Many of us were neither scared nor fooled. We were threatened with termination, fines and public shaming. I managed a cardiac clinic in a large urban hospital during the COVIDIOCY era. I had access to information both statistics and scientific papers. We knew from research and from the actual reports that this was a disease that struck a certain cohort, the frail elderly with multiple co-morbidities. In fact until Governor Kate Brown pulled the data a friend and I compiled information on those who died with or of COVID. 90% were over 70 with an average of FOUR co-morbidities. Most common were obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Can we say the most common issues of Americans? We also realized from the beginning that COVID deaths were greatly overstated. People died with COVID not of COVID.
Did our great scientific community suggest exercise and dietary changes? No. Lock you in your house and keep the liquor stores open. You can’t see a doctor unless it’s an emergency. Too bad if you need a cancer screening or a change in medication to control hypertension. Lock kids out of school and mask toddlers.
They were wrong and we knew it and they knew it but they couldn’t let the crisis go to waste. I find it a touch ironic that Dr Fauci claims to be Catholic. I hope he realizes that he will face a far harsher judge than the public.
Brand is correct in that some were scared. But they shouldn’t have been. The information on masks and social distancing and closing schools and churches was available. But there wasn’t anything we could do about it. We were not scared. We were powerless.
I was in my company’s COVID task force and did a substantial amount of independent research early on. Many studies in numerous countries contradicted the official narrative and supported what you stated above.
However, we must bear in mind the massive censorship campaign that was perpetrated by governments, the media, and tech companies to suppress the truth during the COVID lockdowns. While honest, unbiased scientific studies were out there, dissemination of those conclusions was next to impossible. Anyone who did so was shut down and often banned from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites. Also, search engines were configured to prevent those results from showing up (unless you were patient enough to scroll to page 110 on the search results list).
It’s hard to hold the average person accountable when free speech and scientific debate is so muzzled. I had many family and friends - otherwise very intelligent, well-reasoned people - who hardened their opinions based on terrible and false assumptions. If they only watched mainstream media … well, garbage in, garbage out.
It was a sad time in history, to be sure. I’m glad to see that many, many eyes are now opening to the truth of what happened at that time.
Thank you. I certainly witnessed intelligent, educated and rational friends who went totally nuts over COVID. The saying “they drank the Kool-Aid” seems to be appropriate here. Fear is a very powerful motivator and intimidator. Ironically the phrase know the Truth shall set you free was forgotten. The information was available but ignored in the quest to take control. I am also thankful some of the previous “COVIDIOTS” have realized they were duped.
You might be interested in this post I wrote (and I wrote all during the lockdown here and on other social media, trying to keep people from succumbing) -- it's actually a mental illness for ordinary people -- mass hypochondria. But what troubles me about Russell Brand is different. He's offering an explanation that I did not see ANYONE adopt -- that children were at risk.
Great take spotting this leading indicator of ongoing efforts to rewrite history!
RB may not be objective on this point though; I think it was his interview with Tucker where he talked about how his youngest child was born in 2023 with a heart condition which required surgery at 3 months, so am going with the benefit of doubt here that maybe his hindsight perspective is skewed…maybe… but yes, it was all about “don’t kill grandma!”
But I appreciate that you listen to a variety of perspectives, including RB - this is something I really value in your writing!! Too many catholic writers live in annoying bubbles haha - love that you are real, funny, fresh and grounded in the “real world” where most of us unwashed folk live ;)
Many of us were neither scared nor fooled. We were threatened with termination, fines and public shaming. I managed a cardiac clinic in a large urban hospital during the COVIDIOCY era. I had access to information both statistics and scientific papers. We knew from research and from the actual reports that this was a disease that struck a certain cohort, the frail elderly with multiple co-morbidities. In fact until Governor Kate Brown pulled the data a friend and I compiled information on those who died with or of COVID. 90% were over 70 with an average of FOUR co-morbidities. Most common were obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Can we say the most common issues of Americans? We also realized from the beginning that COVID deaths were greatly overstated. People died with COVID not of COVID.
Did our great scientific community suggest exercise and dietary changes? No. Lock you in your house and keep the liquor stores open. You can’t see a doctor unless it’s an emergency. Too bad if you need a cancer screening or a change in medication to control hypertension. Lock kids out of school and mask toddlers.
They were wrong and we knew it and they knew it but they couldn’t let the crisis go to waste. I find it a touch ironic that Dr Fauci claims to be Catholic. I hope he realizes that he will face a far harsher judge than the public.
Brand is correct in that some were scared. But they shouldn’t have been. The information on masks and social distancing and closing schools and churches was available. But there wasn’t anything we could do about it. We were not scared. We were powerless.
Believe me I agree. But I can’t accept Brand’s reason here. It is patently false and adds tremendous insult to injury.
Well stated.
I was in my company’s COVID task force and did a substantial amount of independent research early on. Many studies in numerous countries contradicted the official narrative and supported what you stated above.
However, we must bear in mind the massive censorship campaign that was perpetrated by governments, the media, and tech companies to suppress the truth during the COVID lockdowns. While honest, unbiased scientific studies were out there, dissemination of those conclusions was next to impossible. Anyone who did so was shut down and often banned from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites. Also, search engines were configured to prevent those results from showing up (unless you were patient enough to scroll to page 110 on the search results list).
It’s hard to hold the average person accountable when free speech and scientific debate is so muzzled. I had many family and friends - otherwise very intelligent, well-reasoned people - who hardened their opinions based on terrible and false assumptions. If they only watched mainstream media … well, garbage in, garbage out.
It was a sad time in history, to be sure. I’m glad to see that many, many eyes are now opening to the truth of what happened at that time.
Thank you. I certainly witnessed intelligent, educated and rational friends who went totally nuts over COVID. The saying “they drank the Kool-Aid” seems to be appropriate here. Fear is a very powerful motivator and intimidator. Ironically the phrase know the Truth shall set you free was forgotten. The information was available but ignored in the quest to take control. I am also thankful some of the previous “COVIDIOTS” have realized they were duped.
You might be interested in this post I wrote (and I wrote all during the lockdown here and on other social media, trying to keep people from succumbing) -- it's actually a mental illness for ordinary people -- mass hypochondria. But what troubles me about Russell Brand is different. He's offering an explanation that I did not see ANYONE adopt -- that children were at risk.
https://leilamarielawler.substack.com/p/mental-illness-on-grand-scale?utm_source=publication-search
Good catch. Very odd, because it was always about saving grandma and well known that it was a non issue for children because of the ACE-2 receptor.
Yes so very strange
Great take spotting this leading indicator of ongoing efforts to rewrite history!
RB may not be objective on this point though; I think it was his interview with Tucker where he talked about how his youngest child was born in 2023 with a heart condition which required surgery at 3 months, so am going with the benefit of doubt here that maybe his hindsight perspective is skewed…maybe… but yes, it was all about “don’t kill grandma!”
But I appreciate that you listen to a variety of perspectives, including RB - this is something I really value in your writing!! Too many catholic writers live in annoying bubbles haha - love that you are real, funny, fresh and grounded in the “real world” where most of us unwashed folk live ;)
Thank you so much!
You are right, maybe he's thinking about his child. On the other hand, it was he who pointed out so many of the false reasons given during lockdown.