The 2019- "Pandemic"

This is my first piece on the virus pandemic directly even though some of the articles I've published over the past few weeks have been related to the effects.

From my point of view looking at the numbers it's plain to see that this is not the extinction level threat from a medical point of view that the media have been narrating. The impact is arising from part of the name of the virus - it's novelty and more importantly the novelty of the response to it.

For many it's the end of the world as they knew it and they'll be mourning its passing. Again it's not the virus itself but the measures such as lockdowns and so called social distancing which have caused the issues.

For others including me it's not just the end of the old ways, it's a beginning. A beginning of new ways of cohabiting the earth with each other and with the natural world.

The events in my eyes have brought out an inordinate fear of death in people (against the numbers and facts) and while it might be considered natural to fear death in a way, I wonder why people didn't worry as much about the death that was happening in Iraq and in Africa all through the past few decades for example.

So while our situation is novel it's not altogether bad that humanity has been given a timeout. A chance to think about what we were doing and what me might do in the future.

It was novel for humanity to, in a century burn through almost all of the hydrocarbon resources of the world seeking profits and thrills.

There was no question in any sane person's mind that it would have had to have ended someday whether we wanted it or not. That what we were doing was unsustainable should have been obvious.

The current situation should make people examine closer the machinations of the world.

The examples of greed ruling over need.

The examples of waste over conservation.

The examples of decadence over modesty.

I hope that people can look seriously at the true wounds that were present way before the virus. The real illness of the world was already on the verge of killing us as coherent, peaceful and nurturing societies.

The virus pandemic might turn out to be the pivot point for humanity being able to return not to the old ways where everyone took things for granted always - to one where we are mindful of our actions and strive for better things achieved through moral use of the world's resources in ethical ways for us and future generations.

PS: My view on the "pandemic" nature of this coronavirus is again based on the NOVELTY aspect of it. Coronaviruses are not new and are responsible for familiar common colds and flu like illnesses.

This coronavirus appears to just have a new name and an agenda behind it - whether pre-meditated or an example of not letting a good crisis go to waste - time will tell.

The numbers in Australia from the very start have shown up the "pandemic" as being somewhat farcical since influenza kills more people every year than this has by far.

The measures taken have been extraordinarily over-the-top and seemed to me from the very start to be being used as a scapegoat or cover for the bailouts which are being handed out to all the corporate beggars in the world's zombie economies and so called markets.