Culture Wars: The Next Phase

On By Joel AgiusIn Politics & SocietyLeave a comment

The next phase of the Culture Wars has officially begun. With the inauguration of Joe Biden comes what are likely to be the most turbulent times in political history, something that will quickly seep out into the world, causing a devastating effect. The once great nation of the United States of America is now divided and under socialist control. This does not bode well for anyone. America plays a major role in international politics, being one of the great superpowers in the world, but now it will become a shell of itself, sold out to other nations in the name of greed. The Biden Presidency was exactly what Leftist elitists needed to activate their agenda. Trump was the only man standing in their way. And they toppled him. But in reality, it’s not Trump they were after. It was all of us. And now they will do just that.

What is important to understand is this: Politics is a dirty game. Corruption runs deep. Many politicians in the modern age do not care about their constituents. They put themselves and their own interests first above all else. It may appear as if our nations are democratic just because we the people get to vote and elect our politicians, but democracy nowadays has become tainted. They say democracy dies in darkness. This is true. Democracy in the United States has fallen apart. And it is about to get a whole lot worse. In fact, the Democrats will not even need to “find” votes next election. Instead, they plan to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. This is not a show of generosity. It is a strategy for increasing their voter base. It is also likely they will destroy the integrity of the Supreme Court by packing it with more Justices until they get a Liberal majority, in which case they will not only control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, but also the highest Court in the land. With power like that, you can do almost anything you want. It’s dangerous.

On the first day of his Presidency, Joe Biden signed 17 Executive Orders. Now let me put this in perspective. If Trump had signed 17 EOs in one day, he would have been labelled a dictator by the Democrats, the media, and basically anyone on the Left. But when Biden did it, it was celebrated, and the media praised him. These are the double standards of the Left on full display for everyone to see. There is an apt saying that goes: If the Left did not have double standards, they would have no standards at all. There is no doubt about this. Within hours of signing an Executive Order for a 100-day mask mandate on Federal property, Biden was caught not wearing a mask at the Lincoln Memorial, which is indeed Federal property. If Trump had done such a thing, he would have been dragged through the mud for it. It probably would have been a major story. But when Biden does it, the press could hardly care less. One reporter asked Biden’s Press Secretary Jen Psaki a question about it, and she put it down to a night of celebration. Now imagine if Trump’s Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, had given such a response. The media would not have let her off the hook so easily. They would have hounded her for a proper answer. Was Psaki pursued for a real answer? No. She was let off the hook. In fact, the media have already been cozying up to Biden, with the Political Director of CNN saying that the side lights on the National Mall were like “Extensions of Joe Biden’s arms embracing America.” This should tell you all you need to know about the media. The lack of trust in mainstream media in particular has just continued to increase. I have no doubt there will be an apparent lack of scrutiny of this Presidency as compared to the Trump Presidency. In fact, any criticism of Biden will be but a small drop compared to the ocean of criticism Trump faced on a daily basis.

Now I think it is important that people know just what Executive Orders Biden signed on his first day. They are the following:

  1. 100 Days Masking Challenge
  2. Restructure federal government coordination to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. Rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO).
  4. Extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums.
  5. Continue “pause” on student loan payments until September 30.
  6. Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.
  7. End Keystone XL pipeline and revoke oil and gas development at national wildlife monuments.
  8. Actions to advance racial equity through the federal government.
  9. Count non-citizens in the US census again.
  10. Strengthen workplace discrimination protections based on sexual orientations and gender identity.
  11. Defend “Dreamers” program for undocumented young Americans.
  12. End the “Muslim travel ban”
  13. Change Trump’s arrest priorities for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
  14. Stop border wall construction.
  15. Keep protections for a group of Liberians in the country.
  16. Freezing last-minute Trump administration regulatory actions.
  17. Formulate Executive Branch ethics doctrine.

You will notice there are several distinct patterns in these Executive Orders. First, they undo a number of the Trump administration’s achievements which put America first. Thus, second, they put America last, selling out to other nations and organizations. The Paris Agreement and the rejoining of the WHO sells America out to foreign bureaucrats and other elites for personal gain. But the third and most consequential pattern amongst these Executive Orders is this: The vast majority of them are based in identity politics, a political style which seeks only to divide. Of particular concern is number 8. In fact, I would say that one sets the precedent for the direction in which socialists wish to take the world. That route leads directly to Communism, and Communism leads directly to pain and desolation.

Equity is by far one of the worst concepts to ever come to being. The basic explanation of equity is this: People may need different treatment to make their opportunities the same as others. Now allow me to make something clear here. Equity is NOT the traditional equality of Western Civilization. It is instead a deformed version of equality that tears society apart. Classic equality constitutes two types of equality: Equality before the law, and equality of opportunity. To ensure we are all on the same page, the definitions of the above are as follows. Equality before the law denotes that every citizen is subject to fair treatment by the justice and judicial systems no matter their status in society (ie. Race, gender, ethnicity, wealth, etc.). Equality of opportunity is predicated on the concept that talent amongst society is widely distributed, and that some people are better than others at doing certain things. Essentially, it stands to reason that it is in the best interest of everyone that those who are talented in certain areas are given those opportunities so that it will benefit us all. Thereby, no one should be denied such an opportunity that would allow them to progress for reasons other than those which are related to their competence. So, for example, if a position within a company became vacant, but the company rejected the application of a highly capable individual simply because they had the “wrong” or were the “wrong” gender, this would be denying equality of opportunity. Indeed, this line of thinking, one that goes against equality of opportunity by introducing things such as gender quotas or the like, can cause a business to take a backwards step, and by extension can lead to regression in society. And this leads us to equity.

Equity is predicated on a terrible idea, that the only true measure of equality is outcome. This is further broken down into social, educational, and occupational outcome. Essentially, those who push this ideology make certain assumptions that are based entirely on identity, rather than merit. To explain further, because it is important that everyone understands exactly what this is and why it is a terrible concept, this is the breakdown. Within every organisation, there are hierarchies, each containing various levels. At each level of a hierarchy there are various positions. Those who push equity believe that all these positions at all the levels of all hierarchies of all organisations must be filled by a proportion of the population that is exactly equal to that same proportion in the general population. If this does not occur, they assume the reason for this is systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, or the like. They also believe that those perpetrating this systemic prejudice should be punished for it (even though this prejudice simply does not exist). This doctrine is, in every sense of the word, absurd. It is practically impossible to implement such an ideology given there are far too many identities to sort in the way in which they demand to achieve “equity”. Equity essentially treats people differently in order to force their opportunities to be the same. It is a doctrine highly associated with Communism.

