“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that, in the process, he does not become a monster himself. Gaze long enough into an abyss, and the abyss will gaze right back into you.” - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, 1886 It is testament to mankind’s enduring optimism, as much as our enduring hubris, that with every generation hope should spring anew that the fundamental forces which have governed our affairs since time immemorial have changed for the better. After each passing calamity, the majority are once again lulled back into the comforting fantasy that we’ve reached the end of history, that the perennially destructive impulses of vanity, pride, greed, narcissism, cowardice, and inhumanity have been consigned to mere curiosities in our books and historical records, no longer playing any significant role in the decision-making of those with the power to shape our reality and the causes to which they recruit us. No event in living memory has more thoroughly lain bare the folly of that notion than the response to Covid-19.
The worst part about all this, for me anyway, was (and is) the ostracization and the vilification. People I have known for years accusing me of being a right wing internet troll because I questioned the narrative. This despite the fact that I have worked on dozens of drug and medical device liability cases involving drug companies and have earned my skepticism. At this point there is no coming back. In the beginning I wanted to explain to everyone about how we were being manipulated but was met with derision (except by my more conservative friends who might not have agreed but were open to discussing) I'm through with people who cannot think for themselves and who want to prevent those of us who can from doing so.
Thanks Michael for reminding us the unvaccinated of proud we should feel about our decision to remain vaccine free. What courage, mental fortitude and critical thinking it took to say NO when the majority complied for their own reasons.
Excellent article. What I recognized during the Covid insanity is that people have behaved is the same as the way they behave at work. I used to work as a computer programmer in an insurance office. Management really didn't know what they were doing but they often insisted that the staff come in to work on the weekend to work on a on-going project that really looked as if it were going to fail. And people would come in and work. I they were afraid of getting fired. But a few of us refused to sacrifice our weekends for nothing. I suppose we could have gotten fired, but we never did.
What I am trying to say is that most people are used to obeying authority. And then there are the few others who won't unless it makes sense to them. Is this because people are used to the insanity of modern office work? Or is this something innate where most people go along with authority no matter what the issue? Group think vs. individualism?
Jun 13, 2022·edited Jun 13, 2022Liked by Michael P Senger
For me the most upsetting and disturbing part of Covidmania (not to mention Trumpmania and Floydmania) is that it really answered one of the main questions we've been asking about humanity since WW2, which is the question of the Good German.
We've all been immersed in the books and documentaries that show all those cheering Germans happily Heil Hitlering and kicking the nearest Jew, and then the narrator solemnly intones: How could such a sophisticated educated population not only swallow but absolutely worship such a demented hateful ideology?
But now we know: 9 out of 10 people will obediently follow any law, practice, or line of thought or dogma if their peer group is doing the same. When a mass movement or mass panic comes along it will sweep away all in its path like a hurricane, except for the few things sufficiently grounded.
And, if you think the educated professional class will be of any help--they're even worse! Once someone works their whole life for a specific career, jumps through every hoop, has their entire identity based in their job title, if they are forced to choose between their career and all its perks and status vs. flimsy abstractions like truth, honesty, integrity, maybe 9.5 out of 10 will always choose to maintain status no matter what.
As our man Friedrich said: "When 100 stand together, all of them lose their minds and acquire different ones."
Love this bit: "The unvaccinated were vilified not because they were dangerous, but because they were free." The vaccine fanatics actually believed they gained some freedom there for a while. Nope, the vaxxed only got some temporary privilege in a vaccine regime that was clearly unsustainable in the long run, and the unvaccinated always knew this.
They hated the unvaccinated for remaining true to their ideals, and they hated themselves for having thrown away all their values.
So glad I discovered Mr. Senger on EpochTV. What he taught me is the best explanation of how our world REACTED to Covid. I'm a physician and have found COVID to be the most psychologically traumatizing event I've ever experienced. I remember feeling the whole world had gone mad. I remember being publicly criticized and shamed for my conclusions about the virus, the safety and efficacy of vaccines, masks etc. I came to the conclusion that most people are ignorant and unhealthy. I harbor no bitterness or resentment. I have found wonderful work as a physician again (after leaving my previous job). I am in a way grateful for COVID b/c it has woken me and others up to the cancer that has insidiously crept into our country and the world for the past years and I am hopeful we will bring new life to our enlightenment values, our democracy and our constitution. I am reminded of the quote by Napoleon Hill that "every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit".
It is really so much easier to deflect responsibility of what happened to "those in power". Just like the germans deflected: "It was hitler! Not me... I was just a regular guy...".
The problem of going along with "it's the elite's fault" narrative is that it prevents regular people who supported all these measures from taking responsibility for the support that they gave to these actions. And it was only this support that made these actions possible. These people who deflect responsibility will simply never learn.
Once again, just look at what germans and austrians did in the name of covid. It is like... surprisingly... they never learned, right?
