COVID hysteria among the young, secular & educated* is easily explained. We are wired to 1) fear death (thus being concerned about "end times"/develop an eschatology of some sort), 2) selfishly prefer ourselves to others on the scantest evidence (thus deriding the unenlightened),

and 3) know ourselves to need a savior (and often develop a concept of OURSELVES as savior). There's something intoxicating about impending disaster. There's something excusing (of our behavior or our inactivity) in thinking that IF ONLY EVERYONE LISTENED TO ME ALL WOULD BE WELL,

because (of course) no one will. There's something satisfying about the idea that ALL THESE IDIOTS ARE GOING TO GET WHAT THEY DESERVE AND I/WE WILL BE PROVED RIGHT! Also, note the irrational fear of death is greatest among those least likely to die. These same characteristics

are also on display to some extent among the woke antiracist activists and climate change fanatics.

Size and scope of government are winners in this environment, freedom is the loser. Something like socialism may or may not be the goal, but is naturally favored

as a solution. Bad actors recognize this and cynically use all the above tendencies to their own nefarious ends.

*usually a soft/social sciences education of questionable value

- CW