A Sock Too Far

It appears that something snapped back in February when politicians here in Portugal started seriously debating the need for a second mask to be worn on top of the one already mandated by law. While the immediate reaction to the debate was one of fear due to the apparent seriousness of the situation, it quickly turned to exasperation and ridicule.

The result of this is that the number of people wearing their masks correctly has dropped from a peak of about 80% in February to about 50% today, only a month later. The number of individuals who don't wear their masks at all are up from about 5% to 10%, and the number of people wearing their masks under their chin or below their noses is up from about 15% to 40%.

This is a massive move considering the timespan. Adding to this that mask wearing is mandated by law, we can safely say that there is real resistance in the population. Lifting the mask mandate at this point would send the compliancy rate tumbling below the 30% that I registered back in September when mask wearing was still merely recommended.

Predictably, the politicians have reacted to this defiance by extending the current mask mandate into June. This will keep the number of openly defiant people down, especially when combined with stiffer penalties and sporadic police actions, which have also been enacted. However, the number of compliant people may nevertheless drop below 50% relatively soon. The police cannot very well fine people for accidentally lowering their masks below their noses, or putting their mask under their chin in order to have a smoke or pick their teeth.

What we are witnessing is a trend reversal that will be hard for politicians to do much about, because they now come across as either evil, stupid or controlled. There's a growing sense that something is seriously wrong with the narrative. Trust, already worn thin by years of abuse, has finally been broken. The Overton Window has been closed. There's hardly a thing the politicians can do, and liberty minded people should take advantage of this because big changes can now be wrought with little effort.

People are at the moment open to suggestions related to the inept and corrupt nature of the elite. Casually remarking on such observations is no longer considered extreme. Such ideas are going mainstream. All we need to do is to state the obvious every now and again when the opportunity arises.

There's no need to push this very hard. In fact, a low intensity approach is likely to have a bigger impact than a more forceful one. The network effect is going to snowball this for us. I see this in the way my wife and my stepdaughter talk about current affairs with friends and relatives. There's more openness about the inept character of the elite. All that's required is a gentle push to sustain the momentum.

Going all in for that second sock was a huge political mistake. There's also no lack of further callus and evil idiocy for us to comment on. Politicians dismissing deaths due to botched vaccines as something acceptable in the bigger scheme of things is positively repulsive. Describing sky rocketing mental health problems and suicides among young people as a price worth paying for the ultimate goal of saving grandma is pure insanity. Everybody know this. All it takes for us to give the currently established trend momentum is to mention this from time to time.

It would be a shame to waste this opportunity, because a failure to act now will see a further enslavement of the population. There will be vaccine passports and a need to get a shot every few months in order to exercise even the most basic of liberties. The elite have shown their true colours. They will not rest before we're all cattle to be exploited and messed around with as they please. Considering the great opportunity currently open for us, it would be tragic to remain silent, especially considering the minimal effort currently required in order to push things into a sustainable long term trend towards liberty.  

The mask of the beast