Perhaps the biggest casualty of the coronavirus outbreak is a cataclysmic breakdown of trust.  As humans, we want to trust each other.  I want to believe you have my best interests at heart. 

             Those of you familiar with my beliefs know that I routinely distance myself from conspiracy folks.  My close friends in the integrity food movement know that I do not agree with accusations of evil intentions at Monsanto.  I absolutely believe even those with whom I vehemently disagree sincerely want to help humanity, to make good decisions for their families and communities.  Certainly evil-intended people are out there, but I don't think they're many.  Most are fictional bad guys in James Bond movies.

             Now, however, every person I encounter is suspect.  And everyone who encounters me suspects me.  Am I too close?  Am I a carrier?  Do I think Trump has handled things well?  Do I think Trump and company made things worse?  If I laugh or tell a joke I'm being frivolous in a time of heartbreak.

             Every interaction hovers under a cloud of distrust.  Is stimulus money going to real hardship folks or opportunists?  Is anybody being truthful with us?  Our morning newspaper rightly charged public officials with secrecy for not revealing where the deaths are and where the outbreaks are in our area, which has extremely few cases.

             Why all the secrecy about which senior center has the outbreak?  And then you have essential businesses and essential purchases and essential deliveries.  The extreme inconsistency of law enforcement is quite amazing.  Leave the liquor stores open but raid a parking lot in-car church service. 

             Right now my heart breaks for the unprecedented breakdown of trust and the assumption that somebody isn't doing enough, caring enough, giving enough.  That's a sad state of affairs for society.

             This tidbit came across my desk last week from Lew Rockwell:

 In a recent candid interview, Bill Gates outlined that, despite the comparatively small threat of Coronavirus, he and his colleagues “don’t want a lot of recovered people” who have acquired natural immunity. They instead are hoping we become reliant on vaccines and anti-viral medication.

Shockingly, Gates also suggests people be made to have a digital ID showing their vaccination status, and that people without this “digital immunity proof” would not be allowed to travel. Such an approach would mean very big money for vaccine producers.

On March 24 Bill Gates gave a highly revelatory 50-minute interview (above) to Chris Anderson. Anderson is the Curator of TED, the non-profit that runs the TED Talks.

          Disney has re-opened their theme park in Shanghai.  You can only get in if your QR code clears you for coronavirus.  These are shocking developments for being able to see Mickey.  I'm deeply saddened at this devolution in social interaction.  Every greeting now has this angst hanging over it--will they shake hands?  Will they elbow bump?  Are they wearing a mask and if so, what are they thinking of me for not wearing one?  I don't have answers; all I have is sadness, like the heart of my humanity has been stripped away.  I fear being forever relationally bankrupt, and that's a deep loss. 

             Is this loss worth it?