Apologies if yesterday seemed a bit depressing. To be completely honest with you, I am about out of hope for any kind of productive resolution to all of this.
If I may use an analogy, it feels the same as The Plague of 2020: a two week emergency that has extended to almost six months without any kind of an exit plan being provided. We have progressed from "two weeks to flatten the curve" to "stay away and indoors and wait for the vaccine" to "we may not have a vaccine that works so just keep doing what you are doing." Apparently forever.
(Note: It is a real thing. Trust me. From the literature, it is still too early to understand some of the long term implications of it. When my Chief Medical Officer at my job - a smart human being with a great deal of experience - is not worried anymore, then I will not be worried anymore.)
Now apply this across the board: Politics. The Economy. Religion. Just general social interactions, be they in person or in the InterWeb.
Even my natural ebullience is starting to fade.
The thing that pulls me down is I do not see how we come back after this.
It is not even a discussion of things as a "New Normal" but having any sort of "Normal at all.
I will use The Plague of 2020 as an example. Assuming a successful vaccine is never developed, or even if one is, the world will never be the same. Too much economic and social damage has occurred - even if we are told it is now "okay" to sit next to strangers on flights or be near them in shopping venues, will we feel comfortable in doing so? (Note: Not me. Transmissible diseases are a great deal more than The Plague and strangely, we have become rather reckless about such things.)
Lots of impacts come from this: How we interact as a group (will physical touch become so rare between humans that it is something literally only shared between family members?), how we interact as a business (social niceties such as handshakes and in-person meetings for the sake of seeing each other are also rapidly going the way of the dinosaur), even how we entertain ourselves.
I suspect that never again will "dinner and a movie" be a viable option for much of anything unless it occurs in the home.
Again, apply this across every spectrum. Politics where all we have is screaming at each other - or more and more, acting out. A economy which is divided into the few "essential industries" and the many "non-essential", which is really a word for "can be shut down without notice at any time
"because". Religion where not only is meeting together forbidden (it is already happening here) but Scripture is put aside for whatever the pastor feels is the "real" need of society.
Perhaps this is merely the Five Stages of Grief - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance - with myself somehow having slipped into item four, Depression, without realizing I went through the first three. And I do not know I would even define it as depression, but rather a long sadness as a world seems to completely dissolve, leaving an unknown country which appears to be nothing but anger, violence, isolation, and the horror of man's inhumanity to man.
At one time I questioned the reason that Monks and Anchorites isolated themselves from the world when they could be doing so much good. I am coming to understand it was done as much for their own sanity as it was moving away from a world that sought only to tear them from The Way.
I don't think you have to apologize for your honesty in last post. It is very real - to wonder if after the past 4 years, can people just let bygones be bygones and move on. Words can be forgiven - but some words can never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThis, coupled with the COVID pandemic is a one-two punch of change no one wants to deal with. It is good to have a discussion like these. Try and get outside and enjoy the sun or the moon. Some quiet time to reflect will do a body good.
Anonymous - Thanks for your kind words. The Ravishing Mrs. TB has sometimes said my writings often tend to be dark and depressing (not that I wish to make them so inherently; perhaps it is just the nature of what I write about).
DeleteI am fortunate in that I am a regular practitioner of a martial art, Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu (Japanese Sword Art). It certainly helps center me.
We used to think out loud. We would talk, with folks we respected. Sometimes with people we didn't really know or seemed nice enough. We worked through our ideas, took criticism, or agreement, and we developed our thoughts.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you say one thing that can be used as a cudgel, you are done, even if you were just working through a mental exercise. What you were doing yesterday seemed to me, to be an exploration among friends. A chance to put into words, these thoughts that were swirling around and needed to be spoken. To be commented on, to be tested for iron, or dross.
No apology needed. I wasn't alive during the early 1920's. So this part of the trail is new to me. I value your thinking, as mine tends to go to battlements, and lines of sight. A mind more reasoned than mine is welcome.
I think there will have to be significant pushback to end this madness. I also think we don't have the stomach for the surgery and it's outcome. Either the disease takes us, or we have no limbs when it's finally removed. All due to not believing the fourth or fifth "second opinion".
