COVID life in your area

[Kaesekopf]

This Forum is dominated by COVID posts, for better or worse. 

Why is that? 

I get that in some places of the world, COVID hysteria dominants daily living - you can't go anywhere without a mask, without some kind of 'vaccine passport', etc.  In my corner of the world, COVID is really only a bother if you're going to a trendy bar (full of liberals who are terrified of COVID and demand masks be worn while you sip your IPA) or if you need to enter a government building of some sort. 

The hysteria over it, however, is so boring.  The opponents do nothing of value or worth in "fighting back against the COVID tyranny."  The "tyrants" move without concern or care of the common person.  The debate and discussion over masking is lightswitch-brained beyond all belief. 

So we have this subforum.  I get that it can be a place to post with like-minded individuals, to share information that might get you banned off Twitter or Facebook, and to retreat into a community that won't go "get the jab you science-hating bigot" or "how dare you contemplate injecting aborted baby organs into your veins!" (wait....).

What's the appeal?  This Forum is designed and geared towards traditional Catholics, but there's just constant bickering over COVID. 

So, explain yourselves. 

[Jayne]

I'm just thankful you have contained it all into one sub-forum.  It was worse when it was everywhere.

[TerrorDæmonum]

I see that the drive is mostly around conspiracy theories. People talking about their own situations in reality are not really driving much discussion.

Some people, in Canada and other third world countries, are often under some severe restrictions and penalties (fines for the unvaccinated, etc). Some (all?) of Canada is not even able to attend Mass. There might be reactions to these situations driving some discussions as well.

I also noticed on the forum in general that much of the activity is very speculative/prophetic. People like to be able to declare things with some level of certainty and feel in control, but it leads to some very interesting sorts of discussions. The certainty of the commentary on the vaccines, Russia, the Vatican, etc, all seems to indicate we have some very high level insiders here...or a bunch of Internet prophets.

[ChairmanJoeAintMyPrez]

What's the appeal?

The right to earn for our families was stolen from us last year.  It's always been the case that I could be fired or laid off at any time and for any reason (or no reason), but it was only last year that taking experimental medical treatments became a prerequisite for earning to support my family.

The right to travel was stolen from us last year.  It's always been the case that some foreign government might deny me entry for any number of reasons, but it was only last year that my own country's government decided that an inaccurate test would determine whether I could board a flight and come home to the only home I've ever known.

Same for the right of free assembly, the right to an education, and so many other rights.

Rights do not come from the government.  Rights come from God.  Government merely protects them.

Until the government returns to its role of protecting rights (rather than capriciously taking them away), we'll be up in arms.

[Kaesekopf]

What's the appeal?

The right to earn for our families was stolen from us last year.  It's always been the case that I could be fired or laid off at any time and for any reason (or no reason), but it was only last year that taking experimental medical treatments became a prerequisite for earning to support my family.

The right to travel was stolen from us last year.  It's always been the case that some foreign government might deny me entry for any number of reasons, but it was only last year that my own country's government decided that an inaccurate test would determine whether I could board a flight and come home to the only home I've ever known.

Same for the right of free assembly, the right to an education, and so many other rights.

Rights do not come from the government.  Rights come from God.  Government merely protects them.

Until the government returns to its role of protecting rights (rather than capriciously taking them away), we'll be up in arms.

This sounds all nice and well, but, what does that have to do with the panoply of posts on this Forum? 

[ChairmanJoeAintMyPrez]

This sounds all nice and well, but, what does that have to do with the panoply of posts on this Forum?

Seems like there would be some value in demonstrating the malevolence of the pro-tyranny side.

[TerrorDæmonum]

This Forum is dominated by COVID posts, for better or worse. 

Why is that? 

The other side of the question is simply that the forum is slow enough for any substantial activity on one subject to dominate the forum. The same goes for any given forum member. It doesn't take much to dominate this forum.

As with any forum, topics feed themselves, so the more something is discussed, the more it is discussed.

You have a feedback loop on your hands.

Why don't more members post more? (I know the answer to that.)

Why don't other topics get discussed more? (That depends on what topics you want to be discussed.)

The newest board created is this Plagues board, but so many boards are vacant. I gave suggestions on a reorganization earlier. It might be worth considering.

