COVID-19 and the salvation of the soul

bluemason3 said:What does that even have to do with anything? Generally speaking, project funding and resources are handed out by committees made up of scientists, not politicians. Sure, they might have political connections, but the idea that everyone is in on it together and there's some massive, coordinated manipulation...

Out of all the complaints I’ve heard from my wife regarding science and education policy—and trust me, she has plenty—the most frequent ones center on how research grants are awarded.
+ There are a lot of moving parts here. Some projects are funded by universities, others by national science agencies, and some by third parties entirely. It isn't centralized enough to make total control that easy. Plus, money flows through various channels and comes from different sources that aren't necessarily government-run (like EU funds, which bring a healthy dose of outside oversight).

But hey, what do I know? I'm not in the scientific community, and there’s just too much government and too many systems on this planet for any one person to see the full picture.
On the other hand, most people making these kinds of claims have even less contact with the system than I do, so it's mostly just projection. It's similar to those conspiracy theories about "Big Pharma" controlling all of medicine, even though statistically, 80% of medical research doesn't actually come from the private sector. If you ask me, it's a bit too much conspiracism.

I don't see any conspiracy theories in what I actually wrote 🤔

Just one quick example to back it up. Look at how things went down when that virus first popped up in China. Are we talking about scientists and doctors being responsible, or was it politicians covering up the actual existence of the virus right out of the gate—you know, silencing the people who were trying to sound the alarm early on? And then, of course, the cover-up regarding the massive number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths just to make the stats look better. It should be pretty obvious how much politics made this whole mess worse, especially during those first few critical stages.

neonmarlin39 said:I don't see any conspiracy theories in what I actually wrote 🤔

Just one quick example to back it up. Look at how things went down when that virus first popped up in China. Are we talking about scientists and doctors being responsible, or was it politicians covering up the actual existence of the virus right out of the gate—you know, silencing the people who were trying to sound the alarm early on? And then, of course, the cover-up regarding the massive number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths just to make the stats look better. It should be pretty obvious how much politics made this whole mess worse, especially during those first few critical stages.

China is a closed dictatorship; there's no way it can serve as a model for Western systems.

hiddenpuma75 said:I only just realized this today. I’m surprised, though certainly not offended. 😁

It’s pretty rare in life—and even rarer on a forum—to hear people actually praise your work. 🤔

Meister Eckhart would likely tell you that we only recognize in others what we already possess within ourselves. 🙂

In most online communities and in life, there seems to be this pervasive "No, you!" vibe.

By that, I mean a general atmosphere of skepticism, constant belittling, negativity, projection, gossip, and that classic tendency to inflate one's own importance while tearing everyone else down.

It honestly feels like people do this either consciously or subconsciously.

-"Nobody ever praises me, so why on earth should I bother praising anyone else?" !🙂

==
For instance, I started a thread over in the Philosophy section specifically so we could highlight and celebrate great posts. 👍

http://www.example-us-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1013899

It’s actually quite staggering how few compliments have been posted there in three years. 😲

Take bluemason3, for example. He hasn't really praised anyone; instead, he’s spent nearly 20 years on this forum criticizing everyone from the Neolithic era all the way up to Star Trek. 😁

==
So, it boils down to this: people either fail to see the good in things;

Or, even worse, they see the good but simply don't care enough to point it out.

Or, worst of all... they actively refuse to! 😲

He leaves comments under my posts whenever I start praising the scientific community, the healthcare system, or even the political establishment. 😁

Look, the problem is you seem to go out of your way to focus on idiots, losers, and con artists. It ends up looking like you're just spitting on everyone in sight. Honestly, even Himmler might have had better luck with your attitude. 🤣

bluemason3 said:China is a closed dictatorship; there's no way it can serve as a model for Western systems.

