Dear Friends,
It seems to me, there could be some encouraging outcomes of this kung flu panic, in education, manufacturing and the destruction of people’s complacency. Some unfortunate outcomes might be heading our way as well. Government has used this emergency to move the Overton window towards autocracy. The money printing is epic, having ramifications no one can tell at this time, and social distancing has put electronic communication between all of us… with all that implies. There is good and bad in everything, if you look for it, and some of what we might consider good or bad may turn out to be the opposite. Rest assured though… this panic will eventually be nothing but a footnote in history books. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see how this turns out.
In education, the ubiquitous use of telepresence and teleeducation can only show the cracks in the facade of higher education. Why take on unforgivable debt for an “education” that teaches you not how to get a great job, nor how to manage money, and certainly not how to be an entrepreneur, but instead how to alienate potential employers, the art of suicide bombing a conversation and three easy steps to staying in your parent’s basement forever. That, ahem, “educators” openly worry their content will be available for anyone to see, I wonder if the real fear is that the parents might discover the drivel they are paying tens of thousands for, and recognizing there is a quality alternative… once and for all breaking the mystique of university education, and it’s socialist indoctrination.
Bringing manufacturing back to the US can only help the US economy, drug epidemic and pandemic of hopelessness. This could only happen by the Wuhan Corona jarring people out of their normalcy bias. Instead of hording toilet paper, maybe people will store a month’s worth of food in their basement. Practice first in first out, and next time be in the position of laughing at those with a shopping cart full of toilet paper, instead of being that panicked person. Waking the American people up is always a dangerous thing. It is like awakening the Kraken. In this case it will probably result in a clawing back of manufacturing and a few people keeping a bit of extra food on hand, in case of an emergency, but it could always end up in Godzilla like destruction.
Those who favor arbitrary rule, and make no mistake, there are many, have used this crisis to grab a few more powers, for our own good of course, “temporarily.” Like the payroll tax. By doing so they have changed what is considered acceptable use of government power. The stimulus that they have passed will keep the printing presses red hot, then the IRS will get busy taking it all back. Maybe the most insidious thing is social distancing has put electronic devices between all of us. Many if not most of our communications have been over such devices, but now they are for those ordered to shelter in place… their only means. Which gives the government, (NSA) or any other hacker sufficiently adroit, to monitor everything said. Not just a portion, but everything, by everyone… not at all dystopian.
How this all plays out, we’ll have to wait and see, but it is best to use it as a learning experience. Some people won’t learn, others will, and still others will wake up for a moment then go right back to sleep. Lulled by the drone of daily life once everything gets back to normal. If we can bring back some critical manufacturing to the US, break the back of “higher education,” and jar enough people out of their complacency, the lot of mankind will have been improved. If we act with intent, to make this turn out to be a benefit, it will. So, instead of becoming irrational, angry and destructive, let’s pull together, grow as a people and make the world a better place because of this virus… released upon the world by a careless or criminal Chinese Marxist government.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
