They blew it. All of them. Governments, global bodies, the “experts.” Glaring incompetence always undermines authority. As it should. But no one in authority — especially the incompetent — wants to give up the power that comes with it. Almost by instinct, institutions double down and try to make themselves even more indispensible to your life.
Art in the Age of Empire
What then remains within our own power? We have our opinions, reactions, and attitudes, as Epictetus notes, but I would say we also have art. We all have the capacity for art in one form or another. And by this I mean real art, art that is not subject to utility, obsolescence, or official approval. It is done for its own sake, and makes its own meaning.