Did societies sense of Morals and Ethics die OF Covid or WITH Covid?
Has Covid brought out the worst or the best in humanity?
It’s a question that too few seem to be asking right now. One thing that is certain, the Pandemic has changed many people’s outlook on life, but have our actions really covered the Human Race in glory? Has Covid brought out the worst or the best in humanity?
No doubt these are questions that historians, philosophers, and future generations will seek to answer, and perhaps we should hope that they won’t be so sanctimonious as to apply whatever the ethics of the time might be as we might not like their judgment.
When we view History now, it is perhaps natural that we sometimes compare attitudes and conventions of the past against their modern-day equivalent, perhaps being thankful that some practices have been consigned to the past. But are we really learning all we can from history, and should we be so quick to apply modern-day values to a different society in a different time? We might not like the result when it comes to our turn to be judged on that basis.
Perhaps we should be fearful of how future generations will judge us, as it seems some of us have learned nothing from history at all. Things like segregation and discrimination are certainly a part of our past, many would say a shameful and abhorrent part. Yet some seem so eager to embrace those ideals again under a different guise. “No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish” was a common sign to be found in many places even as recently as 60 years ago and was socially acceptable to the majority of people. Rather than be glad that in the UK we have mostly banished that type of bigoted attitude, some relish its reintroduction with just a change of group to be discriminated against. “NO UNVACCINATED” has become the new socially acceptable bigotry.
Some of the most vocal defenders of the downtrodden, those champions of Human Rights and Equalities have fallen silent as the rights of a group that they don’t approve of are bulldozed one by one. The worst part is that they do not even see the hypocrisy of their actions for they are so blinkered by their own self-righteous virtue signaling.
It started with discrimination, the masked demanding the unmasked to prove their exemptions. Some were so pious as to demand that the exempt mark themselves in some way and explain their exemption to anyone who asks. Never mind the laws such as the Race Relations Act of 1976 or the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 which laid the groundwork for the Equality Act of 2010, these principles are far too inconvenient when dealing with Covid it seems! Though when anyone drew parallels to how Nazi Germany forced a group to mark themselves, the hysteria that could be generated was off the scale. Even when a school announced that its unmasked pupils would have to wear a yellow star, (I kid you not this actually happened), historical comparisons were still verboten.
As the vaccines were rolled out the segregation began, and at this point, things went from bad to worse. Anyone who questioned the vaccines in any way was branded a “Covid Denier” or “Anti Vaxer” in EXACTLY the same way “Unclean” has been used in multiple historical examples. Unless you were prepared to accept “The Science” you were labeled and boxed by those who considered themselves to be virtuous, those who believed themselves to be entitled to sit as judge and jury against anyone who disagrees or even dares to question.
When you look at the term “the science” it has become occult. Questioning of “the science” is unacceptable to those zealots who fanatically follow it without question. Never mind that the very nature of science is to question everything. Even history shows that science gets it wrong, after all, there was once a time that “the science” told us the world was flat, that the sound barrier could not be broken, and drilling holes in people’s heads was a good cure for mental health issues. Is anyone upset that “the science” was questioned then? Thought not!
Many countries that have long been considered free democracies seem to be taking immense pride in how dystopian they treat their citizens. From Austria intending to fine unvaccinated citizens up to £12000 a year, to Australia with its quarantine camps, New Zealand has to be a contender for the most dystopian democracy award, with Jacinda Arden taking particular delight, and having no reservation in admitting that her policies will create a two-tier society. Perhaps communist China isn’t as bad as we all thought in comparison.
Even in the UK, the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, the home of the Mother of Parliaments, we are not exempt from the current bonfire of morals and ethics. Long treasured values such as Informed Consent have already been consigned to the annals of history, a fond memory of a more progressive time. First care workers and now health care workers are given the ultimatum “No Jab No Job”. Failure to accept “the science” and agree to a medical intervention will be met with dismissal. Never mind “the science” doesn’t support any significant drop in transmission between vaccinated and unvaccinated. Never mind the principle of Informed Consent that as published on the NHS website forbids any such coercion, because, well, err, COVID!
Shock Jocks like Jon Gaunt, and Political Agitators, sorry commentators, like Yasmin Alibhai-Brown even go so far as to DEMAND that the unvaccinated mark themselves for all to see (there is that Nazi Germany comparison again) and be banished from mainstream society. When it comes to healthcare they claim they would refuse treatment from an unvaccinated Dr or Nurse for no other reason than they think that because they chose to be vaccinated everyone else should whether they like it or not! Perhaps they should consider that it might be wise to wish to be treated by those opposing mandatory vaccination, after all that group seems to have a far better grasp of medical ethics and at least understand principles like informed consent! But these two are sadly not alone, they have many supporters cheering them on and even demanding more divisive, discriminatory, and dystopian policy.
This goes even to the point of defending decisions such as A Boston Hospital that has removed an otherwise healthy 31 year old from a transplant list because he is unvaccinated because that isn’t at all coercive is it? Not two hoots are given to the fact that he might just be concerned about reports of increased myocarditis after vaccination and already having a dodgy ticker!
When it comes to vaccine hesitancy, where are all these behavioral phycologists who have been gleefully nudging us along for the last two years? Has it not occurred to them that some people are starting to see through the manipulation and have been nudged almost to the point of paranoia that they won’t believe the sky is blue anymore? Perhaps if there was a more frank and honest conversation around side effects people would be less skeptical. Perhaps if companies like Pfizer (who have form for improperly marketing medicine) actually released their trial data people would feel more confident. Perhaps if we just took the time to have a little empathy and compassion we could see what feeds the uncertainty and begin to address it without coercion, without segregation, and without discrimination.
Which leads us to where we are today, on the precipice of an immense pit of damnation, the question being which values will be sacrificed to the god of Covid next? How will this time be judged by future generations? Will we tear up hard-fought for principles of equality, informed consent, freedom of choice, and bodily autonomy, throwing away years of work to establish Human Rights? Or, will we rediscover our humanity and relearn traits like compassion and empathy? Will we fight for the values that have been hard-won by the sacrifices of generations that came before us? Or, will we return to a time of ostracising people because they don’t conform to ideals set by the virtuous?
As a society, we are at a crossroads and we owe it to our children to choose the right path because they are the ones that will inherit the society we shape today. To them and their posterity will we commit our future?