The broad points here are entirely correct but I think you are wrong about some of the specifics about health professionals and COVID.
With the early messaging about masks being ineffective (which they knew was a lie but thought was a noble lie to preserve masks for hospital), messaging about how even fully vaccinated people need to act as if they arent vaccinated, or boosters being unnecessary (another noble lie to force the USA to export more vaccines to foreign countries) the health organizations in this country have shown quite a willingness to prioritize messaging they think will manipulate behavior. I think our health organizations needed more scientific messaging with less concern for how their messaging will impact behavior. Let someone else figure that out, the scientists need to prioritize accurate scientific information.
This emphasis on messaging intended to take into account how the public will react to the message has made things worse not better.
This is why I'm critical of everyone involved, and unusual circumstances better reveal where the lines have always been and will be once non-covid issues become talking points again.
As much as it's been a struggle finding a safe norm, many stages of our society did not want to or knew how to stand still while a slow killer exists on our periphery. Adjusting to this may or may not improve our overall response time to issues, as past crisis have also done.
Terry Pratchett said it best. Nobody considers themselves the villain of their own story.
Or to put it another way; Everybody is in the Rebel Alliance.
Depending where you fall on the scale of power and self-determination, even the most selfish asshole in existence will spin some sort of narrative that paints himself in the right as either the downtrodden victim of a selfish uncaring society (therefore, anybody I hurt probably deserved it and the ends justify the means) or the lone wolf rebel/sheriff/self-made man and the only person capable of seeing clearly above the stupid/lazy/greedy crowd (therefore, anybody I hurt probably deserved it and the ends justify the means.)
Most people fall somewhere between the two polar extremes, where there's always some group of evil conspirators or an amorphous cloud of stupid greedy assholes out there trying to strip us of our dignity, power, and personal freedom, but whenever we do manage to gain a little control in the game (even if it's just putting a sassy bumper sticker on our car or posting a rant on facebook), any loss of dignity, power, or freedom that the other guys may experience as a result is fully justifiable and only causing them pain because they were jerks who were in the wrong to begin with.
Where this sort of thinking really breaks down and rises into bat-shit extremism in when there is incredibly overwhelming easily obtained information that your POV is not just wrong but *dangerously* wrong, and you have to really stretch the plausibility of your counter-narrative to explain why you're the good guy and these other people with their fancy "science" aren't merely incorrect... but EVIL.
Which is why we're now in a situation where an incredibly large section of the population legitimately believes that there's a satanic cabal of blood-drinking pedophiles Democrats ruling the world who eat fetuses to stay young, operate artificial weather machines and hire crisis actors to manufacture disasters and school shootings, and have paid off all the doctors and scientists as part of an elaborate conspiracy to seize our guns and personal freedom, force everybody to be gay, and make that bastion of pussy-grabbing human decency Donald Trump "look bad."
And while it seems like that should have absolutely nothing to do with whether it's basic common sense to fucking put on a mask to protect yourself from a terrible airborne illness that's pretty demonstratively all around you and already killed a shit-ton of people, these folks have been indoctrinated to believe "everything a Liberal says or does is wrong/immoral" and are constantly reassured of this position every day by Fox News, their local megachurch, and surrounding social group, to the point where agreeing with a Democrat about *anything* is akin to walking up to Hitler and giving him a big high-five.
If a satanic baby-eating Dracula wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and came up to you sinisterly hissing "Here, take this scarf and pair of mittens, it's cold outside and I don't want you to catch a chill. Mwahahahaha!" you'd definitely think twice about accepting the gift, even though you're shivering, it's the middle of winter and you can see snow falling from the sky. Because why would this clearly evil and immoral monster offer me something and tell me it's going to help me, if it wasn't a lure or trap of some kind? It must be some sort of evil social control experiment! Ha! I see through your clever ploy!
Get thee behind me Satan with your warm and fuzzy mittens of temptation!!! I care not that they bear image of adorable hedgehogs or small dogs in funny hats! I know that were I to accept such an offering, my very soul would be subject to eternal damnation! I must post to the YouTube and 4chan immediately to spread the word to others and warn them of this evil scheme to subvert human dignity by forcing them to become reliant upon the devil's fleecy outerwear!!!
Cool story, but a majority of the rational humans I know don't see your typical Democrat as evil in the slightest. People don't wear masks because they don't work, and there are epidemiologists who specialize in ppe that corroborate that if you took the time to look. If you're still really on the bandwagon of vaccine mandates and basically taking away the livelihoods of those who choose not to partake in getting the shot, I really don't know how you could honestly say it's the "other guys" that think you're the evil one. The fact that you're making it look like you believe getting the vaccine has anything to do with preventing the spread just kinda goes to show how misled you are. Because it doesn't. Just the other day the lancet published a study showing the 39% of all new infections spread from vaccinated individual to vaccinated individual
The main reason most people don't mask up in public is that it's mildly inconvenient, looks dorky, makes it harder to scream obscenities at the cashier, and lets everybody know you're one of those liberal pussies who cares about the health of others.
Nobody enjoys looking dorky, but to those who have politicized this to the point where they are willing to lose their jobs and livelihood over a simple mask mandate while painting their faces like Braveheart and crying "But nobody can take... OUR FREEDOM!!! ...to spread a highly communicable disease to as many strangers as possible!!!" I can only shrug and say, freedom of choice is not freedom from consequences. Also, please make sure you stand at least 6 feet away from me at all times and do your Braveheart yelling into a paper bag.
Nobody can force you to wear a mask or get vaccinated. It is 100% within your right to refuse to comply with simple health mandates due to your staunch religious, political, or crazy-pants pseudoscience belief about mercury, tracking chips, vaccine-shedding, social conditioning, or mRNA being a secret government experiment to transform us into lizard people.
You also aren't required to immunize your kids or yourself against Diptheria, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Polio, and Rubella, but everyone else who has to live in the same city or state as you is well within their rights to refuse your plague pit offspring access to daycare, public schools, soccer, gymboree, or anyplace else where your "choice" can endanger the safety of others.
Is it going to be an economic hardship that you now have to home school those little walking disease vectors yourself? Quite probably. The same with suddenly quitting your job and migrating your entire family to Bentknob, Texas, because your employers had the gall to say "we'd rather you not accidentally kill your customers/coworkers" and demand proof of vaccination... which they likely also did for TB and measles when you first applied to work there.