He leaves comments under my posts whenever I start praising the scientific community, the healthcare system, or even the political establishment. 😁

Look, the problem is you seem to go out of your way to focus on idiots, losers, and con artists. It ends up looking like you're just spitting on everyone in sight. Honestly, even Himmler might have had better luck with your attitude. 🤣

🤣

"We appreciate the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated" - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

So, who's actually losing it here? 😁

Honestly, once you look at all this, there’s just no longer any logical reason for people to band together into states, cities, or any other kind of organized society.
It’s becoming crystal clear that if people actually want to survive, they’ll need to head out and settle on remote hillsides where there aren't even paved roads to be found.
What we're seeing here is really just the opening act for a total technocracy—a complete takeover designed to control the masses until everyone is essentially just a walking corpse.

frozenstag9 said:Honestly, once you look at all this, there’s just no longer any logical reason for people to band together into states, cities, or any other kind of organized society.
It’s becoming crystal clear that if people actually want to survive, they’ll need to head out and settle on remote hillsides where there aren't even paved roads to be found.
What we're seeing here is really just the opening act for a total technocracy—a complete takeover designed to control the masses until everyone is essentially just a walking corpse.

Yeah. 👍

Schools work perfectly well online, and it's pretty clear we can manage just fine without those big religious or consumerist gatherings.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Yeah. 👍

Schools work perfectly well online, and it's pretty clear we can manage just fine without those big religious or consumerist gatherings.

The way I see it—exams are just a massive, cheating-filled joke that everyone pretends not to notice because there isn't any other way to do things.

Honestly, nothing you guys do could ever top that.

bluemason3 said:The way I see it—exams are just a massive, cheating-filled joke that everyone pretends not to notice because there isn't any other way to do things.

So, what's the big surprise here? 🤔

bluemason3 said:China is a closed dictatorship; there's no way it can serve as a model for Western systems.

He leaves comments under my posts whenever I start praising the scientific community, the healthcare system, or even the political establishment. 😁

Look, the problem is you seem to go out of your way to focus on idiots, losers, and con artists. It ends up looking like you're just spitting on everyone in sight. Honestly, even Himmler might have had better luck with your attitude. 🤣

God Beljki, you’re really out here defending the indefensible this time.

Look, both you and the rest of us in STEM 🙂 are well aware of your body of work. We know that even if it occasionally rains in the Sahara, we still call it a desert.😉

bluemason3 said:China is a closed dictatorship; there's no way it can serve as a model for Western systems.

He leaves comments under my posts whenever I start praising the scientific community, the healthcare system, or even the political establishment. 😁

Look, the problem is you seem to go out of your way to focus on idiots, losers, and con artists. It ends up looking like you're just spitting on everyone in sight. Honestly, even Himmler might have had better luck with your attitude. 🤣

I think you're exaggerating a bit. You really have to live what you preach. You need to be more STEM🙂 specific and provide actual arguments...

Here is a list of giants who serve as my personal inspirations—people I truly admire and who, in my view, represent the absolute pinnacle of wisdom and ACHIEVED GREATNESS.

They all possess what I’d call an "unparalleled pedagogical style," whether through spoken word or their published works.
I know their lives and legacies quite intimately. 👍
So, I’ll kindly ask you to point out the "idiots, lost souls, and frauds" on this particular "Hall of Fame" of mine.

It would also be incredibly helpful and positive if you could share a similar list of your own. 🙂

They are listed in chronological order:

Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Rumi, Meister Eckhart, Aleister Crowley, Einstein, Ramana Maharshi, Carl Jung, Osho, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Franklin Merrell-Wolf, Bernadette Roberts, Michael A. Aquino, Ken Wilber, Daniel M. Ingram

Ahjd, Einstein wasn't just some hack; everyone else is just talking nonsense. 😁

An interesting perspective.

hiddenpuma75 said:there's also

My general statement to everyone—specifically those who think I'm either perfectly sane or completely lost 😬:

folks!...

it’s crystal clear to me that something is going on.
IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR TO ME THAT IT ISN'T GOOD!
I'm following all the guidelines, trying to curb the exponential growth of all these viruses and even the Jungian shadow within myself 😬

I CAN SEE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING!

But please, try to understand both yourselves and me.

I really think things are being blown out of proportion!

WHAT WE ARE BEING FED IS OVERSTATED AND ONE-SIDED. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OUT THERE, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTRIES, AND VARYING EXPERT OPINIONS
Sweden and Belarus aren't under quarantine!

Maybe I'm being a bit too optimistic myself, but please don't think for a second that I'm just messing around or ignoring the situation.

