The year 2020 was filled with strange imagery: lockdowns, people wearing masks, some arrested for leaving their homes, others tore down U.S. statues, and politicians told police to stand down while cities were burned and looted. On many levels, the year was like no other in our lifetime. These are the profound takeaways that will have lasting consequences into the future:
1. The politicization of science
Much of what passes as science is not pure science. Science uses the scientific method or empiricism. Scientists observe or expound theories which they then confirm by observation. Part of the scientific process is questioning. Often, so-called science turns out to be merely wishful thinking, the use of faulty data, or an opinion that turns out wrong.
History is replete with drugs that were pulled off the market. Vioxx, an anti-inflammatory drug, was recalled five years after its introduction because it caused heart attacks. Thalidomide, in the 1960s, was given to mothers to prevent morning sickness during pregnancy; the result, worldwide, were many thousands of babies born with missing limbs.
In 2020 we saw the cynical misuse of government authority in the name of science. Many so-called Coronavirus authorities kept reversing their recommendations. Both the media and medical doctors suppressed positive strategies for treating the virus because of their own biases. We saw this with organizations such as the FDA and the World Health Organization; both gave advice that turned out to be wrong.
2. Censorship of free speech
The Big Brother mentality envisaged by George Orwell is upon us. While the USA has free speech enshrined as the First Amendment, that is only on paper. The reality is much different. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have decided to control what you say or what you can see. If they disagree with a particular viewpoint that conflicts with their worldview, they censor it.
The situation has gotten so extreme that social media even censors front-line doctors from expressing their opinions regarding patient treatment for Covid-19. Hydroxychloroquine, in use throughout the world, is another example of the blatant censorship by Facebook and Twitter. Despite its success in treating Covid-19, suppression is the order of the day.
Dare to question the irregularities in the recent U.S. election, and you get banned off social media platforms. Because social media is so ubiquitious in our world, this spells a scary situation. The message of 2020 from the tech giants is to toe the line, or they will destroy your life. For those whose businesses are dependent on social media, there have been significant financial repercussions for daring to speak out.
3. Lockdowns don’t work to control a virus
In 2006, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism published a paper called “Disease Mitigation Measures in the Control of Pandemic Influenza”. The authors stated that “forced isolation and quarantine are ineffective and impractical.” More recently in 2020, doctors in the Great Barrington Declaration said that more harm than good comes from lockdowns.
Studies in numerous journals, including Lancet, indicate that lockdowns have no bearing on the incidence of the spread of the disease. On the contrary, American studies reveal that those states with the highest restrictive lockdowns also have the highest incidence of Covid-19 cases.
What lockdowns do is cause increased suicides, increased cancer rates––due to delay in diagnosis––, increased depression, economic devastation and drug addiction.
A Swiss Policy Research Study, as of December 15, 2020, points to the plethora of evidence that masks are ineffective, and yet, governments and their political leaders keep insisting on imposing regimented mask-wearing. There is no rationality to the widespread wearing of masks.
4. China is now the preeminent power in the world.
For years we accepted the phrase, “Made in China” as something innocuous that allowed us to take advantage of cheaply priced goods. However, with the advent of Covid-19,––ironically originating from China––it has brought home to us how vulnerable we are to the Chinese economic powerhouse, and what a powerhouse it is.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just updated its data in the past few weeks to state that China is now the largest economy globally at $24 trillion compared to America’s $20 trillion. The transformation is stunning. Not only that, but China has its tentacles in every continent with significant investments, and it is now the largest military in the world.
Culturally, China is controlling more and more of American society. Hollywood, including iconic brands such as Disney, are beholden financially to China. The result is that any honest criticism of Chinese human rights violations or criticism of China's role in the coronavirus pandemic is not tolerated. This is also occurring in sport. When an NBA coach criticized China’s human rights violations in Hong Kong, he was met with threats to shut down his team from T.V. contracts in China.
Then there is the case of Australia. Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison dared to ask China to be transparent about the origin of Covid-19. Rather than cooperate, China imposed severe tariffs on several Australian products. Do we see how power works?
Americans like to cite their country as the greatest known to man. In the past, I would have agreed. I’m afraid that description no longer holds in the future. Whether we like it or not, China will dominate the world for a long time. The year 2020 has brought this home in a big way.
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