Smoking Bans and Lockdowns

Refusing personal responsibility

This is the time of the post lockdown, “I told you so,” articles. All sorts chime in about how they predicted the inflation, followed by more doom and gloom about recession and depression. And then, there’s the stuff about the endless vaccine boosters, and how, psychologically, we are messed up, et cetera, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

Methinks people knew, even those staunchly supporting the lockdowns, that there would be a reckoning for this radical solution to a surmountable problem. Many now are in a state of denial, that our current issues are the effects of the short past. I want to say, “Let them suffer,” except we all suffer. That is the human condition. When a ruling body makes a bad decision, it effects us all.

We attempt to use politics to remedy these situations. But that is the solution that is the no solution. Politics makes things worse. Do not be fooled; politicians are, for the most part, arrogant, and no smarter than the rest of us.  They are bullies that are persuasive in a nice way, until they gain the power they seek. Politicians rarely ever admit to being wrong. Like an attorney will tell you, do not admit to any wrongdoing. Nothing is ever your fault. Even though you opened the door, wide, and walked through it, something compelled you to do it…

It is no hidden fact that many politicians are lawyers. That is why Shakespeare suggested we kill them.

Our purpose today is to look at that line of cowards who brought you the lockdown and its results. And no, I will not be ragging on about politicians, or Fauci. My purpose is to address the citizens’ responsibility in this mess.

Lockdowns are brought to you by, the people.

Is that making you uncomfortable? Let’s do a review of some history.

The lockdown began back in the 1970s when all those drug laws were enacted. The American people were dismayed to learn drugs were readily available to their children, and others. Yikes! The parents, and other family members, did not wish to become the responsible party to this “crisis.” They went crying and gnashing their teeth to government, to do something! Bureaucrats and politicians love to be of service. They did something. They enacted this thing called, THE DRUG WAR.

Has the war been won?

No one is saved by government. Plenty are saved by Jesus or other spiritual means. But they were saved because they wanted to be saved. The others? They liked their drugs. More on that later.

As the drug war took effect,  it was then the turn of Big Tobacco to be taken to task. In the 1980s and 1990s smoking in public places was the next drug government took on. Why? Firstly, there was the second hand smoke issue. Secondly, people complained about restaurants that allowed smoking. In this universal suffrage democracy of ours, wherein people are allowed to patronize or not patronize, any business they want to, they turned to government to take control of businesses, to tell them what was allowed and what was not allowed.

There was some pushback, but the people’s voice was loud. Smoking in restaurants was banned in 1996, and soon, it was bars, and other public spaces. Interestingly, tobacco has a history of being banned. In 1639, it was banned in New Amsterdam. However, the citizens fought the ban, and it was rescinded.

That’s when citizens were badass. They knew it was up to them to use their power.  ANTIFA uses its collective power to give voice to their causes. Conservatives and Libertarians do not have an organization with that such power. And yet, neither side has effected any real changes. That says plenty about citizens, and its government.

When the lockdown came around, it was an easy action to take, because government had already established their de facto ownership of businesses. If government can tell you what you may, or may not put into your body, and if government can tell you how you must operate your business, government can tell you to stay home, and shut down “your” business.

Here’s the part that is difficult to wrap your Western style democracy head around. Addicts like their addiction. Business owners like the government passing laws that relieve them of the uncomfortable actions they would have to take. And, people like government keeping them safe from a tiny, tiny bug. In short, people prefer someone else take responsibility. That way, the citizens does not have to make a decision, and take responsibility for that decision.

Complaints about the after effects of the lockdown by those that knew it was a big, bad decision, will fall on many deaf ears. Yes, scientists were told to be quiet, or lose their jobs, and so forth. That is a part of the problem. The bigger picture is those who give up their personal sovereignty to a government, including one that will tell scientists to shut up.

The analogy is Don Corleone, in The Godfather. He listens to requests, and grants favors. But he never asks for a favor in return, until he may need one. Government is like a godfather, granting favors. But it will need one from you one day. So when it asks you to give up sovereignty of your body, you will. When it asks you to take out 7 licenses for your restaurant, you will. And when it asks you to stay home, and mask up, you will.

See how that works?

The other question is this. Will we ever be badass citizens again?