Biden, or at least those socialists controlling him, wish to implement racial equity, something that would only end in disaster. But that is not all. The Executive Orders also go to a range of other policies based heavily in identity politics. For example, the tenth one listed, “Strengthen workplace discrimination protections based on sexual orientations and gender identity”, practically erases women. It allows for those who identify as a different gender to be in that gender’s environments. That means that if someone born male was to identify as a female, they would be able to participate in women’s sports, enter the women’s bathrooms, and if they were a criminal be sent to a women’s prison. This is generally unfair to women, but also dangerous, considering any man could just pose as a woman with bad intentions. After decades of progress for women, this is a major backwards leap. It is regression of the worst kind. There is a certain irony to this considering the same party that has made a big deal out of having the first female Vice President, and their supporters, are now enacting and supporting policy that destroys the progress made.

In addition to this, Biden’s Executive Orders allow full access to illegal immigrants, to which his administration will now move to grant amnesty, allowing those who enter America illegally to commit criminal acts to become citizens of the nation. With these kinds of policies, crime and terrorism is likely to increase in America. Jobs will be taken away from Americans. But this will also provide millions more votes for the Democrats, considering these immigrants typically vote for them come election time. American citizenship will be degraded for the purpose of profit and power.

Before the Election, Biden promised several things. One was a plan for COVID-19. Within days of assuming office, he has told the nation that there is nothing the government can do about it. Biden’s position on fracking also flip-flopped during the run up to the election, with Kamala Harris tweeting out that “Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact.” Again, Biden has gone against his word, banning fracking on federal land. And in the final Presidential debate, Biden said he would end the oil industry in America, one of the nation’s biggest commodities. His campaign spokesperson covered for him in the days after, claiming he would only end subsidies for oil in the United States. But as is clear in his first 17 Executive Orders, Biden has torn apart the Keystone XL Pipeline, bringing the American oil industry to its knees and destroying thousands of jobs. In fact, 71,000 jobs were lost in just 72 hours of Biden’s Presidency. That is almost 1,000 an hour.

But to top it all off is the Biden administration’s blatant disrespect for the military. The National Guard, after being used by the Democrats for the Inauguration out of fear of an insurrection (when, in fact, the only violence and destruction that occurred on that day was in Portland, Oregon at the hands of Antifa), are not being permitted to leave DC. In reality, this had nothing to do with fear of insurrection and everything to do with the Democrats putting on a display of force, using the military as props. After being used, these soldiers were tossed aside, left to sleep on the floor of a Senate parking garage, when all they wished to do was go home. Republican Governors of Florida and Texas, Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, have moved to pull their National Guard members out of DC and bring them back to their home States. This is a show of real leadership. In fact, DeSantis went so far as to say that the National Guard “are not Nancy Pelosi’s servants.” In addition, freshman Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn visited the soldiers, taking them pizzas and offering his office to them so they could at least be more comfortable. But while Biden and Harris will not utter a word on this egregious matter, there is still one President that will stand by the military and support them in whatever way he can. After seeing the terrible way in which the National Guard were being treated, President Trump expressed his disgust and offered the soldiers free accommodation at the Trump Hotel in DC. That is the leadership of a real President.

The carnage just continues. It is unlikely to stop anytime soon. All the Democrats are doing is undoing everything that Trump did to make America a great nation again. Biden has essentially been rescinding Executive Orders President Trump signed, including one that lowered the price of insulin for low-income diabetics, and one that established the 1776 Commission to ensure the young people of America are taught about the things that make their nation great, that they are taught to love and respect their country. Now one can only wonder why Biden would increase the cost of insulin when the Democrats have consistently said they want free healthcare for all. It does not line up with that policy. And as to the abolition of the 1776 Commission set up by President Trump, the reason for this move is clear; The Democrats want young people to hate their nation, to hate all the things that make the United States of America great. Because hate fuels a certain type of passion, one to abolish all that makes a country like America the great nation that it is, or at least now that it was, and replace these things with others in the name of a false utopia. This line of ideological thinking is what leads directly to a hellscape like that of the Soviet Union (which some people shockingly still think was a good thing).

What is important to understand is that there will never be a utopia on this Earth. Utopia is not possible, because there will always be something wrong. There will always be someone who is dissatisfied. Like it or not, evil exists in this world, and it is something that will never disappear. Now you look at someone like Joe Biden. He has said several times that he will be a President for all Americans, that he wants his Presidency to be one of unity. But that is not going to happen. On one side of the playing field, you have those who voted for him and believe everything he does is incredible. On the other side, you have all those who voted for Trump, at least 74 million, many of whom believe the election was stolen, and most of whom do not support the policies of Joe Biden and the Democrats. And then in the middle, you have those who are either indifferent, willing to give this Presidency a shot, or indeed Biden voters who are having a lot of regrets about their choice at the ballot box. Under this Presidency, there will not be a unity like the one Biden is hoping for. The Executive Orders he has signed are divisive in nature, so he cannot expect unity.

But there may yet be some hope for unity in the nation. In fact, there may yet be hope for unity amongst those watching from around the world. I have said in recent months that everything happens for a reason, that there are always much greater forces at work in the world. After seeing a number of people over the last few days who voted for Biden expressing dismay at what he has done, expressing feelings of betrayal, I am beginning to see that there may have been a reason that Biden became President. This may have been necessary for people to understand that certain politicians do not have their best interests at heart. Instead, they only care to serve themselves. They will make promises, but many career politicians, particularly ones like Joe Biden, only make those promises for the sake of obtaining power. Once they do so, they break those promises, and end up tearing people’s lives apart, even those who voted for them. The Unions are learning that now that the Keystone XL Pipeline is no more. Women are learning that now that they have practically been erased. Workers are learning that now that their jobs have been taken from them. By extension, their families are learning that now that they are facing instability. Instead of helping people right now, the Democrats are more concerned about impeaching a man who is no longer the President of the United States. Rather than challenging the Executive Orders Biden is bringing forth and signing to rescind Trump’s EOs, Republicans are standing by and allowing him to undo all the good that Trump did. Why? Because these Establishment politicians do not care. They likely wanted Trump gone just as much as the Democrats. Now DC can go back to being the “swamp” that it was before Trump came to power. But with people waking up to this reality, it seems like unity might still be on the cards, just not in the way Democrats have been talking about.

As America faces great hardship, so do we all. The impact of the Biden Presidency will be felt not only in the United States, but all over the world. In my view, the next two years will bring with them the most turbulent times in political history, and the fallout could be immense. There are certain people in positions of power that seek to push forward with their agenda, but with more and more people waking up to power-hungry politicians and bureaucrats, they might just have a fight on their hands. What happens in the next couple of years may just determine the direction the world takes.

