Pre-existing Conditions\u2026 in Italy<\/a><\/p>\n

::\u00a0The mistakes made by the Italian government :: Doctor Vittorio Agnoletto.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

::\u00a0Critical Texts\u00a0@OffGuardian<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

::\u00a0\u201cCoronavirus Capitalism\u201d: Naomi Klein\u2019s Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic<\/a> <\/strong>::<\/p>\n

::\u00a0We need a parliament of planetary bodies\u2014a parliament that does not define itself through identity politics or national categories\u2014a parliament of the (vulnerable) bodies that live on planet Earth. The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its consequences, calls on us to leave behind once and for all the violence through which we have hitherto defined our social immunity. The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its consequences, calls on us to leave behind once and for all the violence through which we have hitherto defined our social immunity. Please proceed the text with DeepL – or look for it in English ::. \u201eVom Virus lernen\u201c von\u00a0Paul B. Preciado<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n