When it really happens: SHTF...

[Ovidio]

One month has passed since this thread started, and a few things have changed, while many others have remained the same.
Those that changed are really impressive: when this started, Italy was being hit hard, but still nothing compared to what came next. Most European countries, the US, Canada, Australia, South America...most of the rest of the world was still almost untouched and, in some cases, felt above the problem. Now most have opened their eyes.
Social distancing was just beginning, while now it seems that it always existed.
People have changed a lot. Plenty don’t even greet you anymore when crossing you on the road.
Masks, gloves and reclusion are the new rule.
Politically, we have now the proven proof that we’re mostly led by donkeys. Some by worse, others by sligthly better ones, but still donkeys everywhere.
The EU, as we have come to know it in the last 20-30 years is, IMHO, dead. Maybe, we’ll get back what we were dreaming of in the ‘80ies, a “light” Union, based on different cultures living in peace and harmony. But for shure, the bureaucratic golem has committed suicide. The process might take time, but they are the past now.
What remained the same is, mostly, the dumb approach to this crisis from politicians, intellectuals and opinion makers.
They all talk, talk, talk and...don’t seem to be able to say anything important.
Communication in times of crises is strategically important, but I can’t see an acceptable level of management of this issue anywhere, but maybe in Korea and Singapore.
All countries are repeating the same mistakes of those that preceded them in this tragedy. They wait, they attack those who want to take an early start in all the precautions calling them names and then...they try to hurriedly close the gate after the cattle is gone.
The bad communication brings lots of people on the verge of panic, buying up groceries and other items as if the world were to end tomorrow, while the experience of countries like Italy or Spain, if we want to stay in the western world, could be used to calm people, preventing such situations.
Everywhere the deafening background noise covers the voice of those who are more competent, making it impossible for people to get credible information. Particularly, some clear statements about the expectable time-frame of this world-wide lock down. On how the recovery phase will be.
Another few things struck me in these last couple days.
Today, for example, one of our illegal immigrants who roam our town just rode by on his bike and rang our bell. He’s an elder guy, and knows he’ll get help here, but why can he go about freely when I would be stopped, questioned and heavily fined if I were doing the same thing? How come that these people are not kept in a safe place, fed and isolated from the others, like we all are. Friends of mine in Milan send me videos of arabic immigrants playing soccer on the empty streets, without any police stopping them. But if Italians leave home, they are most surely questioned...
Another thing I noticed is that, apparently, we have the means for controlling the roads and people. For controlling the territory. So, why do we use them en-force now against normal people, and don’t use them the same way in normal times against lowlifes?
Here, many bureaucratic things had to be done in person, going to offices, losing time, spending money, and suddenly everything is possible online... Did it really take a pandemic to achieve that?
I am a honest citizen, never broke the law, always respected the institutions, the laws and everything, but since more than a month, I have been deprived of some basic human rights, first of all the freedom to move. Without even a formal vote from the parliament.
Is that acceptable?
So, after one month, I’m not much wiser than I was before, other than for the fact that I’m starting to believe that we citizens have no real power, no freedom other than that, which is graciously conceded by those who rule our countries.
And if in the past it wasn’t that different, we now have a much worse level of politicians, and a much more dangerous and pervasive kind of state, which could, and is already partially doing it, deprive us of all our freedoms without a possibility for us to prevent it...

I know, I’m ranting. Sorry for that. But tonight, so many things come to my mind, that I’m struggling to keep the logic.

Be safe and healthy, and see you on the other side of this.