{"id":2599819,"date":"2026-05-07T09:30:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-something-bigger-than-covid-is-coming-and-most-people-arent-ready\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T09:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:37:31","slug":"op-ed-something-bigger-than-covid-is-coming-and-most-people-arent-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-something-bigger-than-covid-is-coming-and-most-people-arent-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-Ed: Something Bigger Than COVID Is Coming &#8211; And Most People Aren&#8217;t Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fop-ed-something-bigger-than-covid-is-coming-and-most-people-arent-ready%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2599819&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Teh passage argues that the COVID-era shift demonstrated how quickly societies can move from \u201cnormal\u201d to \u201cnew normal\u201d through rapid lockdowns, mandates, and centralized control. It claims that the real takeaway is how fast global systems can be built and accepted-especially during fear-and suggests that what is being developed now may serve as the kind of infrastructure described in biblical prophecy.<\/p>\n<p>Using revelation 13 as its framework,the article maintains that the \u201cmark\u201d is not merely a technological symbol but a spiritually significant system tied to allegiance and worship. It also states that the mark will be enforced during a specific future period under the Antichrist, cautioning readers not to label current technologies as the mark itself-while still viewing today\u2019s trends as readiness for a future fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>To support that view, it points to growing capabilities for digital identity (often biometrics), electronic commerce that can be controlled or denied instantly, and cashless\/digital-payment systems that can be monitored and regulated. It further argues that AI enhances the feasibility of these systems by enabling rapid identification, surveillance, and enforcement at scale.<\/p>\n<p>it frames contemporary developments as moving in the direction of conditional participation in commerce and society, urges awareness rather than sensational fear, and concludes that believers should be spiritually prepared-since, it claims, the pivotal moment will ultimately be spiritual rather than purely technological.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_5)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_6)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_7)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_8)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_9)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_10)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_11)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_12)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>In early 2020, most Americans had no idea how quickly their world was about to change.<\/p>\n<p>Within weeks, normal life was replaced by lockdowns, mandates, travel restrictions, and a level of centralized control few would have accepted just days earlier. What once sounded extreme became normalized almost overnight.<\/p>\n<p>That moment revealed something we cannot afford to forget: modern society can shift from \u201cnormal\u201d to \u201cnew normal\u201d with astonishing speed.<\/p>\n<p>But COVID did more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-taliban-dump-barrels-of-alcohol-into-kabul-canal\/\" title=\"Video: Taliban Dump Barrels of Alcohol into Kabul Canal\">disrupt daily life<\/a>. It exposed how quickly global systems can be built, activated, and accepted, especially in moments of fear.<\/p>\n<p>What we are witnessing today may not be the mark of the beast. But it may be something just as significant: the rapid construction of the infrastructure that could make such a system possible.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container = document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script = document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src = \"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement = document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex = paragraphs.findIndex(p => p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex === -1 || targetIndex < x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer = new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries) => { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry => { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve = findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Revelation Actually Says<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Before speculating about technology, we must begin with Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 13 describes a global system unlike anything the world has seen \u2014 a convergence of political power, religious influence, and economic control. At the center of that system is a mechanism that restricts participation in commerce: \u201cAnd that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark\u2026\u201d (Revelation 13:17, KJV).<\/p>\n<p>This is not symbolic language about vague oppression. It describes a controlled economic gateway \u2014 a system in which access to buying and selling is conditional.<\/p>\n<p>But the mark of the beast is not merely technological. It is spiritual.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation makes clear that the mark is tied to worship and allegiance to the Antichrist\u2019s system.<\/p>\n<p>It is not simply something people use. It is something they submit to. And Scripture warns that receiving it carries eternal consequences.<\/p>\n<p>That distinction prevents both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massive-project-to-protect-beach-community-washes-away-days-after-completion\/\" title=\"Beach Protection Project Collapses Days After Unveiling\">fear-driven speculation<\/a> and careless dismissal.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Not Fulfillment \u2014 But Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Bible places the mark of the beast within a specific prophetic timeline.<\/p>\n<p>It will be enforced during the final three-and-a-half years preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, under the authority of the Antichrist.<\/p>\n<p>That means we should not claim that current technologies are the mark. But we also should not ignore what is happening around us.<\/p>\n<p>For centuries, critics dismissed Revelation 13 as unrealistic. How could any system control buying and selling for everyone?<\/p>\n<p>Until recently, that was a fair question.<\/p>\n<p>Today, it is not.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time in human history, the technological barrier to that kind of control has effectively disappeared.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The World Is Building the Infrastructure<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Across the globe, systems are emerging that fundamentally change how identity, commerce, and access are managed.