WHAT IF THE BOGEYMAN is real? In six words, that is what Stephen King’s “The Outsider” is all about. The adaptation of King’s novel for HBO was exceptionally well done. The viewer, along with the hero, is led through the crack in reality which the arrival of “El Cuco” (the Spanish bogeyman) in a small Georgia town opens up. By the final, blood-soaked episode the suspension of our disbelief has become an accomplished fact. The Bogeyman is real.
King is no fool, however. Marching in lockstep with the supernatural is his depiction of the psychic disintegration of “El Cuco’s” slave – the would-be military sniper whose psychiatric test-results were so disturbing that, in spite of his excellent marksmanship, the military authorities felt obliged to decline his application. Thwarted, embittered, violent: “El Cuco’s” creature, now a police officer, spirals down into that all-too-real bogeyman – the American mass-shooter.
The festering sore that erupts on the back of the necks of “El Cuco’s” slaves may be a crude metaphor, but that doesn’t make it a bad one. How better to represent the raging social inflammations that have left no part of the United States uninfected? With mass shootings happening virtually every other day in the USA, we reach, almost unconsciously, for concepts like “a nation living under an evil spell”. When “natural” explanations come up short, where else is there to look except through that crack in reality – at the supernatural?
Resisting this temptation, we reassure ourselves that, even if a mass shooting occurred every single day in the USA, the number of shooters annually would only come to 365. In a nation of 327 million human-beings, 365 shooters represents a vanishingly small sliver (i.e. 0.0001%) of the population. Real though these mass-shooter bogeymen may be, we can at least comfort ourselves with the knowledge that there aren’t very many of them!
But, is that true? Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? A proposition which, if true, raises another question: How big is that iceberg? What percentage of the population might best be described as “functioning” psychopaths and sociopaths?
An answer, of sorts, was provided just a few days ago in a Spinoff post by David Brain, co-founder of “Stickybeak” an online polling agency. Brain had been keen to discover the “mood of the nation” as New Zealand entered its first week of Level 4 lockdown. By in large, Kiwis responded positively to Stickybeak’s questions. Trust and confidence levels in the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis were high.
Then came the question: “The government has now said that we all need to stay at home; not go to school or work; not travel or socialise with people outside our home for at least 4 weeks. Do you plan to comply?” It was not the fact that 91 percent of those participating in the poll affirmed their intention to comply with these rules that was surprising, but that 9 percent openly declared their intention to defy them.
It is a disturbing result to reflect upon. In the midst of a state of national emergency, when the best medical advice insists that everyone other than workers in essential industries must “stay home and save lies”, an astonishing 9 percent of the population sees no reason to take the steps deemed necessary to keep the population – especially the elderly and other citizens with compromised immune systems – safe. Not even the warning that widespread lack of compliance with Level 4 rules would see the lockdown period extended, was enough to give these ‘9 Percenters’ pause.
It is possible, of course, that those indicating their intention not to comply with the rules are the very same essential service workers who must leave their “bubbles” to keep the rest of us safe. We must hope so. Because, if nearly 10 percent of the population are either sociopaths: manifesting grandiosity, narcissism, lack of empathy and a general disdain for the moral precepts that govern the conduct of their fellow citizens; or psychopaths: manifesting behaviour that is deviant, dysfunctional, distressing and/or just plain dangerous, then we are all in very serious trouble.
If 9 percent of the population refuses to comply with the lockdown’s rules, then the rest of us are not about to be released from it anytime soon. Indeed, it’s difficult to see how the Government’s strategy of eliminating Covid-19 can possibly succeed if close to a tenth of the population intends to withhold their co-operation.
It makes you think of all the perpetrators of spousal and family violence with whom the Police are required to contend every day. It recalls the behaviour of all the bosses and managers who have already signalled their callous indifference to the fate of their businesses’ employees during the Covid-19 crisis. You count up the thousands of cyber-bullies and Twitter trolls who delight in inflicting pain and humiliation on their fellow human-beings. And you remember all the postings and comments you’ve read over the past 7 days about New Zealand becoming a “police state”, and a “nation of narks”, and you can’t help wondering whether 9 percent is an underestimate of just how many real bogeymen and bogeywomen are out there.