Though, because COVID is so insanely politicized at the moment, a lot of places where you're not directly interacting with extreme-risk populations, will compromise and if you really can't or won't get vaccinated, you can still keep your job if you go through the hassle of taking a COVID test 3 times a week to prove you're uninfected. Which *IS* a hassle, but having to set your alarm clock 15 minutes early and stick a Q-tip up your nose every other day is nowhere near the self-inflicted martyrdom of quitting your job, selling your house, and transporting your entire family three states over to a town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere so you can start your entire life over from scratch with the piece of mind that you're now free to spread any diseases to anybody else you wish.
1) I'm not talking about rational humans. I'm talking about the nearly one-in-five Americans that believe in QAnon conspiracies. (One-in-four if you're already a Republican.) Thankfully, that is *not* a majority, but it is still a massive fucking slice of the population. When you go to the doctor and he says "Good news, only 20% of your body is riddled with cancer!" your typical reaction is not going to be "Whew! At least it isn't a 51% majority, otherwise I'd be a goner for sure!"
2) My job is *literally* "guy in charge of making sure roughly 1,300 first responders have access to the PPE they need, and the training necessary to use that PPE effectively." And this sort of 'watched a couple of anti-vaxer YouTube videos and then smugly go around telling other better-informed people to "do their research"' bullshit is exactly why we're still ass-deep in what is now an endemic with no end in sight, that could have been contained two years ago had all the numbnut "mah personal freedoms!" idiots just behaved with the *tiniest* grain of personal responsibility and accepted a few minor inconveniences when the earliest strains of COVID first appeared on American shores.
But because nobody will cop to their poor decision-making being at least fractionally responsible for spreading a disease that has caused the death of over 800,000 Americans, we instead get a litany of increasingly far-fetched excuses and logical fallacies for why the antivaxxer position is the correct and freedom-loving thing to do and everyone else must be either propaganda-controlled sheeple or totalitarian Commie/Nazis who kick puppies and hate Christmas for even suggesting that other people should cover their goddamn face when they drive out to the local Pump-n-Munch for a couple of six-packs and a case of ciggies.
So, let me try to break down your strawman argument as best I can...
Your argument against vaccination and mask wearing (and by the way, I was specifically talking about mask wearing, vaccination is a whole other ball of wax, but since you brought it up, I'll talk about both) is that they "don't work" because they are not 100% effective and it is still possible to be infected, even if you have received both shots and wear a mask. Which is absolutely 100% true and nobody was denying.
And then you threw in some Lancet article statistics saying that 2/5 of new infections are spread from vaccinated individual to vaccinated individual, as if the fact that you can still get a less-severe breakthrough infection even after vaccination, was somehow A) news, B) relevant, and C) a sound logical argument AGAINST vaccinating yourself or wearing protection AT ALL.
By your logic, bullet proof vests "don't work" either, and it's pointless to ask somebody walking into an active shooter situation to put one on, because they don't look anywhere near as cool as a ripped John McClane T-shirt, and it is entirely possible to still be shot in the head or with a higher caliber bullet, so why would you even waste your time with something so obviously ineffective?
Since I do know something about epidemiology and PPE, and am required to provide OSHA-certified training on the subject, the very first thing we tell people in PPE training is that PPE is *NOT* a magical shield that will allow you to walk brazenly into any situation while the COVID virus pings harmlessly off your mask like bullets off of Superman's chest. It is personal PROTECTIVE equipment. Not a Super Mario Bros. invincibility star.
Short of performing your duties wearing a full Level A or B hazmat suit with built in SCBA and following all donning/doffing/decontamination procedures to the letter, there is always going to be a risk of infection.
But 95% effective (or 90% with a cloth mask over a surgical mask, 70% if both you and the other person are wearing cloth masks, or 30% with just a cloth mask and the other person is some anti-masker getting all up in your face and spattering you with saliva while comparing you to Hitler) is still better than 0% effective when everybody walks around like a lummox with no mask at all.
Just like when you and your sister-cousin are too wasted on MD 20/20 and Robitussin to reach into the glovebox for a condom, if your goal is to not appear on the Jerry Springer show 9 months from now, swearing you'll pull out at the last minute is at least a marginally more effective method of birth control than saying "Aww heck, ain't no stoppin' mother nature if she gets it into her mind to make you a baby daddy... might as well jizz wherever you want n' let God sort it out."
In perfect laboratory conditions, a standard NIOSH-certified N95 mask that has been properly fitted to your face with an extremely tight (and uncomfortable) sweat seal will be at best 95% effective at preventing the transmission of airborne microparticles. This does nothing to prevent surface contamination though, and the degree of protection drops significantly considering how much of a dumb-ass you are about wearing the thing only over your mouth, or with only one strap, or grabbing the soiled mask from the front and then reaching up inside to scratch your nose, rubbing your eyes, taking a leak, or putting your disgusting disease-encrusted fingers in contact with any other mucus membrane without fully washing or sanitizing your hands first.
But N95's are at the extreme end of PPE, and unless you're a dentist, triage nurse, or open heart surgeon nobody recommends that you wear them 100% of the time, because they are uncomfortable as fuck and while clinical tests have shown they don't actually do dick to reduce your blood oxygen level like some people claim, the increase in humidity and breathing resistance while wearing one does produce stress symptoms, an elevated heart rate, and general feelings of discomfort within the human body, causing people to *feel* like they aren't getting sufficient oxygen, often resulting in an overwhelming urge to lift the mask and take a deep breath when nobody's looking, sucking in all those delicious viral load microparticles and compromising the mask's integrity.
So from a "people gonna people" perspective, we typically recommend folks have a fresh N95 handy for when they're dealing with a high risk or known COVID-positive situation, "double bag it" with a cloth mask over a surgical mask when having face-to-face interactions with the general public or people known to be unvaccinated, and a cloth mask alone is fine if you're in the office where most staff are vaccinated and you're just walking down the hallway to get a cup of coffee or ask Susan if she's finished with those TPS reports.
Fortunately, there are a shitload of other options out there besides N95 masks that aren't 95% effective, but don't restrict your breathing in the slightest, and are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, like regular old surgical and cloth masks, or if you really want to maximize freedom and air intake, a face shield (ideally the kind with a built-in drape collar)
Now an incredibly small section of the population do have a legitimate medical reason why they can't be inoculated, though unless you're already super immune compromised (in which case COVID is especially likely to kill you) or have a history of extreme immune-reactions to vaccines (in which case you probably already carry an epipen and know that everything in the goddamn world wants to kill you), your probability of dying from catching COVID without vaccine protection is way higher than dying from a previously unexpectedly immune reaction to the mRNA vaccine itself.
