Mark, what a great metaphor! This wonderful piece reveals an unfortunate scandemic truth: it took a long time for me as a child to admit there was no actual, physical Santa Claus. I was afraid that once I owned up to that fact, the presents would cease. I think an awful lot of the covidians are afraid to own up to the fact that their beloved govt handlers do not actually love them-- in fact, that it doesn’t even like them. These folks are afraid to give up their delusions, made real by continued shots and masks.
People hate admitting that they're wrong about trivial matters. Now we’re asking them to admit that the people they trusted may have permanently damaged their immune systems. It’s going to be a very slow and difficult recovery process.
Many are still true Santa believers. They will rush out and get the "new and improved" bivalent shots that are now being pushed along with the new quadrivalent flu shot. There is no amount of evidence that will ever change their minds. I often see the comments on Yahoo under pro vaccine stories and anyone critical of the story is told by these people, "so you know more than the doctors? Where's your medical degree? These shots have saved millions and kept us out of the hospitals...." and so on. They are never going to change even when they get cancer, heart inflammations, strokes. Never. They will just have to die off.
Some absolutely will. But I have hope that the persuadable middle might eventually come around after they see their children and friends "die suddenly".
I felt that as a kid also. Gift giving was modest and didn’t want to lose any chances. Lol. I casually asked mom at around 11 if there was a Santa
She confirmed my thoughts on that but asked me to keep it on the QT for younger siblings. In the 1950’s Christmas was not a huge gift fest for us. A larger gift snd a couple of smaller ones. Home sewn flannel jammies from grandma (wish I still had them). My first grandkid the gloves were off. Hot Amazon button! Lol. Now he’s 16 and just gets money or art supplies. Last Christmas we couldn’t visit him because too much Covid in the fully jabbed family there. Including the kid. Hubby and I were home just fine. Unjabbed.
That’s for sure. Most have enough brains to slide to the fact that it isn’t just themselves that might have gotten it wrong. But loved ones and their own encouragement to shove them into true danger. This will never be acknowledged or
There had better be some powerful and available support groups on hand someday or confession boxes on every corner. But it’s too weird now.
Just rereading these comments while sick as a dog with COVID ( double vaxxed, no boosters) ...this whole vaccine/mask issue for me amongst my circle of friends and family has proven to been quite the litmus test of who has signed onto all the government “edicts” and who was skeptical from the beginning and who were open minded enough to question the supposed science over time. It’s all across the spectrum.. my brother, an attorney turned boutique banker is the biggest sheep in the herd. He thinks I’m a fringe lunatic.
Same here. My BIL said seriously if fauci asked him to cut off a finger he would do it!! Your bro hasn’t seen the big bad Wolf stalking him yet has he? So sorry. Money doesn’t make smart.
The sad part is that what has driven his fear the most is that he is asthmatic, so he’s been wearing a medical mask religiously since Day One. Now he’s got pulmonary issues the doctors cannot explain. For me, my distrust and skepticism set in early when 1) Fauci’s first statement to the American people was that masks would not be necessary and then did full pivot with a lame rather elitist explanation. 2) The vaccine, you must get it cor the country to achieve herd immunity… and if vaccinated, you will not get it. Not ONCE has the POTUS, NIH, CDC, Fauci etc explained that they were wrong. Mask mandates, boosters, new daily variants…and yet not once have we been given an explanation as to the origin, why the severity in the beginning… why the higher rate of contagion now but weaker “ variant.” On a personal note, I am “ friends” with a highly respected ID Doctor in NJ, he cut his teeth on AIDS with his ID Doc father in the late 80s. When COVID hit, he started treating it with HCQ and Zithromax… with amazing success. Practicing for 35 years, the NJ Medical Board threatened his license and one hospital yanked his practicing privileges. He presented his study of over 400 COVID patients ( one death , a 53 year old obese diabetic Haitian man) to the NJ Medical Board and they reinstated his ability to rx HCQ. Why was a perfectly safe treatment immediately banned? Having taken PlaQUINel/abx combo 25 years ago for Lyme, I called and still call Bullshit on that. Sorry for the rant, but too many things simply make NO SENSE. And now an Omicron vaccine….🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
We have no other place to rant these days without getting shut down—so rant away! I do my share. This can be boiled down now IMHO— 8 mice. There it is in a nutshell. Or mouse hole.
When my kids were younger I used to dress up as Santa. The first time my 3 year old son saw me in costume, he said 'Hi Daddy'.
Little kids are impossible to fool. When we get older that's when we start allowing ourselves to believe all the lies....anything to protect from the cold hard bite of reality.
I often wonder if the whole Santa Claus thing is a major disservice to kids. Sure it's fun (not to mention the perfect front for the mega-corp), but it only prepares us for the lies our Government spins us on a daily basis.
and little kids trust their parents not to play tricks on them and cannot even conceive that parents could put on costumes and take part in a society-wide deception/performance. When the kids realize they've been lied to.... many of them are disillusioned "but kids are resilient!" It's an interesting thing that we do to children. Why?
Love your comment. You were a sweet kid, and you offer a different perspective to some of the commenters who seem to be working up on thinking the Santa myth was possibly destructive. I had three younger brothers and I loved helping my mom keep the excitement of Santa going. Our father abandoned us, but Christmas was a beautiful time of year... school was out and snow fell and my mom made us hot chocolate and I have the best memories of these earlier times, earlier Christmases. New Years wasn't fun for me because it signaled the season was over for now, but all in all none of this damaged me (that I can tell). Many other things did. Mark and I had similar upbringings in New York/Jersey area, and I too saw the pandemic as largely a scam, from the cruise ship on (the fear wasn't matching the reality) and I cannot for the life of me figure out why several of my 40 year friends continue to buy the lie, other than for one fact: their fathers did not run out on their families. Maybe it is too easy for me to see the possible evil under the surface. Dang, I wish it was December 19th and I could take a nice little break from the madness. My family would NEVER obey a Fauci type. Period.
Fred, I was so lucky! My 3 brothers and I had superb childhoods, never lacked for anything and were raised by 2 loving parents, and I smelled a rat very quickly in early 2020 when a so called "vaccine" was ordered to be created ASAP. I'm no genius, but I knew a vaccine couldn't be developed, tested and approved ASAP, especially if government is involved!!! I believe it's a matter of common sense, intuition and ability to think independently.
