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An Epidemic of Treason
There are these things that have been committed to your care, things you are supposed to be guard for, things that are entrusted to you. Everyone who has a job has that, if you have family your family members belong to that set, and in a way society works best if everyone considers itself a guardian of the guiding principles. That's why you don't litter, etc.
Now along comes a higher cause that would instantly convert you into an important person and a saint if you ransack what you are guarding in favor of this cause.
Would you do that? A lot of people did at the beginning of 2020, and many are still doing it. Teachers closing schools to "fight the pandemic"? These narcissists get out that they are great savers of life (because "pandemic") and they did so by spending something of value (the future of the children). I contend that this is the emotional transaction behind the Covid zealotry: the value of that which the zealot damages is passed to the level of saintness of the zealot doing the damage. And if I am right, then of course every Covid zealot is a horrible person. Which in my experience is quite consistent with observations.
Sometimes, people say it rather openly, like when some Australian minister got a ruling form a court that locking up a whole building violated the human rights of those living in that building. His response? "I will not apologize for saving lives!". He sacrificed very expensive and valuable things (the rule of law, the human rights of the poor people trapped in the building) in order to "save lives", so he actually feels like a hero because the cost of the sacrifice. He can even claim that the cost is footed by him too because the cost is footed by the whole of society, and he belongs to society.
I have the impression that whole societies are enthralled in this narcissistic pattern of manic self-destruction. Worse, it is very popular among the electorate because most people are shielded (short and medium term) from the fallout, and because most people are emotionally stunted, unable to feel empathy and compassion, and worse, existentially incompetent. The obscene theater of showing off how much you care about others ("saving lives") by destroying expensive things (schools, culture, economy, constitutional order, children, etc) on social media clearly is very satisfying to those engaging in it. And they are legion.
So anyway, my prediction is that this will continue to burn for a while. Opportunists are already ransacking the countries befallen by the madness and when finally the madness cannot be sustained any more, a horrible reality will reveal itself. This is the nature of the moment we are living through. The Lord help us.
Now along comes a higher cause that would instantly convert you into an important person and a saint if you ransack what you are guarding in favor of this cause.
Would you do that? A lot of people did at the beginning of 2020, and many are still doing it. Teachers closing schools to "fight the pandemic"? These narcissists get out that they are great savers of life (because "pandemic") and they did so by spending something of value (the future of the children). I contend that this is the emotional transaction behind the Covid zealotry: the value of that which the zealot damages is passed to the level of saintness of the zealot doing the damage. And if I am right, then of course every Covid zealot is a horrible person. Which in my experience is quite consistent with observations.
Sometimes, people say it rather openly, like when some Australian minister got a ruling form a court that locking up a whole building violated the human rights of those living in that building. His response? "I will not apologize for saving lives!". He sacrificed very expensive and valuable things (the rule of law, the human rights of the poor people trapped in the building) in order to "save lives", so he actually feels like a hero because the cost of the sacrifice. He can even claim that the cost is footed by him too because the cost is footed by the whole of society, and he belongs to society.
I have the impression that whole societies are enthralled in this narcissistic pattern of manic self-destruction. Worse, it is very popular among the electorate because most people are shielded (short and medium term) from the fallout, and because most people are emotionally stunted, unable to feel empathy and compassion, and worse, existentially incompetent. The obscene theater of showing off how much you care about others ("saving lives") by destroying expensive things (schools, culture, economy, constitutional order, children, etc) on social media clearly is very satisfying to those engaging in it. And they are legion.
So anyway, my prediction is that this will continue to burn for a while. Opportunists are already ransacking the countries befallen by the madness and when finally the madness cannot be sustained any more, a horrible reality will reveal itself. This is the nature of the moment we are living through. The Lord help us.