Woodstock Took Place During a Flu Outbreak

Woodstock took place during the latter stages of a flu outbreak era. The Covid-19 virus started in the fall of 2019 in China, as evidenced by the rapid pace of the Chinese government to keep it under control over the fall and winter months of 2019. While China started going back to normal in January of 2020, the rest of the world plunged into the COVID-19 reality around March 2020.

The Flu Outbreak from Hong Kong

According to renowned author James Rickards, Woodstock took place during a pandemic. Is that factual statement around the flu outbreak accurate? If you have read any of Rickards’ books you would know that the author spends a great deal of time compiling research and ensuring to provide the best information possible. He even predicted potential health and economic crises in past few books.

In his latest book, The New Great Depression, he discusses the virus, the global governmental responses, and the devastating impacts of the responses to the flue outbreak. He makes the claim that we cannot blame the virus for the present state of the world but rather the policy decisions that ensued following global awareness of the virus.

It is a fantastic read and it shows a different take on the situation that persists today. If the claim that Woodstock took place during a significant flu outbreak is true, then it begs the question, why did we institute different policies today? Why all the uproar about a variant of the SARS element?

Places Are Still Relatively Closed Down in 2021 During the Current Flu Outbreak

Concerts, festivals, conferences, and other gatherings in 2020 and 2021 have been severely restricted or non-existent for almost a year and a half now. That would not be a problem if humans were not social animals. The extent of worldwide lock downs has affected people everywhere in more ways than one. Reports indicate an increase in depression, domestic abuse, loss of earnings, and more reliance on governments globally.

But conversely, during a flu outbreak, the Hong Kong flu, that started in 1968 and lasted for two years, was when Woodstock took place. That is correct; over 400,000 people convened in Upstate New York within the time frame of a massive flu outbreak that originated from Hong Kong. The flu outbreak would bring about fatalities for over 90,000 people in the United States.

Further, the 1968 Hong Kong Flu would kill over 999,000 people worldwide. Indeed, a majority of the people affected, at least in the United States, were the elderly, similar to now. There were no closures, no lockdowns, no neighbors telling on each other to their parental governments for gatherings, and no scuffles in stores or other places over masks, freedom, liberty, and other elements. At the same time, businesses would stay open; individuals would live as usual and continue to move about as the outbreak came and went.

There were various similarities between the Hong Kong flu of 1968 and COVID-19 that originated from Wuhan in 2019. Both of these sicknesses cause fever, affected individuals around the world, and deal with respiratory functions. They both affect the elderly more significantly and those who have had other pre-existing issues. As is seen today, with overĀ 135M cases, over 70M people have recovered, with the unfortunate loss of 2.83M people. At the same time, these numbers could be inflated, as we do not know how many genuinely passed on due to the direct causes of COVID-19. For instance, one individual could have COVID-19 but die due to the care facility’s issues, lack of hygiene, improper diagnoses, or incorrect treatments for another long-term underlying condition.

Comparisons Are Accurate and Necessary on the Flu Outbreak

It is accurate to point out similarities between then and now. It is not about the fact that Woodstock itself took place during the latter half of the pandemic or endemic. It is more on how the policy decision was quite different over the whole course of the Hong Kong flu outbreak. There were waves then like there is now. The difference between then and now is dynamism, while movement still remained the same then, stagnation reigns today.

The difference between then and now was that the psychology was different; it was not fear, gloom, and doom, but rather more normalcy. Indeed, psychology matters in society for plenty of reasons. How people feel generally affects behaviors in consumption and interaction. The greatest virus here in 2019 through 2021 is the mind virus of fear.

The mind virus of fear has had a great impact on society and that has created even more division in a time where much more unity is necessary. In a world that seems to be more fragile and chaotic, further injections of the mind virus does not aid in mending, bridging gaps, and addressing the real problems on the horizon.

Genuine progress does not take place due to fear and immobility, but from creativity, imagination and dynamism.