It can be difficult to remember now — after years of increasingly vicious political debates after the war of epidemiologists against economists, after the mea culpas and the hysteria — that one of the few things most Americans agreed on in mid-March 2020 was this: For our children’s sake, we had to close the schools.
But that one thing Americans agreed on WAS the hysteria you mention.
What we now know, nearly three years later, is that the children were safer than we thought. Americans under the age of 18 have accounted for less than 0.3 percent of Covid deaths.
But the data were clear by early March that Covid was significantly less dangerous to children than flu.
In the spring of 2020 the novel coronavirus was truly novel.
But it wasn’t entirely novel! We had copious experience with respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses.
By presuming we knew nothing, you ensured we were maximally irrational in our response.
I cover how going to a blank slate on what we knew wrecked our thinking in Moment 171.
The Vox piece.
Memory holing and rewriting history are the tools of tyrants regardless of political affiliation. With the path that the Left is headed down the need to continously rewrite the past is only going to grow until we're looking at a real life implementation of Orwells 1984.
Jedi Mind Tricks
“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for,” says Obi-Wan. When Luke asks about the incident, Obi-Wan replies, “The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.”
https://youtu.be/GO_xfR64qSk
Sci-FI tidbits of wisdom:
"While Star Wars has broad pop-culture appeal, the original fan base is made up of science fiction nerds. Nerds do not possess the power of persuasion. They don’t have the charisma or the charm. They tend to be poor communicators in-general. The Jedi Mind Trick is pretty much the ultimate super power for the average nerd. Without it, nerds are unheard and marginalized to the edges of society.
Enterprise Technology groups are made up of Star Wars nerds that all wish they could wield the Jedi Mind Trick, but they can’t. They have smart ideas for advancing the digital capabilities of the enterprise, but they can’t seem to get any traction with the decision-makers. In the economy of ideas, it’s not the best ideas that win, but the best communicated ideas that win."
https://zachonleadership.medium.com/the-jedi-mind-trick-how-to-influence-others-without-them-knowing-it-b3b0044f8b46
"The power to plant thoughts into someone's head is something that can be easily abused; even if it's only temporary, it essentially removes the person of their free will. And so it seems fair that this power is only used when absolutely necessary, which it was in the original Star Wars trilogy. But when the Jedi were at the height of their power, mind tricks were seen far too often.
So while the Jedi are usually seen using mind tricks to help others, it doesn't forgive the problems of morality. Not only is the power incredibly intrusive, but it also shows how the Jedi believe they know right and wrong. Their mindset of believing everything they do is for the greater good is what eventually led to their downfall, as all it took is one Jedi to abuse the power before the Order started crumbling down."
https://www.cbr.com/jedi-mind-trick-unethical-uses-star-wars/
"Compare the Jedi Code with the Code of the Sith:
If anything, Jedi mind tricks sound like they would fit right in with principles outlined in the Code of the Sith. Using Jedi mind tricks gives the strength to control others and thus the capability to gain power.
The Greater Good
There has always been some distance between the ideals of the Jedi Order and how the Jedi operated in practice. The question is how much that distance matters. The Clone Wars era found the Jedi emphasizing law enforcement more than keeping the peace. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council believed they needed to become militarized in order to save the galaxy from the threat of the Separatists.
However, the move ultimately led to the destruction of the Jedi Order. As the Jedi drifted further away from their core ideals, the Jedi Order gained a reputation as a weakened force incapable of upholding the Republic. Usually, when we see characters use Jedi mind tricks, it is to accomplish something for the greater good such as escaping a villain. However, it is worth noting that the Jedi fell during a time when they compromised their belief system, and it is worth considering if such compromises should be made at all."
https://www.cultureslate.com/editorials/are-jedi-mind-tricks-ethical