It is so important that more people, especially those who care about their freedom, about living a good life, fight to protect that. We must not be afraid to use our voices, to stand up and speak out. Conservatives in particular need to do more of this. The Left have an advantage in this area, especially in the realm of writing. I write articles like this to do my part in fighting for the good in this world. Although I know it is difficult to get your work out there, to get people to read what you write, I would encourage any Conservative writers out there to put pen to paper (or keyboard to laptop) and get writing. I know it can be hard to put yourself out there, to put your thoughts and views into the public arena, but think about the impact your words could have. Words have so much power. They can change the trajectory of the world, of our lives. In the final installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Albus Dumbledore, ever wise even in death, says to Harry: “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” Words being used by those falling victim to evil are inflicting great harm upon their nations. But those of us who fight for good have the power to remedy that harm with our own words.

Like in Harry Potter, the battle we face now is one of Good vs Evil. In the Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzenhitsyn wrote, “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart… even with hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains… an uprooted small corner of evil.” There is a battle between good and evil that takes place in the hearts of each and every one of us. There is hope for those who have succumbed to evil, just as there is the potential for those who do good to fall to evil. Each one of us controls the never-ending battle within our hearts.

We can choose to feed the good or the evil. It is up to us to decide which side we are going to take. I, like many others, can offer advice, perspective, and encourage you one way or the other, but I cannot make this choice for you. You are the only one who can make this incredibly important choice. Consider it carefully. You really do not know the difference you could make.

Living Life To The Fullest

On By Joel AgiusIn Human Condition, Inspirational1 Comment

Life is a precious gift. In the grand scheme of things, each of our lives is but a short chapter in the story of the universe. So, it is only right that we live them to the fullest and make the most of all that comes our way, especially the good, and the opportunities. Sure, it’s not always going to be easy, sometimes it may take courage to take an opportunity and use it to better our lives, to draw out the good that is there even when it takes some effort to get to. So how do we do all we can to truly live our best lives?

First, we must always be willing to adapt and make the most of whatever is thrown our way. I think many of us would agree that last year in particular was a challenge and changed the course of each of our lives. But that doesn’t have to throw our lives off kilter. It all comes down to how we react, how we deal with these times, that shapes the greater course of our lives. These are the times when we must be open to exploring new paths, with our core intentions being to pursue happiness and to grow as a human being. We should also be gratuitous for all the things that really matter to us. Sometimes it’s worth just taking some time to reflect and focus on all that life has given us, being thankful for these amazing parts of our lives. There is something truly eye-opening about reflection. It puts everything into perspective. Often we can get caught up in the rush of the world, so just slowing down for a bit and reflecting on our lives and all that surrounds them can help us to recognize what really matters to us.

It is also important that we are open to new opportunities that may present themselves. Sometimes it can be daunting to try something new, to venture into the unknown, to take a risk. That is perfectly understandable; after all, we are all human, and fear of the unknown is something that affects most of us to some degree. But taking advantage of an opportunity and venturing into unknown can be life changing. It can open up worlds that we never imagined, or only ever dreamed of. We might meet new people we never would have met if we didn’t take a leap of faith. And we might just create a better life for ourselves with all the experience that we gain from going for it. We can never be certain what lies ahead on our journey that is this life, but if we are willing to embrace new opportunities, to embrace what the world throws at us, it can truly enrich our lives.

We cannot live our lives in fear. This only leads to a life of misery, and that is no way to live. This kind of follows on from the previous point. Life is full of risks, that’s just the way of the world. But we can deal with those risks, we can manage them. If we just submit to them and let them control us, we are only limiting our lives, limiting our potential. We will never get anywhere in life if we don’t take risks. There are times in our lives when we want to do something, but uncertainty and fear of negative outcomes can keep us from doing so. We might even find ourselves becoming self-conscious (trust me, I’ve been there), but pushing past that can be so rewarding. Yes, it can be nerve-wracking, but you never know what might come of it. It could just be the greatest thing you ever do. There is no point living in fear of the unknown when that unknown might just be one of the best parts of your life just waiting to enter.

Another important factor in living our lives to the fullest is spending time with those we care about, those in our lives who matter to us. Life can get busy, but it is important that we don’t forget our family, friends and loved ones. We should take the time to talk with them, to see them, to spend quality time with them. Too often people let the constant hustle and bustle of life get in the way of seeing those they care about, and those who care about them. As I said at the outset, life is short. So, we need to make sure we always come back to the things that really matter, and the people that really matter to us. There will be people in our lives who will always be there for us no matter what. Of course most of the time this consists of family, but sometimes it will be friends, and, on rare occasions, it might be someone truly special who comes along and brightens up your life. Make sure you spend time with these people and form incredible connections.

Now there are probably a whole bunch of other points I could make, but I’ll finish off with this one: Always do what makes you happy. This seems like a pretty obvious one, but it’s one we can easily forget with all the pressures in this world. Everyone has something that makes them happy, or something that they can pursue that will make them happy. It might be a dream you’ve had for a while that you want to chase, or it might be a hobby you have that you want to take further. Maybe it’s a job you want to get, maybe it’s a job you already have. No matter what it is, if it makes you happy, do it. Too often outside pressures can put us on a path that we really don’t want to be on, one that makes us unhappy. This can easily lead to a range of problems, becoming detrimental to our mental health, and by extension affecting our day-to-day lives (eg. Mood, motivation, etc.). Life is far too short to be doing something that is not fulfilling, something that doesn’t bring good into your life, that doesn’t bring you happiness. So, set your sights on what makes you happy and go for it.

As I mentioned, there are probably a multitude of other things I could discuss here, but I think the points above are the most important ones. Recently I finished reading Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life, and it was probably one of, if not the best book I’ve ever read. I would highly recommend it to everyone. In fact, I’d say it’s a must read. I suppose the above points could be seen as my own rules for life, or at least rules for living a good, fulfilled, and happy life. Life is what we make it. It’s up to us to take ownership of our lives, to live the best lives we can no matter the circumstances or what might be thrown at us, to take time to reflect, to show gratitude for the people and things that really matter to us, to spend time with those we care about and the people that are always there for us, to take risks, to leap at new opportunities, and to always do what makes us happy. Make sure you live a life that you can look back on with no regrets and only gratitude for every moment.

Life is a truly special gift. Make the most of every moment.

