As a result, most Americans, even those in government, were largely unprepared for the massive damage to the American constitutional order that would be inflicted when COVID lockdowns were announced in March 2020. In a matter of days, governments with the help of corporate media mobilized the population to head off a deadly virus that would take out millions. Trillions of dollars were spent, guidelines from the WHO and CDC acquired the effective power of law in many places, speech was micromanaged, and whole populations were herded into masking, vaccination, and constant social distance.