Love it! You were/are right and I don't mean to imply that one needs an odd childhood to smell a rat, I just meant my friends who had dads who didn't steal their PHEAA college money cuz the bank saw the same name on the withdrawal slip (except he was Senior) and didn't look like Fauci made them trust "adults" more than I do. You are absolutely right about intuition as well! Rock on B!
You mentioned seeing reality after the first cruise ship "outbreak" didn't become a holocaust; for me it was the 2020 Sturgis - 400,000 people in the Black Hills, and they could only find four deaths to report? Yeah, this is a hoax, not a holocaust.
Interesting too when you recognize the deeply religious foundations of Christmas and things like you describe are what modern culture decided to replace it with.
In a new moms’ Bible study, a guest speaker told us how her family (5 kids) handled Santa: He was a beloved character in a Christmas story. She said it was important to start this way, to avoid the moment kids realize “you can’t see Jesus either, so when are you going to tell me he’s not real either?”
We took this approach with our kids. Then one Christmas Eve at the inlaws’ house I was sitting across from my niece and her dad. My niece was in 7th grade. I don’t remember how it came up or what was said, but I suddenly realized she still believed in Santa and my brother in law was looking at me, incredulous and angry that I spilled the beans. Did I mention she was in 7th grade?! I lost a lot of respect for them in that moment, just like I have lost a lot of respect for people who believed all the covid lies.
Because when they get a little older, they realize Mom and Dad did that to show them pure generosity. And they may learn to be generous, with no chance of payback, to others.
every fairy tale (either the story itself or its ending) serves as a form of control, often so that the story teller doesn't have to admit he doesn't have the answers. regular massage of the presumed 3rd eye develops one's ability to recognise lies.
Great analogy. Had a "conversation" with my Dr. yesterday about shots. It's interesting how a smart, (what I used to think), and educated man is led to believe because of "science".(What science??) He is still pushing the shots for patients (I say hell no) and is not champing at the bit to get the current booster, although his wife (also a Dr. ) is pushing it. Does he hear himself I wonder? He listened to me though when we discussed natural immunity. Just fill my allergy Rx and let me make my own decisions. He doesn't make any $ off of me-so the patient/Dr.relationship is waning.
They don’t know sh1t about nutrition either but that doesn’t stop them from whanking on about it. Fat. Salt. Blah blah. Same old tripe even tho science has moved on exponentially.
I know- high cholesterol here which cannot be changed by diet or exercise ( I train 9-10 hours a week for tris and am basically a vegetarian!) Mine told me to stop eating egg yolks! WRONG!
I tell them I had bacon and 2 eggs with Kerrygold butter and salt for breakfast just to see their faces. 😈. I just had the ldl particle size blood test (a test verboten by conventional docs) to see the state of LDL oxydation. That’s a truer test of heart health along with the coronary calcium scan—another test Pooh pood by conventional docs. They quit following science decades ago.
Cheryl- same here! I believe it may be inherited- I know my mom had it. I eat very clean, most vegetarian, do a ton of exercise! My doctor told me to "cut down on meat and try to do some weight bearing exercise" 😂 They don't have a clue!
Genevieve: I used to hold MDs in high esteem. Post plandemic; I now see most of them as the tiny wizard behind the curtain. (*The Wizard of Oz*.) Mostly smoke and mirrors. I used to enjoy asking doctors questions. Now; I think "They don't really know." Just like the "eat less; exercise more" stock answer to weight loss. Hopelessly out of date, and an incorrect response. Maybe I'm being unfair. It's a bit of a letdown--Our former "heroes" have clay feet.
Yup! Dr. wants me on statins. Will NOT do it! They are another one of those "for the rest of your life drugs" and make you feel like crap! (parents were on them and then decided to get off of them! Thank god! But mom was put back on them after a mini-stroke...she's 96 for pete's sake! Let the woman live out the rest of her life on as few drugs as she can!
Never here as well. The same con as the “effective risk reduction “ that Pfizer and its handmaidens use for Covid jabs when the absolute risk reduction (ARR) is actually somewhere near 1% or less. No 85 or 95% the ARRs are hidden in the documents and is the data that counts. Statins are about the same—99 have to take statins to arrive at one life improved by taking them. And that has never been fully studied. Get em out—get em in ya. My total at 74 yo is over 200. I’m happy with that —especially if my LDL oxidation blood test confirms a couple of things. I plan a cardiac calcium score test as well. Another more reliable indicator of CVD. Plus a couple of more. Total cholesterol means nothing but permission for your doc to enrich big PHarma. My hubby takes them. He has joint pains and quality of life has worsened with the wrong indicators running his treatment. He thinks his docs are gods. What in the hell do know anyway. That he is told to lower fat and 2 oz of meat a week is fine tells me everything. I’m kind of passionate about this subject of real nutrition. Cheers!
I’m 70, my cholesterol has been hovering in the low 200s for 20+ years.... my good HDL cholesterol varies between 110-120.. so my ratio for heart disease risk is very low ....IF they know what they’re talking about. I had a GP Dr friend who told me (after menopause ) that as long as that HDL stays high to NEVER take statins....to date having moved multiple times, I’ve had three doctors insist I must lower my cholesterol... so LDL, great, Tris... within normal range, off the charts high HDL.. but yeah, take the pills. Be your own advocate.
Exactly. I told one doc I would deal with it by lifestyle. I knew the truth by then. She said ok but Walgreens called before I even got home saying my statins were ready. Fired!!!
I've been burned by chronic meds so now I take very, very few. Even the bloodthinner Eliquis nearly killed me. And doctors don't know anything about side effects.
As for nutrition, I'm pretty focused on that too, and they know NOTHING about it. I have come to avoid doctors to the greatest extent possible.
For sure. I’ve just had surgery after a fall and I am again in the local big hospital system. Knowing what I know now I am starting to back out of the full rounding up. Tech stuff. Sign up. Blah blah. It was a decent experience but just had my first and last follow up with the admitting doc and 2 more visits with the surgeon and then I will remove myself and take over my healing plan myself and Returning to my functional medicine doc. Will also begin getting off a couple of meds associated with the surgery with her help. I’m comfortable and relieved by having a plan that I’m in charge of.
I'm having a very tough time trying to convince my elderly dad not to take this fifth shot. He talked with his doctor yesterday, and she strongly urged him to get it. I am up against an "expert" in a white coat. Why would Dad listen to me?
I frequently tell people that Dr. Google saved my life. It's nit much of an overstatement, and my MD, who was actually pretty good (before Covid, anyway) as they go, would concur.
