As another summer lived under Wuhan coronavirus restrictions draws to a close — one marked with what seemed to be good news that got turned into a second wave of crises and a new round of mandates from the expert class — it’s more clear than ever that not everyone is living under the same set of rules, mandates, or guidelines.
It seems that for every Wuhan coronavirus-related mandate announced by a government official since this mayhem started in 2020, there’s another government official breaking their own edicts. It’s become a tired routine: The ruling class tells citizens that the pandemic is an unprecedented event requiring an unprecedented response. That response, we’re told, is necessary to save lives. We must follow all guidelines issued by our leaders or we face being responsible for our death or the deaths of others.
The unprecedented response, as we know all too well, can take one of several forms. The most common are mask mandates or guidelines, complete lockdowns where going out is a right reserved for those deemed “essential,” and bans on indoor dining or gatherings over a certain size.
The same people, though, who advocate for and implement these mandates, are apparently not too keen on following them. It’s become an equation that runs like clockwork. A mayor or governor or other official mandates masks or gathering size limits, and then within days or weeks is caught on camera violating their own mandates.
And who can blame them? Even the most die-hard mandate fan gets tired of strapping a mask to their face every time they leave the house, travel, shop, or go to work. They miss their friends and families too. They think they know what’s best for themselves and their families. But don’t the rest of us know the same for our respective situations?
The infuriating Wuhan coronavirus hypocrisy that’s become a trademark of the pandemic in the United States has laid bare the existence of two Americas — one for the powerful and the elite (usually on the political Left), and another for the rest of us.
For those like San Francisco Mayor London Breed, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the Texas House Democrats, celebrities at the Emmy awards — the list is nearly endless — the rules and advice they give publicly is directly contradicted by their own lifestyles and actions.
They weigh the risks and benefits of the same everyday decisions as those in the lower COVID class: taking vacations with family or friends, going out to dinner, attending concerts, visiting family in other states, etc. and they make decisions similar to those the rest of us would make — if we were allowed to make those decisions for ourselves, that is.
But for those of us living in the non-elite, non-powerful (and therefore less-free) America, we haven’t been able to make those individual decisions for months. Sure, there’s slightly more freedom now than there was in months past — but the divided classes of Americans that were illuminated by the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic offer an important lesson for the future and how the powerful and elite will behave as they seek to continue to exert their will over the country.
Consider the urgency with which many of the same leaders who levied COVID restrictions are now insisting action is necessary to address climate change, and the similar hypocrisy displayed in their proclaimed crusade to save the planet.
John Kerry, Biden’s climate czar, has been jetting around the globe (while also getting caught violating federal mask mandates in a hypocritical double-whammy) while telling everyday Americans that they should think twice before traveling because such activity generates greenhouse gases.
Even President Biden, who continually returns to talking points about the evil of oil and gas that he claims stains our world and drives climate change, unsuccessfully begged OPEC to pump more of the supposedly evil stuff after allowing Russia to continue it’s NordStream 2 pipeline project despite stopping pipeline projects in the United States. His actions cost jobs for those citizens in the lesser of the two Americas, but it allowed him to carry a hypocritical mantle of caring about the planet.
Elite celebrities who post infographics about climate change and the need for humans to change their behavior are the same people who fly their private jets to events within driving distance and have multiple expansive homes that require massive amounts of energy to heat or cool. These elites tell the residents of lesser America how to live their lives while continuing to consume more resources and release more pollutants than a large family. These same elites will tell Americans that having more than one child is a selfish act and dangerous to the health of the planet while owning four homes, a fleet of SUVs, a private jet, and a yacht.
The same powerful vs. everyday citizen double standard exists on other critical issues, too. When it comes to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, there are two Americas: those in power who enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing there are firearms between their family and those who wish them harm and those who are told they can’t own a “weapon of war” in order to protect themselves, their family, and their property.
As long as the powerful and liberal elite continue to wield their powers and influence, the residents of lesser America will be forced to comply… or face the consequences of fines, penalties, or the loss of their livelihoods and freedoms.
At the same time, the powerful elite will continue to live their lives as they wish without abiding by their own rules, and the two Americas they’ve created will become even more disparate.
The only option, now, is to scream their hypocrisy from the rooftops to ensure their constant duplicity doesn’t become a desensitized norm. When they get caught doing what they want rather than following what they say, don’t shrug it off. Hold them accountable and ensure they answer for their action. What’s appropriate for elitist America — exceedingly becoming simply the ability to exercise individual freedom — is good for the rest of us, too.