The Tale of Tyrannical Tim
It had been four years since she laid eyes on her teenage son and watched as his body was being cryogenically frozen by a doctor who she recalled resembled a plump space worm. She remembered all of the late nights driving back and forth to the hospital wondering if he would ever be able to live a normal life again, and since the technology that would eventually save his life was not available at the time, her only option was to have his life put on pause through a bath that she described as carbonite. The surgery was a success, and she was finally ready to take him home. She walked over to his bed with excitement and touched his face. “Son,” she cried. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you so much, Tim!”
As they caught up for a few moments, Tim started to wonder what the world outside would be like. “What kind of new videogames have I missed,” he thought to himself. “I’m going to hang out with my friends and go to the movies. I’m finally going to be able to go hiking and travel the world.” He was so excited at the thought of being able to explore the world as a healthy young man who was no longer bound to the four walls of the hospital. He headed down the hallway with his mother towards the door and the outside world, and he started to observe something that appeared a bit peculiar. “Why aren’t there groups of people walking down the street giggling like little school girls, or cars honking at idiots that need a driving lesson, and why are all of the tables flipped upside down at the cafes,” Tim asked his mother.
“Don’t worry about it, son. I’ll explain everything when we get home. Just get in the car, and we’ll be on our way.”
“But mom, this is creepy! It’s like we’re in a ghost town. Did something happen while I was asleep? I know, we’re living in a sci-fi world and aliens killed most of the population, and those still alive are hiding underground.”
“Close,” his mother joked. “But seriously, I’ll tell you when we get home.”
“Can we at least stop at the diner to get something to eat? I could eat a whale right about now, and I miss sitting back in the booth and having food brought out to me like I’m some kind of boss.”
“Tim, we can’t go to the diner.”
“Why not? I want to eat until I drop.”
“The diner has closed permanently, and to get food elsewhere, you have to order ahead and pick it up. There is no more eating at restaurants. We just need to get home. My authorization form to leave the house for essential business is about to run out.”
“What!? You need a permission slip to leave the house now? It’s the aliens isn’t it? They took over, and now they’re making us conform to their rules. That’s it! Isn’t it, mom?"
“You’re more right than you know, son.”
As they pulled down the street where their house was, Tim noticed that people were walking around the neighborhood with masks on. “Why do so many people have masks on,” he cried. “Are the aliens terraforming the planet and making it difficult for us to breath?” “Son,” she said. “It’s not alien overlords taking control of our daily lives and telling us how to live. It’s the governor.”
“The governor,” he screamed. “What do you mean?”
“See, there’s a virus that presumably escaped from overseas and is now wreaking havoc on the world and changing how we live.”
“So, it’s not aliens?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“So, we’re living in a zombie apocalypse, then?”
“Not quite. This is a virus that has infected and killed people worldwide. As a result, almost all countries have implemented national lockdowns preventing people from leaving their homes unless they are on official business. In the United States, each individual state has determined the extent of the measures meant to keep people at home. You can be fined or arrested for going to church or a bar, having friends or family over at your house, not wearing a mask in public, or going to the park to play basketball with your buddies. Businesses that the governor thinks aren’t important have been forced to shut down. Unemployment is sharply rising as a result, and businesses are failing. There’s even a hotline to snitch on those who keep their stores open or don’t practice mandatory social distancing. This is serious, son, and I’m sorry you have to spend your first several weeks out of the hospital like this. It’s not what I wanted for you, but the timing just didn’t work out.”
“I can’t even go to the park and play basketball? I thought this was a free country and we had rights? What about the legislature and the courts? I learned about those in school. We still have checks and balances in our republican form of government, right?”
“Sadly, no. The legislature took a vacation and left the governor in charge, and now the governor has declared that the legislative session this year is over. The courts have been suspended except for essential hearings. The executive branch is the only part of government that is currently active, and the governor has changed hundreds of laws and regulations without the approval of the legislature. His edicts have become the law of the land.”
“So, we’ve become a dictatorship?”
“Pretty much, son.”
“Is the virus deadly? I mean, is like half of the population dying from this or something?”
