The Covid pandemic was just the sort of moment fans of big government dream of — a rare instance when, theoretically at least, some degree of liberty had to be sacrificed for public safety. Now that the danger is receding, they just don’t want to concede that emergency powers can no longer be justified. Some experts have even suggested that Covid masks and social distancing should be mandated forever. British comedian Andrew Lawrence sums the situation up nicely in this clip. You can find more clips from Andrew Lawrence here.
It’s all very reminiscent of the “power corrupts” theme of Lord of the Rings, particularly that moment when Bilbo is reluctant to let go of the ring of power that has accidentally come into his possession, hence the meme below.