The "Karen" Meme: Is it Really a Sexist Slur?

(Source: The Atlantic via Google Images) 

(Warning: Strong languages ahead)

            When there is a global pandemic ravaging around the world, it brought the very best and the worst kind of human behavior. Whether is selflessness, sense of caring or loving, or if you are a middle-aged white woman with a pixie bob cut with blonde highlights, who has a HUGE sense of entitlement, usually an anti-vaxxer, somehow a racist, and would like to speak to the manager, you must be what the Internet calls a "Karen". For me personally, I would be rolling on the floor laughing my ass off to death if I encounter this type of meme anywhere online, but some of them began to think that it's a sexist slur much worse than the one targeting the black people (a.k.a. the N word).

            So, what is the origin of the Karen meme anyway? Depending on the source, it might be from a reddit user who wrote a lengthy post about his ex-wife (coincidentally named Karen) who allegedly took his children and later his house during a divorce proceeding, which in turn created a subreddit r/FuckYouKaren. Others would say it was coined from comedian Dane Cook's stand-up routine about that one friend that nobody likes, who only allowed inside the social circle only to be mercilessly hated and shunned.

            So, what usually describes a "Karen" in the first place? The more common depiction of a Karen is usually a white woman in her 30s to 40s, usually divorced single mother who typically has two or more kids (all within her custody), sports a pixie-bob haircut with colorful highlights, dubbed "the speak to the manager haircut", and yes, a sense of entitlement that is bigger than the planet Jupiter. not every Karen is a racist, but some of them can be cruel with other races. And don't get me start on how ignorant these Karens might be. One of the most defining traits that every Karen has is their ability to use their privilege to talk down to other people, hence the "speak to the manager" trait. And with recent unrest, she is also more than happy to use someone's racial identity as a weapon to put herself on an advantage during a confrontation (more on that later on).

            How can someone earn the nickname "Karen"? In a nutshell, a "Karen" is easily identified as being entitled to virtually and basically everything. Let's say you are waiting on a line inside a ramen house, when suddenly a white woman, roughly aged 39 years old cuts in front of you and demanded to be served first, claiming that she is in a hurry. The best thing to do is hold your fire and don't escalate it further. Meanwhile, the woman who cut the line is finally being served, but the server brought her the wrong food. At this stage, she would complain and demanding to speak to the manager. We can see the end result of this encounter. She would either cost an employee of his job or complaining about how she was treated unfairly (which is a total bullshit considering that she was the one who cut the queuing line in the first place). And this doesn't stop on closed premises either. Public areas can be a scene of a Karen meltdown. The most recent "Karen" incident was happened on May 2020, when an African American man named Christian Cooper encountered a woman named Amy Cooper (no relation whatsoever) and noticed that Amy's dog was not leashed in an area inside Central Park where dogs must be leashed at all times. And what did she do? She called the police on Christian because she didn't want to leash her dog. She called 911 with the excuse of how "an African American man is threatening her life". and to make things worse, while doing so, she totally forgot that she was holding her dog by the necklace, choking the K-9. And because of this, Amy Cooper is now dubbed by the Internet as the "Central Park Karen". Like I said earlier, some of them can be outright racist. 

            Surprisingly enough, not all Karens can be called a "Karen". Names like "Becky" can be used for this type of behavior. The term "BBQ Becky" is coined when a white woman decided that it would be an excellent idea to call the police over few black people having a barbeque cook-off at Oakland, CA. The ordeal was captured on video and uploaded on YouTube by Michelle Dione. Another name is "Permit Patty", which was assigned to California woman Alisson Ettel who allegedly call the police on an eight-year old black girl and her mother who were just selling water. But some of them deserve to be called a "Karen", like for instance, "Kidz Bop Karen". This nickname first appear when a white woman, possibly in her mid-40s confronted a Lyft driver in New York City for allegedly cutting in front of her in traffic. She proceeded to force her head inside the car while spewing a bunch of expletives and rants, but told the passenger inside, the 29 year-old Chelsea Klein to calm down, while this "Karen" is the one that supposed to calm down. Then why Kidz Bop Karen? Hilariously enough, "Karen" was driving her Kids when the whole ordeal unfolded, and when being confronted about her foul language and the effects to her children, she just simply replied "My kids can't hear me calling you a bitch" because "they're listening to Kidz Bop" (Compilation of kid-friendly version of popular songs covered by "Kidz Bop Kids", which is earrape at its best). It's really amazingly strange to think that these "Karens" would be offended by virtually harmless things like Barbeques, kids selling water on the side of the street, or even a simple mistake in traffic.

