Now, anything that may affect how the masses think is subject to censorship and, I presume, eventually criminal action. Isn't it like that already in China? And more recently in Hong Kong?

That's the frightening part. Something that used to be a cautionary tale from a satirical book is now reality - with most people cheering it on.

The point that many people miss is that it's incredibly hard to turn this tide back. The idea that this is a temporary loss of freedoms to fight the scourge of Covid is misguided. Power-addicts love control mechanisms - you hand them total control - they will never let that go. Especially when their poll figures are high.

Covid has set dangerous precedents for the future. Authority figures now know that not only will the public accept a loss of freedoms, they will embrace it - and become self-perpetuating enforcers to round up the dissenters.