Posted on 04/13/2024 8:19:04 AM PDT by george76
Time to Change Our Language..
It is time to stop blaming “Covid” for breaking the economy, destroying businesses and livelihoods, and wreaking untold havoc upon families. It was not “Covid” that did this. It was not even the Chinese. It was our government. The government has conditioned us to blame the impersonal “Covid” for the destruction it wrought upon our businesses and families. We need to change the discussion by using the proper language to fix the blame where it belongs.
Good generals can win a battle by picking the terrain upon which they fight. At Waterloo, Wellington forced Napoleon to attack uphill through the mud. At Gettysburg, Meade defended the high ground from Cemetery Hill to the Round Top, forcing the Confederates to attack across the fire-swept Peach Orchard and Wheatfield and the open terrain over which Pickett charged.
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The terrain that propagandists and politicians (excuse the redundancy) use is language — the words that they choose to describe issues upon which they wish to fight. Thus, the choice of language can be critical to victory. Think: “Hope and Change” and “Make America Great Again.”
The Government with its politicians and bureaucrats that came nigh onto destroying our economy are trying to avoid responsibility by picking the terrain upon which they wish to fight — by using language that blames the impersonal “Covid” for what they did to the Country. “It’s no one’s fault, you see. Covid did it.” They thereby hope to stave off defeat, or worse, for themselves. Unfortunately, most of us have fallen victim to the ploy. Enough.
This week I was speaking with a relatively new friend who described having had to wrap up some lingering issues relating to the closing of his business. I asked him what kind of business he had owned, and why they had to close. He and his son had started and run a fitness club in North Carolina. It was not part of a chain, and they were not part of a franchise. He and his son were the sole owners.
He said that they had to close their business because, “Covid killed us.” In 2020 “during Covid,” the “progressive” governor of North Carolina forced them to close their doors and cease all business. Almost overnight they lost almost all of their 1300 clients. No business could expect to withstand that and survive.
I thought about what he said for a few minutes and then said that I think we all are using the wrong terminology. We have fallen into the habit of saying things like, “During Covid, we couldn’t even go to church,” “Because of Covid friends lost their jobs;” and the like.
I then said to my friend that we all needed to change the language that we had been trained and had become accustomed to using. I said to him, “Covid didn’t close your business, the government did. Covid did not make the insane decision to close down gyms while leaving liquor stores open; the government did. Covid did not prevent us from going to worship at the church of our choice; the government did. Covid did not chase down and try to arrest bikers, surfers, joggers, and others engaged in outdoor exercise; the government did. Covid did not prevent families from holding and comforting their parents and grandparents during their final hours of life; the government did. Covid did not shut down our schools; the government did (aided and abetted by Randi Weingarten and the teachers’ unions). Covid did not set arbitrary limits on how far apart we should stand everywhere from in grocery stores to national parks, how many people should attend Thanksgiving dinner or other family gatherings in our own homes, while either remaining silent or actively encouraging mass Black Lives Matter demonstrations; the government health bureaucracy and little totalitarians, such as Anthony Fauci and the ‘Scarf Lady,’ Deborah Birx, did.
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The Chinese communists may be responsible for unleashing Covid either intentionally (which no one dares to discuss) or through a negligent lab leak (about which our government did everything in its power to squelch any discussion). However, our government’s reaction must have exceeded the Chinese communists’ wildest expectations. They could not have anticipated that our government would run over the Constitutional rights “peaceably to assemble,” to “freedom of speech,” worship freely in the church of our choice, and simply to be free of arbitrary and literally irrational government oppression. But that is what happened, and the government, and the politicians and bureaucrats that run it, are the ones responsible. Not Covid, not even the Chinese communists.
It therefore is long past time to put a stake through the heart of such phrases as “During Covid…” or “Covid caused…” or “Covid destroyed…” any of the multiple disasters and outrages the government forced upon us. Instead, from this day forward, I shall employ accurate language to describe what was done to us: Instead of “During Covid…,” it must be, “During the government shut-down.… And, “The government [not Covid] destroyed my friend’s business,” and the like, for the entire parade of horrible and unconstitutional acts.
Government everywhere had us on lock-down while they were out PARTING on our dime
As a general observation:
America grows a huge amount of food. No reason to be hungry.
America produces a huge amount of energy. Plenty for our needs.
America could produce the manufactured goods we need, if we re-shored major industries.
Just about every problem we deal with every day is caused by government. If left to ourselves, we could build a paradise here. But government keeps “helping” us. Building a Great Society. Building Back Better. Fundamentally Transforming the country. And that’s why everything everywhere is screwed up.
Perhaps worse, the government pumped FIVE TRILLION into the economy triggering inflation that is costing EVERY American family $1,000 per month more than before. There are 84 million familes so that is an extra cost of $84 billion per month on Americans. For what? For nothing.
It’s not all Deep State’s fault.
We complied.
I hope we’ve learned our lesson.
“Covid” (Wuhan Virus) was the excuse government was looking for to destroy businesses and lives.
Government gained massive new powers, the super rich got much richer, the middle class got smaller. They all started saying “Build back better” at the exact same moment.
Almost like a plan.
It was our government.
Not Government but fear
This is an excellent point.
For some, the lesson was "comply or else have your life destroyed". I find it rather sad that at the mere mention of a "new strain" making the rounds, particularly during the winter, that so many here decided to start masking up again. Those who have been masking up are giving the stink-eye to others who aren't.
Just another way our politicians have pitted one set of Americans against another set. Race, politics, financial well-being, gender, abortion, COVID, ...
Be careful what you wish for.
A lot of people were really hurt by the actions of the government. Blaming covid may be all that is keeping them from completely losing their minds.
What Fauci missed was that nurses...every morning...took walks out in the sunshine...without masks...and beds were even set up outside because the fresh air and sunshine was healthy.
Fauci must have read that later...because all of a sudden...he was o9n an "throw open the windows" get the fans going...people died because they were confined...
I knew this country was doomed when I had to sit here and have Freepers scold me because I refused to shut down my business and hide under my bed during that fiasco.
“The Chinese communists may be responsible for unleashing Covid either intentionally (which no one dares to discuss) or through a negligent lab leak (about which our government did everything in its power to squelch any discussion).”
It isn’t outrageous to say the American government released it to replace Trump; cui bono?
I really subscribe to that because of the uneven measures applied; gathering were banned, unless they were anti-Trump protests or Antifa/BLM riots (for example). This demonstrated that the people forcing the measures on us didn’t believe in them themselves; at that point, what was the goal?
It makes no sense for the ChiComs to release something that killed a lot more of them, and destroyed their economy (probably permanently).
Hmm. A guy I owns 3 fitness clubs and during the china flu he got $500,000 from the feds. He was shocked he got it as they were contemplating closing the clubs. The clubs are thriving now and he retired from the day to day operations. Florida.
Deep State’s frontmen are idiots.
The people hiding behind them are not.
I wish I could find the article but during the first two weeks of the lockdown an economist wrote an article. In it he said restrictions could last until the end of May. After that the economy would be killed.
Our “experts” and “authorities” didn’t listen.
Deep State bribed biz owners so they’d be more willing to comply.
Sadly, it worked.
Absolutely spot on. And what the lockdowns didn’t kill, the vaccines will. The judgment that awaits those who concocted these serial crises is terrifying to contemplate.
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