If one looks around Costa Rica without speaking to anyone they will get the impression that everyone believes in and supports the covid mask-wearing hysteria. Lots of people here walk around with masks on. Store owners have signs on their windows stating that masks are required for entry, plz keep a social distance, put some alcohol goo on your hands, etc, etc. Recently a local restaurant I frequent put this ridiculous police tape around chairs preventing clients from accessing their bar.
Given the apparent universality of the idea that one should be wearing a mask indoors, it is easy to get into the habit of showing you agree with this craziness. Many people who don't buy into the lamestream narrative still put on a mask whenever they walk into a store. Often when you ask these people if they believe in the mask mandates they will say ~ "no, I am just wearing the mask to avoid trouble" (i.e. conversation/confrontation.) But because the mask is on their face, they inadvertently signal a belief in the importance of the covid mandates. I myself sometimes forget that I'm wearing a mask after I've left a store. And until I remember to take it off, I am signaling that one should wear a mask when walking outside on the street!
The CR government is enforcing businesses to put these 'mask required' signs on their windows. The restaurant with the police tape around the bar put that there, not from the owner's own wish, but because some police officer threatened to shut down the business after the officer had a temper tantrum from seeing some guys sitting at the bar drinking together. So really the various restrictions and mask-required signs do not represent the will of the actual business owners, the owners only put them there to appease the bureaucratic clipboard lady and her police henchmen. Thus, as a client, I default to ignoring the signs and I walk into stores without a mask. I always do this for mom and pop shops, and I try to say something along the lines of "I don't mind if you don't wear a mask" so the clerks working there don't feel obligated to "protect" me.
If you are against the mask nonsense then you must be mask-free. If a private business owner wants you to wear a mask, they must tell you explicitly, posted signs mean nothing since those signs are government-mandated. Don't signal your support for something you don't believe in.
"Because something bad could happen. Gotta make sure nothing (bad) ever happens!!1" Nobody is really forcing anything. Everyone, the bureaucrats, da police, the store owners, the "public" do it because not doing it is perceived to be immediately more expensive. In the sense that omg that could mean no ubi for ya this month !!1 your business wouldn't make it into the stimulus package subsidy !!1
Those who believe at least are excused by their patent stupidity. Otherwise the sign is not that of agreement but of submission to the program. Who cares if deep down you don't really agree.
Hm, I've seen police officers come and have some talks with store owners ignoring covid rules. So yes the owners are going through the covid mandate motions because they "perceive it to be immediately more expensive" to ignore the mandates, but the local gov is giving them a reason to hold this belief.
I wish I owned a little store to see if I could get away with ignoring the lawl.
The local govt also perceived the alternative more expensive, as did the bureaucrats at the experts' Carcelary Commendation Committee of the People (CCCP!). From the paradigmatic little store to the big companies (airlines say, which were still providing some sort of tangible service until recently) they all don't dare oppose bc it's cheaper not to even try. They couldn't get away with even trying, why would they !
How could you not get away with ? What will happen, fines ? Ignore them, default on them. And when you're done you just burn it down. Worse for THEM. You had coins anyway. Everywhere it's lemming following lemming because "oh noes we couldn't get away with any less lemmitude". This is the new universal "just following orders... We couldn't afford not to !!1"
And even if one didn't have coin... is this supposed life in this lamess world so great that it's worth "following orders" around just because oh that'a good in the eye of the beast so it should buy us another day ? I really mean it, I'm not too sure that I'm staying. Despite the coins.
I'd rather play the zombie apocalypse video game than no video game at all. There are corners of the world I find enjoyable. But I understand the appeal to log out.
I also don't believe in this mask nonsense, but it has the nice characteristic of perhaps inhibiting some of the omnipresent surveillance in my society. Ofttimes, I face no opposition from wearing no mask, and have even had fun when I've managed to unintentionally sneak by hawks demanding them.
Still, being a recluse is the most reasonable option in my rotten society, and thus my life has changed relatively little because of this so-called pandemic.
@Verisimilitude
Heh yes playing 'stay-out-of-los-of-the-npcs' in the supermarkets is a great way to squeeze some fun out of the day.
I understand the recluse strat, but lack of human interaction can be quite depressing. I was inspired to do more physical activity after reading bronze age mindset. I tried Jiu Jitsu but quit because I didn't want to break a limb. So I refocused on surfing, and man my mental well being has improved significantly after doing it ~everyday.