But most humans are incredibly stupid when it comes to visualizing statistics involving large numbers which is why many still believe they have a chance of winning the lottery, dying in a plane crash, becoming a successful rapper, or dying from the COVID jab.
An equally tiny number of people may also have medical or psychological reason that they didn't make up on the spot themselves for why they can't wear a mask, even a lightweight breathable cloth or surgical one. But unless you're missing both your ears or severely autistic, there's no reason why you can't at least wear a face shield in public... Other than the obvious one of being a totally self-centered dick.
Jeez I had no idea you were a professional mask allocator. And you tell people how to correctly wear them? Professionally? Terribly sorry, how could I have been so smug? AndWhich rational humans? The ones using the paper masks that were just hanging from their rear view, calling them effective when any selfish idiot anti vaxxer could tell you any studies showing anything near marginal efficacy were on n95s? Or the rational humans saying "I did this for other people. I did this so I could hug my grandma when I visit her every week" when any pos ignorant anti vaxxer (or i guess gates and fauci) could tell you that these vaccines were never designed to [and do not] prevent transmission. The vaccines initially existed with the idea that they would prevent or lessen illness, even though we're seeing Cornell, with a100% vaccination rate having outbreaks. Or on an even larger scale in Gibraltar. And I guess we shouldn't even get started on vaers reports, specifically in children, when we already have over 13000 of them diagnosed with heart inflammation directly attributable to taking the vaccine. These clearly aren't viable solutions when looked at through the lens of public health. Private profits on the other hand... I Totally would've been fine with them being MARKETED to at risk populations and not having mandates coming down from one of the entities that financed the damn things. Still telling yourself you're somehow protecting the health of others by taking a vaccine that doesn't affect transmission? peak clown world. If you had an ounce of sense in your brain and truly wanted to reduce transmission you would look at what countries like Bangladesh have done. 180 million people basically living on top of each other in cities like Dhaka, and their weekly case rate is in the hundreds. All you need to do is a mild antiseptic nasal spray/ neti pot and gargle before but more importantly after coming into contact with large groups. .5% povidone iodine, betadine, hydrogen peroxide or even yes dilute sodium hypochlorite.
Or maybe we should talk about the strange absence or downright demonization of the plethora of possible off label, outpatient-available, anti viral/ anti coagulation/ anti inflammation/ cell fortifying treatments that could've been used cheaply and safely in tandem[ as all viral treatments are supposed to be used (but I'm sure you picked that up handing out the masks)]. Why would people want to paint this picture of "get the vaccine, because otherwise you're not going to receive treatment until you need to be hospitalized"? And then once you need to be hospitalized, and the virus is just about done replicating, and you're already experiencing the cytokine storm, you're given something like remdesivir. Even though you've already passed the window of opportunity where it would've been effective. And the most likely outcome in this situation will be renal or hepatic toxicity, then stories about it that conveniently leave out the whole "this should've been used two weeks ago" part. But again I'm sure the mask business has kept you privy to all this stuff I'm just further callusing your ears roflmaolol.
There's a lot of sense here, but I don't agree with this "human behaviour is what it is" line. It assumes that human nature is immutable AND universal. When this article talks about "human behaviour" it really means "American behaviour" - other countries around the world had populations who were much more willing to accept restrictions and follow mandates for the greater good and have had a much less harmful experience of Covid as a result. And you don't need to look back very far in history at all to see how some attitudes and behaviours have changed quite drastically in a fairly short amount of time.
I think Jason's point was that once humans make up their mind that something is "good" or "evil" it completely cements their POV and no amount of shaming or statistics will change it.
Seriously, you can brow-beat these ignorant fucks until you're blue in the face, trot out statistic after statistic and as much hard evidence as you like to try to convince them that their position is wrong and they're doing themselves and others harm. The fact of the matter is, they've been indoctrinated to believe "everything a Liberal says or does is wrong" and are constantly reassured of this position every day by Fox News, their local megachurch, and surrounding social group. So there's always some sort of counter-narrative they can come up with for why your so-called evidence and "science" is wrong. And the more blatantly obvious that what you're saying makes perfect sense and is backed up by strong arguments which they can clearly see based on the evidence of their own eyes, the wilder and more fantastical that counter-argument has to become in order to counter it.
I didn't say *all* other countries apart from the US complied with restrictions nicely, but some did - this idea that lockdowns and mandates are a waste of time because people (or rather, enough people) won't abide by them isn't a universal truth. And compliance doesn't have to mean 100% compliance - everywhere has dissenters to some degree, but in some places the proportion of people who were willing to abide by restrictions was high enough for those restrictions to do their job.
Jason great article though I am skeptical of your assertion that you live in an air tight left wing bubble. I have noticed you regularly assert this but you obviously consume a greater diversity of media and opinions than that. Not sure why you feel the need to preface so many of your opinions with this.
He has talked about how his roots are right wing and this is where much of the diversity may have come from. These days, it may be true that his close social circle isn't very diverse. Or, he is just trying to acknowledge his implicit biases and maybe over correcting a little rather than not correcting enough
I broadly agree. And tax carbon and increase the cost in real terms over time. You'll truly set the world on the path to innovation and fixing the climate crisis that way.
But also there are ways to change american attitudes and equally there are also negative externalities beyond simple carbon emissions if we want a better quality of life.
I'm very pro-make people's lives radically better in low carbon, non destructive ways.
The problem with a big chunk of this article is that you imagine certain changes like switching to bikes/ebikes/public transport and general new urbanism related things are downgrades. They really really aren't. It's just most people have never lived somewhere with great public transport infrastructure or where it's safe and convenient to cycle.
When you've experienced not having to own a car, or even if you own one when you don't have to use it because cycling and public transport is just a better option then you realise just how much of a downgrade a car is.
I have a car, since moving I barely ever use it to do anything other than go on the 80 mile round trip to my dad's in the middle of nowhere. I'm tempted to get rid of it and join a car club. That's because getting on the bike or ebike (they have a thing called coats in the rain) is so much better. It's practical, convenient, faster within the city. I even have a little trailer come cart for it when I want to do a big shop etc. Coats exist for rainy days etc. And the real secret is cycling to get around is fun and pleasant in a way driving 99% of the time simply isn't.