“Well, it’s infected a few million people worldwide, and the initial estimate put the death rate at about 4% of those infected. But, after studies have been conducted, it appears that the death rate may actually be well below 1%.”
“So, this is like comparable to the flu?”
“Yeah, kind of, but they say this one is deadlier and spreads faster. The models that they use are just their best guesses without any actual data or numbers to base it on being that the virus is new and not fully understood.”
“So, you or I could just die from it?”
“Not exactly, son. It mostly kills people over the age of 60 or those who have underlying conditions. We will both be just fine if we come down with it.”
“If it largely targets those over a certain age, why don’t we just isolate those people and let everyone else live their lives and maybe catch it and get immunity to it?”
“Son, you have to understand that people are afraid, and the media and the government are constantly giving us reports of how many people are dead, how many people are going to die, and why lockdowns are saving lives. People don’t know any better, and fear drives people to do irrational things.”
“You mean like give up our rights and live under an authoritarian regime like China or North Korea?”
“Yes, exactly, but people don’t know that they’re being manipulated and conditioned to accept these things.” They think that because you can still go to the grocery store on occasion to get food or that the police aren’t standing outside our doors stopping us from leaving that our rights aren’t being taken away. They’ve flooded the media with propaganda about flattening the curve and social distancing, and people now think that if you stand up for your rights, you are a selfish individual who has no compassion for people."
“What if the lockdowns aren’t lifted or the governor decides that he wants them to continue on and off for many years to come?”
“That is a real possibility, son. They are already beginning to tell us to expect a second wave of the virus and more lockdowns over the winter. This reminds me of 9-11, and how everyone was afraid after the terrorist attacks. The government put in place surveillance measures that were meant to halt the actions of terrorists, but instead, they’ve used them to spy on people. The wars in the Middle East were supposed to be temporary, but they’ve lasted for almost two decades with no end in sight. I can only imagine what the next crisis will be like. When the aliens finally do invade, the government will lock us in prison cells to keep us 'safe,' and everyone will be cheering as we’re forced away from our homes.”
“Lol, mom. I don’t even want to celebrate the 4th of July this year. What’s the point? We’re not free anymore. What about the military members who served the country thinking they were fighting for freedom, and now they have to come home to this? What a disgrace!? This isn’t the country I remember. It’s like a slap in the face!”
“I understand you’re angry, son, but the good news is that people are beginning to wake up and protest. Eventually, people might begin to use civil disobedience as a tactic. If enough people stand up to tyranny, maybe the measures will be pushed back.”
“I’m going to dress up like a mask-wearing sheep this year for Halloween because that’s what we’ve become as a nation. Baaaah, baaaah.”
“Haha, son. Let’s tune into the news. Governor Tim is giving his daily briefing.”
Governor Tim: “We are doing our best to flatten this curve, and I will not lift the restrictions on the economy until the experts give me the numbers. The models know all, and if you dispute the numbers we have, you’re a bad person. If you disagree with my policy, too bad. Leave the state. It’s my agenda, and this is what we’re going to do. Starting tomorrow, I will be issuing an executive order giving law enforcement full power to arrest those who do not wear masks in public or who visit their friends and family in gatherings or engage in any activity where people can’t be more than six feet apart. People need to learn that this kind of behavior is not acceptable and that we have to do this to protect everyone, even though people have already died despite the orders. People say that they’re losing their jobs, that suicides are on the rise, and that domestic and sexual abuse have gone up. To that I say, too bad. Those things don’t equal death. The virus equals death, and only the virus. I know we’re broke and can’t afford to pay unemployment, and I shut down all the businesses that I didn’t like or think were essential, but if you want to work, go out and get an essential job tomorrow. Places aren’t hiring, but still, go out and get one and stop pestering me about opening up the economy. It’s not going to happen. Get used to it. We all need to put our lives on hold because I said so, and this is my state. I have done such a phenomenal job flattening this curve, and it wasn’t God that did this. It was me. I’m pretty much invincible right now, and everyone loves me. I’m riding my way to the 2024 election, so just shut up and play my game. Thank you, and I will get you through this, so just trust in me. Good night and may I bless you all!”
