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outandaboutuae May 19, 2015 See & Do
The Insiders Guide To Al Ain
Al Ain (العين) which translates literally into 'the spring' is also known as the Garden City and is located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, close to the border with Oman – it's a ninety minute journey from the capital or Dubai and is the perfect place for a weekend escape. Known for its culture and outdoors activities, it's a must see for any visitor to the Emirates. As an expat who has lived in Al Ain for the past two years, I am hoping to give you the inside track on what to see & do whilst visiting this beautiful city.
Al Ain is famous for being the birthplace of Sheik Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE, it also has the country's highest number of Emirati nationals giving the city a very traditional feel. The first thing you will notice when entering the city is that there are no tall skyscrapers like those found in other cities in the region, this is due to a building regulation which stipulates that no buildings should be built taller than six stories, so as to preserve Al Ain's traditional charm. As you drive around Al Ain you will be surprised by two things, firstly just how quiet it is on the roads as there is little (if any) traffic, and secondly the number of roundabouts is insane!
Coming from Dubai the first point of interest that you will encounter is Hili Archaeological Park (GPS 24.293019, 55.794689) an important archaeological site for the region, where evidence has been found of inhabitants more than four thousand years ago. Excavations began in the 1960s and have thus far uncovered houses, towers and tombs from the Umm Al Nar period (2700 – 2000 BC) which were built of unbaked bricks. The tombs of Al Hili settlement were used for collective burials over centuries and their funerary goods give valuable evidence of life in the oasis, the largest of which is 2.5m high and 8m in diameter. The entrances display engravings depicting humans and oryx. The tomb was restored in 2005 to give visitors an impression of its original appearance. The ruins are set amidst lovely gardens which feature a large water fountain and a number of children's play areas, if visiting in the morning you are likely to have the whole area to yourself. If you do arrive and the gates to the park are locked, just knock on the window to the security office, or failing that just push the gate open (as it is usually unlocked).
As you leave the park, head straight across the roundabout and you will soon arrive at the Hili Watchtowers (GPS 24.287448, 55.772404) on your left. Al Hili is one of the oldest areas in the city and is the heart of many historical finds. There is little information provided regarding the towers themselves, but it is believed that they were used by watchmen to keep guard of the village and surrounding oasis. The watchtowers are distinct in the fact that one of them is square and the other is circular. Continuing your journey you will arrive next at Hili Oasis (GPS 24.282433, 55.766550) one of seven oases in Al Ain, and of interest due to its reconstructed fort tower, which has been re-built by the department of antiquities and tourism on top of ruins of an old tower that once protected the oasis. The original ruins were removed due to their bad state of preservation – but it is still worth a look and is a nice place for a quick stroll amongst the palm trees.
Heading towards the town centre you will pass Al Qattara Oasis (GPS 24.260739, 55.748463) with its historic souq, which is open on Thursday and Friday evenings from 4pm – 10pm. Here you can sample traditional Arabic coffee, eat dates, shop for handicrafts and witness traditional dance performances.
Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium (GPS 24.247772, 55.715544) the home of Al Ain FC, is the next point of interest on this driving tour. The 45,000 SQM stadium is the newest piece of architecture to come to the Garden City and is split over seven levels. Opened in December 2013 it has already been hailed as one of the most modern and unique sporting venues in the Middle East. If you are in town when there is a match, it is definitely worth a visit as tickets start from just ten dirhams. The atmosphere inside is electrifying and the stadium looks amazing when illuminated at night. On the same road as the stadium you will find Souq Zafrana (GPS 24.234981, 55.721020) which is a hidden secret amongst the Al Ain community, in the fact that not many people seem to be aware of its existence. The souq reflects true Emirati culture and sells everything from abayas and kandoras, to oud, spices, & traditional coffee pots. The souq is all indoors and air conditioned and there is also a separate shopping area just for women. Opening hours are 10am to 1pm and then 8pm until midnight.
