It seems like several years have passed in just a couple of weeks. Although the coronavirus had been an issue on the news since the beginning of the year, only in the last few weeks has the virus completely dominated the news cycle. On top of that, what only seemed possible in repressive China has been introduced in the so-called free West. Borders have been closed, people are forced into quarantine, and freedom of movement and freedom of assembly have been significantly restricted. My Caribbean bolthole has also been affected. Although the country only has a few reported cases, the Panamanian government has closed the borders, and there are no tourists in Town. Bars have been ordered to close, and due to lack of business most hotels, hostels, cafes and restaurants have also closed their doors. Shops remain open and there hasn’t been any panic buying. The atmosphere here in Bocas is quiet and tranquil rather than anxious and eerie. These months would have been high season and most of the working population make their money from tourism, so these will be challenging times for many locals. Across the world events and performances have been cancelled and businesses forced to close to ‘combat the virus’. These are difficult times for many performers and workers, and economies all over the world have been put at serious risk.
What they don’t tell us about Covid-19
Although I believe lives need to be saved whenever possible, I find current measures to deal with the virus not only disproportioned but also rather ominous. As the mainstream media tells us not to panic it continues selling its message of fear, while a lot remains unexplained. Covid-19 seems to be a flu virus on steroids. Just like the flu it is contagious and non-fatal for the overwhelming majority of people. Most people who catch it either don’t display any symptoms and if they do, they fully recover after a few days. The people most at risk seem to be those with weak immune systems, but the scaremongers seem to be flogging the idea that anyone is at risk of imminent death. It remains unexplained why Italy of all countries has reported the most coronavirus fatalities in the whole world; more than China. It is also unclear why Iran has reported a significant number of cases, especially compared to neighbouring countries, and Iranian casualties have included high-ranking members of the regime. The media doesn’t discuss why Covid-19 is hardly affecting the continent of Africa. If covid-19 is a random and indiscriminate virus, why are only certain countries disproportionally affected?
Putting Coronavirus in Perspective
While covid-19 is causing mass hysteria across the world, far more people die of hunger every day than have succumbed to the coronavirus since the outbreak. Common flu claims more casualties on a yearly basis than this ‘scary novel virus’ has. Every year far more people die of cardiovascular disease in the USA alone than have been reported to have caught the coronavirus across the world. Despite claiming considerably more casualties, world hunger, common flu nor cardiovascular disease are considered pandemics. Restricting civil liberties to combat any of these ills would either be considered laughable or outrageous. Yet, as they made us believe that the coronavirus is highly contagious and indiscriminate, few seem to be complaining that civil liberties have been curtailed and many people cut off from their means to earn a living.
Freedom for Julian Assange
While basic rights such as freedom of travel and freedom of assembly have been withdrawn to serve ‘the greater good’, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is rotting away in a high-security prison in the UK. You would think there would be an outrage across the land and the European continent that a news publisher who has exercised his right of freedom of speech is being treated like a dangerous terrorist. However, there is very little, if any, reporting on this great miscarriage of justice. Once revered as a great activist and freedom-of-speech hero, he has been turned into a political pawn. Seemingly no one of the UK or European establishment, whether in politics or in the media, seems remotely concerned about this grave violation of human rights in a so-called liberal democracy. Whatever you think of the man, Assange has been an incredibly innovative news publisher. Not only has his reporting been highly accurate, which can’t be said of most mainstream media outlets, but his publications have also genuinely served the public interest. That his case is not dominating the news agenda as much as the coronavirus hysteria seems a very scary sign of the times.
Fuck Fear and Cherish Your Freedoms
These are uncertain times for many of use and a lot of people are downright scared. This is understandable but as fear is a terrible adviser, buying into it can only lead to doom. Instead of being ruled by fear, let’s use these times to treasure what we previously took for granted; our health, our freedoms of movement, assembly and leisure, and the means to generate an income. We are currently paying a high price for attempts to contain a virus of which we don’t know exactly whom it is affecting. Those who might be at higher risk are certainly worth protecting. However, stripping people from fundamental freedoms and introducing the state of emergency or martial law seems like catching a fly in a porcelain shop with a sledgehammer.
If all it takes is a novel virus with a relatively low death rate and a scaremongering campaign to further restrict our civil liberties with little objection, what does that say about how we value our freedom? If we can’t stand up for high-profile political prisoners such as Assange, who are punished for exercising their right of free speech while serving the public interests, what does that say about us?
Wherever you find yourself, I wish you all big fat beams of light, love, and especially freedom in these weird and challenging times.
top images: weedactivist.com
bottom image J Jorgensen
Dark Fairy Adventures 
Thank you.
Be safe🙋🏽❤️😷