            During the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also find a Karen who wants their manicure-pedicure and haircut WITHOUT considering that there is a deadly virus roaming around and would kill her if she step away just a few meters from her house (yeah, I am using the metric system here, it's easier that way). She is also not a big fan of "social distancing" or even wearing a face mask when being outside, and always attends anti-lockdown protest. And don't forget how she easily harassing essential workers (in this case doctors and nurses, basically all the healthcare staff). All she cared about is her appearance and beauty, and the dreaded coronavirus is at the least of her concerns. Inevitably, she would cause danger to herself and others surrounding her just by being present in an area without adhering to health and safety protocols. At this point, she is both a "covidiot" (a term where someone is purposely disobeying the COVID-19 heath and safety guidelines) and a full-blown "Karen" (The right term for this is called "Corona Karen"). I never wished any ill will, but let's hope that by contracting COVID-19, this would be both a wake-up call and a big slap to the face for these Karens to remind them to stay inside their homes and don't move a muscle outside, except for essential things like shopping, medical care or food orders.

            But can the Karen meme be considered as a sexist slur? I guess not. I have to say this frankly, but despite all the fiasco, it's just a given name. But apparently, journalist Julie Bindel on her twitter post suggested so. Some of them even comparing the meme to the N word slur targeting black people, mainly how "The K word (so to speak) is way worse than the N word". Maybe what they have in mind is implying that all white women is a Karen, while in reality, the meme is mainly used to mock SOME white women who happens to have a planetary-sized ego and the sense of maturity like that of a five year-old with demanding and entitled attitude. It's just a name that is coincidentally used to refer entitled white women who thinks that the manager is beneath her and can be insulted at will. But should we treat the Karen meme as a slur equal to (or maybe worse than) the N word? No. It's just merely the way the Internet puts its criticism. 

            In the end, the Karen meme is just a way of the Internet to criticize entitlement behaviors of some white women who happen to be middle-aged and don't care two shits about public order just to get what she wants strictly on her own terms. It's really like having that one obnoxious friend who is always nagging on others when the person didn't get that they want, and would keep on terrorizing their peers so that they would be satisfied (notice that I used the word "terrorizing", that's exactly what these Karens have been doing). My only message is, don't be a Karen. Under any circumstances and conditions, don't be that one who want to get what you want by speaking to the manager and ruining everybody's day and mood. Some of them might display even harsher behavior than you. Stay safe, stay home, always wash your hands, and always stand 2 meters apart with other people. 

Discrimination: Outdated, Barbaric and Idiotic

(Warning: Strong languages ahead)

Humans. This species has existed since the beginning of time, and during the history of mankind, many important occurrences happened that shaped the way we live our lives today. We are also known to be the smartest beings on Earth, but there are some people who just want to watch the world burn. Every men and women are born with different features, like skin colors, ethnicity and their body shapes. Alongside it, we also have different ideologies and beliefs that we adhere to. Despite the facts stated above, we, as God has proclaimed, are “created as tribes and nations so you can get to know each other.” But these days, some are considering themselves superior, and treat others with different body and facial features, as well as their religions as unworthy. This is a story about human beings being discriminated against one another.

I believe everybody knows what discrimination is, so I’ll explain it briefly. Discrimination is basically a prejudiced of, making distinction towards people with the basis of group, class and category where they perceived to be belong. Someone could get an unfair treatment based on this/her race, gender identities, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientations, disabilities and even political ideologies. The way this is done is to separate or to distinguish someone based on those factors alone, and those who perceive themselves as the superior groups often perceive themselves as the superior ones compare to others. Favoring heavily on one people group over the others can also count as an act of discrimination. 

There are many forms of discrimination that exist during the course of our lives. One of the most known types of discrimination is racism, which is a belief that a specific race is deemed superior over the other. Usually, the people do this towards people with color or different facial features (African and Asian) by someone with European descent (with white skin color). During the course of human history, racism has been portrayed with many forms. During the 1950s and 1960s, People in America would associate the white people as strong, powerful and superior, while the people with darker skin tone are perceived as the descendant of slaves, even branding them as slaves themselves. Schools were separated based on the racial demography of the students inside. There is a political system known as apartheid that based on pure racial segregation by the white population in South Africa. During that time, the laws were intended to put the colored population into alienation, while at the same time allowing the whites to access some of the privileges that otherwise require special permissions if that citizen is a black or people of color (this is hardly granted by the authorities at that time. Even if it is, it typically takes long periods of time). This can also happen during wartimes. When the United States fought against the Japanese during World War 2, many Americans of Japanese descend was subjected to imprisonment just because of their racial heritage. The most extreme form of this, called “white supremacist” recognizes the white race as the superior race. Therefore any racial inclusion and other forms of inclusivity is outlawed, even people of other racial identities is killed and enslaved. Such groups with this belief are the infamous Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the USA and the Nazi Germany.

Discrimination doesn’t limit itself to racial identities; religious identities can also be attacked, like anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. As the name suggests, one is a discrimination of people adhere to Judaism, and the other is intended to the Islamic faith. Anti-Semitism can be traced back to the time when Adolf Hitler rose to power of the Nazi Party of Germany. At that time, he viewed the Jewish citizens as “Semitic race”, while the Aryans were praised as the “master race”. He was also allegedly the mastermind behind the holocaust, an ethnic-cleansing genocide that targets Jewish-Germans. Islamophobia rose as the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, most people would brand Islam as “the terrorist’s religion” and the oppressive religion” based on the appearance of hijab-wearing women, some even got their hijabs yanked in public. The recent Islamophobic attack occurred just a few months ago, when an Australian extremist/terrorist who shall be remain nameless in this article attacked the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. 51 lives were claimed as the result of this vicious attack. The attack itself forced the New Zealand government lead by Prime Minister Jacinda Adern to revise the gun control laws, which now made the use of military-style semi-automatic rifles illegal. 