Saving Society: The World In The Balance

On By Joel AgiusIn COVID-19, Politics & SocietyLeave a comment

This will probably be the most important article I write. So please read it carefully and in full. It appears that we have begun our journey down that road that leads to hell on Earth, and it will only get worse as it progresses. That is, unless the people unite, stand up, speak out, and fight back. There is no greater force than a united front against tyranny. Allow me to explain what we are fighting here, and what is on the line.

On January 6, Vice President Mike Pence, in the company of the joint Congress of Senators and House Representatives, certified the Electoral College vote for Joe Biden. In doing so, they essentially confirmed that Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris would be sworn in on the January 20 as the new President and Vice President of the United States of America. On the same day, protests occurred at the Capitol building where Trump supporters had gathered for a rally. However, somehow a number of people managed to get into the Capitol itself, a feat that would be near impossible with the level of security surrounding that building, unless of course they were let in (which would imply that there was someone on the inside). Given the footage that emerged showing these people being let in, that would attest to the former speculative thought. Thus, the question arises: why were they let in?

While we may not know the answer to this, we can make some fairly reasoned observations that would allow us to come to a viable conclusion. First, the Capitol was breached as objections were being made to the Electoral College vote for certain States, beginning with Arizona. Now why would Trump supporters storm the Capitol when such a thing was occurring. After all, they wanted it to happen. They wanted objections to be made. Why throw those objections into chaos and confusion and risk them going awry? Unless, of course, those that stormed the Capitol were not real Trump supporters, but rather members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter posing as Trump supporters so that they would be made to look terrible and dangerous publicly. It has since been demonstrated that there were Antifa and BLM members amongst those who entered the Capitol, so this is definitely not out of the question, and makes much more logical sense. It could also be inferred that the Democrats may have, at least to some degree, been involved in setting this up so that they would have a way of convincing most of those who would object to the vote to backflip and side with them, as well as manufacturing a reason to make another impeachment attempt on President Trump, or indeed invoke the 25th Amendment and have Trump removed from office immediately.

Tragically, 5 people died as a result of the destructive event that took place in the Capitol. It is terrible. Now if you listen to those in the media, the Democrats, or indeed social media “platforms” (in inverted commas because they act more like publishers), they will have you believe President Trump incited such violence. Let me make this clear: Donald Trump did not incite violence. In fact, he called out and condemned the violence multiple times, and told his supporters to go home via a video message released on his social media. But Silicon Valley did something extraordinary uncalled for (and this was only the beginning). They removed the video and subsequent messages calling for peace, claiming Trump was inciting violence. Then Facebook, and by extension Instagram (owned by Facebook) suspended Trump for at least two weeks (until the Inauguration). Democrats began drafting articles of impeachment and calling for Pence to invoke the 25th. But things were only just beginning, and they got much worse.

On January 8, Facebook and Instagram permanently suspended the President of the United States. Soon after, Twitter did the same. In addition to these, Trump has now been banned from Google, YouTube, Apple, Reddit, Shopify, Pinterest, Spotify, Snapchat, Twitch and TikTok. This is where this article gets extremely important.

After Twitter banned Trump, they started going all out on a purge of Conservative account. They took out lawyers Sidney Powell and Lin Wood. They banned General Michael Flynn and journalist Tracy Beanz. They went after a multitude of other well known Conservative accounts. Then they started going after others; people who were not high profile but simply shared Conservative views and supported President Trump. Some bigger accounts reported losing tens of thousands of followers in mere hours. I personally lost roughly 100 followers in the space of a day. But Twitter went further than just banning people. What they did next was absolutely spine-chilling. When President Trump tweeted a thread from the official President of the United States account (@POTUS), Twitter removed it, then locked the President out of this account and the official White House account (@TheWhiteHouse). In doing this, Twitter have demonstrated that they think they run the US. It sets a dangerous precedent that Big Tech can deplatform the President of the United States, eradicating his line of communication to the people. Indeed, it could be viewed as a national emergency.

So where are those Republicans who said they were going after Big Tech? Where are Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley? Some Republicans have spoken out on the matter, calling out Big Tech and even going so far as to say they would go after Section 230. But they never will. These Republicans talk a big game, but when push comes to shove, they never take action. They just sit back and let these tech tyrants do as they wish. They did the same when it came to objections to the Electoral College vote. Only six Republican Senators (or thereabouts) objected. All others who said they would object, including Kelly Loeffler, who announced she would do so just two days before at the final rally before the Georgia Runoffs (which, surprise surprise, the Republicans lost thanks to votes again being “found” in the early hours of the morning), backflipped and did not support the objections on the day it mattered. And therein lies the problem.

So long as the Republican Establishment remains, the Republican Party will never actually take necessary actions to defend democracy and freedom in the United States of America. Establishment Republicans are only in it for themselves. They used Trump to get themselves re-elected, and then proceeded to stab him in the back. Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell both faced highly contested races, the Democrats spending tens of millions in their efforts to unseat them. But thanks to Trump’s energized base, they were both re-elected. But did they defend Trump? Did they help the man who had helped return them to their cushy jobs? No. Instead they began lining up with the Democrats, making it known they wanted to work with them and the Biden administration. Graham was even seen bumping elbows with Kamala Harris on the Senate floor. The Establishment do not care about the people. They only care about themselves. Only the Republican President cared about the people of America. Only he was willing to take aim at both sides of Congress and call them out. This is why there has been minimal support for him from Republicans. They do not want to be exposed; they do not want to be called out. They want to be able to continue in their positions with not a care in the world about Americans. Trump went against the grain, and they really did not like it. As I have mentioned before, there is a lot of corruption in this world. It runs deep, and it likely runs throughout both the Democrat and Republican Parties in the United States. That is why it is crucial that the people of America, those who value democracy, who value their freedoms, unite and stand up to these people. If that comes in the form of a new major Party, so be it. I have seen increasing support for a Patriot Party, and that may be the future of Conservatives in America. If Republicans want to keep their voters, they must start fighting for them like President Trump has done for the last four years. Otherwise, it is almost certain many will lose their spots come time to face the public.

Back to Silicon Valley for a moment. It is important to note that over the past few days, Big Tech have not only gone on a mass censorship spree of Conservatives but have also conspired to bring down a new platform for them to speak freely on. Parler, a social media app similar to Twitter, created by political commentator Dan Bongino and launched last year, and refuses to engage in censorship. For this reason, combined with the mass exodus from Twitter to Parler following Twitter’s banning of the President and others (which led to a fall in their stock price), Big Tech went on an all-out assault on the relatively new platform. Apple and Google told Parler they needed to start moderating what people said on their platform, otherwise they would be removed from each of their App Stores. Google removed Parler from the Play Store not long after the warning was given, Apple following suit at the end of the 24-hour deadline they gave the social media platform. It was egregious, but Parler was still accessible via a web browser. However, Amazon then chimed in, saying they would remove Parler from their web servers, effectively shutting the platform down. Through their actions, Google, Apple, and Amazon, likely alongside Facebook and Twitter, have conspired to bring down Twitter’s competition, which could easily be seen as a violation of America’s Antitrust laws. It is however unlikely that they will be punished, considering the incoming administration seems to be perfectly fine with silencing their opposition.

