Trusting the Government: Navigating the Gray Line During COVID-19

While you socially distance this Easter and try to figure out Zoom with your relatives, you might not want to talk about the concept of “trust your government” or their abuse of power. Topics like these are on the same lines as religion or politics. The reason is because it usually prints images in your head about the worst in people. Questioning authority isn’t a bad thing, as long as you utilize it in the proper context. If you get pulled over for doing 40 in a 35, it’s probably not the best time to give your opinion about why you think speed limits should be abolished! With the satire aside, these past few weeks bring up the elephant in the room: where is the clearly defined line between government and state?

Trust Your Government … or Else!

If you just saw red and your blood pressure’s through the roof, this probably isn’t the article for you. For any actionable decision, one must remove emotion and instead replace with logic. If there’s anything this coronavirus pandemic has taught us so far it’s that in the right hands, numbers can make people do just about anything.

“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”Ronald Reagan

There’s absolutely no denying that COVID-19 is killing humans. Life has changed because of the fluidity and speed as to how the coronavirus operates. How do you fight an enemy you can’t see? Well, being that you trust the government that’s in charge of the country you live in, you abide by its suggestion to first “limit” going into confined structures and air travel. As the weeks progress, the rate of infection and deaths skyrocket. You listen to those in charge and limit groups to no larger than 10. The number then drops to six. “Non-essential” businesses close. You must stay indoors or face penalties.

When Is Enough Enough?

So what is one to do? The only realistic option is to abide as any law-abiding citizen should. But when does your moral compass start questioning the orders? With more of the unknown comes more of the questioning. Finding answers takes time. And with a virus like this, time is not on everyone’s side.

So we “play it safe” and limit hours, limit businesses, limit distance, limit what’s in the news, and limit overall contact. Limit, limit, and more limits. I ask again: Where’s the definitive line? The slope is only getting slipperier as time progresses.

What we’re currently seeing is the intro to any cheesy 90s post-apocalyptic movie. What was down is now up; this is the new normal because of how quickly the environment is changing. Hell, there were rumors of martial law early on. The fear of the virus shouldn’t be what people are questioning, but what is the result of said virus? When or what is “enough” for the masses to start making some noise? I’m sure no one went to bed on March 12 expecting what was to come. Most people didn’t expect the entire landscape of what they thought could or couldn’t do on U.S. soil to change. Now the parks and malls are ghosts of what they stood for and businesses are closing, possibly indefinitely.

Final Thoughts

As a nation, we shouldn’t make decisions so rash as to endanger not only ourselves, but our countrymen as well. We also shouldn’t agree blankly without additional counsel. Don’t accept what’s given without first formulating a decision of your own volition. If not, we’re merely slaves dressed in the garments of the free.

“Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”G. Orwell, ‘1984’

Dive down the rabbit hole of COVID-19 conspiracy theories with Skillset Live hosts Jason and Ben! Don’t forget to put on your tin-foil mask, or learn to make a real one using the DoD Guidelines HERE.