A snob’s charter
A proposed ban on ‘street harassment’ will give free rein to the prejudices of posh women.
One of the more disturbing aspects of the Covid pandemic was how readily many people took to staying at home, wearing masks and social distancing. More disturbing still was how reluctant they were to abandon these practices when the virus no longer posed a risk. Of course, the elderly and clinically vulnerable were anxious to avoid getting sick. But the people most enthusiastic about masks, ‘sneeze-guard’ screens and keeping two metres apart from their fellow citizens were often wealthy, healthy professionals.
Look back on any star-studded event in 2021 – the pictures were all of glamorous celebs being waited on by masked-up staff. Then there were teachers who wanted pupils sprayed with disinfectant before they would deign to enter a classroom. They were backed by union leaders who described children as ‘mucky’ germ-spreaders, ‘who wipe their snot on your trousers or on your dress’.
The arrival of vaccines only bolstered this elitist desire to keep the plebs at a distance. World leaders openly discussed the need to create a ‘two-tier society’, so the vaccinated need never risk encountering a vaccine refusenik. Fear of Covid may have provided the initial impetus for isolation, but snobbery soon took over as the main driver. The pandemic gave social elites permission to verbalise their contempt for the masses and to demand segregation from them.