What Can We Learn From the Year 2020?

The year 2020 a new virus is released and instead of collecting the data, using the best data available, we’re arguing over whether we should wear masks, or it’s a conspiracy.

Going Forward 2020 & Beyond

Yes, the information we have now is somewhat different than we originally heard. The basic facts are the same. There’s no value in arguing over unessential, purposeless points. The essential key-points! Prevention and treatment.

• It’s a virus not unlike flu, highly contagious and potentially deadly.

Here’s the latest data source information on COVID-19 for the USA. Click on this underlined link.

• Cloth masks other than the better fitting and filtering N95, keep some of our aerosol particles being expelled into the atmosphere. On the receiving end, a mask will help prevent many of these virus laden particles from being inhaled. I know people like real simple explanations so here’s the dumbed down version… Cloth masks help but aren’t 100% effective.

• Choose your exposure wisely. Social distancing within enclosed buildings isn’t proving as effective as many are led to believe. Why is that? Look at your residence when the sunlight is shining through a window. Notice the particles floating around? Those are the vehicles for the much tinier virus to move around. You can be >30 feet away from someone that has COVID-19, within a building while the air is circulating those particles. The masks and distance help reduce the payload, but don’t get lulled into a false sense of safety. Going to parties, close groups in bars, including restaurants, large stores, are higher risks.

• Waiting around for a vaccine as a way to stop the spread of the current virus isn’t likely useful. Why? This is like other prior viruses which mutate. People who understand how vaccines are supposed to work, know they’re designed to target an existing virus. It’s a moving target. COVID-19 is a fast moving target. It’s already mutated hundreds of time that we know. Our resistance through our antibodies aided by effective treatment will get us past our present problems.

• How are we going to move forward and stop being afraid of the future? I’ve allowed myself to get sucked into the fear and uncertainty arguments. It’s a waste of my time. Yes, at the time of this writing, infection rates in the USA are increasing, however the survival rates are over 96+%.  If you want to post, “what if it was someone you know and love that died?” Fine, if you want to sail on the good ship ‘USS-Guilt Trip’, know that I’m not boarding. I hope my friends and family exercise caution, but to justify living in fear, so I can satisfy your level of paranoia isn’t my goal.

• There appears to be some excellent news about treating the disease early on. I’m not sure how widespread this will be accepted because the treatment is inexpensive.

Pharmaceutical companies and corporate infotainment media are economically connected. One hand washes the other. I don’t believe many of us are going to know about these success stories unless we know people who have been successfully treated. If you know this to be the case, tell others. Humans are resourceful, but many of us are resistant to accept anything beyond group thinking. Our social group thinking kept us alive through many primitive historical events. Think how well a single human fared against a saber-tooth tiger. In a group, humanity survived. Today, it may just allow you to be persuaded to select against your personal survival.

Finally, if you’re truly interested in others, and you want to be seen as a good person, find ways to do so without harming other people. Riots, racial themes to advance one racial preference over another, deconstruction policies, defunding police, are all societal cul-de-sacs.

The Beatles – Revolution

You say you want a revolution, well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution, well, you know
We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out
Don’t you know it’s gonna be
Alright, alright, alright

You say you got a real solution, well, you know
We’d all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution, well, you know
We’re all doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait ..

You say you’ll change the constitution, well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me, it’s the institution, well, you know
You better free your mind instead ..

Don’t you know it’s gonna be
Alright, alright, alright

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

A Time To Lead

America has seen crises come and go, but this time is different. There’s a chasm of leadership with seemingly no political party that has an answer. The Democrats have actually done a disservice to the minorities of this country. They’ve pandered to them as a voting bloc, but have systematically assisted in the breakdown of families and educational programs.

When we look toward the Republican party their answer has been tilted more towards meeting civil unrest with adequate law enforcement and crowd suppression.  Neither of them seem to be connected to how or why we got here.

George Will in one of his latest Washington Post opinions excoriated Donald Trump as well as the Republican party. He goes on to admit that racism,  bigotry and social tension existed before Trump took office, and will continue long afterwards.

Nonetheless, he goes on to state, we need a voters purge of Congressional Republicans this November.

If that option was chosen, what are we left with at the ballot box? Do the Democrats have an answer to these and other real problems, such as the pandemic? The Democrats in Congress, seeming only purpose as expressed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are to vote out Republicans and replace them with sycophant Democrats. That’s not a solution but simply another change of deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Michael Jordan-

“I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others,” Jordan said. “We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability. Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change. Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all.“

The Grasp of Modern Tyrants

Leaders like Prime Minister Trudeau don’t care about the individual. What they care about are the “optics”, the polls, and any constinuencies that keep them in office. He’s not different than leaders in the US or other countries.

