Question by student - Harvard Univerity´s course of Justice 2020:
(Set on the 28th of March 2020): Last weekend, Britain’s Sunday Times reported that
Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had advocated
in private meetings a policy of letting enough people get sick to establish nationwide
“herd immunity, protect the economy, and if that means some pensioners die, too
bad.”
Do you agree or disagree with him and why?
________________
Starting answering this on the 31st of March, let's make clear and consider that the
policies were followed by Britain as well, hence mr Boris Johnson at the end followed the
global health rules.
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Let's talk about pure justice and democracy now.
Justice is the ultimate "tool" and value of a Democratic Society.
Democracy comes out of the Greek (Hellenic) words "Demos" (Δήμος =
Municipality, Meaning the active civilians) + "Crato" ("Κρατώ" = verb to hold/
Control)
Democracy is based on the fact, and takes for granted, the responsible opinion of
each individual reckoned on our highest righteous act/duty - VOTING (Referendums
are the ultimate democratic ways for people to decide whether a major decision or
political line will be followed or not - Hence, utility is maximised together with a
society having agreed for a common policy).
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Regardless our own subjective political views, opinions or disagreements with
certain policies,
It seems that the Prime Minister of Britain is a civilian (and a leader) following,
respecting and keeping to the British voters and fellow citizens in a historically
proven way. He was the one that commenced Brexit which was the political
message and the wish of the British after their democratic referendum of 2015.
(referendum = democratic = Just)
The universal precautions that are held at the moment by the most of the countries
outlaw the free walking in the park, prohibit people from standing at less than 2
meters between them, ban them from going out together, they even deny hospital
access to elderly people with flu symptoms (in some countries). Therefore, we have
a worldwide suppression of the most crucial and natural function of human beings -
socialising!
This matter of COVID-19, evidently, is going to change all of our lives forever, the
world and the future history of human kind so we have to be very careful politically,
socially and morally. Hence, before we proceed to the stating of any position or
opinion, we should examine and remember some of the fundamental ideas and
ideals of the world and also recall some scientific researches to consider this matter
in whole.
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1) Aristoteles: "human is a political animal" (also means “Social" in greek
language).
Who's government has decided to subtract the
a) Social &
b) Political
substance of human that identifies our species and our freedom for more than 2400
years? Do we have the right to proceed in actions that violate and alternate our
own biological nature or our civil liberties? There is a living proof and a valid
evidence that life finds a way through times of darkness...This is us who after
centuries of hardships, wars and epidemic diseases we currently live, produce, love,
study, hope and strive for a better tomorrow. Currently, the right for us to choose
our own faith seems unprecedentedly disregarded.
Therefore there is no utility but real and massive pain.
2) Life by its nature, includes diseases and death as a natural continuity..
"Normality is Death" - mr. Theodor Adorno (German Philosopher)
Since the beginning of time, everything dies, and this is our life's basic rule...as we
know. I am more than happy sharing my thoughts and criticism with you as I
appreciate my own life using it for a higher purpose, and this is a value that death
itself gold plates life with. Who is to doubt, decide against or change the basics, the
natural and ancient circle of life or who wants to play God in an age that such
beliefs are almost vanished my friends? Did humans really stop believing in God or
is it that some others are trying to replace God?
Philosophers, poets, musicians, warriors and kings have accepted the fact that we
are vulnerable and small in this chaotic universe so who is brave enough to prove
them wrong?
Are there someones amongst us obsessed with that old Frankenstein movie
believing that they could save or remake the world as new? Giving new breath and
orders in what is for millions of years naturally established?
And if there is really someone who arrogantly and suspiciously believes that he
could control life itself and set rules, laws and regulations at it, then and therefore he
is expected to behave arrogantly also to humans as they are products of the same
life that he wants to regulate. It seems we have to be regulated by a regulated life
that some "higher" than life regulators want to regulate, and I call this arrogance.
Arrogance is the sister of fascism. Fascism is the son of ego and dogmatism.
Fascism is the political manifestation of arrogance. Fascism breaks the rule of utility
and therefore the rule of justice.
Fascism & arrogance article: https://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/opinion/
letters/arrogance-and-fascism/article_ba84ee60-a165-11e6-
"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and
excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude
of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs." Frankenstein
3) A referendum is a direct and universal vote in which an entire electorate is
invited to vote on a particular proposal and can have nationwide or local
forms. This may result in the adoption of a new policy or specific law.
(Wikipedia)
The civilians of the states had no votings or referendums for the lockdown
conditions nor have they been informed on how long this tragic situation that is
smashing their economy and psychology will last. This intrudes their democratic
right of consent or to decide on a major new policy concluding in uncertainty and
universal fear. Recent history shows that national referendums had a graduate loss
of effectiveness.
