Covid – Understanding the Young - A Suggestion

After my Idiots or S***heads blog, in which I asked, “What should one wish all those, who do not even have the decency to respect the discomfort and the fears of others?”, I had a response from a friend of mine, that surprised me. Using rather strong language, he passionately objected to what I had written. He described how the lives of young people, such as his children, were significantly affected. He labelled the requirement to wear masks as a “muzzling ordinance” and spoke of the enormous impact on our social climate, which is increasingly characterized by fear and authoritarian official hyperactivity. In further correspondence, the extent of his anger became even clearer.

 

Is he right? Indeed, in this pandemic, the older generation – provided it stays healthy ­– is paying a much lower price than the younger ones. The retired are not losing their workplaces, and their income, in most likelihood, remains unchanged. Lifestyle-wise too, young people are required to give up more. As you get older, you normally stick to the friends you already have. Youth culture is very much about meeting new people, trying out. All of that, they are expected to give up. This is not easy. Nor, of course, is it easy for the old who live on their own, for whom, lockdowns can be very lonely.  

 

And this is where it becomes even more difficult. Most of those getting really sick are the very old and frail. So, why should the young, who can afford to get infected, as they are extremely unlikely to die, even if they do get infected, be prevented from going on with their lives, as usual?

 

This has become a moral dilemma. A dilemma leading, not only to creaking, but to real cracks.

 

Hospitals’ inability to handle too many cases at once, are the main reason for drastic lockdowns. To prevent Italy and New-York style hospital meltdowns, governments heighten our fears. But, as young people rarely get hospitalised, this fear message is not really convincing them.

 

Perhaps we should rethink.

 

Perhaps the way to go about it, would be for young people to be permitted to continue with their lives, whilst putting all the emphasis on defending the old? That is, defending the old, without keeping them locked inside their homes for the next six months. To that end, part of protecting the older people, would mean ensuring that when young people are out in shops, buses, restaurants, or any general-public crowded areas, they stick to the rules, wearing masks etc., with no ifs and buts. Not half-heartedly, without faking it, out of respect for the rest.

 

Regulating differential conduct within society will not be easy to implement. But it may reach many of those, who currently cannot be convinced. It could, therefore, be easier to promote and also easier to enforce.  

 

This is not an operational plan, but a concept, and I am eager to hear your reactions.

Is Netanyahu floundering?

These are exciting days in Israel. Because of increased frustration with Netanyahu’s mismanagement of Corona in the country, demonstrations against this corrupt man (referred to as CRIME-Minister by some), who is clinging to power, have really been gathering pace .

 

The two big questions are:

·      Will the demonstrations bring about Netanyahu’s departure?

·      What happens on n+1: the day after Netanyahu has finally gone?

 

And looming over is the question – is Israel on the verge of a civil war? And if so, how will it end?

 

Netanyahu has managed to tear the country apart and there is enormous hatred between his supporters and opponents. There are divides between the Orthodox, whose loyalty is being bought with government bribes, and the secular, Israel's real eonomic engine. Additionally, Netanyahu causes the rift between European and Oriental Jews to fester again. Another problem is the fact that the Party representing the Arab population of Israel (Palestinians who are Israeli citizens), constituting some 20% of the population, is not considered as a legitimate partner to govern with, by virtually any of the Jewish parties.

 

Whereas there may be sufficient hatred for civil war and a lot of mistrust, I do not believe that Israelis are at a stage, in which they will take up arms to fight each other.

 

Will Netanyahu be forced to leave? He knows that his next stop might be prison, and he will, therefore, not leave of his own accord. In the last few years, he has surrounded himself and given senior positions in his administration to the most primitive yes-sayers one can imagine. This is truly unpreceented in Israeli politics. A few of them serve mainly as virulent attack dogs, as they are sent daily by Netanyahu on confrontation missions with anyone he considers as an opponent. Currently in the news is Amir Okhana, as minister in charge of the police, he has been orchestrating police violence against the demonstrators.  

Demonstrations now take place three days a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And Netanyahu is panicking, which would indicate that he, at least, believes these demonstrations to be a threat. Senior members of his own party, wishing to save their house (and positions) before it becomes too late, might force his departure. To that end, demonstrations must continue. What the tipping point will be is hard to guess.