That usually ends the "are you a doctor?" discussion
Here’s my new approach: have the vaccines and boosters prevented the transmission of the disease. No. Oh but the rebuttal is “the virus is not as severe.” How do you know that? “Dr. Fauci said so.” This is the Santa Clause “clause.” Despite there being no scientific study to support that, somehow very disturbingly, people are willing to accept that.... because it has to do something! Please don’t tell there is no Santa Clause. My GP has proven to be a regurgitater of Fauci dogma. 45 years old, smart enough to go through medical school and bold enough to suggest to 70 year old me that I read” too much! 45 years old!
Isn't that an amazing phenomenon? Same here. They can get A's in Organic Chemistry but they won't read a simple report with a graph showing how bad the shots are. It's a willful, obtuse appeal to eminence. Workaday MD's are however under threat from employers and State Boards not to talk down the shots or they could be in serious trouble. If you can find an independent physician, they may tell you the truth.
and what is your response to hearing that from your GP?
I hope that one of these days, the awakened doctors stop being fearful and will loudly make it clear that they do not believe in "The Science" -- so we will know which doctors are safe to switch to.
I am not at all sure how to go about finding a new doctor, now. The ones I know all either believe or they pretend to.
I see her in October... and am simply pointing out all the things they were dead wrong about, that she aligned with. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find doctors who take on Medicare patients...another dirty big secret.
Try asking trusted friends (if you have any not covid-crazy). That’s how I found my new physician. When she left the hospital-affiliated health center, the first thing she did after setting up her office was state NO MASKS required. That alone brought me in.
I have been saying "stop getting boosters" to my 96 year old mom for a while. Her primary care said her cholesterol is "okay" and never talked to any of us of her numbers or risk factors, yet she is probably still suggesting shots. (I live far from her). The last time I said "Why is everyone getting covid that is getting the shots?" and I think it made her question it...
I just spewed my thoughts on vax to parents begging them not to get fifth. Mom had issues with the last 4!$&!$. They blindly trust docs, govt, and pharma. Don’t know what they will decide.
My dad is almost 90, mom 88. They read Epoch Times luckily so the are seeing vax harms. But last fall I thought I convinced them not to take the booster but their doctor said ‘it’s safe’. So they took it.
A few days ago I sent them this short video. And their reply was ‘that’s scary’.
I think they’re convinced... we’ll see.
Good health btw luckily, but brain isn’t working quite as well ... since the shots??
similar story, here. And it is hard for them to make good decisions when their brain isn't working quite as well..... will we ever know for sure if the shots caused or contributed to their cognitive deterioration?
I personally think the shots attack whatever weakness there is in their bodies. I'm thinking at that age their most vulnerable thing is their brains. But, right, we'll never know. Good luck with your folks!
My mom just doesn't quit physically, but I think she's gone downhill quickly since all her shots mentally. Thanks for the link! I send her and my sister/brother in law information, print-outs, graphs, etc. But they are her "caregivers" and have bought into this lock, stock and barrel. Don't know what I can do from here. Turns 96 tomorrow!
Good luck. Thanks for your comment. My brother and his retired emergency room nurse wife have bought into this crap, but luckily my parents don't listen to them as much!
I enjoyed your memory, as it reminds me of the "before times."
I always told me daughter if you stop believing, he stops coming. She was past 16 before she admitted she knew anything :)
I wonder if they can't dial it back because they've been lying, or if they have to keep pushing because over-spiked immune systems are now on "life support. "
I just saw a politician in Ontario pushing the "new" Omicron bivalent shots. Is she really that oblivious to the carnage?
I so want this nightmare to end. Watching family members go for "just one more booster" is a burden that feels too heavy to carry some days. Thankfully, my immediate family is awake. The extended family, not so much.
Interesting analogy but there is a big difference. Your Mom acted out of love. She knew that a childhood without the beautiful fantasy of Santa would deprive the children glee and wonder of the season. Our government has a much different agenda behind their fiction. What drives them isn't love of fellow man but rather power and profit for themselves under the guise of doing good. Much like the peddlers that push today's cheap Chinese crap that ends up in the garbage a few days after Christmas, they have a very different view than your Mom. To them, Christmas is enriching themselves, not you or your kids. The problem comes when the junk pushed into little arms can't be thrown into the trash when it doesn't work as promised.
I once read an opinion by someone who said that parents should never tell children that Santa is a real thing because when they do find out it isn't true, it makes them less trustful of their parents. It tells them that their parents lied to them. His opinion was that it is best to always tell children the truth right from the beginning. Whether or not the intentions are good or bad, the result is the same, that the parents lied to them. It can feel like a betrayal when you first learn the tooth fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny are all lies. But then again, maybe a dose of betrayal is useful in teaching children not to trust all they are told.
My own mother never let me "believe" in Santa. I just wanted to believe I could have presents I wanted. Yes, I didn't think a guy could fly around the entire world. I knew adults weren't that organized and the world was big. Unfortunately, she was depressed and she was making sure I wouldn't take shelter from that in pleasant fantasies.
Bonus: I knew she wouldn't lie to me. (Interestingly, she also told me the truth about fake and dangerous vaccines over 50 years ago! So, ahead of her time!)
It was the latter for me. I like to say that Santa was the first conspiracy I ever uncovered. Haha. I was eight and it blew my mind that everyone had been lying. Everyone! I remember thinking: what else are they lying about?
Agreed. And I believe there are multiple reasons for it, like you said greed and power.... but also a coverup-they are doing their best to hide the illegal ‘work’ that they were doing that led to all this.
Their motives are vastly different than those of a mother trying to extend a child’s innocence/fantasy.
What a sad, poignant and apt analogy for the state of our world today. The only difference is that Santa wasn't secretly delivering evil gifts that could kill.
The more academically accomplished and credentialed someone is, the less likely they are to admit they are wrong. We are all victims of that hubris and greed. I hope to live long enough to see Albert Bourla on trial.
MD's who keep pushing boosters are harming people. The evidence is crystal clear. You are more likely to become seriously ill and hospitalized if you are boosted. Then they'll pump you full of paxlovid and remdesivir to speed up the process. But I digress...
As someone else on the thread just mentioned, they're dead wrong about nutrition as well. Their recommendations and guidelines for "healthy" eating over the last 70 years have doomed millions to an early grave. The medical establishment hasn't begun to reverse course on this either. Don't hold your breath.
