Corona Butterfly Effect —
Small Talk
Virus outbreaks have taken their place beside sports and weather as topics of casual conversation. Over the decades, with the increasing movement of people and information, virus outbreaks have become much like weather. Reporting, forecasting, small talk, big talk, fear mongering — it would be difficult to say for sure if the information outweighs the disinformation.
Regarding the corona virus, please feel free to read on if you would like to hear why, in my humble opinion, I believe there is:
NO conspiracy
NO biological engineering
NO criminal or malicious intent
NO cause for panic
The Industry
There is a segment of the population that is addicted to adrenaline. These people are much more likely to be drawn to the news profession, because they get their daily fix of excitement. Without this charge, they don’t feel well. The adrenaline addicts, who are not in the industry, are faithful to keep up, on a daily basis, with the drama, providing a very significant audience. More adventure, more rage, more fuss, more fear, more hysteria, more tumult, more audience, more advertising revenue, so the buzz is reinforced and they stay employed to keep the thrill going.
Government Salvation
Another factor that feeds this cycle is a worldview that wants the government to save us. Whenever some tragedy happens, many people look to the government to step in as the hero to fix the problem. Even when something is not a tragedy, yet can be portrayed as the weak needing a defender, they are knocking on the politicians’ door demanding action. It is as if the government is seen as a superhero that could right every wrong.
An individual, who has this kind of worldview, is not very satisfied with the influence they can have on the state. However, if someone has an audience, like someone in the news industry, it is very satisfying to initiate a groundswell of support for the cause, and spur many thousands of people to clamour for the authorities to rescue us.
The Stage Is Set
There are always variations in virus strains every year. Some strains are always more lethal than others. There is always some percentage of the population at death’s door, whether anyone knows it or not. Tens of thousands are pushed over the threshold each year by a bug that was going around. So, there is a ready supply of helplessness for use to play on people’s emotions.
Clearing The Air
Recently, a random sample of many hundreds of people were tested for coronavirus, regardless of their symptoms. The results showed that far more people have the virus than was previously thought — they just don’t have the extreme symptoms. So, the initial figures for the fatality rate can be thrown out the window.
The Butterfly Effect
This phenomenon has to do with the weather. The flutter of a butterfly on one continent contributes to the rise of a tornado on another continent. This nasty virus has a marketable name, and is reported to be tracked back to a source that raises suspicion. It sounds like a plot for a bestseller. It is no wonder that there is so much more attention for corona, even though many other things are killing far far more people.
The flu is boring. Without even googling it, I am sure you can think of several previous bugs that were made famous, even though they had a much smaller effect than the common flu, because they had a catchy name and were associated with a specific geographic origin.
This year, the butterfly is corona from Wuhan.
If you are a Christian, there is an antidote to the fear.
WhenHisVoiceIsHeard 