2 examples:
A) The Greek (YES / NO) referendum in 2015 that had no result out of the public
voting due to the EU´s intolerance and non-negotiating position. Initially, the
reaction to that matter was a great and huge campaign against "NO" which
happened to be the public tendency. The opposition party and the news media
were trying to spread fear and many times, fake news also posting reused pictures
from past articles and cases. Many times, people who belonged to the elected party
were tried to be ridiculed publicly for their views and opinions by the press and TV
and the opposition parties (which is a deep route of non democratic behaviour).
People voted "No" but at the end the government didn't keep on it.
B) An other example is also the British 2015 referendum (Brexit or EU). The result
of leaving EU was slowed down and kept being postponed for more than four years
and almost reversed by the EU politics. After the British voted their exit, the whole
EU news media press started a propaganda against the democratic result with
target to reverse it. More than four years time is a considerable time against the
public vote of British that shows that voting was once again not respected.
The sovereignty of the people is impressively overlooked on this matter of COVID 19
and no government went to a referendum. Is this core democratic value
disparaged?
4) Science / Psychology today: "Being active in the world gets you to be
around people. We are social animals, and social interaction has positive
effects on our mood. The single best predictor of human happiness is the
quality of social relationships."
So far we found that those new prohibitions are not based and have not respected
the Social, Political and Civil rights nor have they respected life itself. How if we
prove that those restrictions don't also consider the psychological factors of the
individuals and hence the social psychological results (or even reactions?) Those
groundings will produce countless soul traumas that could be even permanent just
like the soldiers carry after the war. Who is to bear the burden of responsibility
regarding those million souls that were not asked wether they can afford
(psychologically & Financially / most of the time these two factor are connected) to
stay locked in?
Once again we find that there is devaluation of people's nature coming out of the
science itself. This also breaks the rule of utility.
5) An action on a human being always causes a reaction:
People have not voted for themselves. Democracy tests its limits and the new
extreme government actions and policies with the police state formations together
with poverty and lack of material recourses create a day to day growing oppression
and risk to put us all in front of a world wide human reaction. Oppressed human
beings react aggressively and it is very concerning that this could unbalance the
world peace and will potentially create further future domino reactions that might
deepen the peace and for sure the economic crisis.
Again, who is willing to confront such a problem and challenge history to repeat
itself in the worst way ever known and forever tried to be avoided?
6) Freedom of Speech:
There are many cases when respected doctors and scientists tried to give facts on
the case of this world situation on an effort to sooth the extreme human freedom
limitations that are taking place. Many of them have strong facts that fight the size
that journalism is giving to the matter but still, it seems that the authorities are
taking their public speeches away. A great case is the case of the greek scientist
whose facebook post was deleted by Facebook only 13 hours after was posted
publicly. Afterwards he was threatened of losing his job. What facebook had to do
with his working environment and who among us does not find the removal of
speech suspicious if not unacceptable or non-democratic?
If the freedom of speech is banned even to scientists and doctors, then who is to
guarantee that the same would not happen to any individual? Individuals are the
parts and the molecules of the democratic body, if there is no freedom of speech on
the individuals then is democracy operating rightly. If not, then, is there applied
justice without democracy?
Here is the case: https://www.flogasport.gr/γκρέμισε-την-παράνοια-για-τον-
κορων/?fbclid=IwAR3XnVUXTOBq241-NZTKjeavtBZE4QUmIoHTtde9tA4TKas-
7) Worldwide Economic Crisis for all the classes....Journalists granted millions?
It is found that the Greek news media have been granted the amount of
11.000.000€ in the time when the whole economy is collapsing and people are
having their salaries cut down to 50% by law legislations by the government
(decisions of EU lead to those actions usually). The Unemployment will enter a
tragic drop line way after this is all over. It seems that the overall happiness is
getting unbalanced following such policies and the law of utility is again not reified
as the few are availing whilst many experience hardship and pain.
To conclude:
These measures will have a negative effect on the majority of humans , especially
the ones that are most vulnerable on an economic, social and psychological level. I
don't agree with such measures taken by few that lead the massive majority of
people to desperation and poverty and even suicide, homicide and death.
Democracy is being neglected and human soul is highly disregarded along with life
itself. The negative numbers and the consequences out of the prohibitions surpass
the happiness and every hope for peace and global balance. World leaders should
trust people and collaborate to create natural defences against the matter.
Until the option and the decision making is given to the people democratically. I will
be standing against those arm-twisting policies of intimidation, compulsion and
authoritarianism that fight democracy and therefore Justice itself.
We have to
identify this "contemporary middle age" that is on the way and act like we should do
with any virus: Identify, limit, cure & live.
Thank you for reading,
Iordanis Sidiropoulos