The Embarrassing Spectacle of Coronavirus Hysteria

Evidence: Coronavirus may or may not be dangerously spreading in the U.S. If it has spread more than we know, that’s good news because the death rate is awfully low. The death rate may be bad in China, but China (1) has very poor health care, and it’s socialized medicine on top of it; and (2) lies to its citizens and the world about what’s going on, because the government (not the people) is the first priority under Communism. And the government controls the Internet, the printing press and the microphone.

These are the facts. Yet there now appears to be a virtue-signaling contest on the part of various individuals, companies and organizations to show, “Just how much I care.” [Check out the latest HERE.] If we were in the middle of a real catastrophe, there would be no such luxury. Everyone would simply be focused on survival. Instead, the majority of our cultural, government and business institutions seem to care more about “I HOPE YOU SEE HOW MUCH I CARE.”

It’s having real consequences. The economy is suffering. If the media continues its hysterical blitz, there will be layoffs and REAL suffering beyond what has happened yet with the coronavirus. What then? Will the media get ANY of the responsibility? Even liability, in our lawsuit-drenched society? Not a chance. The feckless and the hapless will just keep going back for more, believing what the authorities behind the news cameras say, because … well, because everyone else seems to believe them, and they look and sound important when they say it.

The complete absence of critical, independent thinking is very bad for a civilization.

It’s tiresome. It does nothing to help anybody. It does nothing to save a life. Mindless and endless media yammering do not rise to the level of what a competent doctor or a brilliant medical researcher does. THOSE are the people we must champion and support and pay attention to… NOT the ideologically gruesome mayor of NYC getting in front of the camera and screaming over and over again, “Wash your hands! Wash your hands!” Good grief. Is THIS what Jefferson, Washington and Madison had in mind for a great civilization way back when? Is America still the nation of the Enlightenment, the period of human history that gave rise to the Bill of Rights that made our lives so comfortable and serene, compared to anywhere else on earth?

This endless posturing and virtue-signaling does not advance any RATIONAL value. All it does is feed the neurotic tendencies of some to get the approval of their peers in the culture — all of whom are just as neurotic. It’s comical and dark at the same time.

It’s a sad and sick spectacle to watch. Perhaps the coronavirus will yet emerge as the unprecedented catastrophe which people are rushing to make clear they assume it to be. As awful as it would be, maybe that would finally end the yammering. To me, it’s a ridiculous, pathetic and embarassing fiasco.

We are better than this … aren’t we?

 

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