Albert Brooks' underrated movie "Defending Your Life" is based on the premise that the purpose of life is to overcome your fears.
Fear is the ultimate motivating factor. In Defending Your Life, the more you overcome your fears, the more successful you are in this and subsequent lives (watch the movie and you will see).
Fear is what is dividing this country on masks and vaccines. It is easy for intelligent and educated individuals to read medical reports and understand that masks and vaccines stop the spread of Covid. For those 20-30% of Americans who are against vaccines and the mandatory wearing of masks indoors, fear is motivating their anger and intransigence. They are afraid of Covid. They cannot see Covid. But they can see the societal manifestation of Covid- masks. So because they cannot strike out against something they cannot see- Covid spreading respirations of the infected- they strike out against what they can see and hear. Masks are bad (because what they are unconsciously feeling and are really saying is "covid is bad"). Vaccines do not work. Fire Dr. Fauci. These feelings, actions and statements are simply the only way the unwashed ignorant can handle their fears of Covid. They are not the culprits in our current prediction.
Governor DeSantis and his Republican cohorts are the villains in this battle for the survival of our nation. Make no mistake- DeSantis and his advisors know that masks and vaccines work. But they see a political play here- DeSantis and his advisors can solidify his position as the number one contender against President Biden and secure the Republican base by playing to their fears. And if along the way a few million Americans die because they actually believe the bullshit DeSantis and his team are spreading, well, that is the costs of obtaining power.
This is what is occurring and it is sickening to watch.
SPEEDY TRIAL: ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS....IT TOLLS FOR THEE
Every day we get a few emails asking us to explain the speedy trial tolling provisions because of Covid. Speedy trial is tolled until Oct.4, 2021 for all defendants whose case began with an arrest on 3/13/2020 or before. The tolling stops on Jan.3, 2022, for all defendants whose case began with an arrest on 3/14/2020 or any day thereafter.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? THE FAMOUS JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE WILL BE FORMING SHORTLY. WATCH THE BLOG THIS WEEK FOR SIGNUP INSTRUCTIONS.
Your pea brain works to andavance one narrative: Republicans bad.
ReplyDeleteQuery: how did desantis and the evil Republicans convince black people to turn down the vaccine?
A common test of an advocate's talent is his ability to articulate his opponent's position, fair to the rival arguments' strengths and with understanding of their appeal to smart, sincere people.
ReplyDeleteHigh school debate coaches do this all the time. "Now argue the other side." If someone -- a high school debater or a high-priced attorney -- CANNOT make a compelling case for the other side, they likely do not understand the issues involved and their own case will suffer.
If Rumpole's best articulation of his opponent's argument is "they are terrified and dumb", that speaks volumes about the depth of his understanding.
You should be able to choose the vaccine for yourself and your family, and believe it is in everyone's best interest and still be able to appreciate the intelligence and merit of the rival argument. The same goes for mask mandates.
Vaccines are developed and approved over many years. This has been true since their invention. This is not because scientists are a bunch of spoilsports, wanting everyone to die. In the 30s a bad TB vaccine killed children. In the 50s a polio vaccine was given to thousands, paralyzing and killing many. In the 70s a Swine flu vaccine was rushed in an election year and resulted in an uptick of Guillain-Barre disease. In this century, a Lyme disease vaccine test showed 78% reduction in cases, with no safety concerns.... until many recipients, sickened, won lawsuits in 2002.
Vaccine science is SCIENCE: a series of tests and measurements and adjustments.
The warp speed vaccines brought to market in 2021 are a gamble. They rely on a trust in BigPharma that is likely unearned. These are extraordinary times. Many populations, from the rural poor, to African Americans, to undocumented immigrants, have tremendous cause to distrust the government. And all of us should distrust BigPharma, after it has spent the last 20 years flooding opioids into our country with no liability, making billions upon billions.
There are good reasons for anyone to be hesitant -- reasons not based in ignorance or dumb panic.
In the same way, arguments can be made about mask mandates. I won't add to the length of this post by making them, but any sincere and intelligent proponent of mask mandates OUGHT to spend the time to learn them, understand them, engage them.
I would like everyone to be masked. I would like everyone to get a vaccine.
But if the extent of my understanding, my empathy, my ability to inhabit the mind of someone who disagrees with me was "Youre a coward and youre dumb", I should likely just keep my mouth shut.
Hey idiot- you must be watching a lot of Fox TV. Try taking your head out of the Cheetos bag and at least pay attention. You haven't seen the dog-whistle interviews on Fox in which Republican politicians are hinting about the vaccine not having been fully tested ("it only has emergency use authorization, not full use authorization...it hasn't been fully tested....it takes years to successfully develop a safe vaccine....this reminds me of those awful experiments done on African Americans in the last century....").
ReplyDeleteI am advancing one narrative because I have seen the Republican party (of which I was a member since Ford ran for President) hijacked by mindless idiots who reject science and common sense.
Sure there are a few decent ones left- Lynn Cheney for one. But they are trying to kick her out.
There is no Republican party. It is dead. It lives only in name only. It is the Trump party. The man who has had three divorces, supported abortion rights for many years, fucks whores for money, brags about grabbing women by their pussies, cheated on his current wife when she was pregnant, and is somehow idolized by the religious right even though he cannot name one book of the Bible he has read.
The world is burning and the Republicans chant "drill baby drill".
Millions of Americans are dying of covid, and the Republicans chant "Fire Fauci" and "no masks!".
Republicans reject science. They reject facts in favor of ridiculous hope ("it will all just magically go away"= President Trump at the start of the pandemic, a statement he continually repeated up through the election when he predicted Covid would disappear the day after the election).
So yeah, I am blaming the DeSantis and Lindsey Graham's of the world for the Covid explosion we are now seeing.
“I’m not that confident,” Cuomo said, adding: “You’re going to say to the American people now, ‘Here’s a vaccine, it was new, it was done quickly, but trust this federal administration and their health administration that it’s safe? And we’re not 100 percent sure of the consequences.’ I think it’s going to be a very skeptical American public about taking the vaccine, and they should be.”
ReplyDeleteTrump has only been divorced twice … otherwise you are on the man here.
ReplyDelete"In the same way, arguments can be made about mask mandates. I won't add to the length of this post by making them, but any sincere and intelligent proponent of mask mandates OUGHT to spend the time to learn them, understand them, engage them."
ReplyDeleteNo. There are no intelligent arguments about masks. "My child's brain needs oxygen." No, your child is the child of idiots. His brain does not work because his genetic makeup is deficient.
A simple piece of fabric worn over the nose and mouth can stop the spread of disease. There is simply no reason not to take such a simple precaution. Florida is a second amendment loving "stand your ground" state. Anyone without a mask in public is an eminent threat to the safety of those around them. Isn't it time to use these firearms we all have to keep thoses who will not wear a mask confined to their homes where they belong?
"Debate" presupposes that the other side may have something going for it. But we do not "debate" the "question" of whether the earth is round. And we do not "debate" the "question" of whether masks and vaccines help stop the spread of disease.
ReplyDeleteBuck Henry is a genius defense lawyer in the movie. Highly recommended.
ReplyDelete