<\/p>\n<p>Digital identity is replacing physical credentials. Instead of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-supreme-courts-latest-immigration-ruling-turned-on-the-word-a\/\" title=\"The Supreme Court\u2019s Latest Immigration Ruling Turned on the Word \u2018A\u2019\">multiple forms<\/a> of identification, individuals are increasingly represented by unified digital profiles tied to biometric data \u2014 facial recognition, fingerprints, iris scans, and behavioral patterns.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, commerce is becoming almost entirely electronic. Transactions are approved or denied in milliseconds. Accounts can be frozen instantly. Access can be restricted without physical force.<\/p>\n<p>When identity becomes digital and commerce becomes programmable, participation in society becomes conditional.<\/p>\n<p>That shift should not be ignored.<\/p>\n<p>It does not mean these systems are the mark of the beast. But it does mean the world now possesses the capability to implement exactly what Revelation describes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>From Cash to Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>For most of history, economic control at a global scale was impossible. Cash transactions were difficult to track and even harder to restrict.<\/p>\n<p>That is rapidly changing.<\/p>\n<p>As societies move toward digital payments and cashless systems, every transaction becomes traceable. And what is traceable can be regulated.<\/p>\n<p>Central banks around the world are <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >actively exploring digital currencies \u2014 forms<\/a> of money that exist only electronically. Unlike physical cash, these systems can be monitored, limited, or even programmed with restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>In practical terms, that means access to money could be conditioned upon compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 13 does not require that such a system be invented overnight. It requires that it exist and that it be controlled.<\/p>\n<p>And that is exactly the direction the world is moving.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Role of Artificial Intelligence<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Artificial intelligence is not mentioned in Scripture. But it accelerates the kind of world Revelation 13 describes.<\/p>\n<p>AI enables three critical capabilities at scale: identification, surveillance, and enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>It can instantly match faces to identities, monitor transactions, analyze behavior, and flag noncompliance \u2014 all without fatigue or delay.<\/p>\n<p>Systems that once required massive human oversight can now operate continuously and globally.<\/p>\n<p>Consider a simple example. When a payment is declined at a store or gas pump, it happens instantly based on centralized authorization.<\/p>\n<p>Now imagine a world where that denial is not based on insufficient funds, but insufficient compliance.<\/p>\n<p>That is the kind of environment Revelation 13 points toward and AI makes increasingly feasible.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What COVID Taught Us<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>COVID did not fulfill biblical prophecy.<\/p>\n<p>But it demonstrated how quickly populations can accept sweeping restrictions under the right conditions.<\/p>\n<p>It normalized ideas that would have been widely rejected before:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Digital permission structures<\/li>\n<li>Proof-of-status requirements<\/li>\n<li>Rapid policy enforcement at scale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Perhaps most importantly, it showed that fear can accelerate acceptance.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation describes a world that does not merely tolerate centralized control \u2014 it embraces it.<\/p>\n<p>The groundwork for that kind of acceptance is not built overnight. It is conditioned over time.<\/p>\n<p>COVID was not the event. It was a preview.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>A Necessary Warning \u2014 Without Sensationalism<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Clarity is critical here. Not every technological advancement is the mark of the beast. Not every innovation is prophetic fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>But some developments are clearly moving in a direction that aligns with what Scripture describes.<\/p>\n<p>A balanced view looks like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The mark of the beast is a future event.<\/li>\n<li>It will be enforced under the Antichrist during a specific period.<\/li>\n<li>The systems required to implement it are being developed now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That is not speculation. It is observation.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>So Where Does That Leave Us?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Jesus did not give prophecy so people would live in fear. He gave it so they would live prepared.<\/p>\n<p>The proper response is not panic; it is awareness. It is not obsession; it is discernment.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture describes believers in the end times as people who:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Know their God.<\/li>\n<li>Stand strong.<\/li>\n<li>Instruct others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is not about fear of technology. It is about understanding the times.<\/p>\n<p>History is moving toward a climax. The systems being built today may not be the final form, but they are shaping the environment in which that final system can emerge.<\/p>\n<p>And when it does, the line will not be technological; it will be spiritual.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Something is changing.<\/p>\n<p>The pace of global transformation is accelerating. Systems that once seemed impossible are becoming normal. Infrastructure that once did not exist is now being built in plain sight.<\/p>\n<p>The Antichrist\u2019s system, when it comes, will be powerful. But it will also be brief. And it will not have the final word. Because the same Bible that warns of that system also declares its end.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus Christ is coming \u2014 not as a suffering servant, but as King of kings and Lord of lords. The question is not whether these things will happen. The question is whether we will recognize the times we are living in before they fully arrive.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i><b>The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either d or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/submitop-ed\/\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In early 2020, Americans were blindsided by how fast life shifted to lockdowns, mandates, and sudden centralized control<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2599820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[15322,79255,32068],"class_list":["post-2599819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-op-ed","tag-pandemic-preparedness","tag-public-health"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599819"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2599823,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599819\/revisions\/2599823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}