Mark Steyn: Covid is bad - the free world’s response is worse

A few months back Turkmenistan became the first nation on earth to mandate Covid vaccines for everyone over 18. To be unvaccinated is to be a criminal. And you’re probably saying, well, that’s Turkmenistan: They criminalise a lot of things. The late President Niyazov criminalised lip-syncing, because he was tired of seeing clapped-out pop acts mouthing to their ancient hits. He outlawed ballet: A lot of people dislike ballet, but only Turkmenistan regards it as a national security threat. President Niyazov banned news presenters from wearing make-up, because he could no longer tell the men from the women. It’s a common problem here at GB News... So Turkmenistan is now telling the lip-syncing rouged-and-pancaked ballet-dancing unvaccinated they’re committing a fourth crime. What’s the big deal?

But the Turkmen model seems to be creeping westward. In Greece, as of January 16th, anybody over sixty who is not vaccinated will have to pay a 100 euro fine every month. So, if you stay unvaccinated till next Christmas that’s 1,200 euros, which goes directly into the health care system. The Prime Minister says it's not a punishment, just a – quote – “health fee".

In Austria, as of February, vaccination will be mandatory for adults, and, if you’re caught wandering around, you’ll be liable to a fine of 7,200 euros – or, if you can’t pay that, a gaol term. Which IS a punishment, not a health fee.

In England, as of 4am Greenwich Mean Time today, persons not wearing a mask in shops or on public transport will be liable to initial fines of £200, doubling with each further offence – so, caught without a mask a second time, it’s £400. Third time, £800. Fourth, £1,600 – rising to £6,400.

The mask mandate doesn’t apply to restaurants or pubs, except when it comes to takeaway joints, because apparently the Covid doesn’t care to hang around the bar or the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet but just likes to lurk at the counter. So presumably, if you don’t mask up for a quick pop in to pick up your curry, that £200 fine kicks in.

There doesn’t appear to be a lot of science behind any of this. Covid is with us indefinitely, and every so often there’ll be some Omicron of the Month variant with eight dozen different mutations that pops up in Tajikistan... no, Costa Rica... no, Bhutan... no, the South Sandwich Islands ...and the borders will be shut down for everyone except for whoever shows up on the south coast.

Covid is bad. The free world’s response to Covid is worse, however you measure it – cancer deaths up: according to The Lancet, deaths from breast cancer up eight to ten per cent, colorectal cancer 15-16 per cent; teen suicides up – according to America’s CDC, attempted suicides by girls 12-17 were up 50 per cent; school results are way, way down; a study from Brown University in the United States finds that children born during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor and overall cognitive performance. Because what a dying west needs is even more underperforming kids.

And still we cower in front of the next terrifying Variant of the Week.

Covid might kill you. Covidstan without end will certainly kill our world. Yet Britain and most of the rest of the west remains curled up in a permanent cringe, and the fellows who unleashed it on the planet, and exactly two years ago were sitting in Beijing fine-tuning the official lies, will get off scot-free. Doesn’t seem a lot of point to that. The Chinese economy is going gangbusters, and every YouTube video out of Wuhan makes it look like the only party-town left on earth.

Meanwhile, we put the lockdown in, the lockdown out, in out, in out, shake it all about. To what end?