The World Economic Forum just released a new video on its Facebook page titled ‘5 ways COVID-19 has changed the world’ which, like all their material, contains vague, optimistic rhetoric designed to conceal an authoritarian agenda. Below is a brief response to the claims of this video.
1. Mental health is just as crucial as physical health
“Levels of reported anxiety are higher than ever,” the WEF claims, without delving any deeper into the mental health crisis created by the pandemic than that.
The pandemic has been devastating to peoples’ mental and emotional well-being across the world, but the virus itself has had little to do with that. People have been and continue to be fearful of the virus, but the medical evidence, including easily accessible case fatality rates, indicates that for the vast majority of people covid-19 is about as dangerous as the seasonal flu. In other words, widespread fear of covid is unnecessary and irrational, but the WEF refuses to concede this.
The truth is that the mental health problems generated by the pandemic are mostly the result of draconian government policies such as lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and border closures which result in isolation, job losses, social ostracism, and separation from loved ones that “public health measures” have brought about (not to mention a general sense of wanting to return to pre-pandemic conditions).
One study, published by the Journal of Psychiatric Research, found that of 1,157 Victorians surveyed during Victoria’s long, strict lockdowns, “one-third reported anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms, one-fifth reported suicidal ideation, and one-tenth reported having seriously considered suicide in the prior 30 days.”
The WEF makes no mention of this or other similar studies. The obvious connection between “public health measures” and poor mental wellbeing is ignored by the WEF, which suggests that anxiety about the virus is unfortunate but warranted.
2. Countries can adapt to enormous challenges
This brief segment simply states, “In March 2020, more than 100 countries went into lockdown. 2 years on, life has continued, though often in an altered state.”
The WEF tacitly endorses lockdowns in this clip and explicitly endorses them elsewhere, such as in Klaus Schwab’s book, ‘COVID-19: The Great Reset’). The blithe unwillingness to critically engage with the question of whether lockdowns were necessary to prevent the spread of a virus with an over 99% survival rate is telling of their ideological agenda.
The WEF supports lockdowns, and simply asserts that “life has continued… in an altered state.” They don’t define what is meant by “altered state,” but lockdowns have altered citizens’ relationship with their governments by establishing a precedent of shutting down the economy and restricting peoples’ liberty, to the point of forbidding them to leave their homes or legally work, to combat public health issues.
One wonders whether the WEF believes Shanghai is adapting well to the “enormous challenge” of Omicron right now.
3. Inequalities are widening
The video states that “The world’s 10 richest men have doubled their wealth, while 160 million have slid into poverty.” Once again, there is no analysis of why this is the case, but it is obvious that the reason for the wealthy increasing their wealth and the poor becoming poorer over the past two years is covid restrictions, not the virus itself.
Lockdowns have prevented people from earning a living, which has weakened economies and increased poverty while benefitting the wealthiest people in the world who have profited from the shutdowns of small businesses and the transition into a digital market (Zoom calls, Amazon purchases, etc). The lockdowns advocated by the WEF are the very cause of the inequality they are highlighting.
4. Countries are becoming more insular
“There’s evidence of deglobalization, as countries rely less on foreign goods and materials,” claims the WEF. While this video doesn’t explicitly say that this is a bad thing, anyone who is familiar with the WEF’s material knows that they support globalisation or stronger “cooperation” and “coordination” between governments.
Western countries should be becoming more self-reliant and less dependent on ideological opponents such as China and Saudi Arabia, but the WEF view “deglobalization” as an existential threat, particularly because of the coordinated response they believe is required to fight climate change, which brings us to the final point…
5. A sustainable future needs strong leadership
“83% [of whom?] believe we are heading for environmental disaster unless we change our habits drastically. We need the same initiative and determination shown in fighting the pandemic… To tackle the climate crisis,” the video claims.
In other words, lockdowns, the further creation of a checkpoint society, and the punishment and demonisation of anyone who dissents from the ideological, government-approved narrative may be necessary to combat the non-existent problem of climate change.
When the WEF says “strong leadership”, they don’t mean Governor Ron De Santis refusing to allow wokeness to dictate his actions, they mean an authoritarian, draconian response that imposes severe restrictions on liberty for the greater good.
One need only remember the actions of world leaders affiliated with the WEF, such as Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern, to understand this.