Sexual identities are often perceived as sitting duck (easy target) for discrimination, with most people who protest the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Community with the base of religion and morals. Some were forced to be “straighten out”, some even banished. There is a story about one church who hates the LGBT community so much, they put godhatesfags.com as the name of their official website. The Westboro Baptist Church is an “old-school Baptist” congregation in Topeka, Kansas. Aside from normal church services, these hard-lined Christians are also known to held protests and pickets, most notably holding the sign “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”. They are also somehow racists. Evidenced by their past action of picketing an Islamic funeral. But what makes them famous is the fact that they hate the LGBT members to the core. 

And these heinous acts are not only committed by normal citizens themselves to others, law enforcement officers like the police are also prone to these sickening events, especially if it involves someone with different racial or religious background. Over this past two weeks, the world is currently reeling over another episode of police brutality in America. The latest case happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, with the latest victim being 46-year-old African American George Floyd, who died after being pinned down by four police officers, three of them were white, while the other was of Asian descent. At the time of the incident those four were responding to a call for possible counterfeit in a convenience store where Floyd entered to buy something. He was pinned with one officer's knee restraining Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, choking him in the process. Consider America's history with their police force, it's no secret that they are more often resorted to excessive and unnecessary force, even when the detainee is unarmed and pose no threat whatsoever. More often than not, American citizens of African descent are most likely to be arrested without explanation. Before Floyd's death, another African American who was killed because of his skin color was Ahmaud Arbery. He was killed in cold blood by a former police officer and his son while jogging in Georgia. The bastard claimed that Arbery matched the description of a robber in their specific area. What disgust me the most is Arbery was brutally murdered without explanation and a chance to defend himself. Currently riots are happening across the United States, protesting the death of Floyd by the supposed "protectors". Those four "killers with badges" has since fired from the Police Force, with that one officer, Derek Chauvin, who has extensive misconduct cases prior to this one charged with second- and third-degree murder, although some would want him charged with first degree murder. To make things even spicier, Chauvin's wife filed a divorce on him. Karma is real. 

These are just some of the countless discrimination cases happened around the world. And whoever does so in public, their intention is to assert dominance to other members of the society. They are taught to believe that they are the superior beings in this Earth, and anybody who is different is nothing but a spec of dust. Many of them are somehow (ignorantly) proud of what they are doing. Hell, they even made a law bill that contains pure discriminating verses, cornering one particular group. I have to say, among the more educated people, there are always some individuals with the brain of a deranged animal wreaking havoc. And I can assure you that those guys who have the guts to commit any acts of discrimination deserve a kick in the nuts and be taken into custody. Discrimination is a dick move, and those who did it are even bigger dicks. And to George Floyd, rest in peace, you beautiful and gentle soul. You are no longer suffering from horrible injustices. You say all lives matter, but after this sickening turn of events, I guess Ice-T got a point when he and his band Body Count released the song No Lives Matter, because really, when it comes to asserting dominance over other minority groups, no lives mattered for these "privileged" assholes.

Large-Scale Social Distancing: Basically, a Minor Lockdown

I have to say just for once: The cities across the planet have become a bit like a ghost town because of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) pandemic. There are now more than 1 million infections across the globe, and I guess it’s safe to say that this disease would peak in the next month or two, with current situation where some thick-headed individuals who just won’t stay inside their houses. Among those 1 million (1,6 million to be exact as of today), The United States of America has now recorded almost 470.000 confirmed cases. That’s around 310.000 cases more than Italy’s record, which is also the most among continental Europe. It’s also exasperated by the fact that no social distancing policies or any policies of similar sort has been enforced by the Trump administration. Basically, showing the rest of the world on how incompetent Donald Trump is while trying to run his government. Now bear in mind, this is the same guy who previously downplayed the seriousness of this virus by comparing it to that of a common flu. Right now, I’m not entirely sure that Trump would ever be re-elected for next term, not if he continues to act like this. 