Heading towards the town centre you will shortly arrive at Jahili Fort (GPS 24.216484, 55.752010) which is probably the most iconic monument in Al Ain. The fort was constructed in 1891 as a form of defense and also to protect the palm oases. It is home to a photography exhibition detailing the adventures of British explorer Wilfred Thesiger and his exploration of the Empty Quarter in the 1940s. ln order to preserve the historical significance of Al Jahili Fort, it underwent comprehensive restoration between 2007 and 2008 by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. The original part of the fort consists of two buildings, a square courtyard of approximately 1,300 SQM & a round tower, 50m from the fort. The fort is set amongst the beautiful gardens of Jahili Park, which is a great picnic spot and one of the most scenic parks in the UAE. The park also has a recently opened geological garden, the first of its kind in the Emirates, it features 22 types of rock to represent the landscape of the UAE – deserts, mountains, dunes, oases, and their position in relation to the sun, shade and wind. Finally the park also contains a drive through Starbucks which is extremely popular with local residents.
ust around the corner from Jahili Park is the wonderful Palace Museum (GPS 24.215389, 55.760702). This was the residence of Sheikh Zayed between 1937 and 1966. The palace which is located on the edge of Al Ain Oasis, has now been transformed into an informative museum, which is free to enter. Taking a stroll around the grounds and buildings will give you a fascinating insight into Emirati culture and the way in which the Sheikh lived. The palace is not opulent or ornate in any way, it is instead simple, traditional and beautiful. Originally constructed in 1910 and converted into a museum in 1998, the palace consists of majlis' and courtyards which transport you back to a simpler time, leading to a tranquil experience. Information is limited as you wander around the palace and its grounds, but guides can be hired near the main entrance. The museum is closed on Mondays, Saturdays to Thursdays: 8.30am – 7.30pm & Fridays: 3.00pm – 7.30pm.
The Palace Museum is perched right on the edge of Al Ain Oasis (GPS 24.218405, 55.762187) so make this your next stop. This is the biggest of Al Ain's seven oases and upon entering the shaded palm groves you will feel as if you are miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and that you have been transported back in time. Walking through the oasis you will be surprised just how cool it is (especially in the summer months) and the sounds of trickling water and bird song is absolutely captivating. You are free to roam as you please within the confines of the oasis, so ensure that you venture off the main pathway and down into the palm groves to see the ancient 'falaj' system. The falaj is an ancient method of transporting natural water along channels to the date palms to allow for irrigation developed over three thousand years ago – it is due to these intricate systems that the oasis can stay so verdant and green despite the desert location and scorching temperatures. The oasis is as relevant today as it has been throughout history and you will witness the date palms being farmed – the oasis covers 1,200 hectares and contains more than 147,000 date palms of up to 100 different varieties. As a tourist you are permitted to drive your car through the oasis, but be prepared to get a little lost as there is no signage once you are inside and the roads become almost maze-like.
Once you make it safely out of the other side of the Oasis you should (hopefully) be at the Al Ain National Museum (GPS 24.217179, 55.774297). The museum is located next to the Eastern fort and contains extensive displays divided into three distinct areas – archaeology, ethnography and gifts. The museum is worth a visit if you are in the area, and is a bargain at a mere three dirham entrance fee, though the exhibits are a little old and could do with some updating. The museum will give you deeper insight into Emirati culture and Bedouin traditions, and will be of great interest if you visited Hili Archaeological Park earlier, as it contains many artifacts discovered on site when excavations took place. The museum was opened in 1971 and takes you through the 7,500 year history of the country before oil was discovered – our favourite items in the museum are the photos of Abu Dhabi when it was little more than a fishing village, and it is astounding to see these compared to how the city has now developed. You will also see traditional costumes on display, as well as household items and traditional art. The museum is closed on Mondays, Saturday to Thursday :8.00am – 7.30pm and Friday 3.00pm – 7.30pm.
Across the road is the Murabba Fort (GPS 24.220641, 55.775014) which was once used as a police station. The fort was named after its square shape (murabba is Arabic for square). The fort (like many others in the area) was built as a surveillance tower and used for defense purposes, it was also apparently used as a prison at one stage. The construction of the fort uses palm fronds and palm trunks which is typical for architecture in the area. If you are ready for a break we suggest that you must stop at Leisure (GPS 24.224546, 55.769401) which is probably the most famous restaurant in Al Ain as it has such a great reputation, food is reasonably priced and portions are large. You can sit outside under the palm trees which is just spectacular and you can also participate in traditional past time of smoking a sheesha – the selection on offer is great, as are the prices.
Once refreshed take a short drive to Al Ain Souq (GPS 24.220345, 55.771131) also known as the central or old souq. This is a great place to explore and get lost, and is amazing in the fact that it is unchanged from how it would have been years ago – this is not your typical UAE modernized version of a market, this is the real deal! The souq predominantly sells fruit, vegetables, meat and fish – but take a wander and you will also find household goods and all the accessories you may need for your camel! The souq doesn't see too many tourists, so make sure you dress modestly and be prepared to haggle.
