Chicken Little is not so much part of the canon here in Germany, but "Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat" is (there's a translation into English; I don't know how well known the book is in English-speaking countries: "The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit" - the German title contains more information, actually). If there's something on your head, first check if it is really an acorn. Then check other people's heads for similar phenomena. Then talk to them, compare, formulate hypotheses, collect data, reject, confirm.
Of course you might be right that the drop in birth rates is largely a consequence of people refraining from starting (or enlarging) a family. But this would actually be much worse than a purely medical explanation. Is there hope for a society (or even humanity) that commits suicide when faced with a minor pandemic (while, at the same time, repeating the mantra that each death is one too many)? Is there hope for a society that only discusses these issues at the fringes? I bet that, before the vaccines are being put on the public table as possible explanation, somebody will attribute the effect to climate change.
I think 'why do so many others not hope I am right' may be the wrong perspective. Some of us are unhappy with how hope was used against us during the pandemic. *** Let's all get treated with an new sort of injection, marketed as a vaccine! Because we _hope_ it will be safe, reduce transmission, prevent hospitalisations and end the pandemic! ***
This is the great secret of psychological warfare -- you use your enemies emotions against them. And the only solution is to teach people to feel less and think more critically. Now, here in Sweden, there won't be much problem asking people to think more and feel less, as there is a cultural aversion to expressing strong feelings in the first place. I suspect that you could get Germans to go along with a less emotional approach to living as well, you tell me?
However, I think the chances of getting the Americans to buy into this idea is vanishingly small. I keep meeting Americans who cannot tell the difference between 'you hurt me' and 'you hurt my feelings' and 'you hurt my ego'. It's never come up. Rational thinking is reviled as a 'white supremacism', and whenever somebody feels badly or threatened by something, that is considered enough, to prove damage regardless of the intent of the person who said or did whatever was deemed threatening, or whether they told the truth.
This means reform in the USA is driven by getting people to stop feeling strongly about X and feel strongly about Y instead. In such a climate, 'calm down, it may not be as bad as all that' is seen as a step in the wrong direction. There is a distinct risk in the USA that they will get more mandated vaccines, especially for their children. Thus any bad news about the vaccine is good news for the 'stop mandatory vaccination' project. This produces a good number of people who hope that you are correct, but think that things will be better for society if you are mistaken, because the first step in getting rid of the regulatory capture of the health agencies is broad consensus that we were wrong to hope and trust these people. And they want to get started on that project as soon as possible.
Sweden used to have a large contingent of 'the USA is better' folk, who thought that if Sweden were only more like the USA, things would be so much better here. They aren't speaking up much these days. Indeed, I think there is pretty broad consensus that the USA is where we do not wish to end up -- though large disagreement as to how to not get there. Right now, at the Almedal political festival/meeting, we have the Social Democrats campaigning on a platform of Swedish Nationalism. (Yes, those were pigs you just saw out of your fifth floor apartment window!) Seems as if everybody is talking about 'how much globalism is too much?' which is a political conversation which has been a long time coming. Self sufficiency is being explained as a defense and health concern. I can well believe that Germans may have a harder time articulating 'nationalism, done right, is a good thing' -- but are things moving in that way where you are?
No. Nationalism is an impossible position to have in Germany. Even the "ultra-right" AfD rarely uses pro-nation rhetoric. The iconic image is still Merkel's taking a German flag off the hands of a party minor, when he was waving it euphorically after one of Merkel's victories. All the positive rhetoric goes to the EU.
Sentiments towards the USA are in an interesting relation with sentiments towards Russia. Roughly, as I see it (which might be misguided):
On the very left: con-USA, pro-Russia
In the middle: con-USA, con-Russia
On the right: pro-USA, con-Russia
On the very right: con-USA, pro-Russia
And currently, nobody is able to think clearly because we are fearing a long, dark, cold winter...
The Little Mole story is a modern classic and I know the kid's book well (in English and in German). I really like how you frame the mole's search in scientific terms: "Then talk to them, compare, formulate hypotheses, collect data, reject, confirm." I never thought of it like that before.
The covid collateral damage was intentional as well, and the LGTBQ+ movement will further diminish populations over the next generation. Whether it comes in the form of a syringe, economic hardship/hopelessness, or a drag queen reading stories to kindergarteners, the results will be the same. Less people.
I agree there is a movement to reduce the global population. I remain unconvinced that the coivid response or the gender movement were deliberately intended to contribute to that goal. As you say, the results may be the same.
Chicken Little is not so much part of the canon here in Germany, but "Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat" is (there's a translation into English; I don't know how well known the book is in English-speaking countries: "The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit" - the German title contains more information, actually). If there's something on your head, first check if it is really an acorn. Then check other people's heads for similar phenomena. Then talk to them, compare, formulate hypotheses, collect data, reject, confirm.