Thank you Mark, for this sweet story of your youth. How true the analogy. How very sad and tragic that the lies continue. Even sadder that they are still believed. 😢
I love this story. While I enjoyed the whole Santa myth when my kids were young, I was relieved when I no longer had to lie to them. Thankfully, the “Elf on the Shelf” was not popular back then. That Elf gives me the creeps!
I just love your analogy! I can so distinctly remember as a child having so many questions (I’ve always had more questions than answers lol) about the logistics of Santa Claus (delivering all those packages world-wide in a few short hours, big guy fitting in a chimney, knowing if I’d been good or bad and the creepiness of someone watching me sleep, etc.)…the kicker was when I realized that Santa and my mother had the same wrapping paper…the jig was up! I con’t to play along for many years as I feared that not believing in Santa would end Christmas altogether and I didn’t want to hurt my mothers feelings.
There were so many things that (like the Santa Claus questions) simply didn’t make logical sense to me soon after this plandemic began. For instance…having to wear a mask into a restaurant…then being able to take it off when you sat down…then put it back on again if you stood up…crazy!! I felt like we were playing a big game of Simon Says. Logic tells you that a virus doesn’t only hover above four feet or only come out after ten o’clock at night or frequent small businesses (as opposed to big chain stores).
I feel mostly sad (and somewhat frustrated) when I see people still in masks and others continuing to defend this virus’s ridiculous demands…it’s as though they’ve been hypnotized and I’m not sure how this spell can be broken.
Pleasureland. I can't get over that name. It sounds appropriate for the 50's and 60's
but now it takes on a whole new mental image.
We did not do Santa at our house. I am 67 and my parents lived through WW2 in Holland. One day they met, got married had kids. My dad aspired to go to the US like all of his uncles. My sisters and I knew Santa existed but he was not for delivering presents. We moved to the states when I was 10. the kids here were weird and I could not understand them. I could speak english but not American english. US kids had a different mind set
I love learning about childhood from others experiences. Mine was different than most Americans.
I think my experience was unique bc my parents survived a horrible war. Also we believed in Sinterklaas and Swarte Piet
Your comparison of these various present day speciously obvious hypocrisies are spot on.
The Left disgusts me. They are repulsive. We are the grown ups now, and we stand by watching these arrogant criminals rob, steal, trespass and we are told to shut up about it.
"I hate these people" - as Greg Gutfeld used to say, I never watch tv anymore. so maybe he still says it
I grew up in Queens New York. When I was very young there was a small amusement park called "Fairy Land" I think it was gone, probably demolished, by the time I got older. I am sure it never would have survived in this politically correct world - I think they would have had to change the name!
You are mistaken to fixate only on "the Left." Yes, it has gotten insane to a point beyond comprehension. Yes, they are puppets who have been commandeered to bypass the former sanity and compassion of the Left into crazy-town. The truth is that both political parties have not been answering to the will or well-being of the public for generations. Maybe never, but certainly for generations that I've witnessed.
After surviving "Uncle Ronnie" I was cured of my belief in right-wing righteousness. So, I get to pick between two political approaches that both end in suffering, control, and enslavement. They just take different routes to get there. "We'll control your whole genome." vs. "We'll just control your uterus and worship oligarchs, pretending that God likes us better so it's ok as we wait for our own opportunities to be the bigger bullies." No thanks.
Love your article. I hope you write as a profession because you took me to your childhood with your writing style . It's very clear, but engaging and paints a picture for the reader.
I think the fact that the “mitigation” measures didn’t work (& of course they knew they wouldn’t) but forced them anyway for something w/ a 99.7% survivability for the vast majority was the evidence they needed of their ability to control & subjugate & this was/is the feature, not the bug.
And now that they have that evidence, I wonder what happens when a deadlier man made bio weapon comes out. We’re being promised one (or more) will.
There will never be apologies or admissions that they were wrong. As w/ the criminals @ Nuremberg, they will be either defiant or deflect that they were simply following orders. I wouldn’t care as long as they would get what’s coming to them, but I’m afraid they won’t (@ least in this life).
At least Denmark just announced no Vax under 50 - so some are moving in the right direction.
Mental illness is strong - and in the Covid era the government created a public hysteria. Hysteria is a real thing - it has actual physical and mental manifestations that are extremely difficult to remove and are social in nature. Hysteria turns to zealotry and zealotry to persecution. We’ve witnessed this first hand. The average American is NOT a contrarian - they want to believe in the “government” thinking of their best interests - even with all the evidence to the contrary throughout our history.
I guess I was a trusting naïve kid. I believed in Santa until I was 9 or 10. Fortunately I grew up to be a cynical adult and saw right through the Covid BS right from day one.
Mark, what a great metaphor! This wonderful piece reveals an unfortunate scandemic truth: it took a long time for me as a child to admit there was no actual, physical Santa Claus. I was afraid that once I owned up to that fact, the presents would cease. I think an awful lot of the covidians are afraid to own up to the fact that their beloved govt handlers do not actually love them-- in fact, that it doesn’t even like them. These folks are afraid to give up their delusions, made real by continued shots and masks.
Rock solid comment.
Your work inspires good comments from your readers. And I think you read them all.
If I didn't get such thoughtful, well-composed comments, I woulda stopped writing a while ago.
People hate admitting that they're wrong about trivial matters. Now we’re asking them to admit that the people they trusted may have permanently damaged their immune systems. It’s going to be a very slow and difficult recovery process.
Many are still true Santa believers. They will rush out and get the "new and improved" bivalent shots that are now being pushed along with the new quadrivalent flu shot. There is no amount of evidence that will ever change their minds. I often see the comments on Yahoo under pro vaccine stories and anyone critical of the story is told by these people, "so you know more than the doctors? Where's your medical degree? These shots have saved millions and kept us out of the hospitals...." and so on. They are never going to change even when they get cancer, heart inflammations, strokes. Never. They will just have to die off.
Some absolutely will. But I have hope that the persuadable middle might eventually come around after they see their children and friends "die suddenly".
If there is a recovery process at all.
I felt that as a kid also. Gift giving was modest and didn’t want to lose any chances. Lol. I casually asked mom at around 11 if there was a Santa
She confirmed my thoughts on that but asked me to keep it on the QT for younger siblings. In the 1950’s Christmas was not a huge gift fest for us. A larger gift snd a couple of smaller ones. Home sewn flannel jammies from grandma (wish I still had them). My first grandkid the gloves were off. Hot Amazon button! Lol. Now he’s 16 and just gets money or art supplies. Last Christmas we couldn’t visit him because too much Covid in the fully jabbed family there. Including the kid. Hubby and I were home just fine. Unjabbed.
