After two months of COVID-19 panic and terror, the world is now being ushered into a "new normal". However, there is nothing "new" nor "normal" about an oppressive police state that haphazardly revokes rights and freedoms while citizens snitch on each other. Nope, such regimes have existed in the past. And, in societies that dare call themselves "free" and "democratic", the "new normal" is an aberration – a slippery slope towards a global totalitarian regime.

Despite the fact that all viruses inevitably peak and phase-out from human circulation, profound and permanent changes are being made to society. And, to the elite, COVID-19 is the perfect opportunity to create a society that is rooted in fear, dehumanization, and widespread distrust of the "other".

Since symbols rule the world, one symbol perfectly embodies this "new normal": The face mask.Although face masks were deemed useless and even dangerous only weeks ago, they are now being enforced in several cities around the world. What happened?