A Clouded Christmas

THIS YULETIDE FEELS
LIKE CHRISTMAS 1941

Perhaps, like me, you have the feeling Christmas is a bit strange this year. At a time that should be one of hope and celebration, everybody’s a little on edge.

A sense of uncertainty clouds this season, not unlike the cloud that overhung the world in which Joseph and Mary made their fateful trek to Bethlehem. They were taking part in a census to provide the count on which taxes would be extorted by a brutal empire.

In our day, we face the prospect of vaccine passports to number us and regiment our travels and transactions. (But then, as the French say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”—the more things change, the more they remain the same.)

What dampens the joy of this season is the suspicion — fast becoming a certainty — that those who have assumed power are not acting in the best interest of the American People.

It’s increasingly apparent, for instance, that the push to promote COVID inoculation has very little to do with protecting the public health. What started as a trickle of rumors about odd reactions to these experimental “gene-transfer” vaccines has become a flood of reports about myocarditis, blood clots, neurological anomalies, and other devastating effects.

While both medical authorities and mainstream media have worked hard to obscure the numbers, a sad drama of inexplicable tragedy is playing out among the vaccinated — particularly among children and young adults (and of those, athletes and other of the ostensibly healthiest).

Beyond this, it’s obvious that the vaccines simply aren’t what we were told they would be: shields against contagion. A study conducted in Israel, one of the most thoroughly vaxed nations, indicated that fully vaccinated people…

“are 27 times more likely to get infected with COVID-19, develop symptoms, and 8 times more likely to experience hospitalization than unvaccinated people with natural immunity.”

We’re getting confirmation of that reality in this country. For instance, Steve Kirsch, executive director of the COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund, acknowledged during an FDA live-stream conference that vaccines are killing more people than they’re saving.

“Even if the vaccines had 100-percent protection,” he said, [because of the side effects] “it still means we kill two people to save one life.”

At the same time, we’ve learned that claims about how hospitals were overloaded with COVID patients during the pre-vaccination period of the pandemic have been substantially exaggerated. From Townhall…

“Rather than the overwhelming horror stories of normally healthy individuals being admitted with COVID who are soon intubated and put on a ventilator before their body finally succumbs to the virus, there are a lot of people — almost half, in fact — who happen to be in hospitals *with* COVID, but not necessarily *due to* COVID or at risk of dying from the virus. Yes, those tragic situations do still happen, but it’s happening less frequently than many seem to want Americans to think.”

The media have worked hard to suppress such information. For instance, it was reported by the Washington Post that…

“YouTube will ban any videos that claim that commonly used vaccines approved by health authorities are ineffective or dangerous.”

Still, word is out. Not that increased public awareness inhibits our leaders in their efforts to beat the vax drum even harder. Joe Biden has warned us that, because of the new Omicron variant of the COVID virus, we face a “winter of severe illness and death” that threatens to “overwhelm hospitals” unless we all take the shot.

In an effort to paper over contradictions apparent in obvious vaccine failures, the indomitable Dr. Fauci has begun channeling his inner George Orwell, suggesting that the problem is in our understanding of the word “vaccinated.” As reported by Fox News…

“Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that the possibility of changing the definition for fully vaccinated is ‘certainly on the table’….

“It is a bit of semantics in that fully vaccinated for the purpose of the regulations and requirements that people have is to be what are you considered as being fully vaccinated.’ Fauci said in an interview with CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box.’ ‘But there’s no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster. I mean, there is no doubt about that.’”

In a sense, Fauci’s onto something in suggesting a new meaning for the word, “vaccinated.” These vaccines certainly don’t meet the traditional understanding of what a vaccine should do.

I mean, if the work of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabine hadn’t prevented people from getting polio — and instead made them sicker — would we have thought of their formulations as effective vaccines? Not likely.

I’ve scratched my head and spilled copious quantities of ink trying to figure out the central question…

What is this really all about?

And still I have no answer. No complete answer, anyway (though things are getting a bit clearer all the time).

You certainly can’t say that anti-COVID measures aren’t accomplishing something. To the contrary…

• They’re increasing the power of Washington bureaucracies, while undermining federalism and the separation of powers.
• They’re cleansing the armed forces and the nation’s various police agencies of people who might be inclined to question the wisdom of their command authorities.
• They’re also devastating independent businesses, much to the monopolistic benefit of certain major corporations and chain outfits.
• They’re weakening the remaining influence of churches and religious institutions already suffering membership losses and crises of leadership — and undermining respect for personal religious scruples, as well.
• And they’re putting us all under pressure to accept fundamental changes in our expectations of what life in America should be.

Gee, it’s almost like somebody planned the whole thing.

Well, I’m no Scrooge. I hate to throw the proverbial wet blanket over everybody’s favorite holiday. But when you consider that this vax obsession — promoted with some of the lamest and most disingenuous arguments — is occurring on top of soaring inflation and product shortages … a marked upswing in criminal activity nationwide … an invasion along our southern border … increased cynicism about the integrity of our election system … aggressive moves by Russia and China … and other disturbing realities, you can understand why people are so edgy this Yuletide.

To me the anxiety coloring our current national mood echoes what I imagine people felt at Christmas 1941, three weeks after Pearl Harbor. They sensed they had entered a period of profound danger, yet they couldn’t know how fearful a period it would prove to be.

Their holiday spirit would have been understandably subdued.

Nevertheless, 80 years later, as we approach Christmas with somewhat less than our usual merriment, we shouldn’t forget that this is the season for reflecting on blessings. And I do recognize mine.

The pandemic has touched my family lightly. So far, we’ve all avoided serious illness.

My kids and grandkids have experienced very mild COVID symptoms. My wife and I can’t be sure if we’ve had it at all. At one point we shared what appeared to be a cold (my part of it complicated by an uncomfortable case of shingles). But it’s uncertain whether any of that reflects COVID.

There’s no way to know if serious health problems lie ahead, of course. But then, at my age I gotta figure some serious health problem lies ahead, coronavirus or no coronavirus.

So please excuse my clouded outlook. And even if you too are feeling a little edgy (and a little cloudy), we can all still anticipate the new year ahead, hoping that the clouds may lift.

Indeed, there’s reason to hope. Look what wondrous things came from that fateful trip to Bethlehem so many years ago.

Chin up! Have a blessed Christmas.

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At past Christmastimes I’ve drawn attention to a classic essay written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster, then editorial page editor for The Wall Street journal. Titled “In Hoc Anno Domini” (In this year of our Lord), the piece reflected on what the world was like at the time Christ came into it in human form, and what resulted from that great coming.

The Journal has reprinted Royster’s essay over the years, but now has placed it behind a pay wall (as is pretty much all WSJ material these days). However, conservative blogger Rich Swier has obtained permission to reproduce it on his website.

Royster’s insights have never been more relevant than they are today. Give them a read here…

https://drrichswier.com/2013/12/25/in-hoc-anno-dominin/

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There’s nothing like timely memes to lift our spirits. Here are a few chuckle-producing images…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just to drop a last-minute gift hint, here’s my Christmas fantasy…