By Daniel Nardini
Just when most of the world was beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel where we all thought we could all go back to “normal life,” new restrictions, lock-downs, curbs on our civil liberties and vaccine mandates became the norm instead. This all started to happen in the fall of 2021, and this was happening in many parts of the world. It affected hundreds of millions of people even in the world’s long established democracies.
Apparently, the development of the vaccines to fight the corona virus and its different variants has not been enough for the democracies’ leaders. They now have enacted almost by decree (whatever happened to their countries’ legislatures?) mandates that any and all people must take the vaccine or else. It seems that people with special health conditions, children (who are less likely to get the virus), and people with religious exemptions are not exempt. It equally seems that peoples’ constitutional rights have no value either. Worse, a number of countries are creating an artificial caste system where those who get the vaccines can go about their daily lives while those who do not or cannot are confined and have to be tested once a week at their own expense. Just as equally bad, in too many countries (even in parts of the U.S.) people are required to show vaccine cards or passports to go into grocery stores, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, museums, or even to work.
It is beginning to look like there are some world leaders who do not want an end to these emergency measures at all? In some very terrifying ways, some countries are beginning to resemble China, and in the end tens of millions of people may have to fight for regain the rights and legal protections they had before the pandemic. This is a very terrifying prospect, and one that could lead to chaos and revolution unparalleled. Instead of the world being led by democracies, we could see a world led by only a few having power. If the United States and the rest of the world’s democracies somehow survive the collateral damage brought about by the corona virus pandemic, I hope the lessons for future generations will be how to not handle an emergency, and how to prevent power grabs by the few.