There is a reason why it's perceived (although not really backed up by the reality for obvious reasons) that cyclists are all wealthy middle class types and cycle lanes are signifiers of gentrification and so on (again not really true).
But those people exist. These are people who aren't cycling for ideological reasons, they are wealthy people who could drive, but have improved their quality of life by not driving.
Also the literal deadly negative externalities of cars are so significant that you really do need to curb them. SUV/trucks need fundamental regulation and redesign to focus on pedestrian safety. They've wiped out all gains in the past 30 years from improving the built environment. They've killed thousands and maimed hundreds of thousands more than would have died if cars had stayed the same size as they were in the 90s.
Those points about bikes are correct. I've switched going to work by bike because I gained much weight during the pandemic and my car sits in the garage mostly only using it when driving to the countryside, no sesrching for parking spaces and I feel a lot better physically and mentally.
You aren't going to make 100x more eficient and clean energy sources without funding and you're not gonna get them installed with oil companies getting in the way. One of the biggest instruments of social change has been literal old age death of those in power. Maybe we can't wait for old age this time.
The one thing I try to pass along to my kids is to be careful of people who trade in absolutes. Humans like certainties (they're very addictive!) and hate uncertainties. However, if you've lived long enough, you know absolutes and certainties exist only in pronouncement and very rarely in reality.
Journalism most certainly trades in absolutes, depending on the political slant of the media outlet. It takes a lot of work to understand both sides of a disagreement. (I don't believe there are any large 'news' operations that aren't tainted with biases. There never has been, probably never will be). Most people don't want to do the work. And for one reason: most people are in 'survival mode'. This doesn't allow for nuance.
Relying on self-professed 'trusted sources' is what most people fall back on. I believe this is called the Tyranny of The Expert. No matter where you sit (left, center or right), guaranteed, YOUR trusted experts are saying not to trust THOSE experts. We really need to stop and ask 'why?'
I've found that most people agree on subjects that might be controversial, but differ on methods of correction because those methods are usually painful for all parties involved, and people like to avoid pain.
As for your hypothetical at the top of the essay, I'd say that, yes, accountability is important, as is reconciliation and forgiveness. Please note that none of these words are synonyms for punishment or retribution. So even cured of their "criminality" they still should be held accountable. For some people the other two can happen concurrently, but for many, accountability has to come first. Every situation is unique. As is every person.
Jason, I think article was well written. I am concerned that this has to be written for adults who see the world as black and white. I would encourage people to try and understand why people have an opposing view instead of just writing someone off as evil. If you understand what is behind the behavior you find “evil” you may find you understand them better and can address their concerns instead of just attacking them. It is also possible you may find some common ground or it could even (gasp!) affect your own views. Many times demonizing others just causes them to dig in their heels and can make things worse.
> If you found out a loved one was falling down a rabbit hole of racist propaganda and Great Replacement conspiracy videos, how would you dissuade them?
The problem with debunking "great replacement" is that it is practically the same idea as "emerging democratic minority" only with connotations reversed. Dunno if it is true or false -- Ruy Teixeira, a guy who invented "emerging democratic minority" has since abandoned the idea -- but before you go to "debunk" "conspiracy theories," please make sure you don't believe in something similar yourself.
Also, here's what Ruy Teixeira is saying now (his points about "technopesimism" are really compatible with what you wrote):
Excellent work. I'm a nurse with a minor in psych. You pretty much nailed it on every level...which is scary. It's a good thing you are a "fiction writer", otherwise the MIB would make you disappear. FYI: I felt the same way about Jon Stewart when he was on the air. He bitch-smacked politicians and Fox/Faux News so hard with the facts that I thought he was going to get assassinated or maybe just killed by some right-winger. After a while, I realized that he probably got away with it because it was on Comedy Central and wasn't "real news".
Jason, might I suggest no longer using numbered lists in your posts? I understand driving internet traffic was probably the reason for that method in the Cracked days but I don't think it is necessary anymore.
Or you could completely ignore me since you know far more about writing for an audience on the internet. I will continue reading regardless, albeit while silently seething.
It was a dude in a thong, with an American cape on I believe, singing into a mic as a band plays and flapping his dick at people. Every seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I tried to see if the way back machine would find but I cant get it to load.
Can't agree with this one, Jason. Let's say such a pill did exist. You know what that would be? A get out of jail free card. A rapist would very much go on doing what he enjoys most, i.e., ravaging people's lifes and, if he never get caught, so much for the better. If he did get caught, well, a single pill and that's it. And in my country, very recently we had a high profile banker convicted of major fraud and illegaly getting millions into his accounts. What would happen then? Take the pill and continue living with all of the money? And if he never get caught?
And let's say nothing about a mind-rewiring drug held by the government. Can't imagine that one being used wrongly, oh no.
I feel like you should really think about your punishment angle. Isn't the punishment supposed to be a deterrent? In the thought experiment the pill actually works. Why do they need to be punished now that they are certifiably good people who won't do bad things anymore?
Of course this is a fantasy, that's why it's a thought experiment. You have revealed that you would still have them punished if guaranteed they will never offend again. Punishment doesn't undo crimes so they will still "get away with it" unless you kill them.
Then, why wait for the crime to happen at all. Why don't we just give the pill to every newborn? Wouldn't that be the most human solution, all crime, erradicated even before it could form itself in the minds of people?
I mean I guess so, but you're kind of missing the point. We literally do our best to do this by teaching kids how to act. Culture is our best attempt at that pill. Religion and morals and ethics and all that is us trying to do what you just proposed.
I didn't type this well but the point of the thought experiment isn't about that stuff I just typed, I was responding to your question. Should have put a break between the first sentence and the rest.
Also worthy of note: a lot of agitators on both sides are doing it mostly for the money. Would you blindly trust, and follow the advice of someone who has no issue with dividing and harming society to line their pockets? Don't believe everything they tell you; the truth is often a lot more nuanced. Your "enemy" isn't as despicable as those with coin in the game would have you believe.
The broad points here are entirely correct but I think you are wrong about some of the specifics about health professionals and COVID.
With the early messaging about masks being ineffective (which they knew was a lie but thought was a noble lie to preserve masks for hospital), messaging about how even fully vaccinated people need to act as if they arent vaccinated, or boosters being unnecessary (another noble lie to force the USA to export more vaccines to foreign countries) the health organizations in this country have shown quite a willingness to prioritize messaging they think will manipulate behavior. I think our health organizations needed more scientific messaging with less concern for how their messaging will impact behavior. Let someone else figure that out, the scientists need to prioritize accurate scientific information.