This is however but one of an increasing number of major issues that we now face, issues that threaten our freedom and life as we know it on this Earth. As mentioned previously, COVID-19 has given Governments and unelected bureaucrats far too much power and control over our lives. It has provided them with every excuse necessary to do what they want and force us to submit to their will. This is on a global scale. I said before the US Election that if Trump wins, we all win, but if Biden wins, we all lose. I said that if Biden were to take the reins, Democrats, notoriously socialists (which always leads to Communism), would control America, setting the scene for Socialism to run rampant throughout the world. Already Conservatives are being silenced on social media, and Biden hasn’t even been inaugurated yet. It is highly likely that the Democrats, now having control of the White House, the House, and the Senate, will attempt to enact a nationwide lockdown. Small businesses will be run out of operation, leaving only big corporations to control the market. The free market will essentially be dead. Mask mandates will occur. This will be followed by vaccine mandates. Chances are if you want to travel, you will have to get the vaccine. Otherwise, you will be forced to remain in your country, and likely your State.

This extends to Australia. Already we are seeing this nation falling apart. State Premiers are all high on power, as are the unelected bureaucrats they consult: The Chief Health Officers. They are using the borders as political tools, restricting entry and exit to and from their States. Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews and his Government have now established a permit system for those wishing to enter Victoria. If you are in what they have termed a “Green Zone”, you are allowed in but must first obtain a permit. If you are in an “Orange Zone”, you must obtain a permit, and must also get tested and isolate until receiving a negative result. If you have been in a “Red Zone” in the last 14 days, you will not be permitted entry into the State. If you do not have a permit upon entry, you will face a $5000 fine. In addition to this, Victorians leaving the State will need a permit to do so and will only be permitted to travel to “Green Zones”. This sort of permit system is something you would expect to see in a Communist nation, or at the very least a totalitarian State. Victorians have to get a permit to enter their own State. Victorians need a permit to leave their own State. Australians have to get a permit to enter a State in their own country. This has no place in a free and democratic nation.

But this is likely only the beginning of a very slippery slope into the abyss where our freedoms no longer exist. Soon enough, more States will join in with this system, until Australia is divided State by State, whereby you must obtain different permits depending on which State you wish to travel to. Then you can expect it to escalate to the next level: If you want to leave your State, you must get the vaccine. In fact, despite the Prime Minister’s reassurance that the vaccine will not be mandatory, it is highly likely they will do everything they can to get everyone to take it. Indeed, I expect them to make life a misery for anyone who chooses not to put a rushed vaccine (that could have a multitude of serious side effects down the track) in their body. The most likely scenario is that there will be a set of rules for those who choose not to get the vaccine, and a different set for those who comply. Those who comply will be freer, while those who do not will have restrictions put upon their lives in what I would term psychological warfare. What I mean by this is that the restrictions imposed upon these individuals would be so mentally taxing, they would be driven to the edge, some potentially to the point where they only see two options: Get the vaccine and return to society or be driven to mental hell. Likely restrictions include loss of job opportunities, restrictions on movement, socializing and so forth. It is essentially alienation from society.

Now some may say: “The Government would never do such a thing.” Incorrect. The Government would do such a thing, they just wouldn’t frame it as such. Already Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has said he cannot rule out vaccine passports. Already Scott Morrison has said the vaccine may be made compulsory by some workplaces. And while the official position of the National Cabinet on dealing with COVID-19 is suppression, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has made it clear he thinks all States bar NSW are going for elimination, which in his mind appears to be the right strategy. If you needed any more indication that these politicians and bureaucrats are out of control, all you need do is look at what happened in Brisbane over the past weekend. After a hotel quarantine worker tested positive to the UK variant of COVID-19, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk put a hard 3-day lockdown on Brisbane. Was this necessary? The facts tell us it was not. All close contacts of the positive case tested negative, and there were no new cases every day. But this did not stop the Queensland Government from imposing one of the most absurd rules to date: If you were leaving your home, you must wear a mask at all times, including while in your car. Yes, that’s right, you had to wear a mask while driving in your own car. I challenge anyone to justify this rule. Unless you can somehow give yourself the virus while driving, or the virus can penetrate the metal of your vehicle, then this rule makes zero sense. Even the Queensland Government must have known this, given upon the lifting of the Brisbane lockdown, they scrapped the rule. The rule existed for three days. How it existed at all is questionable, but it goes to the heart of the matter at hand.

Now to the vaccine again. It is unlikely this vaccine will be enough to eradicate COIVD-19. This is a coronavirus, and coronaviruses have a knack for mutating. Take the flu for example. Every year, a new vaccine is rolled out, because the influenza virus mutates, and so the vaccine you had one year won’t necessarily protect you the next. Each year, people make a choice as to whether or not they want to get the flu vaccine, and life goes on as normal. With COVID-19, the vaccines developed thus far have been rushed, created in the space of months rather than the usual 8-10 years it would take for a safe and effective vaccine to be produced. As I wrote in a previous article on the vaccine, everyone has a right to be skeptical of it. There is no telling what effect it could have in say 5-10 years, what adverse effects may occur. In the article I wrote about the vaccine, I listed a whole range of these that have come directly from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). They included things like brain diseases, autoimmune diseases, and even infertility amongst others. That last one is something I just want to expand on a little more.

It was revealed yesterday in Australia that the vaccination campaign would be targeting women and migrants, in particular young women. Now I want to take you back to something I wrote about in my article pertaining to the vaccine. Back in 2014, a vaccine that the World Health Organization had claimed to be a simple tetanus vaccine for those in less developed nations turned out to do much more than just protect against tetanus. The vaccine had been created by WHO researchers, who conjugated tetanus toxoid (TT) with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). When injected into a woman, this combination causes their immune system to attack their pregnancy hormones, leading to two possible outcomes depending on whether or not the woman is pregnant. If she is, it leads to a miscarriage, if not, it leads to infertility. This vaccine was termed a “birth-control vaccine”, and although the WHO denied using such a thing, three accredited biochemistry labs in Nairobi tested samples taken from vials of the WHO’s vaccine, finding hCG was indeed present when it should not have been. What’s more, people were told they needed to have multiple doses of the vaccine, which was in fact just ensuring continued infertility. This was likely an experiment in depopulation. Bringing it back to today, it is pertinent to consider the following: Why would young women in particular be the target of a vaccination campaign for a vaccine that has been rushed through production? Sure, the vaccine could appear harmless, but can we be certain that they have not added something we do not know about? Keep in mind that with these vaccines they have been playing around with mRNA and DNA, and the WHO have not been trustworthy in the past when it comes to these sorts of things, particularly with the aforementioned tetanus vaccine. This vaccine also requires multiple doses, and there are likely to be further vaccines on at least an annual basis, considering the habitual mutation of this virus. So, can we really have faith in it?