            Enough about Trump, because this article is more about the latest policy being enforced by President Joko Widodo to cut the infection chain in Indonesia, called “Large-Scale Social Distancing”. In a nutshell, this thing works like a normal social distancing setting, but in a larger scale. Like all policies before that, it involves employees working from their homes and students studying from their homes. What makes it different is the way other activities being done outside. In a normal setting, restaurants, cafes and other culinary spots are open for dine-in, but with the new policy, they will remain open, but only for takeaways and drive-thru orders, including those made with online platforms. Public transports are limited both on operational times and passenger capacities, reducing it up to 50% to promote physical distancing. Online taxi application platforms temporarily dropped their two-wheeled services for passenger hailing, focusing on food orders and package deliveries. Four-wheeled online taxis are still allowed to pick up passengers, but depending on the total capacity of a car, they can only do up to two passengers on a single trip per car. With private vehicles, it works almost exactly the same way. Motorbikes are not allowed to have a passenger onboard, but cars are still allowed, but with limited passenger count. Hotels and other lodging services are allowed to remain open, mainly for those who came from outside the Jakarta area for self-isolation. Logistics and delivery services are also allowed to operate, especially those with medical supplies, essential things like food, beverage, and groceries, oil and gas, industrial supplies, export and import services and delivery services going in and out. Some offices like those on the extraction business are still open, but with limited employees. Public services like citizenship offices, immigration, or other essential public service platforms are diverted to online applications. Same with policies before, all activities involving large number of crowds is prohibited. In a short explanation, only restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other strategic sectors are allowed to operate under the “Large-Scale Social Distancing” policies. 

            When we think about the way this policy works, I have to say that it works like a minor lockdown, but with an exception that some businesses still allowed to operate. But with the policy in place, there are some drawbacks as well. One of which (and this is the most noticeable) is the limitation of online taxi services with motorbikes as the main vehicle. Since they are not allowed to pick up a passenger, their focus shift to food orders and delivery services. Consequently, this would reduce their income to as big as 50-60% of their normal income, and to make matters worse, these drivers are literally counting themselves and their lives to day-to-day payrolls as online taxi drivers (which fluctuates every day). This policy would also push some sectors to start working from home, or shut down temporarily, like other sectors aside from those mentioned above, like fashion retails (although you can still buy those online) and tourism sites. 

            I guess by not putting the country under full lockdown really is the right thing to do, and this policy proved it. By still allowing some economic sectors to operate, the Jokowi administration kept the economy going, although not by much. But there are still some drawbacks, like reduce in income for some informal workforce, places being temporarily closed, and activities involving a large crowd being outlawed. But despite these limitations, it’s still necessary to ensure that this virus is gone for good, and not being a recurring illness every winter and wet season. This piece might be short (in fact, this is the shortest article I’ve ever written so far), but I hope this has done big enough to encourage you all to stay at home, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive. We can get through this. All you have to do is stay inside and wash your hands.

Trapt: The Metal World’s Equivalent of a Punching Bag

In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, People around the world must find some alternatives while isolating themselves at home. Whether working from home, playing online games, clean their houses, cook up a storm in the kitchen, or, if you are happened to be Chris Taylor Brown of the Nu Metal band Trapt, ranting on just about everything either on Twitter or Facebook, trying to offend someone to no avail. 

            You must be wondering why I write this relatively unknown, obscure band like Trapt in the first place. They might not be as big as other Nu Metal bands like Korn or Slipknot, but they are famous in their own right. For those who are wondering who the hell or what the hell is this band, they were formed in 1995 and hailing from Los Gatos, California. They released seven studio albums so far, and known for extensive line-up changes, mainly for drummer and guitarist. As of today, Trapt’s current formation consists of vocalist Chris Taylor Brown, guitarist Brendan Hengle, bassist Pete Charell, and drummer Mike Smith. If they are well known among the metal scene, then how come we only knew this band a little? Sadly, this band is known to be a “one-hit wonder”. This term is applied to artists or bands who have that one song that break out to the mainstream (and the ensuing explosive success). The song subsequently defied said artists, and other works (albums or other singles) are often overshadowed by that particular track. On more than one occasion, the track (and the artist) are quickly forgotten. On Trapt’s case, that particular song is Headstrong from their 2002 self-titled major label debut album. The song in question topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and Modern Rock Charts, as well as charting at number 16 on Hot 100 between 2002-2003. The album itself could only reached 42^nd position on Billboard 200 on that same year span. It’s more than likely that you can compare them to bands like Nickelback, but on this case alone, we have to admit that Chad Kroeger and co. are the more well-known of the two. Just for the record, that same song once voted on Ultimate Guitar's Users Poll for Worst Guitar Riffs of all time, placing 4th out of 15.

            What happens if a band needs to keep themselves relevant? Usually (in the case of Metallica) they evolve their sound to stay competitive or offering new concepts and fresh images and ideas (Slipknot’s move). But in Trapt’s case, starting an online feud with other musicians on the metal realm or other celebrities on the entertainment spectrum, mainly done by Christ Taylor Brown, their vocalist who happens to run the band’s official accounts (This is the mother of terrible ideas). This feud started when the Coronavirus spreads to the US. And apparently, Brown himself is a full-fledged supporter of the sitting President Donald Trump (who is infamously known to be the most incompetent and racist sack of human being currently sitting on the presidential throne) as noted on his 48-hour rant on Twitter. He supported Trump’s “Chinese virus” rhetoric on how to name the virus. He also blasted Bishop Talbert Swan and actor Chris Evans on Trump’s take on mitigating the disease, calling the former “The authority of victim mentality”. On the recent feuds, Thrash Metal band Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale called them out to book a show at the same time on the same city with different venues, with the losing side has to donate all of their proceeds to the charity of the winner’s choosing. And how Brown respond to the challenge? In the most cowardly fashion, they suggested that they are rejecting the challenge, and instead blaming the ordeal to the COVID-19 pandemic when being confronted by a Power Trip fan. After being roasted by Gale and Power Trip, Brown had to deal with many other metal artists, like Tilian Pearson of the band Dance Gavin Dance, Dylan Bowman and Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail, The Acacia Strain’s Vincent Bennett, and most recently, Trivium bassist Paolo Gregoletto, calling him “this bass player from Metallica cover band” (Metallica is arguably one of the most influential bands contributing to Trivium’s overall sound). While boasting their Spotify streams as well as their total listeners on Pandora, we can’t help but notice that other bands mentioned above have significantly high numbers of stream counts and ticket sales. 

