History needs context - and so do we

There is a lot of talk about throwing away some of the icons of our history. History is a moment fixed in time. You cannot erase it. It is fact. It happened.

Morality and standards change as people evolve. Almost all history is written by the victors. And those of us who follow almost always see history through those eyes.

Trying to wash away all that is bad removes the ability of almost everyone to understand the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. I am really struggling with the notion that we should dispose of all iconography of history in an effort to do right by those who were oppressed and mistreated.

Today NPR had a short piece on the removal and re-instatement of one of the most classic movies of all time. "Gone with the Wind". An epic movie of which there can be no doubt. Was it a fictional account? Was it accurate in the historical context? Does it bear repeating the stereotypes in the movie? I suggest listening to the story, it is from the scholar who does the commentary of the movie now back in circulation.

During the same time slot - there was another piece on Christopher Columbus. Was he a racist in our 2020 frame? Did he try (and largely succeed) in subjugating local native peoples?

I hope that we can bring some degree of sanity back to the situation and stop trying to erase history. Otherwise I fear we will ignore the wise words attributed most likely to writer and philosopher George Santayana, and in its original form it read, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." However given that I have a need in my head to find as much that is amusing remember Mark Twain who penned these words famously on the matter: "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

So let us teach the context of good and evil - not try to hide it.  

 

100th Day since I last visited an airport

Today is the 100th Day I have not set foot in an airport

(Changi Airport picture June 2020).

Truth is I do miss it.

 

Since 1996 there has not been one month when I have not been on a plane. Even after 9/11 the time between flights was only 3 weeks. I remember that first flight - on America West. One had to pay for a can of soda even in First Class (I was upgraded).

 

So, this piece is my personal ode and rant about the pandemic. We have been robbed and someone IS responsible. Actually, lots of people are. However, I really hope that we can move to a point of recovery. As I predicted in my 7 stages - this stage (Stage 4) is being extended because not enough was done to contain the pandemic spread. Thus, our small window of time to get the first wave under control before the end of June has clearly been closed due to the - yes you guessed it - the stupidity of government.

 

We are still in lockdown and it keeps being extended because of idiotic and conflicting advice from governments. The various worldwide governments have had varied responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most are good hearted about it but the USA, where I live, has been just diabolically stupid. The missteps by the Federal Government are indeed criminal and have significantly contributed to the death rate. Many States that BLINDLY follow Trump's example are now seeing the disease exact its own form of retribution. Florida? Texas?  We have to accept that this disease is not the flu. It has primary and secondary impacts on the health of those who get it. Think of it as pneumonia meets HPV.

 

We know the world will look like a much more austere place when we emerge but there are some new truths we will have to face. Here is my top list of those:

• Letting potential and actual disease spreaders onto the plane is insane. The industry must develop a suitable mechanism for ensuring that people on the plane are not spreaders. If not then quarantine, bridges, bubbles and the like are going to be the new normal for quite some time. Stage 5 is going to last a long and lonely time.
• A sizeable portion of the population in every country has the disease, but much of them are not presenting with any disease symptoms. The full extent of the damage to the body from the disease is still unknown. Expect secondary illnesses and damage as well as further changes to the virus as it mutates.
• QED Testing is vital and needs to be not just one time but for Travel EACH time we get into an airport
• Testing using contactless or other forms such as temperature checks are essentially useless at this point. We can expect only nasal swabs and blood tests as being reliable. Developing a valid test for the strain and the severity is still an unknown. Remember that there are two types of testing:
• Do you currently have the disease and is it contagious?
• Have you had the disease in the past (at whatever level)
• The status of the disease and its mutations need to be tracked - in this respect its behaviour is like flu in variation. Thus, tracking which variant and the efficacy of the test you took will become vital.
• A health passport will need to become standard whether it is for a one time use of multi-use by frequent flyers.
• Disease status from WHO will need to be in place along with the status of the country of origin of the traveller. NOTE this should be based on residency and visit rather than by citizenship. the disease does not understand politics, gender, or creed. it does discriminate against weaker parts of society
• If there is no common standard for classification of the status of the departing airport - or if the arriving airport does not trust the departing airport then full testing will need to be in place OR quarantining.

So, it will be a quieter world. There will be a lot more angst, hypertension and stress visited on us all. But what I fear most of all is anger. The failure of governments across the world to follow the tried and tested methodology for containment has one big culprit. Yes, the USA and the Trump Administration. If only they pursued the same attitude to climate change. IE - Deny, delay defray and blame etc - we would be all so much better off. However, that set of denials and delays cost lives and allowed the disease to seep into our society. Worse the mismanagement has been and continues to be a disaster.

 

I want to get out there and go see friends in far flung corners of the world. I want to be in places where I have that freedom of movement. Most of all - I want to be free to choose. That has been denied to me and to you. For that, I am truly saddened. BUT - I want to say that we have an opportunity to fix a lot that is broken. Let us now waste this opportunity.