The pandemic’s chaos may have subsided, but the same players are back, spinning a familiar script. This time, the crisis on the table is avian flu, and among those sounding alarms is Dr. Leana Wen. She and others advocate for mass vaccinations and sweeping surveillance measures. Pause before agreeing to any of it—because their record is far from flawless.

Here’s the hard truth: COVID-19 exposed a playbook built on fear and selective rules. Officials like Dr. Wen pushed lockdowns, masks, and mandates while breaking the very rules they championed. We’ve all seen the photos: unmasked politicians at packed parties while the rest of us canceled gatherings. They’ve sold us on “science,” yet they’ve constantly changed the terms. First, masks were “pointless,” then essential. Vaccines were the silver bullet, until boosters became the new necessity.

What’s even more alarming is how the response was crafted. Hysteria, chaos, and power grabs were dressed up as “public health measures.” Meanwhile, Big Pharma thrived, pocketing massive profits from vaccine rollouts. As public trust wore thin, the contradictions became too big to ignore.

Now, with the bird flu, they’re starting the cycle again. H5N1 avian flu is indeed a concern, but the response reeks of opportunism. Pharmaceutical giants gear up for another payday, and health authorities hope we’ve forgotten the double standards. We paid the price last time: shuttered small businesses, skyrocketing mental health crises, and kids left to fend for themselves in a broken education system.

Media outlets played a major role too. Alternative voices were shut down, even when raising legitimate questions about everything from mask efficacy to the virus’s origins. Those labeled conspiracy theorists eventually saw their doubts confirmed, but by then the damage was done.

So, what’s next? We have a choice. Do we let these officials dictate our lives yet again, or do we finally say enough? Their credibility is in shambles, and their priorities lie elsewhere. The time to question is now—before the next “emergency” locks us into another cycle of fear and compliance.