 

Whatever happens after the man is gone, it will unlikely bring true peace to the region, as the vast majority of the Israeli Jewish population supports political parties that have no plan or wish to end the occupation of the Palestinian Territories.  

Teaching Respect

With Corona infections on the rise again and as one country after the other is tightening regulations, a question that must be asked is why are there still so many who object to wearing masks?

 

Objections seem to come from three directions: those who object to government instructions per se and get more and more agitated by the notion that big brother is forcing all of this on them; those who do not believe that the masks are necessary (either because the virus is not so dangerous or because the masks are inefficient); those who find the masks too uncomfortable.

 

If, indeed, masks are the key to fighting the spread of the virus, then something must be done to ease the acceptance of mask wearing in the general population. The main educational thrust, to my mind, should be respect and empathy. Even if you don’t believe in the need for masks, even if you hate the government, even if it is really uncomfortable, wear the mask out of respect for others. Have empathy with their fears. 

 

 

Sad empty airport

They did not want me to take a photo of the totally deserted security area of the airport, in which some forty staff seemed to be waiting just for me.

 

On my way to the gate, I passed by a food counter. Does he expect to sell all those yummy-looking croissants, pretzels and sandwiches, I asked. No, the young man said. “We get fresh ones every day and then throw them away in the evening. There are so few passengers.”   

 

 

Integration in Germany

Integration seems to be working better than some may have expected: Seen at a butcher’s in a small village in the German region of Franconia is this offer of shashlik sold under the banner “honest, hearty, Franconian” 

 

 

Is Trump faking it?

 

Rulers who are not truthful about their health are not a new phenomenon. It is not only personal vanity, sometimes it is also about survival. Information about a ruler’s malaise can accelerate predators in their attempts to remove him. And yet, especially in extreme situations, such as war, one now expects to be reassured that the person leading the executive branch of the government is physically fit to do the job. This rarely works, as the immediate circle surrounding a ruler is very normally in awe of the person they are serving, and often more loyal to the person than to the institution. Hence, the annual ritual of the White House’s report on the results of the President’s medical tests, is probably more ritual than reliable information.

 

After four years of White House disregard for the truth, the question that begs to be asked in connection with Trump’s covid hospitalisation, is are we getting fake news yet again? Is Trump sicker than we are told? Or, perhaps, is he not sick at all? (other than in his head, which is not new).

 

Faking covid could be a brilliant move. After a period of having been “ill”, Trump would “recover”, thereby proving to the US electorate what a fit man he is – a man who, despite his age, has overcome the virus, is fit to handle any enemy and every problem.   

 

Most Americans vote for the same political party, throughout their lives. The main purpose of election campaigns is to convince the small percentage of the waverers. This year, there are unlikely to be many Democrats who can be convinced by Trumps past four years to vote for him. But there are Republicans, who are wavering. Trump needs to prevent any haemorrhaging of the traditional voters for Republican nominees. This might be achieved with such a show of physical strength.   

What did you do when Netanyahu demolished Israel’s democratic institutions?

For followers of Israel, these are exciting days: Netanyahu’s immense corruption, his systematic break-up of the country’s democratic institutions and, of-course, his total mismanagement of Covid, have brought about what may be some kind of a civil war. More and more Israelis are out in the streets demanding Netanyahu’s removal. To prevent demonstrations calling for his removal, Netanyahu has placed the whole country under draconian quarantine rules geared specifically to prohibit demonstrations.

 

Like a trapped mouse, desperate Netanyahu is hysterically trying to find a way to avoid jail. The date for his trial, for the first of several corruption cases, has been set and if found guilty he is likely to end up in jail.

 

In recent days, the Israeli police, taking its orders from an especially Netanyahu-subservient and nasty minister, Ohana, have been violently attacking demonstrators in an unprecedented manner – at least unprecedented in the violence vis-à-vis Israel’s Jewish population. Violence against Arabs is not that unusual.

 

One can but hope that the stamina of the demonstrators will prevail. Anyone not out in the streets may in future be asked by his or her grandchildren “what did you do when Netanyahu demolished Israel’s democratic institutions?”

Israel – Democracy at Work

Whilst demonstrations are prohibited, the ultra-orthodox community is allowed to organise a funeral for one of their rabbis. Thousands attending... 

 

 

Perspective

There’s nothing like perspective: This shop buys and sell decorative objects, antiques and rarities, and here the Third Reich can be found safely protected by beer mugs and wooden ladders.