This emphasis on messaging intended to take into account how the public will react to the message has made things worse not better.
This is why I'm critical of everyone involved, and unusual circumstances better reveal where the lines have always been and will be once non-covid issues become talking points again.
As much as it's been a struggle finding a safe norm, many stages of our society did not want to or knew how to stand still while a slow killer exists on our periphery. Adjusting to this may or may not improve our overall response time to issues, as past crisis have also done.
Terry Pratchett said it best. Nobody considers themselves the villain of their own story.
Or to put it another way; Everybody is in the Rebel Alliance.
Depending where you fall on the scale of power and self-determination, even the most selfish asshole in existence will spin some sort of narrative that paints himself in the right as either the downtrodden victim of a selfish uncaring society (therefore, anybody I hurt probably deserved it and the ends justify the means) or the lone wolf rebel/sheriff/self-made man and the only person capable of seeing clearly above the stupid/lazy/greedy crowd (therefore, anybody I hurt probably deserved it and the ends justify the means.)
Most people fall somewhere between the two polar extremes, where there's always some group of evil conspirators or an amorphous cloud of stupid greedy assholes out there trying to strip us of our dignity, power, and personal freedom, but whenever we do manage to gain a little control in the game (even if it's just putting a sassy bumper sticker on our car or posting a rant on facebook), any loss of dignity, power, or freedom that the other guys may experience as a result is fully justifiable and only causing them pain because they were jerks who were in the wrong to begin with.
Where this sort of thinking really breaks down and rises into bat-shit extremism in when there is incredibly overwhelming easily obtained information that your POV is not just wrong but *dangerously* wrong, and you have to really stretch the plausibility of your counter-narrative to explain why you're the good guy and these other people with their fancy "science" aren't merely incorrect... but EVIL.
Which is why we're now in a situation where an incredibly large section of the population legitimately believes that there's a satanic cabal of blood-drinking pedophiles Democrats ruling the world who eat fetuses to stay young, operate artificial weather machines and hire crisis actors to manufacture disasters and school shootings, and have paid off all the doctors and scientists as part of an elaborate conspiracy to seize our guns and personal freedom, force everybody to be gay, and make that bastion of pussy-grabbing human decency Donald Trump "look bad."
And while it seems like that should have absolutely nothing to do with whether it's basic common sense to fucking put on a mask to protect yourself from a terrible airborne illness that's pretty demonstratively all around you and already killed a shit-ton of people, these folks have been indoctrinated to believe "everything a Liberal says or does is wrong/immoral" and are constantly reassured of this position every day by Fox News, their local megachurch, and surrounding social group, to the point where agreeing with a Democrat about *anything* is akin to walking up to Hitler and giving him a big high-five.
If a satanic baby-eating Dracula wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and came up to you sinisterly hissing "Here, take this scarf and pair of mittens, it's cold outside and I don't want you to catch a chill. Mwahahahaha!" you'd definitely think twice about accepting the gift, even though you're shivering, it's the middle of winter and you can see snow falling from the sky. Because why would this clearly evil and immoral monster offer me something and tell me it's going to help me, if it wasn't a lure or trap of some kind? It must be some sort of evil social control experiment! Ha! I see through your clever ploy!
Get thee behind me Satan with your warm and fuzzy mittens of temptation!!! I care not that they bear image of adorable hedgehogs or small dogs in funny hats! I know that were I to accept such an offering, my very soul would be subject to eternal damnation! I must post to the YouTube and 4chan immediately to spread the word to others and warn them of this evil scheme to subvert human dignity by forcing them to become reliant upon the devil's fleecy outerwear!!!
Cool story, but a majority of the rational humans I know don't see your typical Democrat as evil in the slightest. People don't wear masks because they don't work, and there are epidemiologists who specialize in ppe that corroborate that if you took the time to look. If you're still really on the bandwagon of vaccine mandates and basically taking away the livelihoods of those who choose not to partake in getting the shot, I really don't know how you could honestly say it's the "other guys" that think you're the evil one. The fact that you're making it look like you believe getting the vaccine has anything to do with preventing the spread just kinda goes to show how misled you are. Because it doesn't. Just the other day the lancet published a study showing the 39% of all new infections spread from vaccinated individual to vaccinated individual
The main reason most people don't mask up in public is that it's mildly inconvenient, looks dorky, makes it harder to scream obscenities at the cashier, and lets everybody know you're one of those liberal pussies who cares about the health of others.
Nobody enjoys looking dorky, but to those who have politicized this to the point where they are willing to lose their jobs and livelihood over a simple mask mandate while painting their faces like Braveheart and crying "But nobody can take... OUR FREEDOM!!! ...to spread a highly communicable disease to as many strangers as possible!!!" I can only shrug and say, freedom of choice is not freedom from consequences. Also, please make sure you stand at least 6 feet away from me at all times and do your Braveheart yelling into a paper bag.
Nobody can force you to wear a mask or get vaccinated. It is 100% within your right to refuse to comply with simple health mandates due to your staunch religious, political, or crazy-pants pseudoscience belief about mercury, tracking chips, vaccine-shedding, social conditioning, or mRNA being a secret government experiment to transform us into lizard people.
You also aren't required to immunize your kids or yourself against Diptheria, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Polio, and Rubella, but everyone else who has to live in the same city or state as you is well within their rights to refuse your plague pit offspring access to daycare, public schools, soccer, gymboree, or anyplace else where your "choice" can endanger the safety of others.
Is it going to be an economic hardship that you now have to home school those little walking disease vectors yourself? Quite probably. The same with suddenly quitting your job and migrating your entire family to Bentknob, Texas, because your employers had the gall to say "we'd rather you not accidentally kill your customers/coworkers" and demand proof of vaccination... which they likely also did for TB and measles when you first applied to work there.
Though, because COVID is so insanely politicized at the moment, a lot of places where you're not directly interacting with extreme-risk populations, will compromise and if you really can't or won't get vaccinated, you can still keep your job if you go through the hassle of taking a COVID test 3 times a week to prove you're uninfected. Which *IS* a hassle, but having to set your alarm clock 15 minutes early and stick a Q-tip up your nose every other day is nowhere near the self-inflicted martyrdom of quitting your job, selling your house, and transporting your entire family three states over to a town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere so you can start your entire life over from scratch with the piece of mind that you're now free to spread any diseases to anybody else you wish.