As the Scots once prayed, and in these dismal times may still pray: “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us.” A grim list, to which Stephen King would no doubt add his own special plea for divine deliverance: from all those who position themselves outside the boundaries of human kindness and solidarity.
It is important to keep the lockdown but also important not to let a ‘jackboot’ and ‘vigilante’ mentality to become part of the lockdown.
It should be up to police and authorities to ‘question’ and ‘attack’ others over what they are up to. And the police also need to be sympathetic to a wide range of situations which if not leading to social contact should be allowed.
There can be other factors at play, such as NZ extremely high family violence, Perinatal depression and other types of depression, where being cooped up at home can lead to triggers. It is for the best, if people who are not feeling well mentally are allowed to ‘get out’ and have that walk, drive pie or whatever they need without some jackboot on their case making the situation worse and allow a bit of peace and separation between families who might need it.
In addition the social media post from the North Shore where a family walking together were attacked verbally by another person who had his aggressive, abusive (incorrect) views on their family walk caught on camera should be discouraged.
Remember the lock down is about saving lives, not adding to the hospital admissions through violence that can be triggered by the lockdown or vigilantes!
The police cannot be everywhere, “Savenz”. They rely on the community to support them.
If you want sufficient police numbers, we’d have to have ten, twenty, times our current number. Plus a para-military force perhaps when people get stroppy.
THAT is a police state.
“Remember the lock down is about saving lives, not adding to the hospital admissions through violence that can be triggered by the lockdown or vigilantes!”
The lockdown can only work if people comply. If near-10% refuse, that endangers us all. If we don’t act collectively to help each other, we will surely perish individually.
Chris has sussed it very well in his piece above. You would do well to give it deeper consideration.
So what do I do when all these young guys cycle past my house together, they are clearly not a bubble! If their parents know then they should be in trouble as well.
Spare a thought for the kids who are home 24/7 with their abusers in NZ.
New Zealand Child Abuse Statistics
On average, 1 child dies every 5 weeks in New Zealand.
Between 1 January 2019 and 30 November 2019, 11 children and young people have died as a result of homicide in New Zealand.
The Homicide Report
Released 13 May 2019
Every 8th homicide victim in New Zealand from 2004 to 31 March 2019 was a child
More than two thirds of the victims were aged 2 or under
Of the cases where the killer’s relationship to the victim was known, 27% were mothers, 24% were fathers, and 17% were de facto partners.
https://www.childmatters.org.nz/insights/nz-statistics/
Family violence statistics
http://www.areyouok.org.nz/family-violence/statistics/
ex-Vodafone boss throws some light on coronavirus :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG43p5hq4Jo&feature=em-uploademail
Robbie Burns also wrote:
“O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion.”
Helena Jordan: regarding your link, YouTube has posted a message: “that video has been removed for violating YouTube community guidelines”. Whatever the hell that means….
Great little piece.
Less judgement is needed in these times!
Coronavirus: Dr Lance O’Sullivan’s rant over Kaitaia’s ‘joke’ of a lockdown criticised by locals
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/04/coronavirus-dr-lance-o-sullivan-s-rant-over-kaitaia-s-joke-of-a-lockdown-criticised-by-locals.html
Especially when you got it wrong last time.
Coronavirus outbreak: Dr Lance O’Sullivan warns not to get ‘overwhelmed’ by the hype
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/01/coronavirus-outbreak-dr-lance-o-sullivan-warns-not-to-get-overwhelmed-by-the-hype.html
And funny enough Lance was in China at the time of dismissing Coronavirus, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12303228 kinda like got caught up in the Chinese propaganda which also seemed to dismiss Coronavirus for months, including arresting Chinese doctors who warned other doctors about the outbreak to try and keep them safer…https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/doctor-punished-coronavirus-warnings-dies-disease-who-confirms-n1131556
All you have to do with this poll is scroll down to the methodology and aims of Stickybeak.
“Respondents were self-selecting participants, recruited via Facebook and Instagram.”
“Stickybeak is a New Zealand startup launched globally last June, that uses chatbots to make quantitative market research more conversational and therefore less boring and even fun for respondents.”
