It's been almost a year since I wrote a five-part series about COVID-19 at the tail end of May, 2020. Maybe it's time to look back at my analysis and assessment to see what I got right, where I was wrong, and how we should move ahead from here.

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Grading the Curve

Remember when it was, "two weeks to flatten the curve" in March of 2020? I thought they had jumped the shark after two months. Little did I know where 2020 would lead. The goalposts continued to move.

Take the COVID charts quiz. What did the experts get right? How well did policies work to change trends and protect people? You'd think the data would be clear based on the pronouncements of the "experts," the COVID Karens, and media harpies. What does the data really show, though?

Trampling the Economy

There are still heavy economic restrictions in place across much of the country, and more waves of stimulus have been disbursed. The money supply has also been inflated at an unprecedented rate. The combination of a year's loss in productivity plus more money in circulation makes stagflation probable, and hyperinflation possible should the trend of the past year continue.

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To be fair, they also changed the way the M1 money stock is measured, but the money supply still increased by almost 40%. That is dramatic. My limited layman's suspicion is that this has so far manifested mainly though higher real estate, stock, and commodity prices, but the effect will flow through the rest of the economy. This has already been noted in mainstream news. How much is due to inflation versus other factors like the COVID lockdowns is hard to say.

Have We Lost the Plot?

I thought the inanity was bad last year. Hoo boy. It's not over yet. We're still bouncing between stages of recovery plans with no rhyme or reason.

We do know more about how virulent SARS-CoV-2 is now, though. We know who is most at risk of severe complications and death. We have now known for over a year that surface contamination is not a significant vector for transmission, yet we're still wiping plastic-covered keyboards with disinfectant wipes every day per policy. The efficacy of masks is still widely debated, but people are being told now to get vaxxed or stay masked. A library manager I know in Washington was told to accept this false choice. What happened to "follow the science"?

Asking Stupid Questions

I still have no reason to doubt SARS-CoV-2 exists. Virus deniers perplex me. However, it appears SARS-CoV-2 was in the US long before anyone really knew it was a potential threat. Why has this never been discussed?

People are still suggesting it was some kind of engineered virus project that escaped containment in Chinese laboratories, I can't assess those claims, though. Was there gain of function research? maybe, but even so, was it a cause of the COVID-19 pandemic? I haven't the hubris to say, because that is outside the scope of my knowledge, and I don't even know where to begin serious research in the cesspool of internet suppositions.

The Great Barrington Declaration of October 2020 does seem like the real common-sense, scientifically-supported solution to moving forward, but most people seem wedded to authoritarian "solutions."

Now we have vaccine chaos. It has been a short development period, and mRNA spike protein immunization is a new technology. Why is skepticism and caution so derided? People do more research before buying a new 4K Ultra HD TV than they do before getting a new vaccine. We don't know what long-term side effects there may be, how well they might protect against virus mutations, or how long immunity lasts from these medicines. The jury is still out on naturally-acquired immunity, but these new vaccines are a panacea?

Like I said last year,

Will this bug be back along with the usual flu season this coming winter? Who knows? If we flattened the curve, achieved a measure of herd immunity due to widespread naturally acquired immunity in younger generations, maybe not. Or maybe it will be back with a vengeance as it continued to mutate, and the doom-and-gloom predictions of the past come to pass.

The real question needs to be, "what will you do to prepare in the mean time in case it is bad?" Make a plan and take some steps for your future security just in case.

Final Thoughts

I also said,

Government goons lie. Government cronies want power and wealth above all else. But always remember, while the boy who cried "wolf" also lied a lot, eventually there was a real wolf, too.

I remain suspicious of anyone who wants to impose a society-wide recovery plan. Such people are invariably experts in things that are wrong when it comes to economics, and I have deep doubts about the premises behind their medical policies. I am suspicious of Big Pharma, especially when they lobbied for protection from liability for vaccination complications, no matter how sound vaccination may be against various other diseases.

Prepare as best you can for whatever comes next. We don't know what it might be, but you can take some general precautions. Our information sources are all likely biased one way or another, so consider what degree of certainty you have before making any pronouncements. Don't be afraid to change your mind when new facts or evidence come to light. Heck, my own skepticism toward policy impositions may be entirely misguided despite the majority of historical precedents to the contrary.

Have I lost the plot myself? Join the conversation below!