1) I'm not talking about rational humans. I'm talking about the nearly one-in-five Americans that believe in QAnon conspiracies. (One-in-four if you're already a Republican.) Thankfully, that is *not* a majority, but it is still a massive fucking slice of the population. When you go to the doctor and he says "Good news, only 20% of your body is riddled with cancer!" your typical reaction is not going to be "Whew! At least it isn't a 51% majority, otherwise I'd be a goner for sure!"
2) My job is *literally* "guy in charge of making sure roughly 1,300 first responders have access to the PPE they need, and the training necessary to use that PPE effectively." And this sort of 'watched a couple of anti-vaxer YouTube videos and then smugly go around telling other better-informed people to "do their research"' bullshit is exactly why we're still ass-deep in what is now an endemic with no end in sight, that could have been contained two years ago had all the numbnut "mah personal freedoms!" idiots just behaved with the *tiniest* grain of personal responsibility and accepted a few minor inconveniences when the earliest strains of COVID first appeared on American shores.
But because nobody will cop to their poor decision-making being at least fractionally responsible for spreading a disease that has caused the death of over 800,000 Americans, we instead get a litany of increasingly far-fetched excuses and logical fallacies for why the antivaxxer position is the correct and freedom-loving thing to do and everyone else must be either propaganda-controlled sheeple or totalitarian Commie/Nazis who kick puppies and hate Christmas for even suggesting that other people should cover their goddamn face when they drive out to the local Pump-n-Munch for a couple of six-packs and a case of ciggies.
So, let me try to break down your strawman argument as best I can...
Your argument against vaccination and mask wearing (and by the way, I was specifically talking about mask wearing, vaccination is a whole other ball of wax, but since you brought it up, I'll talk about both) is that they "don't work" because they are not 100% effective and it is still possible to be infected, even if you have received both shots and wear a mask. Which is absolutely 100% true and nobody was denying.
And then you threw in some Lancet article statistics saying that 2/5 of new infections are spread from vaccinated individual to vaccinated individual, as if the fact that you can still get a less-severe breakthrough infection even after vaccination, was somehow A) news, B) relevant, and C) a sound logical argument AGAINST vaccinating yourself or wearing protection AT ALL.
By your logic, bullet proof vests "don't work" either, and it's pointless to ask somebody walking into an active shooter situation to put one on, because they don't look anywhere near as cool as a ripped John McClane T-shirt, and it is entirely possible to still be shot in the head or with a higher caliber bullet, so why would you even waste your time with something so obviously ineffective?
Since I do know something about epidemiology and PPE, and am required to provide OSHA-certified training on the subject, the very first thing we tell people in PPE training is that PPE is *NOT* a magical shield that will allow you to walk brazenly into any situation while the COVID virus pings harmlessly off your mask like bullets off of Superman's chest. It is personal PROTECTIVE equipment. Not a Super Mario Bros. invincibility star.
Short of performing your duties wearing a full Level A or B hazmat suit with built in SCBA and following all donning/doffing/decontamination procedures to the letter, there is always going to be a risk of infection.
But 95% effective (or 90% with a cloth mask over a surgical mask, 70% if both you and the other person are wearing cloth masks, or 30% with just a cloth mask and the other person is some anti-masker getting all up in your face and spattering you with saliva while comparing you to Hitler) is still better than 0% effective when everybody walks around like a lummox with no mask at all.
Just like when you and your sister-cousin are too wasted on MD 20/20 and Robitussin to reach into the glovebox for a condom, if your goal is to not appear on the Jerry Springer show 9 months from now, swearing you'll pull out at the last minute is at least a marginally more effective method of birth control than saying "Aww heck, ain't no stoppin' mother nature if she gets it into her mind to make you a baby daddy... might as well jizz wherever you want n' let God sort it out."
In perfect laboratory conditions, a standard NIOSH-certified N95 mask that has been properly fitted to your face with an extremely tight (and uncomfortable) sweat seal will be at best 95% effective at preventing the transmission of airborne microparticles. This does nothing to prevent surface contamination though, and the degree of protection drops significantly considering how much of a dumb-ass you are about wearing the thing only over your mouth, or with only one strap, or grabbing the soiled mask from the front and then reaching up inside to scratch your nose, rubbing your eyes, taking a leak, or putting your disgusting disease-encrusted fingers in contact with any other mucus membrane without fully washing or sanitizing your hands first.
But N95's are at the extreme end of PPE, and unless you're a dentist, triage nurse, or open heart surgeon nobody recommends that you wear them 100% of the time, because they are uncomfortable as fuck and while clinical tests have shown they don't actually do dick to reduce your blood oxygen level like some people claim, the increase in humidity and breathing resistance while wearing one does produce stress symptoms, an elevated heart rate, and general feelings of discomfort within the human body, causing people to *feel* like they aren't getting sufficient oxygen, often resulting in an overwhelming urge to lift the mask and take a deep breath when nobody's looking, sucking in all those delicious viral load microparticles and compromising the mask's integrity.
So from a "people gonna people" perspective, we typically recommend folks have a fresh N95 handy for when they're dealing with a high risk or known COVID-positive situation, "double bag it" with a cloth mask over a surgical mask when having face-to-face interactions with the general public or people known to be unvaccinated, and a cloth mask alone is fine if you're in the office where most staff are vaccinated and you're just walking down the hallway to get a cup of coffee or ask Susan if she's finished with those TPS reports.
Fortunately, there are a shitload of other options out there besides N95 masks that aren't 95% effective, but don't restrict your breathing in the slightest, and are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, like regular old surgical and cloth masks, or if you really want to maximize freedom and air intake, a face shield (ideally the kind with a built-in drape collar)
Now an incredibly small section of the population do have a legitimate medical reason why they can't be inoculated, though unless you're already super immune compromised (in which case COVID is especially likely to kill you) or have a history of extreme immune-reactions to vaccines (in which case you probably already carry an epipen and know that everything in the goddamn world wants to kill you), your probability of dying from catching COVID without vaccine protection is way higher than dying from a previously unexpectedly immune reaction to the mRNA vaccine itself.
But most humans are incredibly stupid when it comes to visualizing statistics involving large numbers which is why many still believe they have a chance of winning the lottery, dying in a plane crash, becoming a successful rapper, or dying from the COVID jab.
