Back Yourself

Today I am one of 13 million Australians locked up at home because of the panicked Premiers.

From my point of view it isn't such a big deal as I have just been through two weeks of isolation.

At least on this version of home detention we are allowed out for exercise, essentials and medical appointments.

It's helped that we no longer have children at home and I can easily do my work from here as well. Not everyone is so fortunate.

However, I immediately empathise with those who have had to close their businesses and inform their staff to stay away. These people have often invested their life savings in their businesses and it can quickly turn from an asset to a liability.

The retail industry I am most familiar with is hospitality. For the pubs and restaurants, a week long closure is a very expensive folly. It's long enough for the perishables to no longer be useable and the rent and regular expenses still need to be paid.

Other businesses have similar challenges. The fixed expenses remain while the cashflow disappears. It doesn't take long for the negative equity to mount up.

That flows down to the staff who forgo wages. As a lot of employees live from pay packet to pay packet, the absence of cash can be crippling.

The Prime Minister has acknowledged these lockdowns will hit the economy hard and the Feds are pumping even more borrowed funds in to keep things afloat.

But what is wracking my mind is when will this ever end?

Whatever your views on the vaccines, we know they don't prevent contagion or transmission. At best, they reduce the severity of symptoms.

We can also reasonably presume that this virus isn't going to disappear. It will likely continue to evolve until it becomes a permanent part of our lives.

What then? Will the same governments who have brought us to the brink of tyranny suddenly go back to being accountable and defending freedoms?

Somehow I don't think so.

Instead, we will likely be subject to new justifications as to why we need to restrict our travel or reduce our carbon footprint. The how of maintaining control won't worry them, it will simply a matter of making sure they do.

That's why I really think you have to be ready to protect yourself and your family.

The behaviour of government over the past 18 months show's they cannot be relied upon to do the right thing in protecting your inalienable rights.

You'll have to do that for yourself.