Take the road out of town towards Mezyad and you will soon arrive at the Camel/Livestock Market (GPS 24.161571, 55.813823) which is located just behind Bawadi Mall. The market is dusty and smelly but well worth a trip to see people trading camels (as well as other livestock such as sheep, goats and chickens). This is the last souk of its kind in the UAE, and is a great opportunity to see camels. Despite the souq being open all day, it is best to visit early in the morning when things are in full swing. Feel free to roam around at your leisure (people will offer to be your guide, but this is really not necessary), but always ask before taking photos, as some of the traders may ask you for money once you have taken your shot. This is a very unique experience and one that you can't really experience elsewhere in the Emirates. If this doesn't calm your camel obsession (and you are an early riser, then why not experience the tradition of Camel Racing (GPS 24.320525, 55.686440). This is a spectacular sport and a trip to the races can be one of the most memorable highlights of any visit to the UAE – races start early (at approximately 7am) but the experience is a great one, watch as the camels are cheered around the track, steered by robots (child jockeys are now illegal in the UAE). Camel racing season runs November to March but if you visit outside of season you are still likely to see the camels training and exercising on the track.
If you have a 4×4 you can detour off the main road close to Bawadi Mall to access the Jebel Hafeet Tombs (GPS 24.045300, 55.799942), unfortunately due to the unpaved road you will not make it in a standard vehicle! The tombs are 5,000 year old and are beehive shaped, made up of stacked stones. The Jebel Hafeet Tombs belong to the 'Hafeet Period' which was approximately 3200BC – 2700BC. There are many tombs at this location on the Eastern side of Jebel Hafeet Mountain and skeletal remains have been found, other items from the tombs are on display in the Al Ain National Museum.
Al Ain Zoo (GPS 24.179317, 55.738001) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and is well worth a visit. The zoo contains lions and white tigers within its big cat enclosure, but ensure you check out the Arabian area which includes the native oryx, as well at the mixed-African exhibit which displays giraffes, zebras, and rhinoceros. The zoo hosts daily bird shows, and you can also pay extra to feed the giraffes, or ride a camel – both of which are worthwhile experiences,. The zoo can be navigated on foot in a couple of hours, or you can can take the free mini train. The entrance fee is twenty dirhams. You can read more about Al Ain Zoo in our blog post 'UAE Wildlife Encounters'
Towering 1240 meters over the Garden City of Al Ain is Jebel Hafeet (GPS 24.058782, 55.777178), Abu Dhabi Emirates highest peak and the second highest in all of the UAE. The drive up Jebel Hafeet is very pleasant and the road is exceptionally good, there are two lanes for ascending, and one for descending (if you have never driven these kinds of roads before just take your time and remember to have fun!). The road weaves steadily upwards through the craggy limestone peaks and there are multiple viewpoints to stop at. You will see the desert, the city of Al Ain, and all the way into Oman – the view on a clear day is pretty spectacular. The road itself winds 11.7km up the mountain getting steadily steeper until you reach the top. At the bottom of the mountain you will also find Green Mubuzzarah (GPS 24.106140, 55.749555) a very popular attraction with families, who will come here for picnics and BBQs (it gets especially busy on the weekends). Green Mubazzarah is a large park where the sides of the mountain have been planted with grass to enable a visual spectacle very unusual for its rugged desert location. There are lots of things in the park to keep you occupied, from the mini train (dry bobsled), to the camel and pony rides for children. Though Green Mubazzarah is most famous for its hot springs, which leave the ground and run through a small river throughout the parkland – you are free to wade and paddle here, though please be aware the water is hot and that you must be respectful of local culture in terms of dress code. If you are feeling really brave you can enter one of the public swimming pools for a 5 AED entrance fee (these are separate buildings for men and women where the water from the hot spring has been diverted to enable swimming). Read more about Jebel Hafeet & the surrounding area in our blog post 'Drive Jebel Hafeet.'