I think that brings us to one of the deepest questions we must all ask ourselves at this point: Who can we really trust? There is a lot of corruption in this world, that is for certain. Politicians and unelected bureaucrats are amongst those who typically become corrupt. The United Nations has seated on its Huma Rights Council some of the worst human rights abusers on the planet. The World Health Organization could not even do its job to prevent the global outbreak of a virus. Around the globe, politicians and health bureaucrats have taken advantage of the situation to take more power than is given to them by the people, thus giving them unfounded levels of control that they should never be permitted. So, I think it is probably wise to be skeptical of these major organisations and politicians who push an agenda of control. If you look at the United Kingdom currently, they are in their third lockdown, a harsh one that continues to escalate and essentially keeps citizens locked inside their homes all day every day. Then you look at the US, where Biden had said he would be a President for all Americans, where his whole campaign was based on ‘uniting America’. But now he has essentially labelled the Capitol Police racists (in saying that if Black Lives Matter had infiltrated the Capitol there would have been more people killed as compared to those who did enter) and called out Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley for objecting to the Electoral College vote, something which so happens to be their democratic right (in fact, Democrats objected to the vote back in 2016, 2004, and 2000). Biden has also announced that under his administration, the priority would be “Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American owned small businesses, and women-owned businesses”, effectively segregating small business owners. In addition to this, Democrats have called for Trump supporters to be put on lists, rounded up, re-educated, and the like. And now the Democrats are going to launch another impeachment attempt on President Trump (when his term expires in just 9 days). This rhetoric is not one of unity. It seeks only to divide.

Division is exactly what is needed by those in positions of power. COVID-19 has helped them to divide us against each other. People are reporting their neighbours for having more people than the government permits over to their home. Such an event occurred in Canada, where someone reported their neigbour to the police for having one more than permitted. The police turned up and used force to remove people from the person’s apartment. This is what society is coming to. Then there are those who scold people for not wearing masks. There are a multitude of reasons a person may not be wearing a mask, including medical conditions, trauma, anxiety and more. Instead of judging someone, consider they may have a genuine reason for not wearing one. At the end of the day, if you consider a mask to protect you, and you are wearing one, why should you be concerned about what someone else does? There is no need for division between those who wear masks and those who do not. It is the same when it comes to the vaccine. If you want to take the vaccine, by all means go ahead. But if someone decides they do not wish to receive it, do not persecute them for their choice. There is no need for division between those who want the vaccine and those who do not.

Continuing this point, it is important that a certain issue is addressed. In order to prevent division in our society, we must not alienate those who choose not to get the vaccine. It is concerning that some are of the view that those who do not get vaccinated should minimize socialization, or even be socially isolated. The mental health repercussions of such a line of thought would be devastating. No one should be controlling other people’s lives like that. It saddens me that people would think like this. It is also deeply saddening that these things could come between friends, and prevent them from seeing each other. Trying times like these show you who you can truly rely upon.

Division only leads to the collapse of society. It is so very important that each and every one of us understands this. If we continue down the path we are currently on, where politicians, bureaucrats and various other elites seek to divide us, society will collapse in on itself and give these people exactly what they want. That would only end in misery for all of us, not just one side or the other.

There is only one way to prevent all this. There is only one way to stop these people from getting what they want. There is only one way that we can protect society and protect our freedoms. It is one word, but it is a powerful word: Unity.

Unity strikes fear in the hearts of many, even the most powerful. If a society were to unite and stand up to their government or leader, no matter how tyrannical they are, they would run scared. They use division as a tool to split society so that they can maintain and grow their hold upon it. But if the people overcome this tactic and band together, they can prevent power-hungry politicians from getting their way. As the old adage goes: “In unity, there is strength.”

Now more than ever it is vital to the future of our nations, our lives, and our freedoms that we unite, rise, stand up and speak out against all those who seek to tear society apart and establish a New World where they have all the power and control. Our grandfathers went to war to fight for our freedom, now we must fight in what have become known as the Culture Wars to protect those same freedoms. No longer can we just sit back and watch, hoping that someone else will fight on our behalf. President Trump did that for 4 years, and even though he looks set to exit office on the 20th, he has created a movement that will continue forth, and he will continue to fight alongside it. And so, we must all stand together in unity. We must fight back against those who seek to silence us, against those who seek to divide us, against those who seek to control our very way of life.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance. It is now our responsibility to protect it. I will keep writing, in the hope that will help to bring people together. What will you do to help?

The Hidden Truths Of COVID-19

On By Joel AgiusIn COVID-19, Politics & SocietyLeave a comment

Yesterday, I wrote a post on Facebook stating that “Healthy people should not be forced to wear masks.” While I stand by this statement, I feel it needs a little more context, but instead of writing another post, I thought it would be apt to write an article explaining my views on this matter, in addition to providing a number of sources explaining how masks are likely barely, if at all, effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Here are my views for clarification. I have no qualms with people wearing masks if they so choose to. That is their choice, and so be it. In particular for those who have other pre-existing conditions, masks may be more important. Now I can see why masks should be worn by those who are sick, although if you are sick you probably shouldn’t be going out anyway. But for those who are healthy, masks should not be a necessity. Even for those who are asymptomatic, masks are unnecessary. Why? Because if you are not displaying any symptoms, you cannot spread a virus. It’s fairly straightforward reasoning.

But when it comes to masks, the question that many seem to refuse to conduct their own research into is this: Do they really work? Many people appear to have blind trust in the media and politicians and will take them at their word when they say masks work to prevent the virus from spreading. But if you were to spend some time researching the matter, you would find that masks are not doing this. In fact, in most places around the world where masks have been mandated, cases of COVID-19 have increased following the mandates. Studies into asymptomatic cases have shown that their close contacts have not become infected with the virus, and that they have a much lower quantity of viral load and a shorter duration of viral shedding, decreasing the risk of transmission. In addition to this, the pores of masks are around 300 nanometers in size, while the size of COVID-19 particles are between 65-125 nanometers. This means that COVID-19 particles are able to move through the pores of the masks rather than being blocked from entry/exit. Yet it does not end there. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) even conducted a study and found masks to be ineffective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, even for those who consistently wear them. Within their study, the majority of those who wore masks contracted the virus, while less than 4% became unwell after not wearing a mask.

