The question of the mask unmasked

Do you wonder why François Legault and Horacio Arruda asked us not to wear the mask at the start of the crisis, when many specialists have long claimed that the mask was one of the best protective measures against the virus?

Why did it take them so long before doing a 180 degrees and – finally – requiring the wearing of the mask?

Well you are not the only ones.

Our French cousins ​​are wondering exactly the same thing about their government.

THE LIES ABOUT THE MASK

Stéphane Fouks, vice-president of Havas, one of the largest communications firms in France, has just released an essay on the erratic management of the pandemic by the Macron government (Media pandemic, published by Plon).

The facts that this communications specialist describes in his book are so similar to what happened here that one has the impression that his pamphlet is aimed at both Legault and Macron!

For Fouks, the Macron government’s first big mistake was to brazenly lie to the people about the mask.

“By repeating that masks were useless – as social media rushed to dismantle the statements of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health and even the president who, on April 16, refused to recommend the wearing of the mask for all – the government has undermined the possibility of carrying out a policy built with the citizens: it would no longer be followed. ”

Why did the tenors of the Macron government insist on telling people not to wear masks?

Because they thought the mask was ineffective? No.

Because they were afraid that wearing a mask would give the population a false sense of security? Neither, answers Fouks.

According to him, if the government bonzes asked people not to wear masks, it was because they knew that there were not enough masks available for everyone!

STOP INFANTIZING THE CITIZEN

To write Stéphane Fouks: “Our leaders thought they were doing well in telling little lies for a good cause.

Not having enough masks, they wanted to reserve them for caregivers; fearing that the information would trigger panic in public opinion (always this lack of mutual trust), they hid it.

Instead of exposing the complexity of the situation by addressing responsible and empowered citizens, we lied to them by infantilizing them.

However, if doubt sets in, everything becomes questionable. “

Don’t you think it looks strangely like what happened here?

For Fouks, the fundamental mistake of the Macron government (and of the Legault government, one might say) was not to treat citizens like adults.

In 2020, he says, citizens expect their elected officials to tell them the truth.

People want to know the truth, even though it can be scary.

Masks are missing and you want to reserve the masks we have for caregivers? Well, tell us!

Stop telling us nonsense about the pseudo ineffectiveness of the mask!

BREACH OF TRUST

The more the government hides things from citizens, Fouks says, the less the citizen believes in government.

And the more conspiracy theories proliferate.