During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were the epitome of patience. The government’s narrative often seemed detached from reality—origins in a wet market were implausible, and makeshift masks were more about a false sense of agency than real protection. Despite this, we extended the benefit of all doubts. Perhaps, we speculated, there was an undisclosed, underlying rationale. Maybe China had unleashed a genetic weapon, and Western governments, in a display of responsible leadership, were secretly vaccinating to stave off societal collapse. In such a scenario, the end could indeed justify the means, legitimizing every necessary deception to maintain calm and order.

This patient compliance wasn’t without its questions and suspicions. As the pandemic dragged on, the inconsistencies in the official stories became more glaring. We wore masks that seemed more symbolic than functional, adhered to lockdowns that appeared arbitrary, and accepted vaccines developed at unprecedented speeds with little transparency about their long-term effects.

But what if this was all a calculated strategy? If our governments were indeed shielding us from a more terrifying truth—a bioweapon designed to cripple the West—their actions, however deceptive, could be seen as a form of high-stakes crisis management. In this light, the lies and half-truths were tools to prevent panic, maintain social order, and protect the vulnerable from a threat that couldn’t be fully explained or disclosed.

In our quiet submission, there was an underlying hope that the authorities knew more than they were letting on, that their draconian measures were part of a larger, benevolent plan. Yet, this hope was tinged with a growing skepticism as we realized the fragility and fallibility of the systems we once trusted implicitly. Our patience, once a virtue, began to feel like complicity in a grand, opaque experiment.

And so, we waited. We waited for the revelations, for the truths behind the masks and mandates, for the validation of our sacrifices. As days turned to months, our patience was both a testament to our resilience and a silent protest against the opaqueness of those in power.

In retrospect, our patience during COVID appears almost tragic in its naivety. There was no grand understanding, only a rush of aggressive self-interest. China’s absurd videos of people collapsing on the streets were a psychological tactic, baiting Westerners into self-destruction through lockdowns and fear. Governments seized the moment to exert power—shutting down businesses, restricting public life, and manipulating elections with mail-in ballots. Pharmaceutical companies launched experimental vaccines, reaping billions under the guise of a solution, endorsed by governments desperate to appear in control.

What unfolded was a chaotic dance of madness and opportunism. The obedient fell in line, authority stamped out any flicker of dissent, and the hesitant were swept aside. In this grand theater of human behavior, we demonstrated our unfitness for true crises. The spectacle was an instructive lesson, one that revealed our vulnerabilities and the ease with which we could be manipulated. Thank you to all who played their part in this revealing drama.