STxAR, you make a fine point. Once upon a time we did talk about such things. Such is what I had hoped to do here - and if in small part it has been accomplished, I am grateful.
DeleteI believe, with you, that there will have to be a significant push back from multiple solutions and sides to end this - and indeed, the question of if we have the stomach for it remains open. But one is either improving or degrading: there is no equilibrium in nature or societies.
As to a more reasoned mind - thank you, but all I am is a librarian, a collector of facts trying to collate them into a whole on my pilgrimage. Occasionally even I get things in order.
No apologies needed. I believe it helps to be able to discuss this situation, especially with others who offer thoughtful responses.
ReplyDeleteThanks sbrgirl! That is really the whole point of the blog, so it is occasionally nice to feel it actually achieves its intent.
DeleteWell, stop feelin' and start thinkin', TB!
ReplyDeleteThe plague: I can show you credentialed doctors and specialists that will refute your doctor. Grade 11 Biology tells us that the propagation curve will not be flattened by dust masks, mickey mouse lockdowns, and part time casual social distancing. The bugs don't work that way. There is a narrative being applied to this, and The Plague is as political as it gets. It IS a concern with people with comorbities but to the rest of us... it's pretty much just the flu.
We can argue about this on an honest and intellectual scientific basis if you wish.
We can't argue about BLM or Antifa. The people out in the streets burning and looting are not Americans. They are street people, druggies, thugs, welfare slobs and morons for the most part. Fund your cops, buy some paddy wagons and clear them out! Properly deployed, they will clean up the mess before the squaddies need to be called out, or a boogaloo required.
The political people responsible for these debacles are one election away from a trip to the employment office. Some are one caress of the trigger away from their final reward.
You are a better Christian than I am, my friend! I shouldn't have to tell ya this: have faith! You reckon with people like this. You don't give them the keys and walk away.
No apologies are required - for awhile I used to think the same way...
Glen - Fair enough. I also agree that there are different opinions - learned, educated, creditable opinions - that see both the disease and the response differently. I also agree that the media and government narrative is substantially tipped towards a single interpretation, one that greatly favors a high level of control of citizenry. Perhaps the thing to debate is the nature of the disease - it seems not quite as "benign" as the flu (if one can call the flu benign). If the mid and long term impacts are what at least some believe them to be, we do need something a little robust than hope and cloth.
DeleteAnd if I think about it - really think about it - the perpetrators of the riots are not really willing to be reasoned with. I can admit that myself. What perhaps I cannot yet come to admit (but getting closer all the time) is that rationale thought cannot deal with this sort of thing. It is a bit hard.
I do expect things to get worse. There is nothing more dangerous than a politician afraid of losing their job - in any country.
Faith? I know friend, I know - if I could see God's hand more clearly in this, perhaps I would be more encouraged. It is just rather difficult at the moment.
I don't see this as "depression," RB. It's more like "I can't see a path to equity." I can't see a path to victory." It's about watching your country disintegrate and knowing there isn't a thing you can do about it but to hold fast to your principles. Look at the Old Testament. I'm sure there were quite a few people who held to God's word, but watched much of Israel walk away from it. They knew what was coming. They we at a loss as to what to do about it as well. Still, they held to what was right. They held to what was true. They became God's "remnant." They held it together. They became US!
ReplyDeleteAs I said in my previous reply; this isn't going to end well for our country. Still I WILL NOT give up hope. Neither should you. Prepare for what's coming, and go on with your life. We owe it to the future...
Pete, I reminded of the prophet Elijah in who depression, who was told by God that there were still 7,000 in the kingdom of Samaria who had still not bent the knee (and their situation was much more perilous than ours). All the Old Testament prophets knew what was coming - good heavens, Jeremiah was called "The Weeping Prophet" not only because he saw the destruction of Jerusalem in his visions, he got to see it in person.
DeleteIt gives me hope that even if we are all individually islands, as a whole we are an archipelago.
As an aside, that is what my book buying - really now, book curating - has become. To preserve what I believe will become unwanted or forbidden knowledge for a future generation.