            Of course, this is done for attention (albeit in the wrong way). But even before the feuds, the band once came under fire for something called “click theft”. It’s essentially interpreted as someone stealing content from someone else and re-hosted it on their pages in order to be passable as their own. In this case, they ripped off Metal YouTuber Rob Scallon’s “00000” video and repost it on their Facebook page. And when they are being called out by Canadian Producer and Sound Engineer Glenn Fricker on his YouTube channel (I love that guy’s content by the way), Brown responded in a typical victimizing fashion, stating that by posting the video, Fricker violated Trapt’s copyright. I have to call bullshit on this one for two reasons. Number one, all Fricker did is only show the band logo and a sample of the music as part of an editorial, while focusing more about how Trapt ripped off Scallon off his YouTube views. Therefore, it’s classified under fair use. Number two, to call it as violating Trapt’s copyright claims is a bullshit on its own, considering that they stole a YouTuber’s content and refurbish it to be passable as their own content. If someone has to press charges for plagiarism, it should be Scallon himself. 

            I could have written many examples of Trapt being the “headstrong” of the metal world, but they are just too unknown to me, and their status as a “one-hit wonder” is not helping the case either. Their latest album was released in 2016, which to be honest, is far too long ago. Will they gain their fame and fortune again? With this kind of attitude, I highly doubt it. If they ever release another song or album, it will still be overshadowed by the success of Headstrong. I’ll just end this by saying that an idiot would always run his mouth with zero substance over what they say. Rationalized and educated person on the other hand, would rather stay silent and only chime in when it’s necessary. Stay safe, stay healthy, put some distance between you and other person, and keep washing your hands. 

COVID-19 Part 3: The time When Socializing Is a Terrible Idea

(Warning: Strong languages and rants ahead)

            Okay. I have to say something about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) now being a massive pandemic infecting the whole wide world. This virus is now a total pain in the ass. Why would I say so, you might ask. It’s because of this little bastard, events being either postponed or cancelled, people are scared to even walk just 3 meters from their house doors, and in a particularly terrifying way, economics are disrupted. In the midst of lockdowns or isolation (whether self-imposed or in hospital beds), those who are working in a formal sector (either state-owned or private companies) are mostly working from their own homes. Students are also receiving the same treatment, mostly through online classes or special assignments. Those who don’t impose the “Work from Home” policies (WFH) are still required to check themselves in to their offices, wearing some kind of protection like surgical masks and gloves while doing so. But some of them are either stupid enough or losing a few brain cells to actually make unnecessary trips or just to please themselves. 

            Let me recap on how the world end up in this fiasco. The virus was discovered sometime between November and December of last year in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It began to spread to outside of mainland China, with neighboring South Korea and Italy in Continental Europe recorded the most cases. How the virus spreads in both countries? It’s easy to figure out that in the event of mass gathering, one cough or sneeze would cause a domino effect. In South Korea, it was during a church service, whereas in Italy, it was caused by two Chinese tourists in the city of Rome. During the next two months, those two countries became the most impacted regions of the world because of someone who, either aware or not infecting their surroundings. As a result, Italy, along with several European countries like France, The Netherlands and Germany are now under complete lockdown in order to slow down the spread. Indonesia, meanwhile, as of today has 686 cases, with 55 deaths and 30 recovered cases. President Joko Widodo has instructed companies either state-owned or private companies to start working from home, same with the students. He also just recently announced the cancellation of the National Examinations on all school levels (Elementary, Middle School and High School). 

