EA Editorial: Observations in Florida lead this author to conclude that society reaches optimal levels of peace and happiness in direct proportion to the elimination of government interference, political grandstanding, mainstream media propaganda, academic interference, and celebrity virtue signaling.
April 13, 2021: This article does not require technical or literary references. It does not contain a message regarding a political party bias or a mainstream media preference. It has nothing to do with social media ‘clickbait’, online ‘triggering’, or ‘canceling’. It does not have anything to do with unwanted or unsolicited opinions from professional athletes or famous entertainers. This article is based on a simple and recurring set of observations noted while enjoying the opening-up of a state’s economy and society. There is something special going on in Florida where mask mandates, lockdowns, and threats of Covid passports have virtually evaporated over recent months because of strong and decisive leadership within the state. The economy is open for business and social normalcy is in a healthy ‘steady-state’. Residents are happy and tourists feel like they have landed in a paradise of freedom from another world.
Over the course of the past four weeks, I have been paying particularly close attention to social and business dynamics in the State of Florida – specifically in Clearwater Florida and its surrounding areas. Whether dining at one of the many great family owned restaurants in the area, or shopping along a strip of small independently owned businesses, or spending time at several of the nation’s best beaches, one thing is perfectly clear. People are happy, healthy, and living in a social harmony you will never see or hear about from our politicians or from our mainstream media. This world is opposite to anything you will see in the news or read about in the papers.
All of this begs a few important questions. First, what dynamics are at play to create such a happy and harmonious social environment? Second, what is the difference between Florida and observations made in other states and provinces where the anecdotal experience (based on this author’s experience) is “far less pleasant”. Thirdly, can the lessons learned in Florida be used to resolve the general malaise and malcontent we see in other states and provinces that remain closed and under strict mandates?
Life at one of Florida’s fine beaches provides the answer to all the questions raised above. For context, it should be noted that the beach environment has the inherent advantage of being open, natural, and wrapped in sunshine and the ocean’s waves. But there is far more to this picture than meets the eye. The beaches, here, are packed with people from all walks of life – all genders, all ages, all races, all nationalities, and all socio-economic classes gather here. People on these beaches are all unbelievably happy and never averse to mixing, mingling, and participating in random conversations with perfect strangers. Racial harmony abounds in every direction. Political scandals are the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. Smart phones seem to serve the sole purpose of taking photos. Fake media is completely irrelevant and unnecessary. And all the natural activities and options of beach life seem to render social media an utter waste of time here. In sum, the American dream of natural happiness, peace, and prosperity are on full display – all of this achieved without the interference of politicians, public health officials, media, and celebrities.
Along with a beautiful natural beach setting bustling with happy people, Florida beach scenes offer another important and encouraging observation. Florida’s beaches are devoid of the manipulative effects of hyperbolic politicians, media, and celebrities. More specifically, the State of Florida has removed/loosened the strict mandates of masks, social distancing, and chronic closures. In so doing, the human dynamic is one that is structured around a mask-free setting, casual but responsible social distancing, natural not ‘clinical’ human interaction all rewarded with a ‘community’ of smiles that you can actually see. These beach scenes are not ‘sterile’ or ‘rigid’ but rather natural and full of happy random social interactions.
This esoteric collection of observations should remind us that freedom is precious and that it is good for men and women of all walks. These observations also remind us that excessive interference and meddling by public officials, politicians, media, and celebrities only serve to degrade and undermine social happiness and racial harmony. Freedom promotes natural happiness and Florida’s beaches symbolize a form of freedom that for many Americans, unfortunately, has been taken away. The image used for this article is simply a random photo taken in Clearwater Beach (Florida) and it is meant to provide a “feel” for a typical afternoon in freedom without the interference of our “cultural authorities”. Americans and people around the world deserve to have their freedom returned immediately. By: Extremely American Colin Wright