An equally tiny number of people may also have medical or psychological reason that they didn't make up on the spot themselves for why they can't wear a mask, even a lightweight breathable cloth or surgical one. But unless you're missing both your ears or severely autistic, there's no reason why you can't at least wear a face shield in public... Other than the obvious one of being a totally self-centered dick.
Jeez I had no idea you were a professional mask allocator. And you tell people how to correctly wear them? Professionally? Terribly sorry, how could I have been so smug? AndWhich rational humans? The ones using the paper masks that were just hanging from their rear view, calling them effective when any selfish idiot anti vaxxer could tell you any studies showing anything near marginal efficacy were on n95s? Or the rational humans saying "I did this for other people. I did this so I could hug my grandma when I visit her every week" when any pos ignorant anti vaxxer (or i guess gates and fauci) could tell you that these vaccines were never designed to [and do not] prevent transmission. The vaccines initially existed with the idea that they would prevent or lessen illness, even though we're seeing Cornell, with a100% vaccination rate having outbreaks. Or on an even larger scale in Gibraltar. And I guess we shouldn't even get started on vaers reports, specifically in children, when we already have over 13000 of them diagnosed with heart inflammation directly attributable to taking the vaccine. These clearly aren't viable solutions when looked at through the lens of public health. Private profits on the other hand... I Totally would've been fine with them being MARKETED to at risk populations and not having mandates coming down from one of the entities that financed the damn things. Still telling yourself you're somehow protecting the health of others by taking a vaccine that doesn't affect transmission? peak clown world. If you had an ounce of sense in your brain and truly wanted to reduce transmission you would look at what countries like Bangladesh have done. 180 million people basically living on top of each other in cities like Dhaka, and their weekly case rate is in the hundreds. All you need to do is a mild antiseptic nasal spray/ neti pot and gargle before but more importantly after coming into contact with large groups. .5% povidone iodine, betadine, hydrogen peroxide or even yes dilute sodium hypochlorite.
Or maybe we should talk about the strange absence or downright demonization of the plethora of possible off label, outpatient-available, anti viral/ anti coagulation/ anti inflammation/ cell fortifying treatments that could've been used cheaply and safely in tandem[ as all viral treatments are supposed to be used (but I'm sure you picked that up handing out the masks)]. Why would people want to paint this picture of "get the vaccine, because otherwise you're not going to receive treatment until you need to be hospitalized"? And then once you need to be hospitalized, and the virus is just about done replicating, and you're already experiencing the cytokine storm, you're given something like remdesivir. Even though you've already passed the window of opportunity where it would've been effective. And the most likely outcome in this situation will be renal or hepatic toxicity, then stories about it that conveniently leave out the whole "this should've been used two weeks ago" part. But again I'm sure the mask business has kept you privy to all this stuff I'm just further callusing your ears roflmaolol.
Dr. Lean Wen, CNN medical adviser: "Cloth masks are little more than facial decoration. There's no place for them among omicron."
There's a lot of sense here, but I don't agree with this "human behaviour is what it is" line. It assumes that human nature is immutable AND universal. When this article talks about "human behaviour" it really means "American behaviour" - other countries around the world had populations who were much more willing to accept restrictions and follow mandates for the greater good and have had a much less harmful experience of Covid as a result. And you don't need to look back very far in history at all to see how some attitudes and behaviours have changed quite drastically in a fairly short amount of time.
I think Jason's point was that once humans make up their mind that something is "good" or "evil" it completely cements their POV and no amount of shaming or statistics will change it.
Seriously, you can brow-beat these ignorant fucks until you're blue in the face, trot out statistic after statistic and as much hard evidence as you like to try to convince them that their position is wrong and they're doing themselves and others harm. The fact of the matter is, they've been indoctrinated to believe "everything a Liberal says or does is wrong" and are constantly reassured of this position every day by Fox News, their local megachurch, and surrounding social group. So there's always some sort of counter-narrative they can come up with for why your so-called evidence and "science" is wrong. And the more blatantly obvious that what you're saying makes perfect sense and is backed up by strong arguments which they can clearly see based on the evidence of their own eyes, the wilder and more fantastical that counter-argument has to become in order to counter it.
Umm have you been paying attention to Europe? In the past month there has been a LOT of civil unrest. And I say that loosely without saying “rioting”
I didn't say *all* other countries apart from the US complied with restrictions nicely, but some did - this idea that lockdowns and mandates are a waste of time because people (or rather, enough people) won't abide by them isn't a universal truth. And compliance doesn't have to mean 100% compliance - everywhere has dissenters to some degree, but in some places the proportion of people who were willing to abide by restrictions was high enough for those restrictions to do their job.
Where?
Jason great article though I am skeptical of your assertion that you live in an air tight left wing bubble. I have noticed you regularly assert this but you obviously consume a greater diversity of media and opinions than that. Not sure why you feel the need to preface so many of your opinions with this.
He has talked about how his roots are right wing and this is where much of the diversity may have come from. These days, it may be true that his close social circle isn't very diverse. Or, he is just trying to acknowledge his implicit biases and maybe over correcting a little rather than not correcting enough
I broadly agree. And tax carbon and increase the cost in real terms over time. You'll truly set the world on the path to innovation and fixing the climate crisis that way.
But also there are ways to change american attitudes and equally there are also negative externalities beyond simple carbon emissions if we want a better quality of life.
I'm very pro-make people's lives radically better in low carbon, non destructive ways.
The problem with a big chunk of this article is that you imagine certain changes like switching to bikes/ebikes/public transport and general new urbanism related things are downgrades. They really really aren't. It's just most people have never lived somewhere with great public transport infrastructure or where it's safe and convenient to cycle.
When you've experienced not having to own a car, or even if you own one when you don't have to use it because cycling and public transport is just a better option then you realise just how much of a downgrade a car is.
I have a car, since moving I barely ever use it to do anything other than go on the 80 mile round trip to my dad's in the middle of nowhere. I'm tempted to get rid of it and join a car club. That's because getting on the bike or ebike (they have a thing called coats in the rain) is so much better. It's practical, convenient, faster within the city. I even have a little trailer come cart for it when I want to do a big shop etc. Coats exist for rainy days etc. And the real secret is cycling to get around is fun and pleasant in a way driving 99% of the time simply isn't.
There is a reason why it's perceived (although not really backed up by the reality for obvious reasons) that cyclists are all wealthy middle class types and cycle lanes are signifiers of gentrification and so on (again not really true).