I've always been a pretty optimistic fellow but you do bring up some good points. I am not worried about the economic impact of this at all. To me, the best analogy for it all is pruning your orchard. This pandemic has pruned our economic orchard of the week limbs, non-producers, etc. and we see that already with new highs in the stock markets and unemployment numbers dropping. It is unfortunate for those who were part of the weak limbs that got pruned and some may never find jobs back in their fields but whenever history has done this, and it has done it dozens of times in my lifetime already, new sectors open up and people adapt and are re-employed.
ReplyDeleteBut life has changed and like it or not, probably permanently in some cases. I will probably never go to a concert or a crowded bar ever again. I suspect long after a vaccine has been distributed, masks will be ubiquitous for many years much like they are in many Pacific rim countries for foul air. Although I wear a mask and am conscientious about what I touch, I still go out to eat (with proper social distancing in place) and have done other things that I curtailed for awhile during the early stages of the pandemic when less was known. Pre-pandemic, it was quite common for people to come to work and grind through an illness. I suspect those days are gone permanently and they should have been long ago anyway.
I guess I don't understand the lack of faith in a vaccine. We have dozens of vaccines for similar strains already. We have a full half dozen vaccines that already are scientifically proven to work in 2nd stage trials. They are now in stage three trials (the final stage) not to verify if they work because that is already known, but to verify that the side effects if any aren't worse than the cure. China already has a vaccine out of stage three trials that is being given to healthcare workers. Dozens of other countries have vaccines in stage 2 trials like the U.S. It isn't a matter of IF anymore but WHEN. I do suspect the WHEN though isn't going to be as rosy as we are being led to believe. Countries are making back door deals with vaccine manufacturers to scoop up the first millions of doses. There is a shortage of vials, stabilizing chemicals, rubber stoppers, needles and such that will hamper everyone getting a vaccine in a timely manner much like similar things are preventing testing right now in a timely manner. Those in high risk brackets and high risk jobs will get it first. People like me that don't fall in any of those groups might be lucky to get a vaccine at the end of next year. My hope those is that if those at risk get it right away, the numbers of positive cases walking around will decrease enough that my chances of getting ill before vaccinated decrease significantly.
Anyway, I enjoy your thoughts on the matter as well as those who have commented. The reason I still stay with blogger after all these years is because among bloggers anyway, we can agree to disagree and still remain civil and even downright friendly.
Ed - First of all, thank you for your reasoned (and lengthy) response. It is exactly the kind of thing that the Social Internet (versus Social Media) exists for.
DeleteAgreed that the pandemic has done a lot of pruning (and will probably do some more). I would argue that in some cases this was not the way a pruning should be done: by picking "essential" and "non-essential" industries, by choosing (almost by preference, it seems) who remained open and who did not, this was artificially induced. I suppose - beyond just hoping that those folks find jobs - is that the people who were impacted by this not only find new employment and found new companies, but also remember who inflicted this on them come voting time.
I am slowly easing into going out, but like you continue to see that overall, things will have changed for me at least. I have narrowed my list of places I go to three or four locations. I am seriously debating whether I will participate in the one or two Highland Games in my area that still are going. That said, I fly commercially, which I know a lot of people still consider a high risk activity.
My doubt on vaccines comes from two areas. The first is simply experience working in the biopharmaceutical space for 20+ years, including some time with a vaccine. Beyond all of the usual issues with clinical trials, we are now adding a time element that is never helpful to any development or execution process. A rushed software can have bugs; a rushed clinical trial or product development can, frankly kill people. Prior to a year ago, no-one had really heard of this virus. How well are these products developed? What is their manufacturability? Were the clinical trials properly designed - Phase 1 and Phase 2 are usual healthy volunteers, so we have no idea how it will performed in any compromised population? And, as you point out, this will compete with other products in terms of supplies - if a cancer product or vaccine, which one wins?
The other point is that vaccines are not 100% effective. It may be a small pox style vaccine - take once, effective for life. But it may be a flu vaccine - maybe effective, maybe partially effective, maybe not effective at all against that strain. My only complaint is that we are putting so much faith in this, I am worried that it will disappoint - and injure people in the process.
