Our Safely Circumscribed Future

 

I find this image peculiarly repellent. Look, I wear a mask when I go grocery shopping. I do it both as a courtesy to those who are worried about the coronavirus and to avoid causing trouble for businesses that have to comply with whatever rule-of-the-day has been handed down from our wise and gracious rulers.

And I try to pay attention to the little arrows that tell me which way I should walk down the grocery aisles. For a guy like me, who already can’t find what he’s looking for half the time, these one-way aisles make my shopping trip considerably longer. But I don’t complain. I’m a trooper. I do what it takes.

At the checkout line, I politely maintain the FDA-approved six-foot safety margin. I’m not a monster, after all. I smile at the person ahead of me, hoping that the crinkles my smile adds to the lines already around my eyes convey something of my bonhomie. We’re all in this lifeboat together, my friend. We’re going to make it.

But I can’t bring myself to stand in the little box my grocery store has thoughtfully provided for that purpose. Something in me rebels. So I’ll stand behind the box, or beside the box, but not in it. I guess I’m a little bit claustrophobic. Maybe it’s because I’m an American; I’ll bet the Swiss have no problem with the little boxes.

Yeah, that’s me, breaking all the rules, just like a middle-aged Antifa street thug (though I don’t have a big-screen TV to show for it, so I must be doing it wrong).

Back during the Obama/Biden administration, there was a thing called “Life of Julia.” It was a short-lived animated advertisement for the left’s vision of America. It featured a young woman, the eponymous Julia, who was cared for, cradle to grave, by the paternalistic state. Her every accomplishment had an assist from Washington; her every failure was cushioned by a loving bureaucracy devoted to her safety and happiness. She was never alone, and never independent.

The Obama/Biden vision of the infantilized Citizen in the perpetual care of a federal daddy figure was just a little too creepy for most Americans, and it was quickly retired.

Now, as pictured here, a Harris/Biden administration will bring us perpetual daycare. Trust a dozen adults to maintain “appropriate” distance, whatever that means when masked people stand around outside? No, of course not. Draw circles so the little darlings don’t get confused. Put chairs in the circles, lest they wander off — as adults are inclined to do when not properly managed. And don’t put the circles too close together, just in case a Citizen decides to stand to stretch his legs and — horrors! — gets close to an edge. Stay in the middle of your circles, Citizens, and remain seated. It’s for your own safety.

I assume that every adult who managed to spend the entire rally safely seated in his or her protective circle, and who didn’t squirm too much, got a silver star. Or a lollipop. Or something.

One can only imagine what will be expected of us by a future Harris/Biden administration should we have an outbreak of a virus that doesn’t have a 99-plus percent survival rate.

To hell with the left’s vision of America.

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  1. Douglas Pratt Coolidge
    Douglas Pratt
    @DouglasPratt

    This is their vision of us for the future, everyone in their little government-approved container.

    • #1
  2. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Sure, it ridiculous but I’d argue that the relative ease with which we have submitted to these farcical  mask mandates have made these “circles of safety” inevitable. 

    I mean, science!TM right?

    • #2
  3. B. W. Wooster Member
    B. W. Wooster
    @HenryV

    Preach it.  Time was that being and American meant something.  We wore risk as a mantle.  Now we can’t breath God’s own fresh air without melting in fear.  That’s been my takeaway from all this.  We aren’t who we used to be.

    • #3
  4. DonG (skeptic) Coolidge
    DonG (skeptic)
    @DonG

    Henry Racette: little arrows that tell me which way I should walk down the grocery aisles.

    What’s the theory with the one-way isles?  Schools do it too.   Is the idea that it is better to walk behind somebody for several minutes rather than briefly passing them?  Does “viral load” mean anything to these tyrants?

    • #4
  5. John H. Member
    John H.
    @JohnH

    I too attempt to convey bonhomie. I try to be like radioactive with bonhomie. I am so bonhomic, the government needs to wrap me in graphite or pour heavy water on me – I forget which.

    • #5
  6. JennaStocker Member
    JennaStocker
    @JennaStocker

    “I assume that every adult who managed to spend the entire rally safely seated in his or her protective circle, and who didn’t squirm too much, got a silver star. Or a lollipop. Or something.”

    They start normalizing this in kids so they don’t know any different as they grow up. It’s our duty to pass the torch of freedom. To hell with this liberal ‘vision’, indeed. That’s not America.

    • #6
  7. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    John H. (View Comment):

    I too attempt to convey bonhomie. I try to be like radioactive with bonhomie. I am so bonhomic, the government needs to wrap me in graphite or pour heavy water on me – I forget which.

