While my posts are not pandemic or covid focused, it is an unavoidable topic. The politics, (mis)information, and mandates driven by the public and private sectors have negatively affected my career, social life, sense of security, and general well-being. I look forward to the day when it's a part of history. But not enough has changed to eliminate the issues created during the pandemic that have been so destructive to humanity. The response has been more harmful than the issue it aims to mitigate.
With all the available information (it's only "misinformation" when it's inconvenient information), by now, what difference are vaccine mandates making? Positive or negative? Why are companies still implementing them when not under a government mandate? Do these ends (mass firings, employment barriers) justify the means? How many people are affected now? There are substantive questions bundled with rhetorical ones. But those questions go unanswered while the bivalent campaign is underway.
Critical staffing issues are facing first responders and the military. That is a big problem without any immediate solutions. Hard times await us with a noticeable rise in crime in major cities, all-cause mortality, tensions with foreign nations, and low strategic petroleum reserves (the lowest level since 1984). Crime, war, and declining health form on the horizon.
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