Thank you for reading, and remember to never give up your rights even in this scary time we’re all facing. We will get through it, but the precedents that are set during this crisis will leave us scarred and broken for years. If you would like to check out my book, The Global Bully, please visit the website. May the Fourth be with you!
As they caught up for a few moments, Tim started to wonder what the world outside would be like. “What kind of new videogames have I missed,” he thought to himself. “I’m going to hang out with my friends and go to the movies. I’m finally going to be able to go hiking and travel the world.” He was so excited at the thought of being able to explore the world as a healthy young man who was no longer bound to the four walls of the hospital. He headed down the hallway with his mother towards the door and the outside world, and he started to observe something that appeared a bit peculiar. “Why aren’t there groups of people walking down the street giggling like little school girls, or cars honking at idiots that need a driving lesson, and why are all of the tables flipped upside down at the cafes,” Tim asked his mother.
“Don’t worry about it, son. I’ll explain everything when we get home. Just get in the car, and we’ll be on our way.”
“But mom, this is creepy! It’s like we’re in a ghost town. Did something happen while I was asleep? I know, we’re living in a sci-fi world and aliens killed most of the population, and those still alive are hiding underground.”
“Close,” his mother joked. “But seriously, I’ll tell you when we get home.”
“Can we at least stop at the diner to get something to eat? I could eat a whale right about now, and I miss sitting back in the booth and having food brought out to me like I’m some kind of boss.”
“Tim, we can’t go to the diner.”
“Why not? I want to eat until I drop.”
“The diner has closed permanently, and to get food elsewhere, you have to order ahead and pick it up. There is no more eating at restaurants. We just need to get home. My authorization form to leave the house for essential business is about to run out.”
“What!? You need a permission slip to leave the house now? It’s the aliens isn’t it? They took over, and now they’re making us conform to their rules. That’s it! Isn’t it, mom?"
“You’re more right than you know, son.”
As they pulled down the street where their house was, Tim noticed that people were walking around the neighborhood with masks on. “Why do so many people have masks on,” he cried. “Are the aliens terraforming the planet and making it difficult for us to breath?” “Son,” she said. “It’s not alien overlords taking control of our daily lives and telling us how to live. It’s the governor.”
“The governor,” he screamed. “What do you mean?”
“See, there’s a virus that presumably escaped from overseas and is now wreaking havoc on the world and changing how we live.”
“So, it’s not aliens?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“So, we’re living in a zombie apocalypse, then?”
“Not quite. This is a virus that has infected and killed people worldwide. As a result, almost all countries have implemented national lockdowns preventing people from leaving their homes unless they are on official business. In the United States, each individual state has determined the extent of the measures meant to keep people at home. You can be fined or arrested for going to church or a bar, having friends or family over at your house, not wearing a mask in public, or going to the park to play basketball with your buddies. Businesses that the governor thinks aren’t important have been forced to shut down. Unemployment is sharply rising as a result, and businesses are failing. There’s even a hotline to snitch on those who keep their stores open or don’t practice mandatory social distancing. This is serious, son, and I’m sorry you have to spend your first several weeks out of the hospital like this. It’s not what I wanted for you, but the timing just didn’t work out.”
“I can’t even go to the park and play basketball? I thought this was a free country and we had rights? What about the legislature and the courts? I learned about those in school. We still have checks and balances in our republican form of government, right?”
“Sadly, no. The legislature took a vacation and left the governor in charge, and now the governor has declared that the legislative session this year is over. The courts have been suspended except for essential hearings. The executive branch is the only part of government that is currently active, and the governor has changed hundreds of laws and regulations without the approval of the legislature. His edicts have become the law of the land.”
“So, we’ve become a dictatorship?”
“Pretty much, son.”
“Is the virus deadly? I mean, is like half of the population dying from this or something?”
“Well, it’s infected a few million people worldwide, and the initial estimate put the death rate at about 4% of those infected. But, after studies have been conducted, it appears that the death rate may actually be well below 1%.”
“So, this is like comparable to the flu?”
