https://ruleofreason.blogspot.com/2020/07/no-masks.html
BRENDAN O’NEILL
“The New Normal. These are the three most chilling words in public discussion right now. Masks, keeping our distance from each other, avoiding overseas travel, half-empty pubs, nods of the head taking the place of handshakes and hugs… these are all part of The New Normal….It’s clear now that the regime of social distancing has little to do with Covid-19. Rather, it’s the latest manifestation of contemporary society’s culture of distrust, suspicion and separation, where we’re always encouraged to see our fellow citizens as dangerous and diseased, liable to harm us with their words, their come-ons, their second-hand smoke, etc.”
Nor to mention the absence of masks, which if one is not wearing one will precipitate the instant deaths of customers at the neighboring table, even as they sip their latte.
For relief from this insane totalitarian culture, I repair to several of my bought movies, such as: North by Northwest,, The Manchurian Candidate, Gladiator, and a dozen more, such as Shane and High Noon.
The big attraction for these and other films is the absence of face masks in any of the stories. They are the “Normal” for me, not “New,” or regurgitated assertions of “fighting” the virus to mandate obedience and “patriotism,” which are political impositions and aspirations, hiving on totalitarian opportunism if anything else..I need to see these films as a relief from the constant threat of being punished for not wearing a mask (which I will not wear; I’ll starve first) and the incessant announcements and reminders to wear masks and maintain one’s “social distance.”