Editor's comment: 2020 - The ride of your life

In the last issue of the year Rob Coker reflects on the last 12 months. 

To say this year has been an emotional rollercoaster would be understating the truth – or at least what passes for truth these days. Someone set the rollercoaster on fire back in the Spring, and later accused someone else of arson.

November came bringing ups, downs, twists, turns and loop-de-loops, and now all the passengers are looking forward to the ride stopping, getting off, walking past the souvenir photo kiosk, and going for a nice sit down in the garden. But is the world – finally – getting back on track?

One reluctant incumbent president and a familiar president elect and all eyes are on America again. In the EU, meanwhile – and not getting similar headlines – the leaders of Poland and Hungary have vetoed the EU’s COVID-19 recovery fund for reasons best known to them. And suddenly vaccines are appearing from numerous sources, which Donald trump has inevitably claimed credit for. No wonder we’re all feeling a little shaken, sea-sick, and generally fed up.

Populism continues to push its alternative realities, too. All of this is pure gold for anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, climate deniers, flat earthers – call them what you will, their messages are powerful. I see the evidence of their arguments in my hometown, coming out of the mouths of people I’ve known all my life. They’re convinced the vaccines will contain microchips to enforce social distancing, that the EU is commissioned by satanic Marxists, and that the wearing of a face mask is ‘virtue signalling’. I don’t even know what that means.

I miss the old way of life, when people remembered that scientific and medical innovations were the reason nobody presented with polio or rickets anymore. When a member of an opposition party was a respected counterpart rather than a separatist usurper bent on further division. And when staying at home was something you did now and then after a busy week of living your life.

It’s time to put the grown-ups back in charge. To appoint the relevant and experienced professionals able to certify the safety and efficacy of products. To remove the madness from the arguments. And to get back on-board and just enjoy the ride.