A new war is on the horizon. The vaccinated against the unvaccinated. When we should be uniting against our common enemy that is fear, Americans might soon be turning on each other instead.
In fact, it’s already happening.
Fear tactics, perpetuated by the profiteers of this new war – the medical and pharmaceutical industries – are destroying families; turning mothers against children, and siblings against each other.
With the most diverse social currents converging in either mask mandates or vaccination, this division is painful to watch.
We have reached a point where if you don’t put on a mask, people might be afraid to go near you, shake your hand or give you a hug. God forbid you kiss somebody on the cheek now. Our American way of life has been forever altered. Now that the CDC has relaxed mask requirements for the vaccinated, this chasm will only widen.
Corporate cheerleaders have also entered the battlefield to evangelize the masses on vaccination. McDonalds, Krispy Kreme and Uber have all dangled some carrots in the hopes of getting more people onboard with vaccination. Free beer, donuts and ride shares? Just what we need, more sedentary behavior and unhealthy food.
President Biden has even gone on record to tout vaccination as the path to normalcy. At the rate things are progressing, it appears only the vaccinated are deserving enough to attend sports events, concerts or even get incentive pay and extra vacation time.
Some States have floated the idea of “vaccine passports” which would further stigmatize and ostracize the non-vaccinated from society and drive them into despair and poverty.
It’s funny how COVID-19 is being sold to us as a “global pandemic” and “a global health crisis”, yet we have nations arguing about intellectual property rights and patents protections about the vaccines.
How can one country be prioritized over another if this is truly a “global health crisis”? While our government is busy trying to manufacture a consensus and normalize the vaccine, there are countries around the world who are still in lockdown. What gives?
The World Trade Organization allows governments to override patent protections in the event of a public health emergency. With the way COVID-19 has been marketed the past year, if it does not qualify as a public health emergency, I wonder what will. Yet, the debate rages on. We can clearly see how the lives of ordinary citizenry rank among the priorities of those in power.
While they may cry foul that patent waivers set a bad precedent and hurt innovation, let’s not forget how much these same pharmaceutical conglomerates stand to make off vaccine sales and production. Can we truly trust them to stay impartial?
Inequality is everywhere. Already, there is an unequal vaccine distribution. Vaccines might not reach the more vulnerable population groups in time. Dr. Simone Gold shared how minority groups were targeted by marketing to be vaccinated first. According to a poll, some 70% of Black Americans believe that people are treated unfairly based on race or ethnicity when they seek medical care. Take into account the unequal access to care, the income disparities, and other socio-economic barriers, minority groups are disproportionately affected by this pandemic.
On a global scale, when we account for the logistics, manufacturing and the continued squabble over patent rights, the inequalities are only magnified.
These inequalities do not matter. After all, control is what the establishment is really after. Mainstream media narratives continue to trigger fear and paranoia, exactly what they are designed to do. Because only with fear can they control us.
I have never aspired to be part of “the herd”. I’m comfortable in my own skin, confident in my convictions and have always walked to my own beat. Instead of adding fear, I only wish for my messages to promote thought, inspire change and ultimately provoke action, even if it means flying in the face of conventional narratives.