We round up our exploration of Al Ain with one of its best kept secrets Zakher/Tilapia Lake (GPS 24.085806, 55.624783) a natural resource of water between the sand dunes just off of the Abu Dhabi truck road. The lake is a haven for bird life and if you visit you are likely to be the only one there. Take some time to roam around the edge of the lake and climb the dunes and you will rewarded with some spectacular desert vistas, including rolling orange dunes and the craggy peaks of Jebel Hafeet. Reports suggest that the lake has been closed and fenced off, but we can confirm that this is definitely NOT the case and there are picnic facilitates on site for public use.
So that covers all of the cultural elements of our trip around Al Ain, but wait there's more… If you are looking for a bit of fun and excitement we recommend the following. Hili Fun City (GPS 24.301210, 55.782489) opened in 1985, Hili Fun City was (at the time) referred to as the Disneyland of the GCC and was the first theme park in the Middle East. The park is tame compared to attractions experienced in the West, but there are more than thirty attractions ranging from thrilling rides to milder offerings for younger children. All in all this is a great family excursion.
Karting (GPS 24.195203, 55.859541) at Ain Raceway, is a state-of-the-art international go-karting facility specializing in several distinctive track configurations, providing an exhilarating challenge for drivers of all abilities. You can just turn up and drive, plus it is also flood lit if you wish to visit at night. You can paintball here as well!
Wadi Adventure (GPS 24.093933, 55.738468) is amazing! Where else in the world can you white water raft in the desert? Wadi Adventure offers its guests a fun day out, and an experience of a lifetime including: the world's longest man made whitewater channels, the world's largest surf pool, an aerial obstacle course, zip line, climbing wall and giant swing. You will also find a family swimming pool and children's splash area (heated in winter and chilled in summer). Advanced booking of all activities is essential.
Please let us know if we have missed an essential Al Ain experience that should be included, or just let us know if you undertake any of these activities after reading the blog – we really do love hearing from you guys.
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All views within this blog are our own & unless otherwise stated, all photos are © Out & About UAE.
Posted in See & Do and tagged Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Ain, Al Ain Driving Tour, Al Ain FC, Al Ain National Museum, Al Ain Oasis, Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Ain Raceway, Al Ain Souk, Al Ain Souq, Al Ain Zoo, Al Hili, Architecture, Blog, Camel Market, Camel Racing, Camels, Culture, Desert, Driving Tour, Family, Garden City, Green Mubazzarah, Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Hili Archeolgical Park, Hili Fun City, Hili Oasis, Hili Watchtowers, Jahili Fort, Jahili Park, Jebel Hafeet, Jebel Hafeet Tombs, Leisure Restaurant, Murabba Fort, Oasis, Out & About UAE, Out And About UAE, Outdoors, Qattara Souk, Qattara Souq, Sand Dunes, See & Do, Souk, Souk Zafrana, Souq, Souq Zafrana, The Spring, Tilapia Lake, Travel, UAE, UAE Blogger, United Arab Emirates, Wadi Adventure, Zakher Lake. Bookmark the permalink.
Drive Jebel Hafeet | Out & About UAE	 on May 26, 2015 at 12:36 PM
[…] There are many cultural and historical attractions in Al Ain, including Jahili Fort, Jebel Hafeet Tombs & Zakher Lake – all of which are covered in our 'Insiders Guide To Al Ain.' […]
nope	 on February 5, 2017 at 8:45 AM
The Zafarani souq was a huge disappointment. It is in quite a state of disrepair, with only a fruit/veg market really open and working.
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Moving In Together Doesn't Match the Financial Benefits of Marriage, but Why?
Married couples are four times as wealthy as unmarried couples who live together
By JULIA CARPENTER
Tue, Nov 8, 2022 8:37am 4 min
A walk down the aisle can be a route to greater wealth and prosperity for couples in the U.S. Married people have higher net worths and are more likely to be homeowners than their unmarried counterparts their age are.
The mystery, though, is why cohabitating but unmarried couples struggle to build wealth in the same way. As of 2019, the median net worth for cohabiting couples age 25 to 34 was $17,372, a quarter that of the $68,210 for married couples of that same age range, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. For singles it is $7,341.
The wealth gap between partnered and married couples is larger than one might expect, said Ana Kent, a senior researcher at the St. Louis Fed. "It's so intriguing," she said.
Over the past two decades, Americans are moving in together at higher rates, according to data from Pew Research Center. The share of U.S.adults who are currently married steadily declined from close to 60% in the 1990s to under half in 2019, according to Pew. Over the same period, the share of adults age 18 to 44 living with a partner climbed to 59%.
