Posted on 05/09/2021 8:57:26 AM PDT by george76
Just last week I was invited to speak in front of a group of people. It was the first time I had that kind of opportunity since March of last year. It was in a meeting room of a larger restaurant. We had permission for 50 people. About 30 showed up as it was a cold and rainy morning in Northwest Indiana — a typical lovely spring day.
I didn’t know what to expect except it was to be in front of a group of like-minded conservatives to discuss the various topics of the week. I love to speak in front of people and the last 14 months has ripped that from me.
It has cost me money and virtually shut down part of what I do for a living. In the end, I had a blast. I am scheduled to do it again next week as well and am already looking forward to it. Maybe, just maybe, it is a little hint of the opening up of America. Either way, getting back to the way we were isn’t going to happen and the length of time it takes to reopen will also take a lot longer than most are willing to admit.
We shut down an entire economy in March 2020. That has never happened before. Which leads you naturally to the fact that nobody on this planet knows what it is like to start back up an economy from scratch. When it finally fires back up to 100% open, what will it look like?
How long do you think the plastic partitions will stick around? I bet you they are there for the election of 2024 and beyond. We are raising a group of young people who are used to wearing a mask.
Will they continue even after we get the all clear? I bet you there will be a certain group of people that will continue to wear masks, almost religiously, for the next 10 years. Heck, we have a president that said that wearing a mask is patriotic.
That is where I get confused. The very thought of loving this country has been considered by some on the left as a little bit racist and definitely xenophobic — if you love this country that must automatically mean you hate people from other countries.
Patriotism is bad. But then if we wear the mask, it is an act of patriotism which is good. I don’t follow the logic — maybe because there isn’t any logic. The same logic that applied while taking a picture, indoors, with 96-year-old former President Jimmy Carter and his 93-year old wife Rosalynn — maskless. But then, while voyaging out into the wild outdoors, you don your face diaper for the throngs of reporters — outside and distanced.
Go figure.
It is exactly that kind of behavior that is going to delay our growth in getting back to normal. When do you think you will be on a packed elevator again? CEO’s across America have made it clear that only a handful are going to demand 100% attendance back in the office.
Don’t get me wrong, it took a while to get used to staying at home, but more Americans say that they are more productive.
David Zervos of the investment bank Jefferies put out a piece recently comparing the first three months of GDP (gross domestic product) in 2020 versus 2021. In total, he wrote, the 2021 first quarter GDP came in at $19.09 trillion versus 2020 at $19.01 trillion. What is more incredible is that the total workforce required to attain each level of output was 5.6% less in 2021, according to Zervos.
That my friends is a startling fact — one that is here to stay. More drive-thrus and less sit downs. More deliveries, less pick–ups. Mom and pops have been decimated. The workforce, too. That is not going to be "getting back to normal" any time soon.
Maybe there is a healthy dose of skepticism too. It hurts my brain to go over the things that the government has backtracked on over the last 14 months. Some of it was innocent and only because they didn’t know any better and some of it not so innocent.
As it turns out, there were a lot of things that were told to us as gospel and science that later turned out to be more rumor than fact. I think that is now the biggest problem with the vaccine. Boy, oh boy, we have celebrities, both washed up and relevant, shoving the vaccine down our throats everyday on TV. You are not allowed to ask any questions. Just roll up your sleeve and obey. Now, you all know by now that I am not an anti-vaccine person. It has been a big reason as to why our economy is doing better than most others around the world.
And, thanks to the last administration and Operation Warp Speed, we are seeing some signs of life in the U.S. that closely resemble what used to be normal. The problem is that vaccine distribution has slowed. I really feel that it has been compromised by the governmental flip-flops.
There has been no consistent message and that continues. Just look at the last joint session of Congress. They have all been vaccinated. They were all wearing masks and socially distanced. What exactly is the message they are sending about the vaccine? It seems to me it is more of a message of futility than a message of caution. Most Americans can see right through it.
I know I do — and I can breathe right through it too.
One of our local grocery stored did an outstanding job early-on of establishing all the required “safety” protocols. Yet a few of their employees caught it, the inspectors descended on the store, found them in violation of something, and fined them $15,000. They are appealing the fine. It was preposterous to hit them with the fine since they had taken it very seriously from the get-go.
I agree with you — we don’t want these establishments getting hit with fines, so I put the thing on when I enter a store.
Of course, the cynic in me thinks that the store management didn’t properly grease the right palms.
Polis declared the pandemic will be gone in time for the All-Star baseball game.. If there is no concern about 50,000 people in the Rockies stadium, then the political emergency has already ended?
Polis: Masks no longer required at indoor gatherings of 10 or more, if 80% are vaccinated.. did not elaborate on what proof is considered acceptable or how it will be verified.
I am wondering the same thing. One reason I still do a lot of remote work is I don't want to have to wear a mask in my own damn office. Our management is looking at that order now. Most people I know in our office have the vax, but how do we verify the 80%?
Many people have the anti-bodies and the T-cells from last January, 2020 - which is better than the jab. ~imho.
-2- A few local examples:: The six counties comprising the Northeast Colorado Health Department all have notified CDPHE they will have no orders.
Free to Choose - no masks in Mesa County.
El Paso County is no longer enforcing capacity limits and restrictions at businesses or restaurants.
Douglas County is fully open. Spend your money where it is wanted..
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