“Yeah, kind of, but they say this one is deadlier and spreads faster. The models that they use are just their best guesses without any actual data or numbers to base it on being that the virus is new and not fully understood.”
“So, you or I could just die from it?”
“Not exactly, son. It mostly kills people over the age of 60 or those who have underlying conditions. We will both be just fine if we come down with it.”
“If it largely targets those over a certain age, why don’t we just isolate those people and let everyone else live their lives and maybe catch it and get immunity to it?”
“Son, you have to understand that people are afraid, and the media and the government are constantly giving us reports of how many people are dead, how many people are going to die, and why lockdowns are saving lives. People don’t know any better, and fear drives people to do irrational things.”
“You mean like give up our rights and live under an authoritarian regime like China or North Korea?”
“Yes, exactly, but people don’t know that they’re being manipulated and conditioned to accept these things.” They think that because you can still go to the grocery store on occasion to get food or that the police aren’t standing outside our doors stopping us from leaving that our rights aren’t being taken away. They’ve flooded the media with propaganda about flattening the curve and social distancing, and people now think that if you stand up for your rights, you are a selfish individual who has no compassion for people."
“What if the lockdowns aren’t lifted or the governor decides that he wants them to continue on and off for many years to come?”
“That is a real possibility, son. They are already beginning to tell us to expect a second wave of the virus and more lockdowns over the winter. This reminds me of 9-11, and how everyone was afraid after the terrorist attacks. The government put in place surveillance measures that were meant to halt the actions of terrorists, but instead, they’ve used them to spy on people. The wars in the Middle East were supposed to be temporary, but they’ve lasted for almost two decades with no end in sight. I can only imagine what the next crisis will be like. When the aliens finally do invade, the government will lock us in prison cells to keep us 'safe,' and everyone will be cheering as we’re forced away from our homes.”
“Lol, mom. I don’t even want to celebrate the 4th of July this year. What’s the point? We’re not free anymore. What about the military members who served the country thinking they were fighting for freedom, and now they have to come home to this? What a disgrace!? This isn’t the country I remember. It’s like a slap in the face!”
“I understand you’re angry, son, but the good news is that people are beginning to wake up and protest. Eventually, people might begin to use civil disobedience as a tactic. If enough people stand up to tyranny, maybe the measures will be pushed back.”
“I’m going to dress up like a mask-wearing sheep this year for Halloween because that’s what we’ve become as a nation. Baaaah, baaaah.”
“Haha, son. Let’s tune into the news. Governor Tim is giving his daily briefing.”
Governor Tim: “We are doing our best to flatten this curve, and I will not lift the restrictions on the economy until the experts give me the numbers. The models know all, and if you dispute the numbers we have, you’re a bad person. If you disagree with my policy, too bad. Leave the state. It’s my agenda, and this is what we’re going to do. Starting tomorrow, I will be issuing an executive order giving law enforcement full power to arrest those who do not wear masks in public or who visit their friends and family in gatherings or engage in any activity where people can’t be more than six feet apart. People need to learn that this kind of behavior is not acceptable and that we have to do this to protect everyone, even though people have already died despite the orders. People say that they’re losing their jobs, that suicides are on the rise, and that domestic and sexual abuse have gone up. To that I say, too bad. Those things don’t equal death. The virus equals death, and only the virus. I know we’re broke and can’t afford to pay unemployment, and I shut down all the businesses that I didn’t like or think were essential, but if you want to work, go out and get an essential job tomorrow. Places aren’t hiring, but still, go out and get one and stop pestering me about opening up the economy. It’s not going to happen. Get used to it. We all need to put our lives on hold because I said so, and this is my state. I have done such a phenomenal job flattening this curve, and it wasn’t God that did this. It was me. I’m pretty much invincible right now, and everyone loves me. I’m riding my way to the 2024 election, so just shut up and play my game. Thank you, and I will get you through this, so just trust in me. Good night and may I bless you all!”
Thank you for reading, and remember to never give up your rights even in this scary time we’re all facing. We will get through it, but the precedents that are set during this crisis will leave us scarred and broken for years. If you would like to check out my book, The Global Bully, please visit the website. May the Fourth be with you!
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