The weather is getting colder as we advance into December. Many people seem to be just waiting for current stuff to clear up. With respect to state-wide policy and other administrative issues, most of us don't really have any say in how stuff goes. Overshadowing all of this is glowing LCD screens, broadcasting the latest doom-figures while disempowering people from doing anything aside from cowering in their own quarters to "help".
It is tricky to "disagree" with the official narrative at all. This is how "science" is wielded as a bludgeon; people see numbers and they think facts instinctively. In many posts here I've expressed thoughts about how numbers are only as meaningful as what we're counting and how numbers are interpretted rely on the assumptions of our models.
And so, more than anything, we see an appeal to authority and a demonstration of faith in the "secular" government of increasingly less subtle scientism. 1
The importance of engaging reality
US dollars are a thing, but they're not simple to behold like a fresh piece of fruit or a pencil. USD, unlike things that are right in front of you, are freely manipulated by authorities you do not choose.
We all have to live in this world, so it is necessary to deal with fiat currency of some kind. Some people are good at this "game" and acquire many more dollars with less effort. What does this metric measure?
There are other things in life which are far more real than USD in the sense that their value is immediately apparent outside of the power of the global financial elite. For starters, there is your body, your thoughts, and your relationships with the people around you.
Clearly, there are sick, mentally unwell rich people who are despised by all around them. Likewise, there are poor people who have peace with themselves and everyone around them.
Writing a life story
The clock keeps ticking whether under lock down or not. Prison is a punishment because the prisoner is deprived of freedom; time they might spend getting wealthy, enjoying fancy food, etc is taken away.
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Spending time indoors, in a room, you can think of what you know and how you know it. Kids that have to go to school during lock-down—what are they learning and how do they know it is true? Much boils down to trust in authorities. Sometimes, we don't lie, but simply pass on things we were taught (but have not confirmed for ourselves); we are thus messengers of misinformation. Some people may try to pass of a "Noble Lie" as some means to an end. ↩