Final Word from Monday, October 24, 2022

War propaganda during covid was based on an ebb-and-flow pattern, with brief setbacks followed by partial successes, on a repeated basis. First the people were terrorized, then they were offered a miracle vaccine, then the drastic restrictions were eased, even as steps were being taken to begin the process again. Energy propaganda follows a different pattern. First the conditions were created for cutting off the sources of industrial life, then the population was assured repeatedly that there would be enough substitute energy at a reasonable price. Once companies started showing premortal symptoms, a sure-fire "vaccine" was offered in the form of LNG and European-level price regulation. Skeptics started calling instead for an immediate prophylactic, something along the lines of hydroxychloroquine, so Labor Min. Marian Jurečka promised to speed up Kurzarbeit. Yet it can only be invoked, according to Jurečka, if there is a shortage of natural gas or if electricity is so expensive that companies have to suspend part of their operations. If this were covid, it would be like promising to administer Remdesivir to a corpse. [ Czech Republic coronavirus EU Brussels single market ]