Generations have catchphrases. I remember beatniks with faces reflecting wonder and amazement, uttering "far out, man." I remember drug crazed Californians saying "turn on, tune out." An early hero in the space program coined the phrase "A-OK" to let the ground crew in Houston know that everything was fine.
Now comes "social distancing." What this means depends on whether you follow the discredited World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines at 3 feet/1 m or the discredited Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines at 6 feet.
The China syndrome has brought with it words like "lockdown" and "quarantine" that are often used as political weapons. Often these words or commands to keep "regular folks" in line while the people given the orders ignore them.
Less than 2% of all the infections in New York have been traced to indoor dining. Despite that, small businesses are being permanently and irreparably damaged. Some people think that 60% of them will not return. So I would resurrect a catchphrase from early in my generation: "civil disobedience." If a government official comes and tells you that you must close your small business and probably lose it without the science to back that up, I would strongly encourage you to just say "no." They can't arrest everybody. Yes, I know that is a bit subversive. But government cannot use fake science or nonexistent science to close businesses and put people into bankruptcy for political purposes unless we allow it to happen.
Tyranny would be a descriptor for government telling churches, restaurants, bars and small businesses they must close, but big businesses can stay open and profitable. Strip joints, marijuana stores, and violent riots are allowable, but your small business is an epidemiological threat to the world.
If you own a small business, keep working. Keep paying your employees. Serve your customers. Go shopping. Go to church. And vote.
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