I remember pressing the Santa Q with my Mom when I was 7 or 8. When she admitted the truth, it really bothered me.
Just like the lockdowners/maksers/tester/vaxxers don't really want to deal with reality.
That’s for sure. Most have enough brains to slide to the fact that it isn’t just themselves that might have gotten it wrong. But loved ones and their own encouragement to shove them into true danger. This will never be acknowledged or
There had better be some powerful and available support groups on hand someday or confession boxes on every corner. But it’s too weird now.
“But it’s too weird now”. PERFECT! (Mark, here’s your theme for a future piece)
I've been writing about how "it's too weird now" for 30 months.
Hahahahahahahaha! Well, that’s for sure.
"Mark, what a great metaphor! "
Not quite, Steve; Mark's mom loved her kids, while our governments hate and fear us... but other than that :P...
Just rereading these comments while sick as a dog with COVID ( double vaxxed, no boosters) ...this whole vaccine/mask issue for me amongst my circle of friends and family has proven to been quite the litmus test of who has signed onto all the government “edicts” and who was skeptical from the beginning and who were open minded enough to question the supposed science over time. It’s all across the spectrum.. my brother, an attorney turned boutique banker is the biggest sheep in the herd. He thinks I’m a fringe lunatic.
Same here. My BIL said seriously if fauci asked him to cut off a finger he would do it!! Your bro hasn’t seen the big bad Wolf stalking him yet has he? So sorry. Money doesn’t make smart.
The sad part is that what has driven his fear the most is that he is asthmatic, so he’s been wearing a medical mask religiously since Day One. Now he’s got pulmonary issues the doctors cannot explain. For me, my distrust and skepticism set in early when 1) Fauci’s first statement to the American people was that masks would not be necessary and then did full pivot with a lame rather elitist explanation. 2) The vaccine, you must get it cor the country to achieve herd immunity… and if vaccinated, you will not get it. Not ONCE has the POTUS, NIH, CDC, Fauci etc explained that they were wrong. Mask mandates, boosters, new daily variants…and yet not once have we been given an explanation as to the origin, why the severity in the beginning… why the higher rate of contagion now but weaker “ variant.” On a personal note, I am “ friends” with a highly respected ID Doctor in NJ, he cut his teeth on AIDS with his ID Doc father in the late 80s. When COVID hit, he started treating it with HCQ and Zithromax… with amazing success. Practicing for 35 years, the NJ Medical Board threatened his license and one hospital yanked his practicing privileges. He presented his study of over 400 COVID patients ( one death , a 53 year old obese diabetic Haitian man) to the NJ Medical Board and they reinstated his ability to rx HCQ. Why was a perfectly safe treatment immediately banned? Having taken PlaQUINel/abx combo 25 years ago for Lyme, I called and still call Bullshit on that. Sorry for the rant, but too many things simply make NO SENSE. And now an Omicron vaccine….🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
We have no other place to rant these days without getting shut down—so rant away! I do my share. This can be boiled down now IMHO— 8 mice. There it is in a nutshell. Or mouse hole.
Again another great piece.
When my kids were younger I used to dress up as Santa. The first time my 3 year old son saw me in costume, he said 'Hi Daddy'.
Little kids are impossible to fool. When we get older that's when we start allowing ourselves to believe all the lies....anything to protect from the cold hard bite of reality.
I often wonder if the whole Santa Claus thing is a major disservice to kids. Sure it's fun (not to mention the perfect front for the mega-corp), but it only prepares us for the lies our Government spins us on a daily basis.
Thanks, Darth.
Kids are smart and Danny was, too. But he got faked out b/c he couldn't see what was below the window.
and little kids trust their parents not to play tricks on them and cannot even conceive that parents could put on costumes and take part in a society-wide deception/performance. When the kids realize they've been lied to.... many of them are disillusioned "but kids are resilient!" It's an interesting thing that we do to children. Why?
I knew at eight but told my sister not to tell my mom I knew. I didn’t want to spoil her fun.
Love your comment. You were a sweet kid, and you offer a different perspective to some of the commenters who seem to be working up on thinking the Santa myth was possibly destructive. I had three younger brothers and I loved helping my mom keep the excitement of Santa going. Our father abandoned us, but Christmas was a beautiful time of year... school was out and snow fell and my mom made us hot chocolate and I have the best memories of these earlier times, earlier Christmases. New Years wasn't fun for me because it signaled the season was over for now, but all in all none of this damaged me (that I can tell). Many other things did. Mark and I had similar upbringings in New York/Jersey area, and I too saw the pandemic as largely a scam, from the cruise ship on (the fear wasn't matching the reality) and I cannot for the life of me figure out why several of my 40 year friends continue to buy the lie, other than for one fact: their fathers did not run out on their families. Maybe it is too easy for me to see the possible evil under the surface. Dang, I wish it was December 19th and I could take a nice little break from the madness. My family would NEVER obey a Fauci type. Period.
Fred, I was so lucky! My 3 brothers and I had superb childhoods, never lacked for anything and were raised by 2 loving parents, and I smelled a rat very quickly in early 2020 when a so called "vaccine" was ordered to be created ASAP. I'm no genius, but I knew a vaccine couldn't be developed, tested and approved ASAP, especially if government is involved!!! I believe it's a matter of common sense, intuition and ability to think independently.
Love it! You were/are right and I don't mean to imply that one needs an odd childhood to smell a rat, I just meant my friends who had dads who didn't steal their PHEAA college money cuz the bank saw the same name on the withdrawal slip (except he was Senior) and didn't look like Fauci made them trust "adults" more than I do. You are absolutely right about intuition as well! Rock on B!
You mentioned seeing reality after the first cruise ship "outbreak" didn't become a holocaust; for me it was the 2020 Sturgis - 400,000 people in the Black Hills, and they could only find four deaths to report? Yeah, this is a hoax, not a holocaust.
@Vernon LOL, now that's devious.
Interesting too when you recognize the deeply religious foundations of Christmas and things like you describe are what modern culture decided to replace it with.
exactly. In the guise of "fun" we are encouraged to lie to our children and have this "magical theater" replace the spiritual meaning of Christmas.
I am both a victim and a perpetrator of this madness. Just starting to see it through different eyes.
In a new moms’ Bible study, a guest speaker told us how her family (5 kids) handled Santa: He was a beloved character in a Christmas story. She said it was important to start this way, to avoid the moment kids realize “you can’t see Jesus either, so when are you going to tell me he’s not real either?”