Many young couples now approach marriage as a "capstone" event, said Andrew Cherlin, professor emeritus of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University, who studies marriage.
"If you build an arch, the cornerstone is the first piece you put in and the capstone is the last," he said. "What this means is people see an economic bar they need to clear before they get married. Couples wait until they have good jobs, a car that won't break down, maybe even a house. Then, they get married."
Melissa Mowery, a 30-year-old communications manager in Asheville, N.C., has been with her boyfriend for five years and living together for nearly four. The two don't share a joint bank account, but they split the cost of rent and other bills. Even so, Ms. Mowery said she can't make sense of the financial gap between her relationship and that of married couples.
"We're already saving a lot of money and splitting the cost on most things," she said. "I don't understand how married couples are accumulating wealth in a way we're not doing."
While there are legal and tax benefits to marriage, research suggests the financial security and long-term mind-set of those who tie the knot may also be a powerful driver of wealth. More married couples pool their money—such as sharing savings accounts and investing together—to achieve certain goals, Ms. Kent said. Cohabiting couples are less likely to combine finances and investments.
Working with two incomes and combining their investments to maximise compound interest can significantly increase a couple's financial prospects, said Emily Garbinsky, associate professor of marketing at Cornell University, who has studied couples' financial behaviour. Simply put, married people may be more likely to be on the same page financially, she said.
"Married people may be much more likely to have these conversations around what goals they have for their financial future," she said. "There seems to be something very special and unique about deciding to share finances."
Unmarried couples may be less willing to commingle their money, said Prof. Garbinsky.
"Our money, our income, represents a huge part of who we are," she said. "[Sharing] that can be scary for people, so they tend to be very protective."
Photos: Teaming Up for the Homeownership Dream
Both married and unmarried couples who do pool finances also experience greater relationship satisfaction and may even stay together for longer, Prof. Garbinsky said.
Housing is one of the biggest factors in establishing a couple's wealth. Compared with single people and cohabiting couples, married couples hold a larger concentration of housing wealth, according to data from the St. Louis Fed.
"Most of my married friends have bought a house," Ms. Mowery said, noting high housing costs in her area. "I just don't know how they did it. Everyone talks about how when you get married, you accumulate wealth but I don't know what that means."
In the current hyper competitive housing market, as smaller, more affordable starter homes vanish and housing affordability declines, single people and cohabiting couples are often at a disadvantage.
"These [housing] prices are so high that you really need pooled resources to be competitive in some of these markets," said Lowell Ricketts, a data scientist at the St. Louis Fed.
Socioeconomic factors play a role in the difference between married and partnered wealth; the higher your income, the likelier it is that you'll marry, a 2017 report by the American Enterprise Institute found.
Plotting a path forward as a couple without much money isn't as easy as getting hitched and suddenly seeing your wealth grow, Prof. Cherlin said.
"Someone looking at the data would say, 'Well, these married people are much more successful than their cohabiting people. If these people would just get married, they'll do better,'" he said. "Whether or not there is truth in that, people don't tend to believe in it anymore. People who aren't doing well financially don't see a clear path to financial success."
Marriage rates are lower among Black and Latino groups, and those same households of similar ages held far less wealth than their white counterparts, whether married or partnered. Family structure also influences the overall net worth of a household. Partnered couples with young children tend to have less wealth than partnered couples without children.
Some cohabitating couples are refashioning their financial goals. Instead of buying a house, Ms. Mowery and her partner recently looked into a house share that would allow them to spend part of the year working from Belize. They have discussed getting married, although haven't made plans to do so any time soon.
"I care a little bit less than I thought I would about marriage," she said. "Once you start living together, it almost feels like you made that commitment."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Join us for this Empowerment Celebration for Women in Agriculture. Since 2007 the number of women in agriculture has increased by 7 percent in the United States. With this evolving statistic in the industry, many new avenues for our community and state have developed, and this event provides an opportunity for our communities' rising agriculture leaders.
The agriculture community in Shelby County would like to support our women in agriculture by holding the fourth annual "Growing Women in Agriculture, an Empowerment Celebration" event. The evening is a unique blend of educational and fun agriculture information that specifically targets women in our community. The cost is $20 per person. A portion of the fee will support women in crisis. The registration deadline is March 9 with breakout sessions being filled on a first come, first served basis as registrations are received.
