and then it's too late

The current times. Can you be cancelled?
Let's step back and see what is going on from 40,000 ft. There are a lot of similarities worth noting to the pandemic and the #blacklivesmatter movement. There is also a historical perspective worth noting. There's a massive and effective grab of power to restrict the liberties of WE THE PEOPLE. 


First, let me say that there are many, many well intended people who sincerely support the prevailing advocacy of caution due to the virus and justice for those who have been oppressed. These are reasonable views of reasonable people. There are changes that should be supported. However, there is a much bigger picture that these same reasonable people need to see.

People have lost businesses that they dreamed about and worked for all their life. At no fault of their own. Athletes lost participation that otherwise consumed their passion. Trips have been cancelled that celebrated special events in people's lives. Families are kept apart due to imposed travel restrictions. Schools and colleges are in chaos. Buildings are being renamed, statues coming down, fight songs banded, emblems that have endeared people to institutions for many years are now offensive. People groups are being pitted against people groups. Identity politics rule the day. I could go on and on accounting the losses to WE THE PEOPLE at no fault of their own. So, why are people losing at the hand of authorities? Why can't the peoples' voices be heard over a severely biased media elite? What's really going on? Has this happened before? Is there anything we can learn?

For example, look at Germany in the 1930's. Leaders gained the favor of the people by using fear to convince them they need to give away personal power to those that could protect them and make things right. People slowly relied on experts and their leaders to control who got what, who thought what, and so forth. Certain classes of people were considered a threat to the majority and consequently demonized. It seemed the thing for good people to do. Yet, fear, guilt, and victimization was being weaponized to distract the people and take control of their lives by those consolidating power.  

You know the story. When the people realized what was happening, it was too late.

The same thing happened again following WW2 with eastern bloc European countries. The USSR slowly grabbed control over the lives of people in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and other countries that lost their freedom to the Soviet Union. At first there was no need for military power. The authorities endeared themselves to the people through morality, fear, and victimization.

I see many similar characteristics of current times in the USA to those times.

Many good people are trusting experts and authorities, those exercising power to seize control from WE THE PEOPLE. Many citizens are trading freedom for safety. It all feels right until THEY come for you and yours.

Then IT"S TOO LATE 

Worth pondering ......