We are dog sitting this weekend for one of my wife's colleagues, who has an awesome dachshund like we used to have - it is an old dog and has some joint issues, but is still lively and likes to play, which is nice. When outside and much like ours was, she bounces around as if she was a puppy again, forgetting her adult sensibilities.
Sensibility doesn't seem to be a term that is used that often now, but that is perhaps because we don't seem to act sensibly that often. For example, back at the start of the panpanic, Australians ran out to the shops and stocked up on toilet paper and less than a week later, Finns did the same. Seems sensible as no one wants to run out of toilet paper - until acknowledging that Finland is one of the largest paper-producing countries in the world and if you throw a stone, you will hit a toilet paper factory. Plus, nearly every Finnish toilet is fitted with a hand-held bidet, meaning that toilet paper isn't as much of a concern. But, people are people.
I was reading in the Australian news about the lack of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT tests) and price gouging, which is increasing the prices based on demand to "unreasonable or unfair levels". However, this is a supply and demand world - if people are willing to pay. But, many are complaining, firstly about the shortages and then about the price, but what are the tests for - do they stop getting the flu, or is it just to get a stamp in the "passport" so one can continue living in society?
A funny question perhaps, but what is essentially happening is that there is another hurdle to jump over, as obviously, being "vaccinated" doesn't actually stop catching, carrying or spreading the flu, so it isn't adequate enough anymore, so you need the test as well.
This is from a couple days ago:
It makes sense to change the terminology from being *fully vaccinated" to "up to date" instead, because the vaccination was never actually a vaccination at all, since it doesn't stop anything.
I am sure it won't be long until Google changes that definition to something like:
Vaccination
Treatment with a vaccine to provide reduced symptoms against a disease.
But, there is more to it than just the terminology redefinition, as what "up to date" implies is that it is going to be ongoing certification required in order to function. This is the process of implementing and integrating a social scoring system that is going to rapidly expand to include other data points, not just "vaccination" status against Covid-19. It won't be long until other health information is on there and who knows, after people have finally been let back into the bars, they won't serve drinks to people who have outstanding BNPL debt, or aren't up to date with their alimony, and you will only be able to buy healthy foods if your BMI is under 25.
Imagine the complaints at the last one.
Though don't worry, there is far too much profit in having fat and unhealthy people to implement it.
And, it is being gamified. The social scoring has already started through social judgements online, that are tokenized with hearts and stars. Now all they need to do, is codify the same practices into a passport that gives access or denies access to various gateways. But, this isn't new, it has been around for a long time through things like credit scores, it is just that this is the first time it is being rolled out globally and into social aspects of life. Well, not quite the first time - it was happening for some people back in the 1930s too.
But, you are not allowed to mention any of this, because it is the ramblings of a crazy person, despite people rushing around jumping through hoops and hurdles in order to comply and stay up to date in order to keep their freedoms.
Hmmm... Google needs to update that definition too:
Freedom:
- the power to speak in accordance with group ideals and values
- the rights granted an individual by an authority that can be taken away at anytime
"I'm up to date, can I have my freedom now?"
I wonder, in a hypothetical world where all information was stored on blockchains and was transparent, would there be all of this ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding Corona? If we could see all of the deals made between states and pharmaceuticals, if we could see all of the test data and have it independently analyzed and verified, all of the ingredients in a vaccine without the protection on trademarks and industry secrets, all of the articles and studies comparable and all of the data on everything freely accessible.
Would there be as much hostility, violence and fear - or more?
Unfortunately, that question can't be answered because we do not live in a world of information
transparency, we live in one where the incentive is for those with power to keep those without in the dark. We live in a world that incentivized by profit and not wellbeing, and one where the most profitable way forward is to create division and polarization, isolating individuals and controlling with whom and how they interact with others.
It makes sense to build a controlled society as it is ordered, structured, uniform and functions better in many ways.
Except at the human level.
Instead of antigen tests, people should be testing their freedoms.
Talk about scarcity...
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