We are excited to have Carrie Mess, author of the agriculture blog "Dairy Carrie" be as keynote speaker. Mess grew up in Madison, Wis. with no real ties to agriculture and then she met a guy…. From there, her love affair with agriculture and her husband began. They now farm with his parents on their dairy farm outside of Madison and she began blogging to tell their story and agriculture's story to all who will listen.
In addition to Dairy Carrie, join us for sessions with Farm Credit Mid-America's Bev Kremer who is speaking about "what to bring to the table" when working on financing. We also have Olive Wagar, of Organized by Olive, who will help give tips to organize our lives both at home and at work. Dr. Dee Jepsen from Ohio State University will be discussing assigning kids tasks on the farm, and how we incorporate them into our activities safely. Our final break out session is being taught by the Shelby Co. Sheriff's Office on self-defense techniques. They will give tips and advice on being more aware of our surroundings and techniques to defend ourselves.
For additional information or to register, please download the registration brochure. You may also call Jill Smith, organization director for Shelby County Farm Bureau at (877)775-7642 or Lynda Adams, Education Coordinator for Shelby Soil & Water Conservation District at (937) 492-6520, ext. 117 for information or to have a brochure mailed to you.


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Civil Horizon
Free Thoughts, Adequately Expressed
1. American Culture
2. Personal Perspectives/Faith
5. Politics
6. Various Issues
7. Race
8. My Favorites
9. Fun Stuff
What's Wrong With Us?
December 2, 2020 Posted in 6. Various Issues	One comment
By far the best article I've read about the society-wide hysteria about Covid19 is this one: https://spectator.us/salem-thanksgiving-coronavirus-panic-safetyism/, by Heather MacDonald. It's a welcome antidote to the panic porn peddled by most of our media. By setting the Covid19 statistics into a broader context, MacDonald eviscerates the thinking behind the lockdowns and most of the restrictions on our customary liberties.
Many of our governors and big-city mayors clearly believe that their emergency powers are almost unlimited in scope and can remain in place as long as they believe the 'emergency' is ongoing. They and our healthcare mandarins are drunk on the seemingly limitless power that the combination of the virus and open-ended laws regarding emergency governance have given them. They undoubtedly feel ever so much more important than they used to.
At least they're having fun. Who doesn't like feeling important?
For the most part, though, as MacDonald very ably illustrates, their edicts have been unnecessary, ineffective as regards the virus, harmful in their economic and social effects and of course inimical to our basic liberties. So there's that.
When Kipling wrote the wonderful poem If, which begins: "If you can keep your head when all about you/Are losing theirs and blaming it on you" and runs to the happy conclusion that "Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it/And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!", he clearly wasn't thinking about the likely reactions of a crazed crowd to a level-headed person.
Pace Rudyard Kipling, if others all about you are losing their heads – meaning, in this instance, their ability to rationally evaluate the risks of, and make their own decisions about how to respond to, the virus – and you are both keeping yours and acting on your thoughts, they will indeed be "blaming it on you", and if you live in my world there'll be Hell to pay rather than the Earth to gain.
The most effective limits on our liberties arising out of the presence of the virus come from … us. Even without the force of law, an astonishingly widespread attitude that MacDonald calls safetyism (defined, perhaps, as an excessive focus on small risks that itself can cause great harm and is doing so now) effectively controls the behavior even of those – including yours truly – who hold that attitude in low regard. As long as people you care about – or even just others with whom you need to interact – exaggerate the risks we face and think that following the arbitrary and foolish edicts laid down by our governors and mayors is a per se obligation and will make us safer, irrespective of whether or not those rules are Constitutionally proper, or enforceable in any practical sense, or even rationally derived and implemented, if you don't follow them, you're out.
So millions of us – those who disapprove of the edicts as well as those who approve of them – can't do what we'd like, such as spend time with varied other (either perfectly healthy or at least asymptomatic) friends and family members, let alone walk around outdoors in many places without a mask – without being shunned or worse.
(Unless you're working class. Carpenters, plumbers, checkout clerks, restaurant servers who still have jobs and delivery people – to say nothing of many so-called 'essential workers' – all of whom work in the constant presence of a merry-go-round of other people – are not only legally exempted from many of the edicts, they're often effectively exempted from the social strictures, too. Or they exempt themselves with impunity.
Their presences and otherwise presumed ability to transmit the virus are often ignored even by those who are so terrified of it that they will eagerly shun healthy-or-asymptomatic friends and family who they think might have been exposed to someone who might have had the virus, but didn't get tested and/or wait for the prescribed periods before seeing others.