We took this approach with our kids. Then one Christmas Eve at the inlaws’ house I was sitting across from my niece and her dad. My niece was in 7th grade. I don’t remember how it came up or what was said, but I suddenly realized she still believed in Santa and my brother in law was looking at me, incredulous and angry that I spilled the beans. Did I mention she was in 7th grade?! I lost a lot of respect for them in that moment, just like I have lost a lot of respect for people who believed all the covid lies.
Yes, we are surrounded by a bunch of 5 year olds.
alternative background knowledge on some of the origins of Santa Claus (HT Eric Dubay) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie6BF0E7YDQ
Because when they get a little older, they realize Mom and Dad did that to show them pure generosity. And they may learn to be generous, with no chance of payback, to others.
@Dani ....to cover up our own shortcomings.
Perspective is key. Thanks for another great piece, Mark!
I wonder if it’s a disservice too.
There’s a meme I’ve seen quite a few times recently. First frame is a father and son on a park bench. The kid is saying: “Is Santa real?”
Second frame, same photo, the father responds: “Of course he’s real. Think of how many people would have to be involved.”
every fairy tale (either the story itself or its ending) serves as a form of control, often so that the story teller doesn't have to admit he doesn't have the answers. regular massage of the presumed 3rd eye develops one's ability to recognise lies.
I still don't have kids but went through of this question many times how to go with it and this is what I would like to do:
Prepare everything together for Christmas day. Talk about God and who Jesus is. Gifts are a show of love and gratitude for each other.
If I will have kids I will report back! :)
Great analogy. Had a "conversation" with my Dr. yesterday about shots. It's interesting how a smart, (what I used to think), and educated man is led to believe because of "science".(What science??) He is still pushing the shots for patients (I say hell no) and is not champing at the bit to get the current booster, although his wife (also a Dr. ) is pushing it. Does he hear himself I wonder? He listened to me though when we discussed natural immunity. Just fill my allergy Rx and let me make my own decisions. He doesn't make any $ off of me-so the patient/Dr.relationship is waning.
There is no one more overrated than doctors.
...lawyers...
Nah. Everyone hates lawyers.
I trust lawyers more than doctors now! 🤪
Its come to that! Your comment may well serve as the epitaph for "Western Liberal" society.
Yeah, well, doctors almost killed my husband. Three times. Then the pandemic hit and they succeeded in killing a bunch of other people.
Mary-lou, unless they are Jeff Childers 😉
Yes! That's for sure- I love his Substack- it was actually my "gateway drug" to all the other substacks I now read!
Same! ☺️
Ha, me too! 🤣
There are good lawyers out there. There are some really bad activist judges!!
Unless they are Jeff Childers 😉
...heads of state....
They don’t know sh1t about nutrition either but that doesn’t stop them from whanking on about it. Fat. Salt. Blah blah. Same old tripe even tho science has moved on exponentially.
I know- high cholesterol here which cannot be changed by diet or exercise ( I train 9-10 hours a week for tris and am basically a vegetarian!) Mine told me to stop eating egg yolks! WRONG!
I tell them I had bacon and 2 eggs with Kerrygold butter and salt for breakfast just to see their faces. 😈. I just had the ldl particle size blood test (a test verboten by conventional docs) to see the state of LDL oxydation. That’s a truer test of heart health along with the coronary calcium scan—another test Pooh pood by conventional docs. They quit following science decades ago.
Cheryl- same here! I believe it may be inherited- I know my mom had it. I eat very clean, most vegetarian, do a ton of exercise! My doctor told me to "cut down on meat and try to do some weight bearing exercise" 😂 They don't have a clue!
Genevieve: I used to hold MDs in high esteem. Post plandemic; I now see most of them as the tiny wizard behind the curtain. (*The Wizard of Oz*.) Mostly smoke and mirrors. I used to enjoy asking doctors questions. Now; I think "They don't really know." Just like the "eat less; exercise more" stock answer to weight loss. Hopelessly out of date, and an incorrect response. Maybe I'm being unfair. It's a bit of a letdown--Our former "heroes" have clay feet.
Cholesterol is important to your health. I would never, ever take a statin, I don't care what the doc has been programmed to say about the numbers.
Yup! Dr. wants me on statins. Will NOT do it! They are another one of those "for the rest of your life drugs" and make you feel like crap! (parents were on them and then decided to get off of them! Thank god! But mom was put back on them after a mini-stroke...she's 96 for pete's sake! Let the woman live out the rest of her life on as few drugs as she can!
Putting 96 yo woman on statins is flat criminal. Doctors are so untrustworthy.
Never here as well. The same con as the “effective risk reduction “ that Pfizer and its handmaidens use for Covid jabs when the absolute risk reduction (ARR) is actually somewhere near 1% or less. No 85 or 95% the ARRs are hidden in the documents and is the data that counts. Statins are about the same—99 have to take statins to arrive at one life improved by taking them. And that has never been fully studied. Get em out—get em in ya. My total at 74 yo is over 200. I’m happy with that —especially if my LDL oxidation blood test confirms a couple of things. I plan a cardiac calcium score test as well. Another more reliable indicator of CVD. Plus a couple of more. Total cholesterol means nothing but permission for your doc to enrich big PHarma. My hubby takes them. He has joint pains and quality of life has worsened with the wrong indicators running his treatment. He thinks his docs are gods. What in the hell do know anyway. That he is told to lower fat and 2 oz of meat a week is fine tells me everything. I’m kind of passionate about this subject of real nutrition. Cheers!
I’m 70, my cholesterol has been hovering in the low 200s for 20+ years.... my good HDL cholesterol varies between 110-120.. so my ratio for heart disease risk is very low ....IF they know what they’re talking about. I had a GP Dr friend who told me (after menopause ) that as long as that HDL stays high to NEVER take statins....to date having moved multiple times, I’ve had three doctors insist I must lower my cholesterol... so LDL, great, Tris... within normal range, off the charts high HDL.. but yeah, take the pills. Be your own advocate.
Exactly. I told one doc I would deal with it by lifestyle. I knew the truth by then. She said ok but Walgreens called before I even got home saying my statins were ready. Fired!!!
I've been burned by chronic meds so now I take very, very few. Even the bloodthinner Eliquis nearly killed me. And doctors don't know anything about side effects.
As for nutrition, I'm pretty focused on that too, and they know NOTHING about it. I have come to avoid doctors to the greatest extent possible.