Canada has a low population for the vast amount of land. Still, the majority of their population borders the US, because going much further north, is like living in the outskirts of the tundra.

What does that have to do with tyranny and the misuse of guns and senseless violence. Plenty.

If you’re an objective person that does their research, you will note that violence most often increases when people are living closer together. Living on top of one another doesn’t bring out the best in some of us. As a matter of fact, violent acts are more frequent among those who know each other, rather than random strangers.

Guns are “the great equalizer.” Although firearms have been around before the 13th century, they really didn’t come into their own until the 16th century. Governments and tyrants were mostly the ones using them. Governments by the 18th century were the principal purchasers and users. They found a firearm, even in the hands of lowly commoners could take down a knight from a safe distance.

Then something happened in the late 18th century which altered a global view by the people who occupy a country. The United States emerged and with it a document that we now take for granted. The document first stated the purpose of forming the government and defined, that a government wasn’t the most important reason for people to exist.

What monarchies, oligarchies, theocracies, and tyranny of all types were previously doing to their own, was exercising what ever level of control and plunder they desired. The US Constitution turned the whole idea of nation state on its ear. It was not a nation designed to support the elite, but the individual.

So how does that apply today? There has always been a segment of population which willingly robs, plunders, rapes, imprisons, and murders people. Sometimes those who rose to power were part of that group. They often rose to power through clever manipulation or inheritance. Some rose to power through the process of a ballot box. What they all have in common were the methods of holding on to that power. Intimidation, sanctimonious decrees, perversion of courts, or sometimes the power of the gun.

The US Constitution recognized for the first time, individual liberties supercede the powers of national sovereignty, and imperial control. This was limited of course to the basic idea, you can flail your hands and mouth, even in irrational behavior, but when you attempt to harm, primarily physically, and in some cases libelous fashion, then it’s not OK. The central idea was, do no harm. That’s an overly simplistic explanation to make a broader point.

Firearms can be legally owned by all “free citizens.” That’s an important distinction, which will be explained later in greater detail. The right to freedom of the press, free speech were at the top of the list. Next came the right to own and use firearms. Closely followed by the limits of government, and courts for legal actions.

The framers understood what they set in motion. They all hoped that further violence would not be necessary in order to protect liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Nevertheless the second amendment in the constitution was there, not only for the common citizen to protect themselves from the criminals and mentally harmful, it was there to protect the people from the tyranny of a centralized, unresponsive, poweful, elitist, and corrupted government.

Here we are in the 21st century. We’re still arguing over what the framers  meant, and does the Constitution say this or that,  and can we modify it to say XYZ__? For the current strategies of leadership today, they’ve hit upon the most attractive and successful ways to accrue more power & control.

First find a reason to have the people willingly hand over their power. This strategy is most successful under times of threat ( national security ). Safety of of all types fall into this category. If the government leaders can point toward a common threat, they announce, they have a cure.

Actually two. First, they want us to surrender more of our liberty. Individual freedom gets in the way of the powerful.  Next, taxation. From the times of Robinhood and the overreaching  of the elite before and after, legal confiscation of the time and production of the people have been rationalized, for the common public good.

We’re seeing, year by year the changes in centralized power. Today, we’re debating the rights of individuals to step forward into their work, to gather at worship services, even if it’s only in cars. There’s quite a number of us that say, wait until the government tells us it’s OK to resume our normal lives, while others are saying, government you’ve gone too far in your authority.

Where do firearms fit in? And wouldn’t we all be better without them.

Let’s go back to the Constitution as it was originally written. The ruling upheld by the courts all the way into the 20th century, only the free man can own and use a firearm. There’s irony and a history lesson in that statement. It was originally written and enforced to make sure slaves couldn’t own a firearm. The powerful land owners wanted dominant control, so they kept the firearms out of the hands of the indentured servant and slave.

• We are only free when we have the right to express our thoughts in public.
• We are only free when we can protect ourselves from criminals inside and outside of government.
• We are only free when our courts obey the rules themselves, and protect the rights of individuals equitably and passionately.
• We are only free when elected and appointed leaders obey the same laws as everyone. They must not be allowed to be thought of as special, consecrated, annointed, and recognize they’re in office to serve us, the people.

Be cautious of the person(s) who want you to give up more of your freedom for the promise of security. Sooner or later you will have neither.