A certain proportion of the population are hysterical hyper-sheep, determined to live in an environment that is as totalitarian as possible and make everyone else submit as well. It is primal, stereotyped behavior for them. They all instinctively act and speak the same way, and form easily into mobs to swarm and cancel anyone who triggers them. These people all fit the 'slave mentality' paradigm. They are the ones whose currency is power. People with the 'will to power' don't necessarily wish to rule over others just for the sake of having power. To the extent they hold power, it is to achieve something, or to keep their independence, not to have power for its own sake.
Hi Michael - your supreme sense of frustration, indignation, and perhaps even rage, at the tyranny of Xi Jinping's Covid-19 policy responses, which were used globally for one of the greatest heists in history, comes through in your words. I for one share your revulsion and outrage at everything Covid. And I have often felt disappointment and anger at the useful idiots I am surrounded by every day that have willingly, obediently and without any critical thought gone along with every step of this hideousness. I think the part that annoys me the most is the utter blindess of those who have not been hurt by this, the 'essential workers', to the devastation it has taken on the lives of the people around them. They are blind and ignorant. We are seeing lots of articles popping up about how much money that big pharma has made. But there is little written about the real crime of Covid - the wealth transfer that is taking place under our noses. Here in Thailand the wealthy, both local and foreign, are snapping up distressed assets left, right and center. And the banks are holding back a tsunami of bankrupt clients with zero interest rates, and 'asset wharehousing' - and when it runs out next year there will be a wave of bankruptcies, which will be a fire sale and a wealth transfer. This is one of the silent and biggest crimes of the Covid-cartel, the fascists at the top of the world who put this together have been using it to strip wealth from a large chunk of humanity through both the public and the private sectors. It outdoes what the Nazis did in their plundering during WW2 by a factor of likely tens of thousands. Ah, I rant once again, because the rage at the injustice of it all is so great I can't leave it alone.
Just go out and travel. You will see 10-15% of the population in some areas are still wearing Facial Fear Diapers. They turned happily into slaves and don’t know why.
I learned many things, including, to my astonishment, how gullible so many people are, willing to go along with complete nonsense, like masking, 6-foot distancing, school and small business closures and their willingness to inject untested drugs into their bodies. Also, the complete shameless hypocrisy of the left in not standing up to the principles they claimed to defend, too many for me to list here.
I’m not hated because I’m dangerous, I’m hated because I’m free. Thank you for putting into words what I knew was the case but haven’t been able to articulate to others. The interesting thing is that I don’t find myself justifying my choices anymore because everyone has stopped talking about the mandates. The cognitive dissonance is deafening!
Incredible article, thank you. I have been slowly healing from the vilification, and sometimes the hurt and disappointment and bitterness still arises.
The one idea I think is not fully true is that the vaccinated mob disliked the unvaccinated because "we are free". I think this is partly true, but it doesn't nearly tell the full story. The vaccinated were afraid; their survival fear response was activated which made the unvaccinated a threat. What arises in people with survival threats? Annihilating hatred, anger and judgment.
The worst part about all this, for me anyway, was (and is) the ostracization and the vilification. People I have known for years accusing me of being a right wing internet troll because I questioned the narrative. This despite the fact that I have worked on dozens of drug and medical device liability cases involving drug companies and have earned my skepticism. At this point there is no coming back. In the beginning I wanted to explain to everyone about how we were being manipulated but was met with derision (except by my more conservative friends who might not have agreed but were open to discussing) I'm through with people who cannot think for themselves and who want to prevent those of us who can from doing so.
Without a doubt, this is Founding Father level insightful--an amazing summation, so beautifully written. Maybe your best ever.
When we eventually crawl our way out of this mess, insights like yours and Naomi Wolf's will be taught in classrooms of the future. Outstanding.
Thanks Michael for reminding us the unvaccinated of proud we should feel about our decision to remain vaccine free. What courage, mental fortitude and critical thinking it took to say NO when the majority complied for their own reasons.
Excellent article. What I recognized during the Covid insanity is that people have behaved is the same as the way they behave at work. I used to work as a computer programmer in an insurance office. Management really didn't know what they were doing but they often insisted that the staff come in to work on the weekend to work on a on-going project that really looked as if it were going to fail. And people would come in and work. I they were afraid of getting fired. But a few of us refused to sacrifice our weekends for nothing. I suppose we could have gotten fired, but we never did.
What I am trying to say is that most people are used to obeying authority. And then there are the few others who won't unless it makes sense to them. Is this because people are used to the insanity of modern office work? Or is this something innate where most people go along with authority no matter what the issue? Group think vs. individualism?
For me the most upsetting and disturbing part of Covidmania (not to mention Trumpmania and Floydmania) is that it really answered one of the main questions we've been asking about humanity since WW2, which is the question of the Good German.
We've all been immersed in the books and documentaries that show all those cheering Germans happily Heil Hitlering and kicking the nearest Jew, and then the narrator solemnly intones: How could such a sophisticated educated population not only swallow but absolutely worship such a demented hateful ideology?
But now we know: 9 out of 10 people will obediently follow any law, practice, or line of thought or dogma if their peer group is doing the same. When a mass movement or mass panic comes along it will sweep away all in its path like a hurricane, except for the few things sufficiently grounded.