MY ULTIMATE WEAPON IN ALL OF THIS is whatever Tradition dictates (and yes, I mean Tradition with a capital T!)

what matters isn't actually what is happening, but rather the attitude we take toward it 😉

That's what spirituality is all about, casualtiger2—it's not some flashy, superficial show.
Spirituality means believing in spiritual principles and in Tradition, and actually living them out in practice!

I suspect you can't truly wrap your heads around who I am, and I can't quite reach you either (since you're on "the other side"
and that leads to these misunderstandings 👋

But accusing others of being a danger simply because they hold a different opinion? That's just terrible. 😲

Well done, hiddenpuma75!!! An excellent post.....

One should never, ever switch off their own critical thinking or blindly believe anyone or anything—especially now, when our rights to movement and work have been stripped away, leaving us confined to our homes where we are expected to follow the lead of the Berošev administration, the Božinović leadership, and the head of Alemka. We are told to trust politicians and science without question, to remain obedient as if they alone know what they are doing... When that same logic is applied to spirituality, it is nothing more than dogma.

So, looking at the worldmetar site,
which serves as a hub for various global statistics.

Regarding the annual global mortality rates tied to the flu:
Quick facts:
Every year, an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 people die globally due to complications from seasonal influenza (flu) viruses.
This figure translates to roughly 795 to 1,781 deaths every single day caused by the seasonal flu.
Sources and info:

Seasonal flu death estimate increases worldwide - CDC
Up to 650,000 people die of respiratory diseases linked to seasonal flu each year - World Health Organization (WHO)


As of today, the global death toll from COVID has reached approximately 109,000 people.

I suppose I have to wonder why people aren't just staying home; why they don't stop going to work, why kids are still in school, why bars remain open, or why traffic hasn't ground to a halt. Why doesn't life simply stop, making it so you can only step outside to walk the dog? It seems strange when you consider that the elderly population—those already struggling with comorbidities, cancer, or other severe illnesses—die from the flu, sometimes even at six times the rate of COVID this year... I'm just asking.

...And one more thing... perhaps it’s somewhat obvious why an emergency press conference is being held by the crisis management team in > because a nurse and an elderly woman in a nursing home in Ploče tested positive for the coronavirus. This isn't about being hyperbolic; it feels more like collective madness.

Chris Williams said:So, looking at the worldmetar site,
which serves as a hub for various global statistics.

Regarding the annual global mortality rates tied to the flu:
Quick facts:
Every year, an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 people die globally due to complications from seasonal influenza (flu) viruses.
This figure translates to roughly 795 to 1,781 deaths every single day caused by the seasonal flu.
Sources and info:

Seasonal flu death estimate increases worldwide - CDC
Up to 650,000 people die of respiratory diseases linked to seasonal flu each year - World Health Organization (WHO)


As of today, the global death toll from COVID has reached approximately 109,000 people.

I suppose I have to wonder why people aren't just staying home; why they don't stop going to work, why kids are still in school, why bars remain open, or why traffic hasn't ground to a halt. Why doesn't life simply stop, making it so you can only step outside to walk the dog? It seems strange when you consider that the elderly population—those already struggling with comorbidities, cancer, or other severe illnesses—die from the flu, sometimes even at six times the rate of COVID this year... I'm just asking.

...And one more thing... perhaps it’s somewhat obvious why an emergency press conference is being held by the crisis management team in > because a nurse and an elderly woman in a nursing home in Ploče tested positive for the coronavirus. This isn't about being hyperbolic; it feels more like collective madness.

It's because, based on every single metric we have, COVID-19 is several times more contagious and has about ten times the mortality rate of the flu.

wearyhawk83 said:It's because, based on every single metric we have, COVID-19 is several times more contagious and has about ten times the mortality rate of the flu.

Based on what the WHO statistics have been showing lately regarding seasonal flu deaths, I guess it might be worth considering which specific parameters we should actually be using to measure this. 650.000 People across the globe, yet so far we only have an approximation. 110.000 I suppose one could wonder about the actual number of COVID deaths, though I suspect the truth remains somewhat elusive.