But those people exist. These are people who aren't cycling for ideological reasons, they are wealthy people who could drive, but have improved their quality of life by not driving.
Also the literal deadly negative externalities of cars are so significant that you really do need to curb them. SUV/trucks need fundamental regulation and redesign to focus on pedestrian safety. They've wiped out all gains in the past 30 years from improving the built environment. They've killed thousands and maimed hundreds of thousands more than would have died if cars had stayed the same size as they were in the 90s.
Those points about bikes are correct. I've switched going to work by bike because I gained much weight during the pandemic and my car sits in the garage mostly only using it when driving to the countryside, no sesrching for parking spaces and I feel a lot better physically and mentally.
You sound super fun at parties.
I'm pretty good.
You aren't going to make 100x more eficient and clean energy sources without funding and you're not gonna get them installed with oil companies getting in the way. One of the biggest instruments of social change has been literal old age death of those in power. Maybe we can't wait for old age this time.
The one thing I try to pass along to my kids is to be careful of people who trade in absolutes. Humans like certainties (they're very addictive!) and hate uncertainties. However, if you've lived long enough, you know absolutes and certainties exist only in pronouncement and very rarely in reality.
Journalism most certainly trades in absolutes, depending on the political slant of the media outlet. It takes a lot of work to understand both sides of a disagreement. (I don't believe there are any large 'news' operations that aren't tainted with biases. There never has been, probably never will be). Most people don't want to do the work. And for one reason: most people are in 'survival mode'. This doesn't allow for nuance.
Relying on self-professed 'trusted sources' is what most people fall back on. I believe this is called the Tyranny of The Expert. No matter where you sit (left, center or right), guaranteed, YOUR trusted experts are saying not to trust THOSE experts. We really need to stop and ask 'why?'
I've found that most people agree on subjects that might be controversial, but differ on methods of correction because those methods are usually painful for all parties involved, and people like to avoid pain.
As for your hypothetical at the top of the essay, I'd say that, yes, accountability is important, as is reconciliation and forgiveness. Please note that none of these words are synonyms for punishment or retribution. So even cured of their "criminality" they still should be held accountable. For some people the other two can happen concurrently, but for many, accountability has to come first. Every situation is unique. As is every person.
Jason, I think article was well written. I am concerned that this has to be written for adults who see the world as black and white. I would encourage people to try and understand why people have an opposing view instead of just writing someone off as evil. If you understand what is behind the behavior you find “evil” you may find you understand them better and can address their concerns instead of just attacking them. It is also possible you may find some common ground or it could even (gasp!) affect your own views. Many times demonizing others just causes them to dig in their heels and can make things worse.
This relies too much on viscous abstraction.
> If you found out a loved one was falling down a rabbit hole of racist propaganda and Great Replacement conspiracy videos, how would you dissuade them?
The problem with debunking "great replacement" is that it is practically the same idea as "emerging democratic minority" only with connotations reversed. Dunno if it is true or false -- Ruy Teixeira, a guy who invented "emerging democratic minority" has since abandoned the idea -- but before you go to "debunk" "conspiracy theories," please make sure you don't believe in something similar yourself.
Also, here's what Ruy Teixeira is saying now (his points about "technopesimism" are really compatible with what you wrote):
https://americancompass.org/essays/the-five-deadly-sins-of-the-left/
https://theliberalpatriot.substack.com/p/the-democrats-hispanic-voter-problem-dfc
Excellent work. I'm a nurse with a minor in psych. You pretty much nailed it on every level...which is scary. It's a good thing you are a "fiction writer", otherwise the MIB would make you disappear. FYI: I felt the same way about Jon Stewart when he was on the air. He bitch-smacked politicians and Fox/Faux News so hard with the facts that I thought he was going to get assassinated or maybe just killed by some right-winger. After a while, I realized that he probably got away with it because it was on Comedy Central and wasn't "real news".
Jason, might I suggest no longer using numbered lists in your posts? I understand driving internet traffic was probably the reason for that method in the Cracked days but I don't think it is necessary anymore.
Or you could completely ignore me since you know far more about writing for an audience on the internet. I will continue reading regardless, albeit while silently seething.
Keep up the good work!
This shit was fire!
Jason, could be a long shot but I came across your old 6 harsh truths column (https://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person) and there is a part in the article where you have "Here's another video (NSFW)" but the link appears to be broken.
Just curious what that clip was if you remember. Thanks!
It was a dude in a thong, with an American cape on I believe, singing into a mic as a band plays and flapping his dick at people. Every seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I tried to see if the way back machine would find but I cant get it to load.
Haha amazing, seems like I really was missing out
Can't agree with this one, Jason. Let's say such a pill did exist. You know what that would be? A get out of jail free card. A rapist would very much go on doing what he enjoys most, i.e., ravaging people's lifes and, if he never get caught, so much for the better. If he did get caught, well, a single pill and that's it. And in my country, very recently we had a high profile banker convicted of major fraud and illegaly getting millions into his accounts. What would happen then? Take the pill and continue living with all of the money? And if he never get caught?
And let's say nothing about a mind-rewiring drug held by the government. Can't imagine that one being used wrongly, oh no.
I feel like you should really think about your punishment angle. Isn't the punishment supposed to be a deterrent? In the thought experiment the pill actually works. Why do they need to be punished now that they are certifiably good people who won't do bad things anymore?
Of course this is a fantasy, that's why it's a thought experiment. You have revealed that you would still have them punished if guaranteed they will never offend again. Punishment doesn't undo crimes so they will still "get away with it" unless you kill them.
Then, why wait for the crime to happen at all. Why don't we just give the pill to every newborn? Wouldn't that be the most human solution, all crime, erradicated even before it could form itself in the minds of people?
I mean I guess so, but you're kind of missing the point. We literally do our best to do this by teaching kids how to act. Culture is our best attempt at that pill. Religion and morals and ethics and all that is us trying to do what you just proposed.
I didn't type this well but the point of the thought experiment isn't about that stuff I just typed, I was responding to your question. Should have put a break between the first sentence and the rest.
Also worthy of note: a lot of agitators on both sides are doing it mostly for the money. Would you blindly trust, and follow the advice of someone who has no issue with dividing and harming society to line their pockets? Don't believe everything they tell you; the truth is often a lot more nuanced. Your "enemy" isn't as despicable as those with coin in the game would have you believe.