And, if you think the educated professional class will be of any help--they're even worse! Once someone works their whole life for a specific career, jumps through every hoop, has their entire identity based in their job title, if they are forced to choose between their career and all its perks and status vs. flimsy abstractions like truth, honesty, integrity, maybe 9.5 out of 10 will always choose to maintain status no matter what.
As our man Friedrich said: "When 100 stand together, all of them lose their minds and acquire different ones."
Love this bit: "The unvaccinated were vilified not because they were dangerous, but because they were free." The vaccine fanatics actually believed they gained some freedom there for a while. Nope, the vaxxed only got some temporary privilege in a vaccine regime that was clearly unsustainable in the long run, and the unvaccinated always knew this.
They hated the unvaccinated for remaining true to their ideals, and they hated themselves for having thrown away all their values.
So glad I discovered Mr. Senger on EpochTV. What he taught me is the best explanation of how our world REACTED to Covid. I'm a physician and have found COVID to be the most psychologically traumatizing event I've ever experienced. I remember feeling the whole world had gone mad. I remember being publicly criticized and shamed for my conclusions about the virus, the safety and efficacy of vaccines, masks etc. I came to the conclusion that most people are ignorant and unhealthy. I harbor no bitterness or resentment. I have found wonderful work as a physician again (after leaving my previous job). I am in a way grateful for COVID b/c it has woken me and others up to the cancer that has insidiously crept into our country and the world for the past years and I am hopeful we will bring new life to our enlightenment values, our democracy and our constitution. I am reminded of the quote by Napoleon Hill that "every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit".
It is really so much easier to deflect responsibility of what happened to "those in power". Just like the germans deflected: "It was hitler! Not me... I was just a regular guy...".
The problem of going along with "it's the elite's fault" narrative is that it prevents regular people who supported all these measures from taking responsibility for the support that they gave to these actions. And it was only this support that made these actions possible. These people who deflect responsibility will simply never learn.
Once again, just look at what germans and austrians did in the name of covid. It is like... surprisingly... they never learned, right?
A certain proportion of the population are hysterical hyper-sheep, determined to live in an environment that is as totalitarian as possible and make everyone else submit as well. It is primal, stereotyped behavior for them. They all instinctively act and speak the same way, and form easily into mobs to swarm and cancel anyone who triggers them. These people all fit the 'slave mentality' paradigm. They are the ones whose currency is power. People with the 'will to power' don't necessarily wish to rule over others just for the sake of having power. To the extent they hold power, it is to achieve something, or to keep their independence, not to have power for its own sake.
Fantastic, insightful essay!
Hi Michael - your supreme sense of frustration, indignation, and perhaps even rage, at the tyranny of Xi Jinping's Covid-19 policy responses, which were used globally for one of the greatest heists in history, comes through in your words. I for one share your revulsion and outrage at everything Covid. And I have often felt disappointment and anger at the useful idiots I am surrounded by every day that have willingly, obediently and without any critical thought gone along with every step of this hideousness. I think the part that annoys me the most is the utter blindess of those who have not been hurt by this, the 'essential workers', to the devastation it has taken on the lives of the people around them. They are blind and ignorant. We are seeing lots of articles popping up about how much money that big pharma has made. But there is little written about the real crime of Covid - the wealth transfer that is taking place under our noses. Here in Thailand the wealthy, both local and foreign, are snapping up distressed assets left, right and center. And the banks are holding back a tsunami of bankrupt clients with zero interest rates, and 'asset wharehousing' - and when it runs out next year there will be a wave of bankruptcies, which will be a fire sale and a wealth transfer. This is one of the silent and biggest crimes of the Covid-cartel, the fascists at the top of the world who put this together have been using it to strip wealth from a large chunk of humanity through both the public and the private sectors. It outdoes what the Nazis did in their plundering during WW2 by a factor of likely tens of thousands. Ah, I rant once again, because the rage at the injustice of it all is so great I can't leave it alone.
Ivan
Just go out and travel. You will see 10-15% of the population in some areas are still wearing Facial Fear Diapers. They turned happily into slaves and don’t know why.
I learned many things, including, to my astonishment, how gullible so many people are, willing to go along with complete nonsense, like masking, 6-foot distancing, school and small business closures and their willingness to inject untested drugs into their bodies. Also, the complete shameless hypocrisy of the left in not standing up to the principles they claimed to defend, too many for me to list here.
I’m not hated because I’m dangerous, I’m hated because I’m free. Thank you for putting into words what I knew was the case but haven’t been able to articulate to others. The interesting thing is that I don’t find myself justifying my choices anymore because everyone has stopped talking about the mandates. The cognitive dissonance is deafening!
Great piece! This is quickly becoming my favorite substack.
Incredible article, thank you. I have been slowly healing from the vilification, and sometimes the hurt and disappointment and bitterness still arises.
The one idea I think is not fully true is that the vaccinated mob disliked the unvaccinated because "we are free". I think this is partly true, but it doesn't nearly tell the full story. The vaccinated were afraid; their survival fear response was activated which made the unvaccinated a threat. What arises in people with survival threats? Annihilating hatred, anger and judgment.