            But when it comes to obedience for this particular policy, Indonesian are unfortunately known to be stubborn. Just a few days after President Jokowi’s address to start the WFH policy, instead of actually working, those same people instead rushing to several key tourism sites, like when all Jakarta citizens flooded Bogor and its surrounding areas in a desperate search for any tourist attractions. In the early days of this policies, in some province, like in Manado, North Sulawesi, the authorities patrolled around shopping malls to reprimand students who are hanging out in those malls instead of studying at home. Worryingly, some events which can draw massive crowds like wedding parties are continued to be held despite all of the stakeholders suggesting otherwise. This policy, which acts like a partial lockdown in itself is also affecting religious activities like Friday prayers for Muslims, or Sunday services for Christians (Catholic and Protestant). But annoyingly, there are some “fanatics”, to say the least that instead encourage their fellow neighborhood to fill the mosques and churches, when in reality, forming a crowd increases the chance of infection. And this is the epitome of bad ideas. In Malaysia, around 20.000 people gathered in Jamek Mosque in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur for a mass service from February 27 to March 1. By March 17, of the 673 confirmed cases at the time, it is believed that around two thirds of the number might have some correlation to the mass rally. And what about Italy, then? The main reason why is ironically, Italians’ habits of family gathering. Indonesians are also known to leave no spaces in public areas. The police have to stage ambushes in several cafes and restaurants, hoping that the customers (mostly youths) obeying the government’s recommendation. Even with the Social Distance Policies being enforced, there are some individuals who think that they are invincible. “I’m in good health. There is no way that I have the virus” yeah right, and when you are tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, you reacted like it’s the end of the world. Younger people like me (I’m 24 years old, by the way) might not display common symptoms, but can still carry the virus and has a slim chance of accidental coughing or sneezing. So, for your own sake, keep your smelly asses inside your house! Don’t fuck this up for those who are risking their lives and wellbeing (doctors and all medical staffs) to treat the sick. 

            But alas, some of these “supermen” are quite deluded, thinking that the virus won’t touch them, especially a certain Islamic cleric who once claimed that the coronavirus is “God’s army”. Some jackasses also claimed that they are not afraid of the disease, they only feared God. Let me tell you something. Being religious has nothing to do with your immunity. This virus could attack anyone, from celebrities to politicians to normal citizens. So, don’t spew the “fear God, not the virus” bullshit on my face. Some of you might see this partial lockdown as a chance to plan your vacation. Having fun for probably a week or two and ended up infected by the virus. What a turn of events! I guess the authorities need a harsher approach to this, like chasing away those guys with a machete every time they step away from their homes for absolutely no reason (Shopping for supplies, going to medical facilities and fetching food orders are not one of them). Hell, let’s armed those guys with flame throwers. Each time someone step out for no reason, scare them back to their houses with that thing. Luckily, the Indonesian government acted quick, by promising incarceration up to one year for forming a gathering or organizing events that would draw a large number of crowds. And to end this, I’m going to stress this again. Stay inside. Pull your head from your ass and assist those doctors, nurses and other medical staffs by locking your smelly ass inside the house. You’re not doing any favor by going outside for no apparent reason. You could either catch the virus or being incarcerated, especially if you form a crowd. This virus is no joke, but by doing those things, you are not only being a major pain in the ass, but also made you a sitting duck for infections, and making a fool out of yourself in the process. 

COVID-19 Part 2: Should we Put the Country on Lockdown?

Well, since the SARS-CoV-2, which in turn spread as COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) entered Indonesia, there are now roughly 117 cases spread nationwide, mostly still contained in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, as well as some in the Bali Island. And like I said in the previous article, even celebrities and politicians are not safe from this virus. Among the 117 who are infected, one of them is Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, who was previously diagnosed with typhus. As of today, President Joko Widodo offer a speech to encourage people to work and study at home. Schools are closed, public activities are limited, and social distancing is being encouraged as a prevention of the virus. Recently, there are opinions circulating today that in order to lock the virus from spreading further, the Jokowi administration must institute a lockdown policy like the ones currently placed in Italy, which has the most cases outside mainland China. 

            While in some countries this move could be the best decision ever made, but to implement it in an Island Nation like Indonesia is a tall order in itself. In order for a lockdown to be effective, it means that all activities, both socially, economically, and politically has to be shut down. Moreover, there must be enough food and other supplies that could last during a specific time frame, which means stockpiling all the essentials needed in a day-to-day basis. All trips, either by sea, land or air is suspended until further notice, and all public services are closed. But most importantly, the people are expected to comply with the policy, without causing any uproars or mass panics. So basically, the entire country is on a state of full quarantine just to contain a virus. So, should we put this 18.000+ island country on a lockdown? It’s not that simple.

            When we look at the current situation in Italy, the lockdown policy is currently being implemented because of the compliance of all residents, and their understanding on how the virus spreads. Indonesians are (ironically) known to have a non-compliance mindset. Just a few days ago when the Special Region of Jakarta officials decided to temporarily close all government-run tourist destinations, every single Jakarta citizens instantly flooding Bogor and surrounding areas, in a desperate search for tourist attractions. Not to mention that Indonesia is not a country that situated in an area inside larger continent, but a cluster of islands that has their own population density and characteristics. Another thing that almost certain would happen if a lockdown is in place, is mass panic buying. When the first two cases were announced, there were mass panic everywhere, as people are scrambling to buy protective masks and hand sanitizers, as well as other supplies like instant and ready to eat meals. If you are a middle to upper class citizens, this wouldn’t be a big problem, but to others with a relatively low income and those who has day-to-day payrolls, like online taxi drivers, this is the hardest thing they have to endure. The policy would result in a loss of income. Not to mention those petty cheapskates who stockpiles those same essential items and resells them with really expensive prices. For example, a box of surgical masks usually costs around IDR 35.000, but what they did is resell them with the price range around IDR 350.000 to IDR 500.000. This alone can escalate to riots and looting, as people are desperate to fulfill their daily needs. Let’s not talk about locking down a country. To put Jakarta alone in a lockdown would result in a hefty financial crisis, not just in the affected city, but also nationwide. As with the reasons stated above, inflation is a huge nightmare, all because of the fact that Jakarta contributes around 20% of total nationwide inflation rate. If this is happening right now, the total inflation rate could skyrocket as high as 4 to 6%. 