I suppose seasonal flu deaths tend to climb across America every year. It seems like there might be some ocular infection or irritation occurring. I suppose we're looking at a figure around 60,000 people.It seems like they might just end up killing them off, I guess. 500Maybe it's just the inherent frailty of the elderly, I suppose.

As of today, I suppose the number of people suffering from COVID here in America has reached... 1400I suppose some people just died, if that's even the case. 21Perhaps it’s just a matter of Muhammad and those who are elderly or infirm.

Chris Williams said:Based on what the WHO statistics have been showing lately regarding seasonal flu deaths, I guess it might be worth considering which specific parameters we should actually be using to measure this. 650.000 People across the globe, yet so far we only have an approximation. 110.000 I suppose one could wonder about the actual number of COVID deaths, though I suspect the truth remains somewhat elusive.

I suppose seasonal flu deaths tend to climb across America every year. It seems like there might be some ocular infection or irritation occurring. I suppose we're looking at a figure around 60,000 people.It seems like they might just end up killing them off, I guess. 500Maybe it's just the inherent frailty of the elderly, I suppose.

As of today, I suppose the number of people suffering from COVID here in America has reached... 1400I suppose some people just died, if that's even the case. 21Perhaps it’s just a matter of Muhammad and those who are elderly or infirm.

Look, there are plenty of studies out there on COVID-19 mortality rates. We're looking at something around 1%, whereas the flu sits at about 0.1%. Some folks have thrown out random guesses from specific states—nothing solid, mind you—claiming a 0.4% rate for COVID-19, but even that is still four times higher than the flu. That is absolutely massive!

Bottom line: we're talking about the death rate relative to the number of infections. Why are there "only" 110,000 cases right now? It's because people in most countries are staying isolated. If the virus were allowed to run wild like it might in a place like Sweden (even though they have some measures in place), we’d be seeing more COVID deaths in just 14 days than we see from the flu in an entire year. Second, the transmission is key—this thing spreads way faster and easier than the flu. Third, you've got hospital capacity. Developed nations are already having to perform triage because the healthcare system is being hit harder than any flu season ever could. I mean, the flu sucks, sure, but it's not something where we need everyone suddenly acting super civilized about wearing masks and stuff to prevent total collapse.

@wearyhawk83 I suspect this is all being wildly overstated... The task force claims we’re hitting a peak crisis phase, yet yesterday saw only about thirty new cases. In several states, there hasn't been a single infection.

In nursing homes, mortality from the flu isn't some negligible 0.01%; it’s closer to 8 percent. Here, even those seniors in care facilities seem to be experiencing such mild versions of the illness—we lost one 93-year-old woman, but she had severe heart disease. I wonder why she’s recorded in the statistics as someone who died from COVID-19 rather than someone who passed due to old age or heart failure?

Quarantines have ended in Wuhan, yet new cases continue to emerge—how is it that these new cases aren't triggering exponential growth, nor is the death toll rising exponentially, if the virus is truly as infectious as they claim?

I should mention, since we are discussing spirituality: the information fed to us shapes our mindset, our mindset dictates our behavior, our behavior creates our destiny, and our destiny is our life. Right now, we are all operating under the perspectives of Beroš and Božinović, shaped by hysterical media coverage, and we act accordingly—which is altering our collective destiny as we plummet toward a massive recession.

The most terrifying figure in the American statistics regarding COVID-19 isn't twenty deaths; it’s the 152,500 unemployed citizens, and the fact that hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people are losing their jobs every single day since this madness began. We are facing a brutal, heavy recession

I suppose the sooner they scrap these ridiculous measures and send people back to work and kids back to their desks, the better it will be for us... We ought to protect the most vulnerable, the elderly and the sick, but by keeping them in quarantine, not by locking down the entire country.

I’m not even going to get into debates about why infection numbers aren't skyrocketing everywhere. If the virus is actually under control and there aren't enough hosts left to sustain it—aside from a tiny handful—then that's just how it works. Plus, people are being super careful because nobody wants to deal with that nonsense again. That 0.1% figure? That’s the total mortality rate for the flu, not broken down by age groups.