For sure. I’ve just had surgery after a fall and I am again in the local big hospital system. Knowing what I know now I am starting to back out of the full rounding up. Tech stuff. Sign up. Blah blah. It was a decent experience but just had my first and last follow up with the admitting doc and 2 more visits with the surgeon and then I will remove myself and take over my healing plan myself and Returning to my functional medicine doc. Will also begin getting off a couple of meds associated with the surgery with her help. I’m comfortable and relieved by having a plan that I’m in charge of.
I'm having a very tough time trying to convince my elderly dad not to take this fifth shot. He talked with his doctor yesterday, and she strongly urged him to get it. I am up against an "expert" in a white coat. Why would Dad listen to me?
I've heard that "You're no MD" from Day 1.
Medicine is today's official state religion.
I frequently tell people that Dr. Google saved my life. It's nit much of an overstatement, and my MD, who was actually pretty good (before Covid, anyway) as they go, would concur.
That usually ends the "are you a doctor?" discussion
Here’s my new approach: have the vaccines and boosters prevented the transmission of the disease. No. Oh but the rebuttal is “the virus is not as severe.” How do you know that? “Dr. Fauci said so.” This is the Santa Clause “clause.” Despite there being no scientific study to support that, somehow very disturbingly, people are willing to accept that.... because it has to do something! Please don’t tell there is no Santa Clause. My GP has proven to be a regurgitater of Fauci dogma. 45 years old, smart enough to go through medical school and bold enough to suggest to 70 year old me that I read” too much! 45 years old!
Isn't that an amazing phenomenon? Same here. They can get A's in Organic Chemistry but they won't read a simple report with a graph showing how bad the shots are. It's a willful, obtuse appeal to eminence. Workaday MD's are however under threat from employers and State Boards not to talk down the shots or they could be in serious trouble. If you can find an independent physician, they may tell you the truth.
and what is your response to hearing that from your GP?
I hope that one of these days, the awakened doctors stop being fearful and will loudly make it clear that they do not believe in "The Science" -- so we will know which doctors are safe to switch to.
I am not at all sure how to go about finding a new doctor, now. The ones I know all either believe or they pretend to.
This is so ridiculous.
I see her in October... and am simply pointing out all the things they were dead wrong about, that she aligned with. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find doctors who take on Medicare patients...another dirty big secret.
Try asking trusted friends (if you have any not covid-crazy). That’s how I found my new physician. When she left the hospital-affiliated health center, the first thing she did after setting up her office was state NO MASKS required. That alone brought me in.
Your doc has no common sense OR manners!!
I have been saying "stop getting boosters" to my 96 year old mom for a while. Her primary care said her cholesterol is "okay" and never talked to any of us of her numbers or risk factors, yet she is probably still suggesting shots. (I live far from her). The last time I said "Why is everyone getting covid that is getting the shots?" and I think it made her question it...
Medicine by eminence, not evidence.
I just spewed my thoughts on vax to parents begging them not to get fifth. Mom had issues with the last 4!$&!$. They blindly trust docs, govt, and pharma. Don’t know what they will decide.
Makes my head and heart hurt...
That plus the “Diapered Butt Syndrome” - few can bring themselves to listen to someone whose butt they once diapered.
My dad is almost 90, mom 88. They read Epoch Times luckily so the are seeing vax harms. But last fall I thought I convinced them not to take the booster but their doctor said ‘it’s safe’. So they took it.
A few days ago I sent them this short video. And their reply was ‘that’s scary’.
I think they’re convinced... we’ll see.
Good health btw luckily, but brain isn’t working quite as well ... since the shots??
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/ac/12/0FD5AC44-0376-4E12-8ED4-8466996B6673/7B3B9718-4AED-4EDE-AE0D-A13E7E297FFA.MOV
similar story, here. And it is hard for them to make good decisions when their brain isn't working quite as well..... will we ever know for sure if the shots caused or contributed to their cognitive deterioration?
I personally think the shots attack whatever weakness there is in their bodies. I'm thinking at that age their most vulnerable thing is their brains. But, right, we'll never know. Good luck with your folks!
Thanks -- and I wish you the same with yours!
My mom just doesn't quit physically, but I think she's gone downhill quickly since all her shots mentally. Thanks for the link! I send her and my sister/brother in law information, print-outs, graphs, etc. But they are her "caregivers" and have bought into this lock, stock and barrel. Don't know what I can do from here. Turns 96 tomorrow!
Good luck. Thanks for your comment. My brother and his retired emergency room nurse wife have bought into this crap, but luckily my parents don't listen to them as much!
I enjoyed your memory, as it reminds me of the "before times."
I always told me daughter if you stop believing, he stops coming. She was past 16 before she admitted she knew anything :)
I wonder if they can't dial it back because they've been lying, or if they have to keep pushing because over-spiked immune systems are now on "life support. "
I just saw a politician in Ontario pushing the "new" Omicron bivalent shots. Is she really that oblivious to the carnage?
I so want this nightmare to end. Watching family members go for "just one more booster" is a burden that feels too heavy to carry some days. Thankfully, my immediate family is awake. The extended family, not so much.
Interesting analogy but there is a big difference. Your Mom acted out of love. She knew that a childhood without the beautiful fantasy of Santa would deprive the children glee and wonder of the season. Our government has a much different agenda behind their fiction. What drives them isn't love of fellow man but rather power and profit for themselves under the guise of doing good. Much like the peddlers that push today's cheap Chinese crap that ends up in the garbage a few days after Christmas, they have a very different view than your Mom. To them, Christmas is enriching themselves, not you or your kids. The problem comes when the junk pushed into little arms can't be thrown into the trash when it doesn't work as promised.
I once read an opinion by someone who said that parents should never tell children that Santa is a real thing because when they do find out it isn't true, it makes them less trustful of their parents. It tells them that their parents lied to them. His opinion was that it is best to always tell children the truth right from the beginning. Whether or not the intentions are good or bad, the result is the same, that the parents lied to them. It can feel like a betrayal when you first learn the tooth fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny are all lies. But then again, maybe a dose of betrayal is useful in teaching children not to trust all they are told.
My own mother never let me "believe" in Santa. I just wanted to believe I could have presents I wanted. Yes, I didn't think a guy could fly around the entire world. I knew adults weren't that organized and the world was big. Unfortunately, she was depressed and she was making sure I wouldn't take shelter from that in pleasant fantasies.
Bonus: I knew she wouldn't lie to me. (Interestingly, she also told me the truth about fake and dangerous vaccines over 50 years ago! So, ahead of her time!)