            So, if the lockdown policy is not an option, what should we do then? There is something called social distancing, which essentially means to distance an individual’s activities in a larger crowded area. This can take many forms, like avoiding unnecessary trips for leisure or tourism, limiting the use of public transports, avoiding human-to-human contact, or avoid going to crowded places like shopping malls, parks, or even public events. In Singapore, such policies are currently put in place, particularly for citizens of old age (as we all know, most fatalities of COVID-19 are from people with old age or complications of other medical conditions). Still related with the first reason above, limiting public events (even if it’s a religious event) is necessary to prevent the spread of this disease. We never know if some of us went to a convention or some sort, and among the visitors, there was one particular person who wasn’t aware that he/she contracted the virus, and dismissing the symptoms like that of a common flu, and ended up infecting all the population inside that event venue. Another means to stop the virus from running rampant is by self-isolation. This is done if someone experiences a flu-like symptoms like fever, coughing, sneezing, headache, or even minor respiratory problem. The duration of this is usually 14 days, or until further tests are conducted. During the time frame, the person who is isolating is expected to stay separate from their families, preferably in a separate room. He/she is also required to wear mask; and has to be approximately 1 meter away from the rest of the occupants. Appliances like plates, forks, spoons, glasses and other utensils are to be used separately during this time. When coughing or sneezing, use the inside of the forearm to cover the mouth, instead of the palm of the hand. Disinfecting everything and every surface in contact with the patient is also mandatory. 

            When it comes to preventive measures of COVID-19, the Indonesian government is doing the best, without compromising the welfare and security of the people. While ideally, the lockdown policy would be effective, but to put it on a country like Indonesia could cause a major mass hysteria. Not only that, but the country would suffer economically due to the restriction of income. So, for you who wants President Jokowi to lock the country down, consider this: Could we survive the economic implications of this policy? And Can you guarantee that all essential supplies are available and affordable? Do you have enough savings to support your family in the times like this? If your answer is yes, then start locking your house first, and wait for others to do the same. But if you answer no, then shut your gaping pieholes and let the President and his cabinet work to mitigate this disease. 

COVID-19: Now A Global Pandemic

Source: Google Images

Well, for the first time ever since I write the first article about this new virus, I am scared (genuinely) of the prospect of contracting this disease, even doing preventive measures sometimes is not good enough. No matter how we prepare ourselves to tackle this problem head-on, there will always be a tiny hole in which the virus might use to penetrate into our society.

            Since the discover of the Novel-Coronavirus (2019-nCoV, now renamed SARS-COV-2 by WHO) in Wuhan, China PR earlier this year, many speculated that the worldwide spread would be inevitable, and unfortunately, it has come to reality. There are now as many as 119 territories and areas, including the Diamond Princess Cruise ship where there at least one confirmed case of the Coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. At the moment, Italy is recorded to have the most confirmed cases not only in Europe, but also in the world, outside of mainland China. The first outbreak started when two Chinese tourists were tested positive of the virus in the capital city of Rome. In Continental Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the most cases, followed by South Korea and Japan. Few of Iranian government authorities, like Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekhar and deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi are confirmed to have contracted the disease. Indonesia, once (jokingly) claimed to be immune to this new pandemic, now has 34 confirmed cases, all within the Jakarta and West Java area, with 3 patients successfully recovered, and one fatality due to complications with other medical conditions. And for continental America, the United States recorded the most cases with 1.725 patients, 30 recovered and 41 deaths. It’s now safe to say that the virus has effectively spread across the globe, with the exception of most of the Southern and Central regions of Africa (All the cases recorded in the continent are mostly from the northern parts, some of which has direct sea borders to infected countries in Europe and the Middle East, another case recorded in the West/Central part of the continent, this being the Ivory Coast). The total cases combined from all countries and territories are currently sitting at the staggering number of 134.521, with 68. 927 of them successfully recovered and 4.974 deaths. 

