Some think that the astounding reduction in freedom and jobs is an intentional attempt by the "socialists in all parties" to bury us all in a Communist plot. Of course, the quote is from Hayek's The Road to Serfdom whereby control freaks intend to command everything from the cradle to the grave. History suggests this hysteria is more opportunistic than calculated. And is a byproduct of the always threatening Communist ambition to create the perfect society. Being omniscient and omnipotent Beijing could not allow a pandemic to occur and the result has been an unprecedented global collapse in business and freedom. The two vanished together and the good news is that both can come back. Freedom first.
"That which is not compulsory is prohibited"
Also, the spreading condemnation of government intrusion may be offensive to Liberals in Canada and Democrats in America. Fortunately for perspective, physics provides a practical definition of an authoritarian system "That which is not compulsory is prohibited". This elegantly covers everything from the Kremlin to Ottawa and from DC to school boards.
In all political jurisdictions fear has been employed. A generic fear is that without central planners "bad things" will happen. So far as can be told, Stephen King has not published a novel or short story by that name. Original backers of the Federal Reserve System boasted that it could prevent recessions. Since its inception in 1913, there have been 18 recessions and "19" is staring us in the face. Which will be the only one forced by policymakers.
In the early 1970s, a "bad thing" was "Climate Cooling", but over the past 30 years policy hysteria has been focused upon "Global Warming".
Of course, today's most urgent of all "bad things" is the Wuhan Flu, which initially unleashed draconian controls that only Communists can impose. Regrettably, the rest of the world followed, each its own way. Essentially, the whole of the US, including "Flyover Country" has been shut down because New York City is unusually susceptible to yet another respiratory disease. And Gotham is administered by Democrats, who will use any excuse to impose control.
Did Xi Jinping Deliberately Sicken the World?
Indeed, recently The Diplomat headlined "Did Xi Jinping Deliberately Sicken the World?". The article published on April 15th discussed both sides. And then there has been the obsequious support of the ChiComs by the World Health Organization (WHO). Essentially touting the Communist Party line. And President Trump has "two experts" advising him. On the 26th, YouTube announced it would "remove any content that goes against WHO recommendations."
And for Beijing it started by denying there was a health problem in Wuhan. That was in December when the story and concerns by local medical doctors were squelched. One explanation was that China wanted to conclude the trade agreement with the US, before revealing a serious problem. The other is the tradition of denying "bad things".
This was the case with a deadly earthquake in January 1970 when in the midst of the Cultural Revolution the news of the disaster was covered up (Irish Times, January 8, 2000). The death toll was some 15,000 and downplaying of the disaster went along with a few years of Beijing denying a famine that killed 20 million.
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The Tangshan Earthquake of July 1976 was devastating
The Tangshan Earthquake of July 1976 was devastating. As this writer recalls, initially China denied the severity of the temblor as well as casualties. One reason was that Communists prided themselves on their ability to predict earthquakes. And the other is that within the perfectly planned society nothing could go wrong.
But geologists around the world instantly knew the severity of the quake and that it was centered in a populated region. Eventually the government admitted the disaster but due to their omnipotence denied outside aid. Some 240,000 were killed and 85 percent of buildings were destroyed, making it one of the deadliest in history.
So, in the face of natural disaster Beijing's mode has been to deny and cover up. Today's coverup included that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted from human to human. Then in a rush, likely in the interests of perfection, locked down Wuhan as well as 15 other cities. Amounting to control over some 57 million people, and draconian measures were introduced by "panicked" statists in many countries.
London in the summer of 1665: Fastest plunge in the global economy ever
And the result is the fastest plunge in the global economy ever. This writer is a financial historian and is familiar with all of the recorded economic crashes. As they have occurred in important financial centers there is only one example of financial distress directly due to disease. That was in London in the summer of 1665 when the bubonic plague killed 100,000 or a quarter of London's population. For over 18 months it was devastating as shipping and afflicted houses were quarantined.
There were popular protests as business collapsed. London was the most severely hit and diarist Samuel Pepys recorded in September "Lord! How empty the streets are." However, rumors went around that no tobacconist ever got the plague.
Fortunately, London got back to business. In March 1666, the Lord Chancellor stated "… the streets were as full, the Exchange as much crowded, the people in all places as numerous as they have ever been…" (James Leasor, The Plague and the Fire, 1962).
Now that was in the face of the Black Death. Today's hysteria about the SARS-CoV-2 flu has been a deliberate promotion by ambitious control freaks. The Green New Deal plans to end airline and private car traffic and fortunately ordinary folk are beginning to see that this form of utopia is impractical.
Which could be the case with the promotion that a committee can "manage" the temperature of the nearest planet.
The Fed legend about preventing financial "bad things" happening anywhere is losing credibility.
In-your-face and in-your-wallet government is being more widely seen as too much intrusion. And with such rank promotions becoming so obvious, popular movements could eventually accomplish another great reformation. The first step would be the freedom to work and play, not to overlook freedom of assembly.
Bob Hoye (BobHoye.com) has been researching investments for decades, which eventually included the history of financial and political markets. He considers now to be the most fascinating time for both since the Great Reformation of the 1600s. Bob casts a caustic eye on all promotions and, having a degree in geophysics, is severely critical of the audacity that a committee can “manage” not just the economy, but also the temperature of the nearest planet. He has had articles published in major financial journals and, as a speaker, has amused assemblies in a number of cities, from London to Zurich to Tokyo.
Some think that the astounding reduction in freedom and jobs is an intentional attempt by the "socialists in all parties" to bury us all in a Communist plot. Of course, the quote is from Hayek's The Road to Serfdom whereby control freaks intend to command everything from the cradle to the grave. History suggests this hysteria is more opportunistic than calculated. And is a byproduct of the always threatening Communist ambition to create the perfect society. Being omniscient and omnipotent Beijing could not allow a pandemic to occur and the result has been an unprecedented global collapse in business and freedom. The two vanished together and the good news is that both can come back. Freedom first. 
