Of all the elements of today’s “New Normal,” the most ominous is the “reform” that effectively changed the meanings of previously accepted words or terms. The following glossary illustrates how changes to our vocabulary played a central role in making the world a more dangerous and frightening place.
New Normal - “Normal” is something that’s long been the norm and is accepted as the norm. The key point is that the “old normal” no longer applies. In the old normal, a citizen might not have complied with authoritarian mandates, but in the New Normal, most will… that is, if one accepts the premise that we now live in a New Normal, a premise most people seem to have accepted.
Case - Shorthand for “medical case,” which for centuries is the way doctors described illnesses that required medical treatment. However, a “case” of COVID very rarely even requires medical treatment. Indeed, most people who’ve been infected by the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 probably didn’t know they had the virus.
Asymptomatic case - A “medical case” with no symptoms or necessity to receive medical treatment; a Nothing Burger that became the rational for shutting down the world.
Vaccine -- Previously a vaccine was an injection that provided “immunity” or prevented diseases, as well as the spread of diseases. Today, at least as it involves the COVID “vaccines,” vaccines simply (and allegedly) reduce the probability someone might develop a severe case of this disease or die from this disease.
Note: Even according to experts like Anthony Fauci, flu “vaccines” are only “effective” (allegedly) 10 to 60 percent of the time. Still, 50 percent of the population and more than 70 percent of senior citizens dutifully get “their” flu vaccines every year.
(Note the definition of the word “harm” below. Vaccines never cause “harm.”)
Safe - A product or activity most agree is not dangerous or causes no harm. Creating this condition is apparently the main reason the U.S. government exists. Implied is that citizens are too ignorant to know how to keep themselves “safe.”
Effective - Previously, a vaccine or medicine that prevented infection or virus spread. Today’s definition: A modifier to used to describe a drug made by a company Anthony Fauci likes or wants to help become even wealthier.
Harm - Something that injures, perhaps even kills, or causes someone pain or discomfort. Importantly, “harm” - like sticks and stones - can now be caused by speech. (As noted, harm can never apply to “vaccines.”)
Misinformation or Disinformation - Information that is provably false. Per our “New Normal” definition, misinformation or disinformation is any information that challenges the pronouncements made by experts like Anthony Fauci.
Self Censorship - When people, afraid of The Man, censor their own thoughts, saving the government the hassle of coming down on even more people.
Science and “The science” - A theory largely accepted by the scientific community and public.
In the past, a skeptic who examined or challenged the conclusions of peers was himself engaging in science. Today, “The Science” is what the authorized scientists and officials at public health bureaucracies say it is, and should not be challenged by other “scientists…” who perhaps should not even be called scientists and should now be labeled as “science deniers.” Or as…
Anti-vaxxer - Technically, a person who opposes all vaccines. In Newspeak, it means anyone who is against mandatory COVID vaccines. In practice, a slur used to denigrate anyone who questions the pronouncements of authorities. If you oppose mandatory COVID vaccines for whatever reason, you are a “science denier” or “anti-science…” and, as such can and should be punished or censored because you could be causing “harm” to the public.
(Note: FWIW, most “anti-vaxxers” have received numerous vaccines and many of today’s Covid anti-vaxxers received the Covid non-vaccine.)
Free or freedom - In “the land of the free,” the definition of freedom has radically changed.
For more than a year, tens of millions of Americans were “free” to keep their jobs, go to a restaurant or see a play if they could prove they have received at least two injections of an experimental vaccine. Americans may be allowed to engage in “free speech” on social media… if they say the right things and don’t say the wrong things.
Content moderators now monitor more than “COVID” speech. If you publish “extremist” or politically incorrect speech that can be labeled as “harmful” or “dangerous,” you can lose your job or speech privileges. As the primary role of government is to keep people safe from words, being “offended” by speech is now a sanctionable offense.
Patriotism or patriot - In the past, a “patriot” was an individual who stood up to tyrannical governments and/or displayed a great love for his country. Today, for many Americans, a patriot is one who complies with the edicts of their government and helps attack or embarrass those who don’t automatically submit to governmental authority.
Public health - Previously, the state of overall health in hundreds of millions of people who comprise “the public.” In the last five years, public health has focussed almost entirely on the “health” of people who may or may not have COVID-19. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental health, obesity - all conditions that kill and harm people -- are not central components of “public health.”
All of the above definition changes were made possible by changes in accepted language. George Orwell was right. If you want to control the people, first control the language.
I'm sure readers can come up with "New Normal" terms I omitted.
I "recommended" your newly launched Substack to all of my numerous, eager readers (people who've signed up to receive posts from my to-date-merely-theoretical Substack newsletter), Bill. Some other lifetime, maybe, I'll write what I want to write this lifetime. In the meantime...I appreciate your work. Looking forward to reading more.