    LOLing out loud!

    • #7
  8. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    The Democrat Party is the party of decline. 

    • #8
  9. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    And another feature of “Life of Julia” was that she had no connection to family, to friends, to a church, to social clubs, to other voluntary civic organizations, so that our only source of help or of comfort was the government.

    The boxes/circles and barriers to which we are submitting sever our connections to others, including family, friends, church, social clubs, and other voluntary civic organizations. We must stay away from those people in other circles, and cannot seek help or comfort from them. 

    • #9
  10. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Oh, man. I’m visiting Portland right now. People wear masks when they’re walking around outside. Thank God I’ve been in Florida during all this. 

    • #10
  11. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    Douglas Pratt (View Comment):

    This is their vision of us for the future, everyone in their little government-approved container.

    It’s the dark coulda over it all in the picture that really tell the future. Nothing good coming your way. 

    • #11
  12. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    John H. (View Comment):

    I too attempt to convey bonhomie. I try to be like radioactive with bonhomie. I am so bonhomic, the government needs to wrap me in graphite or pour heavy water on me – I forget which.

    If you are experiencing a bonhomic nuclear reaction, the best course of action is drop borax or borated water on you.   it stops neutrons dead, and will end the bonhomic reaction.

    • #12
  13. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Both our enemies abroad and our own politicians are studying just how much cr*p we’ll take before we rebel.  I really believe this . . .

    • #13
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Henry Racette: Yeah, that’s me, breaking all the rules, just like a middle-aged Antifa street thug (though I don’t have a someone else’s big-screen TV to show for it, so I must be doing it wrong).

    There you go.  :-)

    • #14
  15. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    The sort of control that we saw in both Wuhan and Lombardy this past year is why there was starvation in Russia under the Communists, starvation in China under the Communists, and starvation today in Venezuela under the Communists.

    People have to be able to breath freely and keep most of their earnings.

    We in the United States have to figure this out–that is, we have to know when government is going too far, as it is now. And I think we are doing a pretty good job, thanks to the noncompliant Republicans.

    • #15
  16. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    Henry,

    I’ve had enough of being a nice guy and complying with this bs. What the Great Barrington Declaration says is the lockdown doesn’t work. People who are in a very high-risk category need to take extra precautions. Let the government pay for hazmat suits for them if necessary but leave everybody else alone. The lockdown is destroying lives, jobs, businesses, the education of the young, and the quality of life for the entire population. The Declaration is telling us the lockdown is cr*p. The Declaration has been signed now by most of the leading scientists in the world in this field. That’s why the creepy W.H.O. knuckled under and agreed.

    Regards,

    Jim

     

    • #16
  17. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    One of your best, Henry.  A Ricochet thx and a hat tip.

    • #17
  18. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Henry Racette: Now, as pictured here, a Harris/Biden administration will bring us perpetual day care. Trust a dozen adults to maintain “appropriate” distance, whatever that means when masked people stand around outside? No, of course not. Draw circles so the little darlings don’t get confused.

    If the chairs are spread out already, why the circles? Anyway, I guess  you can do that at rallies with 7-12 people.

    • #18
  19. Kephalithos Member
    Kephalithos
    @Kephalithos

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Henry Racette: Now, as pictured here, a Harris/Biden administration will bring us perpetual day care. Trust a dozen adults to maintain “appropriate” distance, whatever that means when masked people stand around outside? No, of course not. Draw circles so the little darlings don’t get confused.

    If the chairs are spread out already, why the circles? Anyway, I guess you can do that at rallies with 7-12 people.

    If the chairs are spread out already, why the masks?

    • #19
  20. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Vance Richards (View Comment):
    If the chairs are spread out already, why the circles?

    I thought that Henry addressed the difference between (a) distance rules and (b) little squares and circles of confinement very well.  I think that you will find a careful reading of his article rewarding.

    • #20
  21. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I expect none of those measures are really to protect the audience members.  They’re to protect frail old Biden.

    • #21
  22. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Welcome to the New Normal, comrade:

    park with circles

    • #22
  23. DonG (skeptic) Coolidge
    DonG (skeptic)
    @DonG

    Scott Atlas went off last night on Laura Ingraham.

    “Anyone who’s talking about doing another lockdown has really not been paying attention for the last seven months and is simply out of touch with average Americans because the prolonged lockdowns are a complete disaster,” said Dr. Scott Atlas a member of White House coronavirus task force in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Tuesday.

    “They’re a complete disaster for most health care,” continued Atlas. “They’re a complete disaster for average working families and particularly for people who are working-class and lower-income people.”