So it’s complete shit designed for sale to what passes for the media nowadays to peddle to gullible fools. Or as Wikipedia’s article on self selection bias says… SLOP.
“Self-selection bias is a major problem in research in sociology, psychology, economics, politics and not only its research but its practice, too, and many other social sciences. In such fields, a poll suffering from such bias is termed a self-selected listener opinion poll or “SLOP”.”
In a good pair oh hands 9% is still a far superior tool than whinging, complaining, and wearing tinfoil hats.
Yes indeed. Do watch ‘All Governments lie’ from that great American ‘democracy’!
An online clicky sticky poll is one thing (autocue fumbler Mark Richardson is building his career on them) but facts are another. Everyone is complying with martial law. No one has been arrested for breaking lockdown let alone the half million you are projecting. I heard Mike Bush giving his opinion on people getting outside and exercising during lockdown and he said “it’s legal but…” There are no buts when it comes to enforcing the law, you are either breaking it, in which case Bush and his jackboots can arrest, or you are abiding by the law, in which case the public have a right to be left the fuck alone. His view of the law seems to be a subjective ideological standpoint where you are within your rights to do something, but should refrain from doing so for reasons unknown (probably Freudian). This is authoritarianism. It is the surveillance state created by successive governments, their cronies and their enablers. It is the judicial system where demigods in funny wigs sentence some to jail for smoking weed or fishing for trout. It is the police force where minorities can be targeted more than others. It is this ridiculous 2 metre social distancing paranoia fear of others and the sudden militarisation of supermarkets. This system has been created by faceless, wealthy sociopaths at the top of the food chain who use their network of useful idiots to rule and destroy and make a profit (Stephen King has probably yet to create characters as vile as this). They have been self isolating their whole lives and so may it continue.
Hear hear. Mike Bush is entitled to his opinion but he should take off his blue pinafore and big man pants to do it, civvy styles
This seems alarmist to me. And the term ‘Stay home and save lives’ misses a v in your version.
This:Then came the question: “The government has now said that we all need to stay at home; not go to school or work; not travel or socialise with people outside our home for at least 4 weeks. Do you plan to comply?” It was not the fact that 91 percent of those participating in the poll affirmed their intention to comply with these rules that was surprising, but that 9 percent openly declared their intention to defy them.
Is too wide a question to have its answers taken on strict face value. Each part of the question needs to be defined. Not travel – only when necessary to the supermarket – is that yes or no.
Not socialise – does that mean that I can’t talk over the fence, see my friends in the street if I keep
two metres away?
I feel depressed enough already without being taken on a paranormal trip to hell. I don’t watch zombie movies either. What you watch and read gets into your brain, and when there is so much important stuff and helpful and cheery stuff that gives a laugh and helps you to carry on. there isn’t time for creepy tales too close to improbable reality. Talk us up please Chris.
Just a small point that has been worrying me. If the police start arresting people for infringements of the lock down, where exactly are they going to keep them? Police cells would soon fill up, and would they then start sending people to overcrowded prisons/breeding grounds for the virus? In fairness to the police (not something i particularly promoted in the past) there job requires close contact with some fairly unsavoury characters. This i should imagine would have many of them on edge, without the power tripping occasioned by a few.
Good point. G A P. It’s time for Society to arise from the tomb that Margaret Thatcher relegated it to. (In keeping with the theme of the paranormal that Chris has introduced.) Authoritarian is the last resort here, punitive is resorting to what should be held at bay, as the fist in the velvet glove.
Try ‘Perhaps Love’ in our dealings first.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NKLtLGc_zM
The words of Perhaps Love by John Denver. They are very poignant, meaningful now. (By the way that is Welsh Bryn Terfel and Rhys Meirion also sounds Welsh.)
Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble when you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home
Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself and don’t know what to do
The memory of love will see you through
Love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go
And some say love is everything, and some say they don’t know
Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of pain
Like a fire when it’s cold outside, thunder when it rains
If I should live forever, and all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you
Love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go
And some say love is everything, and some say –
.. they don’t know.
https://genius.com/John-denver-perhaps-love-lyrics
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