"Unprecedented"
- Dawg
- Mar 31, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2020
I want to say some harsh things today. I’ve heard of this “unprecedented” virus that’s currently cutting through the world. The only problem with that statement is that it’s not unprecedented. To say something is unprecedented is to say it’s never happened before. This? This has happened…a LOT. Let’s take a look at all of the things that came before this “unprecedented” event:
2018-2019—Seasonal Influenza; this is the most recent data that does not have the potential to be spoiled by untested COVID-19 cases. It’s treated commonly and, outside of a flu shot, nothing special ever happens. The CDC quotes an estimate, for the 2018-2019 season, that 35.5 million people had the flu which turned into 490,600 hospitalizations. All of that culminated in 34,200 deaths. That gives the flu a mortality rate in the 18-19 season of just under 1%.[1]
2009—H1N1; overseen by the Obama administration. They did practically nothing to stop it; no economic shutdown, no panic or hysteria. Every store had toilet paper. This event, measured from 12 April 2009 to 10 April 2010, resulted in roughly 60.8 million cases, 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths.[2]
2002—West Nile; overseen by the Bush Administration. This one slid under the radar for me, but it spread rapidly. It wasn’t seen as a huge threat, and it wasn’t. It was, however, documented in 43 state and DC in multiple species of animal. The CDC reported to the WHO 3,587 human cases of West Nile with 211 deaths occurring across 29 states. Based on these numbers, as of 14 November 2002, the US epidemic of West Nile carried a 5.8% fatality rate. [3]
This is not an unprecedented occurrence. And these examples are just activity in the United States since 2000. The WHO has an entire catalogue, only going back into the mid-90s, that I don’t have enough paper in my office to print about all of the outbreaks and epidemics that don’t touch our shores.
This type of activity is nothing new. Is Corona virus something to be taken seriously? Absolutely. There is nothing wrong with being smart and doing what you can to avoid illness. I would, actually, deem it kind of stupid to not do that. What we’re seeing right now isn’t smart. It’s fear and panic, perpetuated by media, driving every decision for everyday people while government leaders are abusing their power.
Here’s what I have to say.
Stop. Seriously, just stop. Stop giving in to the fear. Stop wallowing in the drama. Stop allowing the media to manipulate your perspective. Stop believing everything they “report” to you as true—most of it’s not. The majority of it is twisted truth; cherry-picked data they’ve selected to support the narrative of panic they’re breathlessly attempting to scare you with. Stop buying into the hysteria they want so badly to continue. Stop making faulty assumptions. But most of all? Stop assuming that safety is the number one priority in the world, because it isn’t and never has been. Stop using language that exacerbates emotions like “unprecedented” and “historic”. Stop politicizing what is happening to good people. Stop allowing the government to dictate to you how you manage your personal safety. But most importantly? Stop refusing to double check the liars feeding you garbage.
The world is, by its nature, unsafe. Everything we do outside of waking up every morning comes with risk, and the ultimate risk is death. Even the reports on the news that everyone is so addicted to right now are dangerous; they’re spreading fear and hysteria, gleefully watching as people let their terror boil over onto everyone around them. Coincidentally, everyone dies. Now, that’s not to say that cashing in your chips early is what you want but you may not have a say in the matter. Perhaps a drunk driver decides that his right to drive drunk is more important than your right to life. Doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t make it fair. And yet, the outcome is the same regardless. This is the harsh nature of reality. Bad things happen, good people do the best they can and corrupt politicians will always seize on the hysteria of morons to promise whatever will get them more power.
I don’t like calling it a “pandemic”, because that quoted word is a buzzword that is currently being used to instill fear. It’s a dog-whistle for all those that are willing to give up every right, every boon and every thing they have for the imaginary promise of safety. I know it’s a pandemic. You know it too; that doesn’t mean we need to repeat it. It doesn’t help anything—it only drums up more anxiety around the concept. So just STOP. Same thing with the word “unprecedented”. As I’ve shown, and we all secretly know, there is nothing unprecedented about a virus doing the only thing its designed to do.
What is unprecedented is the tyrannical overreach of governmental actors abusing their positions to wield powers that are unconstitutional and immoral. We’ve never seen this type of governmental activity in the United States; at least, not in my lifetime. And what’s worse? Watching everyone actually listen to the dictates of tyrants. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be smart, and I’ll say it again. BE SMART. But there is a very fine, and very bright line, between smart and hysterical.
Note: the above was written very close to the beginning of the shut-downs. Everything below is current.
In recent weeks, the WHO has come out and admitted that this disease isn't nearly as transmissible as was previously thought; in other words, the premise our countries' business community has been devastated by was built upon nothing.
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