Relaxation of Mask Mandates in Portugal

As of today masks are no longer obligatory when out walking in the streets of Portugal. However, it's still recommended, and a substantial percentage of people I crossed paths with this morning were wearing their masks. I'd say somewhere between 30 and 40%. I also saw a few individuals driving around in their cars with their masks on, despite being on their own. But it was nevertheless refreshing to go for a walk without any worries about hobby fascists possibly confronting me for not wearing my mask.

An interesting aspect of the relaxation has been a spontaneous chatter among mask skeptics. It's now clear to see who's in the grip of fear and who isn't. Hence, skeptics can strike up conversations with other skeptics in the knowledge that no-one will get offended.

Just back from a coffee with a friend at a local terrace, my wife had a whole set of observations to share, relayed to her by the waitress at the café. The most interesting observation being an alarming deterioration in the mental health of many regular customers. There's a wave of dementia among the elderly. People are going mad. The waitress pinned this on the nonstop fear-mongering we've seen over the past year and a half.

Depression is known to induce dementia, and it has been a depressing 18 months. However, I got a feeling that the vaccine may be to blame as well. My wife and I know of one terminally ill man, sick from pneumonia and dementia, and we suspect that this is due to the vaccine. It seems therefore likely that other elderly people have been similarly struck by their vaccines.

Another interesting aspect was the general mood that the waitress expressed. She could see no logic in the rules and regulations. None of it made any sense to her. Why not relax all the rules? she asked emphatically.

This illustrates the problem that tyrants have faced repeatedly up through history. Tyranny is easy to introduce, but very difficult to unwind. There's always a sense of bravado associated with the introduction of tyrannical measures. There's excitement and a sense of history. Hobby fascists appear out of the woodwork. Suddenly, there are rules for everything. However, once tyranny peaks, excitement turns to depression and anger. The new Status Quo is stifling. People demand freedom. But even the tiniest let up in restrictions have a tendency to unravel the entire tyrannical structure.

Once there's a let up in one rule. There's immediate calls for more relaxations. People start talking to each other, like the waitress has been talking, and the idea starts circulating that all the tyrannical measures have been in vain. Nothing but misery has been achieved. If not handled with great care, the whole edifice of rules and regulations comes tumbling down. More often than not, tyranny ends in revolution, with dire consequences for the tyrants and their minions.

Mask of the beast