The boy who cried crisis

It’s not a perfect parallel, because Covid started out as a real threat, and is getting under control, while the wolf starts out as a prank and only becomes a real danger later in the story. But as I read about more and more government officials declaring an Omicron crises, “the boy who cried wolf” is what keeps coming to mind.

There will always be another variant, and there will always be another excuse for government to peddle fear and assert more power. Some people — like the villagers — are already done with it, and aren’t listening any more. Others seem addicted to fear, although they’re afraid of the wrong thing. They should be afraid of the totalitarian states they’re enabling.

Covid is a bad thing. Tyranny is worse.

Will a new nursery rhyme be born out of this madness? Maybe something along the lines of a group of mice who are so afraid of the Big, Bad, Bully mouse, that they invite a cat into their home.

13 thoughts on “The boy who cried crisis”

  1. There’s also the possibility (which is not decreasing in likelihood as time goes on, so far) that omicron is so far from being a crisis that it’s actually a good thing. This might actually be the point where it turns into “just the flu” for real, (the normal seasonal kind, not the once every few decades lethal kind), spreads rapidly, and leaves the world with genuine herd immunity at low cost. It appears that as of today, there has been one death from the omicron variant, though it’s been out in the wild for a while now.

    1. That would be very nice.

      I’m so jaded by everything that has happened these last couple years that I doubt whether such good news would be received as good news. Somebody will find a way to twist it into more fear and more control.

      1. Sounds like you’re creating a tyranny crisis. Everyone had to have vaccines for school and for military. Now that Biden says add Covid to the list, now it’s tyranny. A manufactured crisis…which is pretty much Fox News every evening…and if the Facebook algorithms teach us anything, is the best way to keep people hooked, engaged, and generating revenue.

        1. I’ve seen more “crying crisis” and demagoguery from Trump and his cronies relative to the US southern border. The wall would save us from the undocumented immigrant boogie men coming to get us. Despite the forecasts of impending doom, we have yet to see it. In fact, research found that between 2012 and 2018, U.S.-born people were twice as likely as the undocumented to be arrested for violent crime in Texas and two-and-a-half times as likely to be arrested for drug crimes.

        2. I’m creating it? The millions of demonstrators in Austria, Australia, etc. — they have nothing to do with it?

          Also, Biden is not president of Austria or Australia.

          1. If it makes you feel better, substitute “government” for “Biden”…

            Don’t you think Austria and Australia had vaccine requirements for school and for military that everyone went along with and accepted? But now Covid, somehow it’s tyranny? Tyranny of stupidity.

            1. Do you really see no difference? Honestly? For example, that the Covid vaccines are a new technology, unlike previous vaccines, or that Covid is not as deadly as other things people get vaccinated against, or that natural immunity has been largely ignored.

              I’m for the vaccine, but I’m also for being honest about this. The government reaction to Covid has been weird and dishonest in many, many ways, and it’s not stupid for people to be suspicious — especially when the people in power are lying to them, and large corporations are sucking up tons of money in the process.

              If governments want more compliance with their rules, they should start being more honest, and they should respect democratic processes.

              1. QUOTE: The government reaction to Covid has been weird and dishonest in many, many ways…

                Curious…what dishonesty are you referencing?

                QUOTE: If governments want more compliance with their rules, they should start being more honest, and they should respect democratic processes.

                Is “honesty” really a key factor? If so, why do people continue to support Trump, et. al. after their many lies and misleading statements relative to Covid, the 2020 election and other key topics? Interestingly, some calculate Trump has raised a 100 million in donations relative to the “big lie”. Even his former lawyer has reportedly generated 14 million for her defense relative to the “big lie”. The very one that declared she had valid evidence of widespread voter fraud but in court her legal defense was…“no reasonable person would conclude that the statements were truly statements of fact”. Given this type of public reaction, it doesn’t seem “honesty” is a key factor.

              2. Some examples of lies / dishonesty.

                The U.S. government’s involvement in “gain of function” research.
                The suppression of the lab leak hypothesis.
                The rules are for the little people.
                The rules themselves (e.g., why big box stores can be open but not small businesses)
                Misrepresentations about state by state statistics.
                Saying natural immunity doesn’t count, only vaccination.

  2. QUOTE: Some examples of lies / dishonesty.

    Albeit some examples you listed are debatable, we can agree that indeed there has been lies/dishonesty relative to Covid. For instance: the virus would be temporary, weaken/disappear once warm weather arrived, there would be no second wave, numbers were going down everywhere (while they were continually increasing), anyone that needs a test can get a test, publicly downplaying the potential deadly aspects of Covid-19 while privately noting (per a recording) that it could be lethal, hydroxychloroquine was an effective and safe treatment for Covid…touting a witch doctor for corroboration, indicating China was willing to be transparent about the virus outbreak and partner with the US. There are ample other examples…but it’s interesting such notable lies/dishonestly was omitted from your list.

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