I feel like we are living – more than ever – in Orwell’s world of total control, untruths, manipulation and deceit. I find this terrifying and it is a world I never hoped or expected to encounter in my lifetime – or anyone else’s ever again.

A few of days ago I saw a post on Twitter that sent chills down my spine. In this post (which may have been taken partly out of context) it appears that New Zealand  has  set up “quarantine camps”, as self isolation does not seem to be satisfactory any longer. You could say it sounds like common sense to get the spreading of COVID-19 under control. I am not going into the absurdity of many of the measures that have so far been taken – I have written about this before – but this would be that one step too far.

People can be taken to these facilities if there is a risk they may infect others in their households. That not being enough, family members and others in the household will also be taken to these facilities unless they get tested and are negative (which in itself is problematic, considering he accuracy or rather inaccuracy of these tests). People will be detained there for 14 days without charge or conviction of any crime unless they are tested and the result is negative. If they refuse to be tested, they will be detained another 14 days. I have read arguments, that these facilities are very comfortable, with great care, good food etc. Does that justify the deprivation of liberty though? We are not speaking about a fun holiday in a great resort, we are talking about detaining people in a facility. And no matter how comfortable these facilities may  be, if you lock the door from the outside it is still a prison! It sounds a bit like The Eagles’ “Hotel California”: “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave…” I admit that current events in the world and what it is doing to people, what many are becoming, brings me to the edge of despair.

But you don’t need to look as far as NZ for madness and absurd measures. Here in Germany (and I know many other countries as well) the nonsense is starting all over again on Monday. Since the infection numbers are supposedly rising “dramatically” again (nobody seems to care that the tests are not very accurate), all restaurants, bars, theatres, gyms etc. will close again on Monday. All of these facilities have invested into the safety of their guests and proven that it works. But now further existences will  be destroyed, people are driven back into loneliness and the latest coup is that police is recruiting so called deputies to help insure that the measures are being followed – like wearing the mask in public places (god forbid we breathe fresh air). The absurd thing is that these deputies (with minimal training) are allowed to wear a police uniform and weapons. This seems to be a really great idea to give people, who probably can’t handle this responsibility, power over others. Maybe we will soon have pictures like in Australia where someone is brutally mistreated by police for not wearing a mask in an outdoor public space…

Unnecessary travel and visits should be avoided. Meetings (where should one meet when everything is closed) are only allowed with people from your own and one other household. The concequence being that people will meet anyway as they are fed up to their teeth, even if the government is asking the population to snitch on their neighbours. And at the risk of making me liable to prosecution – my door is ALWAYS open to my friends –  it is probably my luck that not many people read my blog 😉

What fear does to people is just devastating and I see the looks of fear, disgust, anger, resentment and worse, I get when I dare walk around outside without covering my nose and mouth.

Knowing there are also still many out there who have not given in to the propaganda, people who have not lost their ability to think for themselves, people who dare to question what is happening around them and who speak up, helps me to keep a semblance of sanity and not give in to the despair that sometimes threatens to overwhelm me. I can only thank each and every one of these people and encourage them keep it up – nice and loud please – and to not give up and give in. You are all now needed more than ever in these times of DOUBLEPLUSUNGOOD!