Conspiracy theories

Being a work from home hermit and introvert, the pandemic hasn't had nearly the impact on me as it has on others. And one of the unexpected impacts it has had is an increase in conspiracy theories.

Now, I wish I could say I had predicted this. I had not. I think it could have been avoided, but that is another story. And now, all I can do is state why these theories are lunacy.

Is the virus a hoax? The first question is... by whom? I have co-workers in 4 different countries whom I talk with on a regular basis. And 1 of those countries in China. In short, these aren't all allies. And yet we all admit it is happening. So, firstly, it isn't YOUR government and this many countries would NEVER align on this topic.

The second question is why? This has had a MASSIVE impact on the global economy. Again, all of these countries would NEVER act in unison. And it seems ludicrous to think that scaring you (or really anything else) is worth crippling the economies. Just about every region of every country is going into record levels of debt. Even if it is a hoax, it will take decades for even the luckiest countries to dig out of this hole.

Is Bill Gates implanting you with chips? No. Even if the philanthropist responsible for saving more lives than you can possible imagine through his efforts to eradicate Polio is secretly scheming against the human race, he does not own or operate any of the pharma companies with approved vaccines. He has invested what seems like a lot of money. But, so has Dolly Parton. And frankly, those donations don't make a dent in what countries have committed.

Again, it doesn't make sense. Not to mention... WHY? Bezos or Zuckerberg seem like much more convincing targets. Both either head or have major stakes in companies which want as much personal data as possible. Gates isn't even that big in the Microsoft scene anymore, and even they don't seem to have an appetite for that kind of thing.

Are the vaccines dangerous? I suppose that depends on definitions. But, no. While I said it depends on definitions, any discussion needs a baseline and you'll undertake, without batting an eye, dozens of tasks every day more likely to cause serious harm or death. Not to mention, without the vaccine you're almost guaranteed to catch the virus and the odds of COVID making you sick or killing you are astronomically higher than risks from any of the vaccines.

So yes, some incredibly small number (1 in hundreds of thousands) will have some sort of side effect. And of those a further incredibly small number may die (1 in millions, or 10s of millions maybe). Risk of injury or death just from leaving you house and travelling literally anywhere, by any means of transportation, including by foot is much higher. So I lack sympathy with that argument.

Are masks a violation of freedoms? I'd ask, how is it different from being forced to wear clothes in public? Arguably, nudity, most times of the year poses no threat to yourself or anyone else. That in my mind is more egregious. This, on the other hand is about protecting other peoples right to safety. It isn't about you and your body. It is about how you and your body can cause harm to others. This is exactly why constitutional challenges have thus far failed. It is will within constitutional and charter rights.