People are fed up with the pandemic. They want a return to normality – now!
The Canadian trucker convoy and blockades are hailed by the “me-me-mes”, conspiracy theorists and a whole whack of right-wing politicians as a way back to that “normality”.
Originally published in The Seeker on February 10, 2022
But hang on! What exactly IS normality? Are we simply talking about a return to the life we had in 2019, before the pandemic? And was 2019 normality, desirable?
With all the drama, you might forget that in 2019 we had escalating global climate change, widespread political instability and massive economic disparity within Canada and between countries around the world. None of which has changed by the way. Apart from Covid, humans have turned our planet into the garbage pit of the solar system to the point where even the overly rich are investing in ways to leave it.
Using this supposed return to normality as a rallying cry for dropping mandates is misguided by those who don’t understand what’s at stake and lying by those who do.
We still have Covid.
It is still likely to mutate and it’s anybody’s guess whether those mutations will be less dangerous or more dangerous.
Our health care system is no longer available for everybody equally as long as beds are occupied with Covid patients. And the medical army that runs it is exhausted and discouraged.
Any politician from any party who promises you a return to normality under their leadership is lying. They have no more control over this thing than any other politician or party. They do however have some control over the rest of the messes with decent legislation, regulations and inter-country cooperation.
Fed up with Covid health measures? I am too. But really, what would you prefer? A government that lifts all the mandates and that leaves you to deal with things as best you can. Maybe with the advice to exercise more and take a bit of vitamin C as advocated by a local EOHU copycat website. Or do you want a government that tries to protect public health?
Because boiled down folks, if you hamstring the government with your complaints, they WILL leave it up to you.
Are you sure that’s what you want?
Photo credit: Kate Trifo, Pexels