Just a reminder: the overlords don't intend for this situation ever to end. They intend for restrictions, masks, vaccines, tracking, tracing, distancing, and isolating to be permanent.

Don't like it? Want your freedoms back? Tyrannical despots aren't going to just give them to you (funny that, isn't it, since all throughout history, whenever people have given away their essential freedoms in exchange for promises of safety, the overlords have always been so obliging and accommodating in promptly giving them back!).

If you want your freedom back, you're going to have to fight for it. Poland is fighting. Italy is fighting. Tens of thousands of businesses are opening in these countries in defiance of the restrictions, thereby forcing governments to back down.

Let's join them!

Here's some ideas for starting to reclaim our inalienable and essential liberties and rights:

If you have a business, open it on The Great Reopening this Saturday 30th January. If you don't have a business, support and spread the word about ones opening near you.

Join the anti-lockdown political party, Freedom Alliance. You don't need any previous political experience or even to be "into" politics - after all, if there was an anti-lockdown candidate at the ballot box this May, wouldn't you vote for them? www.freedomalliance.co.uk

Don't wear a mask. If you have to wear a mask, wear a smiley face badge to let people know you don't agree with mask mandates and are only wearing one under duress.

Reach out! If you encounter other people out and about without masks or with smiley face badges, talk to them! They're making a bold and principled stand that doesn't come without significant risks (by which I obviously don't mean catching the fluffed-up fantasy 'flu), and will hugely appreciate your support.

Reach out generally - there are more like-minded people in your local area than you think, and Facebook is a great way of finding them (feel free to drop your location in the comments and see who might be nearby!).

Vote with your wallet. Invest only in products and services which support your principles. Drive the extra few miles to go to the farm shop, rather than Tesco's. Order direct from small business websites, rather than using big corporations or Amazon. Boycott any businesses that discriminate against the mask-exempt, and let them know that you're doing this, and why. Pay in cash wherever you can.

Any other suggestions? Please list them in the comments

Most historical cultures have seen our time on Earth as some sort of test, and never has the veracity of this belief been clearer than in the last 12 months.

Last year was an IQ test. This year is a character test. It's time to rise to the challenge and prove your mettle.