It was the latter for me. I like to say that Santa was the first conspiracy I ever uncovered. Haha. I was eight and it blew my mind that everyone had been lying. Everyone! I remember thinking: what else are they lying about?
Agreed. And I believe there are multiple reasons for it, like you said greed and power.... but also a coverup-they are doing their best to hide the illegal ‘work’ that they were doing that led to all this.
Their motives are vastly different than those of a mother trying to extend a child’s innocence/fantasy.
What a sad, poignant and apt analogy for the state of our world today. The only difference is that Santa wasn't secretly delivering evil gifts that could kill.
The more academically accomplished and credentialed someone is, the less likely they are to admit they are wrong. We are all victims of that hubris and greed. I hope to live long enough to see Albert Bourla on trial.
MD's who keep pushing boosters are harming people. The evidence is crystal clear. You are more likely to become seriously ill and hospitalized if you are boosted. Then they'll pump you full of paxlovid and remdesivir to speed up the process. But I digress...
As someone else on the thread just mentioned, they're dead wrong about nutrition as well. Their recommendations and guidelines for "healthy" eating over the last 70 years have doomed millions to an early grave. The medical establishment hasn't begun to reverse course on this either. Don't hold your breath.
Thanks Mark.
Thank you Mark, for this sweet story of your youth. How true the analogy. How very sad and tragic that the lies continue. Even sadder that they are still believed. 😢
Thanks, Laura. Very well said.
I love this story. While I enjoyed the whole Santa myth when my kids were young, I was relieved when I no longer had to lie to them. Thankfully, the “Elf on the Shelf” was not popular back then. That Elf gives me the creeps!
They should make the elf with a Fauci head. Though that would ruin many a Christmas.
We could whip things at it. Or worse.
I just love your analogy! I can so distinctly remember as a child having so many questions (I’ve always had more questions than answers lol) about the logistics of Santa Claus (delivering all those packages world-wide in a few short hours, big guy fitting in a chimney, knowing if I’d been good or bad and the creepiness of someone watching me sleep, etc.)…the kicker was when I realized that Santa and my mother had the same wrapping paper…the jig was up! I con’t to play along for many years as I feared that not believing in Santa would end Christmas altogether and I didn’t want to hurt my mothers feelings.
There were so many things that (like the Santa Claus questions) simply didn’t make logical sense to me soon after this plandemic began. For instance…having to wear a mask into a restaurant…then being able to take it off when you sat down…then put it back on again if you stood up…crazy!! I felt like we were playing a big game of Simon Says. Logic tells you that a virus doesn’t only hover above four feet or only come out after ten o’clock at night or frequent small businesses (as opposed to big chain stores).
I feel mostly sad (and somewhat frustrated) when I see people still in masks and others continuing to defend this virus’s ridiculous demands…it’s as though they’ve been hypnotized and I’m not sure how this spell can be broken.
Pleasureland. I can't get over that name. It sounds appropriate for the 50's and 60's
but now it takes on a whole new mental image.
We did not do Santa at our house. I am 67 and my parents lived through WW2 in Holland. One day they met, got married had kids. My dad aspired to go to the US like all of his uncles. My sisters and I knew Santa existed but he was not for delivering presents. We moved to the states when I was 10. the kids here were weird and I could not understand them. I could speak english but not American english. US kids had a different mind set
I love learning about childhood from others experiences. Mine was different than most Americans.
I think my experience was unique bc my parents survived a horrible war. Also we believed in Sinterklaas and Swarte Piet
Your comparison of these various present day speciously obvious hypocrisies are spot on.
The Left disgusts me. They are repulsive. We are the grown ups now, and we stand by watching these arrogant criminals rob, steal, trespass and we are told to shut up about it.
"I hate these people" - as Greg Gutfeld used to say, I never watch tv anymore. so maybe he still says it
Yes, the name has taken on a tawdry connotation. But it was appropriate for its time. There's stuff about it on the Net.
And when we got to go there, we were ecstatic.
I grew up in Queens New York. When I was very young there was a small amusement park called "Fairy Land" I think it was gone, probably demolished, by the time I got older. I am sure it never would have survived in this politically correct world - I think they would have had to change the name!
You are mistaken to fixate only on "the Left." Yes, it has gotten insane to a point beyond comprehension. Yes, they are puppets who have been commandeered to bypass the former sanity and compassion of the Left into crazy-town. The truth is that both political parties have not been answering to the will or well-being of the public for generations. Maybe never, but certainly for generations that I've witnessed.
After surviving "Uncle Ronnie" I was cured of my belief in right-wing righteousness. So, I get to pick between two political approaches that both end in suffering, control, and enslavement. They just take different routes to get there. "We'll control your whole genome." vs. "We'll just control your uterus and worship oligarchs, pretending that God likes us better so it's ok as we wait for our own opportunities to be the bigger bullies." No thanks.
Love your article. I hope you write as a profession because you took me to your childhood with your writing style . It's very clear, but engaging and paints a picture for the reader.
Thanks, Granny.
I wrote a lot when I was an attorney. But I'm a farmer now. I write for free.
Though I'm almost finished with a book.
Glad to hear you are working in a book. I was hoping you had plans like that. Let us know when you publish.
Wait, what ? There’s no Santa !
I think the fact that the “mitigation” measures didn’t work (& of course they knew they wouldn’t) but forced them anyway for something w/ a 99.7% survivability for the vast majority was the evidence they needed of their ability to control & subjugate & this was/is the feature, not the bug.
And now that they have that evidence, I wonder what happens when a deadlier man made bio weapon comes out. We’re being promised one (or more) will.
There will never be apologies or admissions that they were wrong. As w/ the criminals @ Nuremberg, they will be either defiant or deflect that they were simply following orders. I wouldn’t care as long as they would get what’s coming to them, but I’m afraid they won’t (@ least in this life).
At least Denmark just announced no Vax under 50 - so some are moving in the right direction.
Mental illness is strong - and in the Covid era the government created a public hysteria. Hysteria is a real thing - it has actual physical and mental manifestations that are extremely difficult to remove and are social in nature. Hysteria turns to zealotry and zealotry to persecution. We’ve witnessed this first hand. The average American is NOT a contrarian - they want to believe in the “government” thinking of their best interests - even with all the evidence to the contrary throughout our history.
I guess I was a trusting naïve kid. I believed in Santa until I was 9 or 10. Fortunately I grew up to be a cynical adult and saw right through the Covid BS right from day one.