    When pushed by Ingraham about more potential lockdowns coming, Atlas said that “history will record the faces of the public health experts as some of the most sinful, egregious, epic failures in the history of public policy.”

    “They have killed people with their lack of understanding and their lack of caring,” continued Atlas. “These people have been a gross failure because they never cared to consider the impact of the policy itself. And the policy itself has been a complete epic failure. And honestly, some people say crime against humanity. These people should be held accountable for what they said.”

    • #23
  24. WillowSpring Member
    WillowSpring
    @WillowSpring

    Stad (View Comment):

    Both our enemies abroad and our own politicians are studying just how much cr*p we’ll take before we rebel. I really believe this . . .

    I agree with this – I went through a new lesson today.  I live in Virginia and my driver’s license expired this year.  Unfortunately, I needed a new photo, so I needed to apply in person to the DMV.  Nuts. 

    That was back in the spring when everything got shut down, so they extended the date – Great!

    Then, when they finally opened up, you could only apply by appointment and the earliest appointment I could get in June was today!

    So I showed up this morning, thinking this appointment thing would at least make it simple, but there were 30+ people in line ahead of me – all wearing masks.

    So we stood in line like docile sheep.  Once I finally got inside, the staff was all wearing masks behind plexiglass and it was impossible to understand what they were saying – partly because there were about 15 other customers saying “What!” at the same time.

    To add insult to injury, I didn’t qualify for the “RealID” license since my SSN was under the name “Joe” instead of “Joseph” like my birth certificate.  The fact that I filled out the form when I was 14 – and Joseph was only used when I was in trouble – made no difference at all.

    I left with a very bad attitude towards my government.

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    Both our enemies abroad and our own politicians are studying just how much cr*p we’ll take before we rebel. I really believe this . . .

    I agree with this – I went through a new lesson today. I live in Virginia and my driver’s license expired this year. Unfortunately, I needed a new photo, so I needed to apply in person to the DMV. Nuts.

    That was back in the spring when everything got shut down, so they extended the date – Great!

    Then, when they finally opened up, you could only apply by appointment and the earliest appointment I could get in June was today!

    So I showed up this morning, thinking this appointment thing would at least make it simple, but there were 30+ people in line ahead of me – all wearing masks.

    So we stood in line like docile sheep. Once I finally got inside, the staff was all wearing masks behind plexiglass and it was impossible to understand what they were saying – partly because there were about 15 other customers saying “What!” at the same time.

    To add insult to injury, I didn’t qualify for the “RealID” license since my SSN was under the name “Joe” instead of “Joseph” like my birth certificate. The fact that I filled out the form when I was 14 – and Joseph was only used when I was in trouble – made no difference at all.

    I left with a very bad attitude towards my government.

    So now what?  You have to legally change your name to Joe so  your SSN matches your “birth certificate?”

    • #25
  26. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    WillowSpring (View Comment):
    To add insult to injury, I didn’t qualify for the “RealID” license since my SSN was under the name “Joe” instead of “Joseph” like my birth certificate. The fact that I filled out the form when I was 14 – and Joseph was only used when I was in trouble – made no difference at all.

    This is what legal citizens must routinely put up with, but try suggesting that voters show any form of ID to vote and suddenly one is a racist.

    • #26
  27. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Stad (View Comment):

    Both our enemies abroad and our own politicians are studying just how much cr*p we’ll take before we rebel. I really believe this . . .

    Exactly. I do believe it’s a training exercise; something like the theory of Pavlov’s dog. We are being conditioned.

    • #27
  28. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    Both our enemies abroad and our own politicians are studying just how much cr*p we’ll take before we rebel. I really believe this . . .

    Exactly. I do believe it’s a training exercise; something like the theory of Pavlov’s dog. We are being conditioned.

    Or “just” tested.

    • #28
  29. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):

    I too attempt to convey bonhomie. I try to be like radioactive with bonhomie. I am so bonhomic, the government needs to wrap me in graphite or pour heavy water on me – I forget which.

    If you are experiencing a bonhomic nuclear reaction, the best course of action is drop borax or borated water on you. it stops neutrons dead, and will end the bonhomic reaction.

    I  just knew that Borax guy was good for something more than a laugh.

    • #29
  30. Marythefifth Inactive
    Marythefifth
    @Marythefifth

    Those circles remind me of Les Nessman of WKRP who drew a line on the floor where his office door would be if he had an office. He’d make his coworkers stop there and knock to be let in. In the same way, the circles keep in and keep out the covid.

    • #30
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