Of course you might be right that the drop in birth rates is largely a consequence of people refraining from starting (or enlarging) a family. But this would actually be much worse than a purely medical explanation. Is there hope for a society (or even humanity) that commits suicide when faced with a minor pandemic (while, at the same time, repeating the mantra that each death is one too many)? Is there hope for a society that only discusses these issues at the fringes? I bet that, before the vaccines are being put on the public table as possible explanation, somebody will attribute the effect to climate change.
I think 'why do so many others not hope I am right' may be the wrong perspective. Some of us are unhappy with how hope was used against us during the pandemic. *** Let's all get treated with an new sort of injection, marketed as a vaccine! Because we _hope_ it will be safe, reduce transmission, prevent hospitalisations and end the pandemic! ***
This is the great secret of psychological warfare -- you use your enemies emotions against them. And the only solution is to teach people to feel less and think more critically. Now, here in Sweden, there won't be much problem asking people to think more and feel less, as there is a cultural aversion to expressing strong feelings in the first place. I suspect that you could get Germans to go along with a less emotional approach to living as well, you tell me?
However, I think the chances of getting the Americans to buy into this idea is vanishingly small. I keep meeting Americans who cannot tell the difference between 'you hurt me' and 'you hurt my feelings' and 'you hurt my ego'. It's never come up. Rational thinking is reviled as a 'white supremacism', and whenever somebody feels badly or threatened by something, that is considered enough, to prove damage regardless of the intent of the person who said or did whatever was deemed threatening, or whether they told the truth.
This means reform in the USA is driven by getting people to stop feeling strongly about X and feel strongly about Y instead. In such a climate, 'calm down, it may not be as bad as all that' is seen as a step in the wrong direction. There is a distinct risk in the USA that they will get more mandated vaccines, especially for their children. Thus any bad news about the vaccine is good news for the 'stop mandatory vaccination' project. This produces a good number of people who hope that you are correct, but think that things will be better for society if you are mistaken, because the first step in getting rid of the regulatory capture of the health agencies is broad consensus that we were wrong to hope and trust these people. And they want to get started on that project as soon as possible.
I agree that we Germans might go along with a less emotional approach to living. Two caveats:
- We are also very prone to viewing everything through one big lens (the lens might change), and this has had horrible consequences sometimes.
- I suspect that the differences between peoples in approaches to living are shrinking because we are all using the same technological platforms.
Sweden used to have a large contingent of 'the USA is better' folk, who thought that if Sweden were only more like the USA, things would be so much better here. They aren't speaking up much these days. Indeed, I think there is pretty broad consensus that the USA is where we do not wish to end up -- though large disagreement as to how to not get there. Right now, at the Almedal political festival/meeting, we have the Social Democrats campaigning on a platform of Swedish Nationalism. (Yes, those were pigs you just saw out of your fifth floor apartment window!) Seems as if everybody is talking about 'how much globalism is too much?' which is a political conversation which has been a long time coming. Self sufficiency is being explained as a defense and health concern. I can well believe that Germans may have a harder time articulating 'nationalism, done right, is a good thing' -- but are things moving in that way where you are?
No. Nationalism is an impossible position to have in Germany. Even the "ultra-right" AfD rarely uses pro-nation rhetoric. The iconic image is still Merkel's taking a German flag off the hands of a party minor, when he was waving it euphorically after one of Merkel's victories. All the positive rhetoric goes to the EU.
Sentiments towards the USA are in an interesting relation with sentiments towards Russia. Roughly, as I see it (which might be misguided):
On the very left: con-USA, pro-Russia
In the middle: con-USA, con-Russia
On the right: pro-USA, con-Russia
On the very right: con-USA, pro-Russia
And currently, nobody is able to think clearly because we are fearing a long, dark, cold winter...
Thank you for the great observation. I wonder if it also holds for Taiwan?
In any case, it's a great reminder to keep reevaluating. It may take years for the psychological effects of lockdowns to be understood.
Total Taiwan population fell 8% last year (predominantly younger people)
Marriages also fell sharply in the 1st pandemic year, ~10% if I recall correctly.
The Little Mole story is a modern classic and I know the kid's book well (in English and in German). I really like how you frame the mole's search in scientific terms: "Then talk to them, compare, formulate hypotheses, collect data, reject, confirm." I never thought of it like that before.
The covid collateral damage was intentional as well, and the LGTBQ+ movement will further diminish populations over the next generation. Whether it comes in the form of a syringe, economic hardship/hopelessness, or a drag queen reading stories to kindergarteners, the results will be the same. Less people.
I agree there is a movement to reduce the global population. I remain unconvinced that the coivid response or the gender movement were deliberately intended to contribute to that goal. As you say, the results may be the same.