            Apparently, the way this virus affects each and every person is different, depending of the age and the strength of their immunity system. Someone could be the carrier of the coronavirus without showing any symptoms, and some of them also display the most basic symptoms of either dry coughing, fever or respiratory problems. Almost all public places have thermal scanner posts for early prevention of the virus, with customers showing unnatural body temperature are removed from the premises and placed into isolation until further testing is conducted. Usually the isolation could last for two weeks, as the incubation process of the virus usually lasts within that time range. One case even revealed the longest incubation period of the virus itself, recorded at 27 days. It usually spreads from droplets from someone sneezing or coughing. It might not last very long in the air, but the virus has shown to be viable if it sticks to everyday objects and various surfaces around our environments. To combat this, disinfection is carried out, with substances such as 62-71% of ethanol being applied to the surface for one full minute. The WHO has stated that the transmission from symptomless person or fecal transmission is “very low” and “low” respectively. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is also has its own trend, with most of the fatalities are happening among the elderly within the age of 80+, as shown in three countries with the most cases, which are PR China, South Korea and Italy. 

            Consequently, all countries have enforced many restrictions on travels or public activities. During the first spread in the mainland China, all countries were quick to enforce travel bans for trips going from and to China, especially Wuhan, and all travelers and tourists coming back before the ban are placed under isolation. Countries repatriate their citizens and quickly placed in quarantine areas to prevent public spreading. With current situations, all public activities, including sporting events or music concerts are either postponed or cancelled. Events like the upcoming Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix are cancelled, as well as Formula E’s Rome ePrix. Other dates in Paris, Seoul and Jakarta are also postponed, pending the current situation on respective countries. the Major League Soccer (and practically almost all sporting leagues in the US, like NBA for Basketball and NHL for Ice Hockey) postponed their seasons, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are in serious doubt due to the outbreak. Some events are held with the absence of spectators, like some UEFA Champions League and Europa League football (or soccer, as referred in the US) matches, the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, GA, and the follow-up race in Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, FL. Some music festivals like Coachella are postponed, as well as the returning Hammersonic Metal Festival in Jakarta. Both festivals will be rescheduled on later dates. The current season of the English Premier League are also in jeopardy, now that it’s already towards the end of the season, with news of Arsenal’s Head Coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi are both tested positive for COVID-19. Arteta’s news also affected Arsenal’s upcoming league fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion, slated to take place at the American Express Stadium in the city of Brighton. All members of both teams are currently on self-isolation in the wake of the announcement. Preventive measures have been enforced in other European leagues like Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s LaLiga by postponing the league until further notice, even the Italian Football Federation (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, FIGC in Italian) has a worst-case scenario of stopping the league if the situations worsen. As of today, 5 people, including the previous two names mentioned above are confirmed as the patient for COVID-19, with the other three being Hannover 96’s Timo Huebers, Juventus’ Daniele Rugani, and Sampdoria’s Manolo Gabbiadini. McLaren F1 team pulled out from the Australian Grand Prix weekend after one of the team members has confirmed to have contracting the virus, resulting to subsequent cancellation of the race. The MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix is also cancelled for the premier class as well, with only Moto2 and Moto3 class bikes started the race. Both races acted as season openers for respective series. On the entertainment side of the spectrum, veteran actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson has confirmed positive with the disease in Australia, and currently isolating themselves. Few Hollywood movies also postponed their release date due to the outbreak, like the latest installment of the Fast Saga, Fast & Furious 9 and the final James Bond Movie to feature actor Daniel Craig as the 007 titled No Time to Die. 

            The pandemic doesn’t take its toll on public activities either. In some countries, once a COVID-19 case is announced, panic and distress ensued, and resulting on shortage of essential items like surgical masks and hand sanitizers, which in turn, making the items rare and more expensive. In Indonesia, the Police arrested some irresponsible individuals for mask-hoarding, with the intention of reselling it with unnaturally expensive prices. This trend is also happening in countries with high numbers of COVID cases. 

            Now being a global pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 has prompted world leaders to enforce restrictions on their countries, Italy has now placed under lockdown, and travel bans entering and exiting the exiting the country has been enforced. The same measure is also applied to countries like South Korea, Iran, Japan and other countries affected. But not all leaders take this threat seriously. Despite various measures being done in the US, President Donald Trump’s speech from the Oval Office is viewed as blatant lies, especially the part where he banned all flights coming from and to continental Europe, with the exception of the UK (for some unexplainable reason. Probably because of Brexit). The lying point from this claim is while the travel ban is in place, all American citizens and permanent residents are allowed to travel back from Europe, possibly from countries affected from the pandemic. If one of those returning Americans contracted the virus, all hell would break loose. This prospect is not helped with the fact that many Americans who are suspected of the disease has never been tested before, despite Trump’s claim that the testing is rapidly expanding. He also decided to deal the pandemic in the most Trump-way possible: blaming the virus and labeled it as “foreign virus”. He mostly compares the disease to that of a common flu. While the symptoms are similar, the SARS-COV-2 is a lot more deadly, since one of the key symptoms is shortness of breath, implying respiratory problems to some extent, which can be a fatal factor if not treated properly. 

            As of today, while cases around the world are currently rising, the Chinese cases are slowly winding down, with number of recovering patients slowly climbing, as well as other countries recovering in a slow but steady pace. While some countries are expecting the numbers to rise, some of the patients are slowly battling the virus and recovering. Let’s hope that the COVID-19 pandemic would end sooner rather than later. The world as we know today is already messed up, and this disease is not helping the case either.