Again, thanks for the comment. I really appreciate the thought put into it.
Your points on the vaccine follow my understandings as well. I have wondered about how effective they will be when they do something in 9 months that normally takes four years. My only hope is that since most of the vaccines are replications of ones made for other similar viruses, that we might get by with it this time. Since I am in the low risk category, I probably have enough time to assess its efficacy before it is my term to get it... I hope.
ReplyDeleteI am forever reminding those praying for the "cure" that most vaccines aren't remotely close to 100% effective. In fact, I think I've heard that if we got around 40% effective it would be shooting for the moon. I just hope that it is effective enough for a measure of herd immunity. Right now, my oldest is attending high school where someone tested positive last week. The nursing home where my grandparents lived until recently, lost a dozen people this last few days. I just want to slow this sucker down so I don't feel like I'm heading out into a war zone every time I leave my home.
Thanks for your response!
Ed, that is exactly the core of my concern. We are burning down bridges to do something quickly that ordinarily takes years and reams of data, all in the name of an "emergency". My concern - no evidence for it, just my general cynicism of human nature - is that the cure will literally be worse than the disease.
DeleteOne wants to be hopeful, but the reality (perhaps said better and more pungently by Aesop at Raconteur Report) is that the basics of epidemiology - hand washing, masks, distancing - will be with us for a long time, especially if the vaccine is less than effective.
Gentlemen (and ladies),
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog and rules, and as another newbie commented, please forgive me if I cross or tread to near a rule of which I am unaware.
I believe that a line is being drawn and not by human hands. A separation is in progress. It is a separation of the wheat and the chaff.
The end is near and soon our Messiah will return. Clean your heart. Clean your house.
TB, I strongly suspect that your "reassignment" at work was planned by our Father. It is a blessing to be able to let go of things one or two at a time. It is a great blessing to be able to see it coming. It is another blessing to have to be given time to reflect, consider, etc, and then move on. There are many that will lose most if not all they have in as little as a day.
I have had many things stripped away from me over the last few years. I had to leave a great job of 15+ years as a matter of conscience. I couldn't continue to support a corrupt business. I did not see it coming. It all happened in the space of a few weeks. It broke my heart. In hindsight it was for the best and I am better off for it but still, at the time, it hurt deeply. I know for certain that our Father let it happen.
Glen Filthie, I've been reading your blog, which is how I found this one. I see God moving and working in your life. You are blessed.
There is a website I recommend: 444prophecynews.com
It will help you prepare for what's coming.
Not every prophecy is accurate but after some praying and practice you should be able to start recognizing which posts contain truth and which ones do not.
I hope you have all heard about Pastor Dana Coverstone's prophecies. If not I recommend you listen to his videos. The 444prophecynews website has a sticky post at the top with a list of his videos. Or you can search on OyTube as GF calls it. Start with the oldest videos first and then move forward.
God bless.
-El Cuadrado
El Cuadrado - First of all, thank you so much for your reply and a concern about the rules. We do not have many around here - I try to exclude direct discussions around politics and comparative religion (okay to talk about your own beliefs, not so okay to run down others) because my intent and hope is that we really have discussions and foster the Social Internet instead of Social Media.
DeleteI do believe - looking at it now - that my change in position was handled by God, even as our original relocation here 11 years ago was as well. That did not make it any easier to handle (then or now), but I am continuing to find the benefits and blessings of it.
My sympathies for your own job change - that sort of abruptness often leaves a hole in our heart that, as you point out, remains soft sometimes for years. I am hopeful that you have been able to find something else.
Over the years I have waxed and waned in my interpretations and viewings of prophecies. I do not know that I am completely a cessationist but I do worry that most people applying "prophecies, visions, and dreams" while very sincere, often substitute their own versions for God.
That said, I would concur that we are in a process of separating out - to what end I am not certain, but I can see the divisions continuing to grow, even within my own people groups.
Thank you for the link. I will definitely go look. And thanks for the nice words about Glen - he is irascible at times, but he has a good heart.
Again, thanks for your comment. This is just the sort of discussion I keep hoping we can have here.