Now I understand the hype around wearing a mask but allow me to put it to you another way. If masks were so effective in preventing viral respiratory illnesses, why have they not been widely used, even mandated, in years gone by to prevent the spread of flu? I would also like to point you all to the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Now many may not know this, but most deaths in that pandemic were not actually caused by the influenza virus. Rather they were a resultant of bacterial pneumonia. This bacterial pneumonia was caused by common upper respiratory flora, essentially a resultant of various bacteria. If these secondary bacterial infections had not occurred, it is believed that many patients may have indeed survived. But what does this have to do with masks? Well, masks were also enforced in the 1918 pandemic. Now we know that the bacterial pneumonia that occurred and resulted in most of the deaths at the time were from “common upper respiratory flora”. That means that they were caused by waste that the body was attempting to naturally expel, as is its function. But when you put a mask in front of your mouth, that waste that the body is trying to expel can end up re-entering your body. This is what leads to respiratory illnesses, including the bacterial pneumonia that caused the deaths of far too many people in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. This is how unnecessary illnesses and deaths are caused.

Now this all comes back to my main point: healthy people should not be forced to wear masks. If you want to wear a mask, that should be your choice. Politicians should not be permitted the power to enforce mask mandates on everyone, whereby the penalty for non-compliance is a fine of any nature (in NSW it is currently $200). In fact, as far as I am aware, there is no law that gives Governments the power to enforce such mandates and punish citizens for not complying. It would hardly surprise me if people took the fines to court and they were thrown out for being unlawful.

But while we are on the subject, I would like to bring up a few other issues surrounding COVID-19 and what you are being lied to about. First, the testing. The testing method currently used in most places is a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. It is essentially a diagnostic test that determines if you are infected by analyzing a sample to see if it contains genetic material from the virus. Now the media and politicians will not tell you this next bit, but I am dedicated to the truth, so here it is. PCR tests are unreliable. There are far too many false positives that occur from these tests. Because other illnesses like the common cold and the flu are also both coronaviruses, there is a decent chance that a test will come back positive for COVID-19 when you have one of these other illnesses, due to the genetic material being from the same family of viruses. Even the World Health Organization has admitted that these tests have a problem, albeit after hundreds of thousands of doctors and medical professionals around the world made this known for months. Even the test’s inventor said it was never designed to diagnose diseases. The WHO’s admission claims the problem is that many cycles are required to detect virus, and that the distinction between background noise and actual presence of the target virus can be difficult to ascertain in some circumstances. Now it would be interesting to see just how many people who have tested “positive” for COVID-19 actually had the virus, rather than having something else which produced a false positive result. The WHO are now facing multiple lawsuits over the matter.

The WHO’s manipulation, however, does not end there. In a 1984 Ministry of Truth fashion, they have quietly attempted to change the facts surrounding herd immunity. On 9 June 2020, the WHO’s website, under the question “What is herd immunity?” provided the following answer:

Herd immunity is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. This means that even people who haven’t been infected, or in whom an infection hasn’t triggered an immune response, they are protected because people around them who are immune can act as buffers between them and an infected person. The threshold for establishing herd immunity for COVID-19 is not yet clear.

On 13 November 2020, that answer was changed to the following:

‘Herd immunity’, also known as ‘population immunity’, is a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached.

Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not exposing them to it.

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Notice the significant change there? Herd immunity was something that could occur via immunity through either vaccination or previous exposure, until of course the vaccine came along, and the WHO changed their definition to make it seem as if herd immunity was merely a “concept”, with vaccination being the only way of achieving it. Now it is at this point that I would advise you to read my previous article on the vaccine and the dangers it poses (Link here: https://jjsoutlook.com/2020/12/12/vaccine-skepticism-is-justified/). Since I published that particular piece, a number of people have experienced significant adverse effects after receiving the vaccine, some becoming very ill, some just happening to end up with COVID-19 days later, and some even dying in the hours and days following their vaccination (although suddenly co-morbidities have become recognized again given these deaths). (Links to this information will be available at the end of this article). I warned that this vaccine, being rushed, is likely to be unreliable, even harmful. Some adverse effects may not be known for years to come. And it is of great importance to understand that if they can mandate masks, they can mandate the vaccine. It’s a slippery slope. In the realm of herd immunity however, vaccinations are not the only way. The definition of herd immunity has long pertained to the fact that it can be achieved through exposure to a disease as well as vaccination. The WHO cannot be trusted if they are going to continue to change the facts to suit whatever bureaucratic agenda they have up their sleeves.

Now look, I understand that people are afraid of this virus. I understand why people will believe whatever they are told by politicians and the media. It provides a sense of stability and safety. I get it. But if everyone just looked at the facts, looked at reality, they would see that much of what they are being told is not exactly trustworthy. Politicians and unelected bureaucrats are overwhelmingly self-serving in nature. It is an unfortunate reality. There are some good ones out there who do not fall into this category, but they are typically censored, batted down as conspiracy theorists. Indeed, almost anyone who tries to bring the facts to light these days is branded a conspiracy theorist or whatever else. I have faced this challenge myself in attempting to do just this. There is a quote from the great Athenian philosopher Plato that springs to mind here: “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.” This could not be more apt for the times we are in. I encourage everyone to, rather than just listen to politicians and the media and take what they say as gospel, do your own research. Think for yourself. These are important skills to have in your life.

So that you may see the facts I have stated here for yourself, I have included links to the information below. I encourage you to read through them.