[Jayne]

This sounds all nice and well, but, what does that have to do with the panoply of posts on this Forum?

Seems like there would be some value in demonstrating the malevolence of the pro-tyranny side.

I'm not sure if you are are saying this, but there is not much value in saying that everyone who is vaccinated is pro-tyranny.

[james03]

There's benefits.  If you go back to earlier threads you discover that the predictions have been quite accurate. Things like needing a vax to work.  Vax pass.  That COVID wasn't that big of a threat.  The posts alerting me to Ivermectin/zinc were useful to me personally and to a family member.

It helps legally.  The EEOC ploy we discussed last year is effective in getting you out of the vax.  Remember, we were talking about the EEOC religious "reasonable accomodation" at a time when saying there would be vaccine mandates in order to work was condemned as "conspiracy theory".  People also had time to look for other jobs or ideally to move out of fascist areas.

Finally there is the psychological benefit of not getting caught off guard.  Simple question, did anyone reading this subforum end up surprised when the vax pass came out?

New prediction:  It will become an implantable chip that goes in your hand.  Right now, conspiracy theory I guess, though people are less likely to criticize it as such as they were before.

All in all it's been a benefit.  Seriously, go back and read older posts and it is amazing how accurately they were in predicting today.

[TerrorDæmonum]

And some are encouraged by rampant confirmation bias and the Dunning?Kruger effect.

They really do feel like they are prophetic and are accurate when they make things up, because they pick and choose things to present as validation. People who make the completely opposite predictions could do the same thing and feel just as vindicated.

There are a lot of variables and the situation is complex, so there is room for all sorts of false prophets to operate.

[james03]

Don't care.

[FaithByProxy]

I am not a regular poster anymore, but I can completely understand why COVID discussion still dominates.

Many people live in the trenches where this stuff effects them directly all the time. I do. My husband lost his job because of it last fall a month after my youngest was born. He has a job now, but it was not a fun time and the fact that all of this tyranny (yes, it is actual tyranny) has been drummed up around an illness that has a fatality rate around the same as the flu is absolutely ridiculous and an obvious attempt to discourage and disorient society at large. Discord and division are rampant, families can't be civil, workplaces are treating their workers like second class citizens (literally, they must wear masks around the elite "clean people" to show their lowly status) and people have seemingly completely lost their marbles and swallowed the fear propaganda. I don't even know how many people are sincere in their COVID scruples, most could just be capitulating in order to not be shunned socially. I have watched people I know change over the last couple of years, due to the war of attrition that the media and peer pressure have waged upon them.

I'm glad that all of this wackiness has only effected you to the point where you have to wear a mask when you go grab a beer, but some of us are much more directly impacted by the COVID hysteria and haven't tired of resisting the BS, even two years later, because this is a case of people trying to forge a false reality around us in order to control our lives.

All that said, I think that as a whole this has been a blessing personally for me and my family. We are stronger in our faith than ever and have found an excellent church with an amazing, welcoming and hospitable community. I am more committed than ever in homeschooling my growing brood, and in all am glad of the choices I have made and can see the hand of God in all that has happened.

Anyway, that was a lot of text and I'm sure it's more of the same tiresome rambling that you're tired of KK, but I needed to get that out so thank you for humoring my verbose answer to your question.

[Heinrich]

For the most part, what's COVID? Went to archery practice and deep woods folk, holler denizens and other assorted base creatures of all ages and I were yukking it up and slinging field points.

I had to wear a mask today(gator) when I went to the hospital for a test. Told the greeter/checker/privacy invader help desk dude that I didn't "get that stupid shot" and these "gay ass masks" are a "joke and worthless. I'm wearing it because of tyranny and tyranny is here." I think the old boomer was about to cry.

[TerrorDæmonum]

Yes, if you go in and abuse people doing their job, they might get upset. You might not be the first person.

Christians should not act like that.

[Severinus]

Imho, if this nonsense is not still seriously affecting your daily life, you should count your blessings. Even if it is not affecting you much directly, it occasioned such a large and ongoing political and cultural transformation in western society that it's bird-brained to think that everyone else should have already moved on from discussing it.