Covid19 has provided an unusual set of circumstances for our democracies around the world. There has had to be some very stringent regulations enacted in all countries. And by the leave of the people, political leaders have been able to do that.
But leaders of all persuasions are now at a crossroad and an awful lot depends on the direction they take. It seems to me that the collective patience of populations is now wearing thin. Vaccinations are being rolled out but far to slowly for many, especially here in Australia.
State Governments are fearful of outbreaks and as a consequence their positions in power, but at the same time they are acting in a reckless and dangerous fashion when it comes to placing restrictions on society. Their balancing act is faltering.
Restricting family reunions, policing mask wearing, and people’s normal behaviour have given them a taste of extreme power and to paraphrase an old saying extreme power corrupts.
Medical Officers of influence are statisticians by nature, and they are just running the numbers. All based on case numbers not medial outcomes, their advice, almost uniformly (possibly because no one wants to be seen to be left out) is based on disease elimination not suppression.
Economically this is impossible to bear in the long run, the costs will high debt both Government and private leading eventually to financial stress, plus the extra available cash will lead to high inflation in years to come. These two dangers arising together will be almost impossible to negotiate. 2022 onward will be a very difficult time.
Back to the health front, you cannot protect everyone from everything, people need to develop their own self responsibility, public health departments are just a service for the people and their governments, they are not one person cabinets, and so they should be held to account. Chief Medical Officers are currently the most powerful people in the country and no politician wants to be seen going against medical advice. It is a very dangerous place to be. Economic considerations are not playing a big enough role in decision making processes.
People must start taking control again, otherwise the Governments will retain their new power and take over in areas they should not permanently, the George Orwell book 1984 comes to mind.
The future hangs in the balance, spreading fear is not an avenue to more votes, liberties are important, and individuals should fight for them, with words and votes.
I remind everyone that Doctors are not politicians and need to be put back in the hospitals when their job is done, power creeps and grows unknown into the psyche of even the best intentioned.
The Australian Prime Minister has spoken about obtaining 80% vaccinated rates before easing restrictions, it is likely that this will never be achieved when you consider the fear spread through the community on social media and the media generally, conspiracy theories and misinformation regarding statistics on vaccines may be responsible for more than 20% people avoiding the jab in the end.
Protection of the vulnerable, both sick and well, is where the focus should be. People have got to be able to go about their lives as they wish, their patience is now wearing very thin.
As many of you already know my base message is “self-responsibility”, my book “The Answer is You”, my blog, my videos all carry the same message, it is ignored at a leader’s peril.
So many people are sick of the nanny state conditions, I’m sure we as a people are willing to accept consequences, social manipulation on mass scales will not be tolerated for long.
I’m not suggesting all restrictions be eliminated, but I do warn lazy leaders that they won’t get away with blanket rules for much longer. As vaccination rates increase, the level of restrictions needs to be decreased in reverse proportion. The cost to business owners and our community is already too high.
If a democracy is to work properly elected leaders need to see their roles as an act of service not a deserved position. Covid19 has had an extraordinary effect on the world because of the suddenness of its arrival and the mass availability of communications now in place. Fear took over, the ever-mutating flu is and will be just a big a threat and we need to get our response to both in proportion to the reality of their effects on the people.
However, like war, pandemics bring good out in us as well as bad. Scientific advancement and further economic experience have been amazing, and we are so much better off because of these lessons learnt.
Leadership as a service will be a test for many, and I fear ego will not allow many to pass.
Tony Steven