Links:

Are Face Masks Effective? The Evidence. – Swiss Policy Research (swprs.org)

Study: Asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 not significant (wnd.com)

CDC Study Finds Overwhelming Majority Of People Getting Coronavirus Wore Masks (thefederalist.com) – this contains a hyperlink to the CDC study on the CDC’s site: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6936a5-H.pdf

Membrane makeover turns N95 respirator into a reusable mask (news-medical.net)

https://principia-scientific.com/who-finally-admits-covid19-pcr-test-has-a-problem/

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/bacterial-pneumonia-caused-most-deaths-1918-influenza-pandemic

Click to access 05-COVID-CLARK.pdf

https://www.timesofisrael.com/88-year-old-dies-hours-after-vaccine-doctors-stress-he-was-seriously-ill/

German aged care workers develop flu-like symptoms after vaccine overdose | Sky News Australia

https://www.bitchute.com/video/05syvSUyPiw0/

https://www.bitchute.com/video/bT8NaTSEBFdZ/

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article

2020: A Year To Remember

On By Joel AgiusIn Human Condition, Personals, Special OccasionsLeave a comment

2020 has been a very challenging year for most of us. I think we can all agree it has really left its mark on us all to varying degrees. We have faced many trials and tribulations. The world has become a different place in the era of COVID-19. Over the course of the year, in particular over the last few weeks, I have heard a fair few people say that 2020 is a year to forget, that we should just write it off and hope 2021 is better. But I have to disagree with this sentiment. I think 2020 is probably one of the years we must remember most. Yes, it has been nothing short of a nightmare at times, but it taught us many valuable lessons that we should carry forward into the rest of our lives on this Earth. Each year I usually do a wrap up of the year, be it personal or otherwise. This year I will be combining the two and going over some of the lessons I have learnt that I think we can all take heed of in our own lives.

2020 started with fire. The fires that ravaged Australia left us all living alongside a haze of smoke that seemed as if it would never dissipate. For me personally, the fires led to my Pop coming to stay with us for a couple of weeks. During this time, we all spent some quality time together, watching shows, playing pool at my uncle’s place, and having many a memorable conversation. Not long after he returned home to the South Coast, Pop had a fall and ended up in hospital. Just a few weeks later, at the end of January, he tragically passed away. I was there in the last couple of days of his life. Seeing him as he was in his last days, it really impacted me. It had a major effect on me on those days, and the days that came after his passing. As I have mentioned before, I don’t think I realised just how much of an impact it had on me, particularly from a mental standpoint, until a few months later. But that is for the next lesson. This tragic event in my life, despite its harshness, taught me a truly valuable lesson that I will remember as I continue forth in my life: We should always value the time we have with our family, friends and loved ones. Life changes fast, and so we should always make the most of every moment we have with the people we care about. Because we really don’t know when we’ll be spending our last moment with them. Make good memories with them that you will always remember fondly. Those memories can be such an incredible source of comfort in times of sorrow. I sometimes find myself thinking about my Pop, wishing he was still with us to celebrate special occasions, to talk to. But I just remember the memories we made, and I am so ever grateful for them.

This year has been a real test for our mental wellbeing. COVID-19 has led to lockdowns and isolation. As human beings, we are social creatures, so isolation can have a significant impact on our mental health considering we do not have those physical, face to face connections that we so enjoy. Many of us have experienced life-changing circumstances throughout this year. Most of us have probably been on a mental rollercoaster ride, having to deal with far too many ups and downs for one year. So, the next lesson 2020 has taught us is this: We must always take care of ourselves. This year in particular has reflected the importance of looking after our mental health. For me, that meant getting help when I was in a pretty bad way mentally. About a week or two into May, my anxiety had built up again, and had led to a sense of depression because of how anxious I was. As I’ve explained in a previous article, I ended up consulting a GP and then starting sessions with a psychologist. While I began the process of recovery and figuring out ways of managing the anxiety in particular, I decided it would be best for me to take another three months off from university (that’s one study period for me). So, my three-month break that had started after the conclusion of a study period in February turned into a six-month sabbatical. This turned out to be a necessity. If I had kept studying while I was trying to get better, I don’t think I would have truly been able to. I needed to have my mind focused entirely on that recovery at the time. I knew this would mean my studies would take a bit longer to complete, but I needed to put my mental health first and get my head right before I could continue. It was a difficult decision, but it was the right one. To anyone who is struggling mentally, I would encourage you to take heed of this particular lesson that 2020 has taught us. Look after yourself. Do whatever you need to do to ensure that you can maintain good mental wellbeing. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone, to get help. Because that can make all the difference.

2020 has also taught us that we cannot take things for granted, especially our freedom. If the age of COVID-19 has taught us anything it is this. Having endured lockdowns and restrictions on our lives that have changed them, inducing fear in the population, we must all awake to the reality that freedom is never a given. Our movement has been limited. Who we are permitted to see has been limited. What we are permitted to do has been limited. Many of us have allowed politicians to control almost every aspect of our lives. We took our freedoms for granted, and those in power took advantage of that. So, if we are to learn one thing from the harsh reality we have faced and continue to face, it is this: we must never take such a thing as freedom as a given. We must recognize that the freedoms that we should value so much are easily able to be stripped from us if we do not defend them from power-hungry, controlling individuals who will seize any opportunity they can to take more power than is given them. COVID-19 has given them the excuse they needed to take power under the guise of keeping us all safe. We have been told that life will never really go back to what it was before the virus. While it is easier to roll over and accept this, it is much more beneficial in the long-term to push back and ensure that we can live as free a life as possible.

Now to probably the most valuable lesson I have learnt this year: In the darkest times, an unexpected ray of light can enter your life, changing it for the better. 2020 has been especially dark for me, as I’m sure it has for many. Looking back, that darkness really started to consume me from May, putting me in a position where I needed to get help. But even after getting help, there was still darkness. There were still times when I wondered if things would ever really get a lot better. I still wasn’t really motivated. I still struggled to work up the resolve to get things done all the time. I would still put things off, telling myself they could wait until later. I still had periods of anxiety, albeit more manageable than they were before, but I suppose I felt as if I wasn’t really where I wanted to be just yet. In fact, that didn’t happen until later in the year.

In mid-September, that unexpected ray of light shone through the darkness surrounding me, guiding me out of it. My life changed. I became more motivated. I started writing again. I worked ahead in my university studies. I got back into an exercise regimen. I felt happier. All of these things have continued from that point forward to this day, and I am so incredibly grateful for that ray of light. As I’ve said before, sometimes the most incredible people come into your life when you least expect it, their impact profound. This is the very reason I cannot just write off 2020. Because even though 2020 has been one of the most taxing years, it has brought me some of the greatest things in my life. It is those amazing connections in life that turn up when you least expect it that make the biggest differences, the greatest of impacts.

2020 has been a wild ride, but it has been a necessary and meaningful one. Sure, there has been a lot of bad news this year, and sometimes it is difficult to see past that, to find the good in the world. But we cannot write off this year. We cannot just forget it. 2020 has brought with it important life lessons that are of great value to all of us moving forward. If anything, I feel like this year has helped me to grow significantly as a person, and to become a better version of myself. I am grateful for all that this year has taught me and brought me, and I’m looking forward to growing even more in 2021.

As I round this out, I would just like to thank everyone who has followed along on this blog over the past year. I appreciate all the support, and I hope you have all enjoyed what I’ve been publishing. This is my last one for this year. More to come in 2021.

A Happy New Year to all of you.