Look, I’m not speaking from the perspective of American news outlets; I’m looking at all the available data from around the globe. I don't care if the local media is blowing things out of proportion or not. If you want the real deep dive, go search for English-language sources and actual studies. And honestly, since you mentioned questioning everything, I highly recommend you do exactly that—but maybe look beyond the usual domestic sources, especially those "alternative" ones. It’s actually pretty sad that the average citizen doesn't bother learning the basics of how an infection works. You shouldn't need to wait for a crisis in London, Rome, Madrid, or Paris to grasp the basic principle of timely prevention when dealing with something that has a proven exponential spread potential. If mortality rates blow past hospital capacities, you end up with unnecessary deaths in other departments and chaos in ten other sectors. There is no winning combination here; every economy is going to take a massive hit. The only real question is whether we're looking at 10, 100, or a thousand deaths per million people. Either way, everyone loses, regardless of whether some idiots let the virus loose or not.

wearyhawk83 said:I’m not even going to get into debates about why infection numbers aren't skyrocketing everywhere. If the virus is actually under control and there aren't enough hosts left to sustain it—aside from a tiny handful—then that's just how it works. Plus, people are being super careful because nobody wants to deal with that nonsense again. That 0.1% figure? That’s the total mortality rate for the flu, not broken down by age groups.

Look, I’m not speaking from the perspective of American news outlets; I’m looking at all the available data from around the globe. I don't care if the local media is blowing things out of proportion or not. If you want the real deep dive, go search for English-language sources and actual studies. And honestly, since you mentioned questioning everything, I highly recommend you do exactly that—but maybe look beyond the usual domestic sources, especially those "alternative" ones. It’s actually pretty sad that the average citizen doesn't bother learning the basics of how an infection works. You shouldn't need to wait for a crisis in London, Rome, Madrid, or Paris to grasp the basic principle of timely prevention when dealing with something that has a proven exponential spread potential. If mortality rates blow past hospital capacities, you end up with unnecessary deaths in other departments and chaos in ten other sectors. There is no winning combination here; every economy is going to take a massive hit. The only real question is whether we're looking at 10, 100, or a thousand deaths per million people. Either way, everyone loses, regardless of whether some idiots let the virus loose or not.

You don't have to debate anything, but just so we don't end up acting like sheep, one has to wonder—how were roughly 3,000 deaths and 82,000 infections enough to establish herd immunity and make new cases in China negligible, when we know it generally takes two-thirds of a population to get sick and recover to create natural immunity in a country? When you look at those death and infection counts against a population of 1 billion Chinese people, we are talking about fractions of a percent.

Look, I'm not writing from the perspective of American media, but rather from all available global information. I'm not even getting into whether the local news is overhyping things; if you want a deeper dive, you should search for English sources and studies. And actually, precisely because you mentioned re-evaluating things, I would recommend doing exactly that, but using more comprehensive resources than various domestic outlets, especially "contrarian" ones. It’s honestly tragic that the average citizen doesn't inform themselves about the daily realities or the basic mechanisms of an infection; instead, they seemingly need a scenario from the UK, or Italy, or Spain, or France to grasp the simple principle of timely prevention regarding something with proven exponential growth potential and a mortality rate that, once it exceeds capacity, triggers unnecessary deaths in other departments and chaos in ten other fields. There is no winning combination here; every economy is going to take a massive hit, and the only question is whether it will be 10, 100, or a thousand deaths per million residents. Everyone loses regardless, and that remains true whether some idiots let the virus loose or not.

I don't know, wearyhawk83, I find myself wondering. I suppose we will all collectively become wiser in hindsight. The numbers don't add up, the statistics suggest something else entirely, comparing this to the flu makes COVID-19 look ridiculous, and the mortality rates in most countries aren't significantly higher than what is normal.

And then again, we have Lombardy in Italy, Spain, and now that unfortunate stretch in New York City where things were terrible and the numbers were horrific. I think it's a bit simplistic to interpret all of that by saying people just weren't disciplined enough or didn't stay home.

I'm not sure if someone planted the virus; I've read about it, but the arguments from those writing about it seem thin, and there is no actual evidence—it's not even evidence or indications, just pure insinuation. Regardless, the banking, military, pharmaceutical, and other corporate elites certainly won't miss the opportunity to exploit this crisis for their own disgusting agendas. So, I guess we're just headed for trouble on that front too.