It's almost as if there are different rules for different classes. Go figure.)
I have no quarrel with anyone who, whether due to specific vulnerabilities or simple anxiety, wishes to protect him or her -self through isolation or other protective measures. Covid19 can be a nasty disease, even a fatal one in rare instances. I just hope that when people make such choices, they're acting on good information – and think that very often, they're not.
I do have a problem, though, with the undemocratic management of our daily lives via edicts from power-drunk governors and mayors. The arbitrary distinctions they often make between mass-gathering protests (just fine) and communal religious services or funerals (not okay) — and the fact that in some states Walmarts can remain open, but not smaller stores — and that if we cross state lines, even where the states have identical infection rates (almost certainly not the right metric, as MacDonald explains, but the one that's used anyway) we might be ordered to isolate for two weeks, whereas we can travel greater distances within our own states without such strictures — and that none of these rules will be, or really even could be, enforced against either arbitrarily defined 'essential workers' or the working class people who do the physical work that keeps the country moving — and that many of our schools should be closed when it seems pretty clear that kids neither get nor transmit the disease — and that innumerable small businesses must close, probably bankrupting their owners — drive me crazy.
Here's a radical thought: in a free country, people should be able to choose their own levels of risk tolerance. And another: micromanagement has utterly (and predictably) failed to stop the disease's spread.
I also have a problem with the media's overt suppression of information that indicates that the virus's lethality is greatly exaggerated, like this https://web.archive.org/web/20201126223119/https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2020/11/a-closer-look-at-u-s-deaths-due-to-covid-19 recent study from Johns Hopkins indicating that the number of net US Covid19 deaths to date has been zero or close to it, i.e., that deaths recorded as resulting from Covid19 are generally more properly attributable to other causes or take the place of deaths that would have happened anyway due to the flu, heart disease, etc. Johns Hopkins was forced to retract the study, not because its statistics were wrong or uninteresting, but because it might be 'misunderstood' as being contrary to public policy (https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/11/27/johns-hopkins-study-saying-covid-19-has-relatively-no-effect-on-deaths-in-u-s-deleted-after-publication-n1178930). Since when do scientific articles get retracted in this country because they're contrary to public policy?
I am not qualified to judge whether the hypothesis of the retracted article is, in fact, correct, but my guess, based on the average age – 80 – of those Americans who have died with Covid19, is that the virus's role in the chain of causality that led to these deaths is very frequently mischaracterized. As MacDonald reminds us, even Dr. Birx told us repeatedly that the reported Covid19 death totals include those who died with, but not necessarily of, the virus.
The media's eager suppression of information like that contained in the retracted Johns Hopkins study, and their constant belittling of those who, like Sen./Dr. Rand Paul, Dr. Scott Atlas and the many distinguished scientists who signed the Great Barrington Declaration, which dissented from the policy of enforcing large lockdowns, or the scientists who posit that asymptomatic 'sufferers' of the virus cannot pass it along, does great harm to our society's previously sacrosanct ideal of free and open inquiry/debate (in ways that, yes, remind me all-too-clearly of the recent suppression of information about the Biden family's pay-to-play scandal by the same media) and, indirectly, did grievous harm to the millions of people whose livelihoods have been devastated by our nation's political response to the virus.
And finally, the public's panic-driven response to the virus – which causes innumerable personal and interpersonal problems, some of them quite serious and all of them greatly inconvenient – is surely attributable in significant part to the media's constant scaremongering. The media are not providing their audiences/readerships with balanced information about Covid19 as much as they're providing entertainment of the horror show variety.
The public cannot be wholly let off the hook for its irrational (if you accept MacDonald's thesis, as I do) panic about the virus, though. After all, at some level the media have been peddling panic porn because that's what their markets want.
Ours is becoming a less and less free country, and we are letting it happen, with the more privileged classes among us most heartily cheering the process along.
How depressing is that?
M.H. Johnston
P.s., When I wrote 'society-wide hysteria' in the first sentence, perhaps I should have capitalized Society; it's not the people who work with their hands who are hanging their hopes or willingly basing their behaviors on the latest government pronouncements. Their individualism is hardier than that of those who work through screens.
One comment to What's Wrong With Us?
Peter J. lefeber says:
There's an old saying: "Beware of those guys who think they know so much they don't know nothin'." I'm sure MacDonald would agree.
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