Earlier this week, I described the absurd simultaneous acceptance of monoclonal antibody therapy and distrust of the COVID-19 vaccines and the sharp partisan divide in South Dakota, in which Republicans think vitamins are more effective against COVID-19 than masking or vaccination.
The reality voters and elected officials must confront is that too many people have demonstrated that they are incapable of making a sensible decision about vaccination. It does not matter why they make that decision. At this point, their beliefs–or our opinions on those beliefs–do not matter, because they do not matter to the virus.
Add to this the overwhelming amount of data–2.5 billion doses given and rising–that the vaccines are both safe and effective, and the conclusion is obvious: we need vaccination requirements for many activities. Like it or not, we have bumped up against the de facto limits of convincing people to be vaccinated. Having followed anti-vaccinationists for years, if the MMR vaccine for children were not required for school, I would be shocked if even 75% of kids would be vaccinated; while 75% seems like a lot, but that wouldn’t be high enough to limit the rare outbreaks we do have. Requirements are effective and necessary.
While it is clear Republicans won’t do anything, Democrats could (so we’re clear, many, but not all, requirements will have to be enacted at the state and local levels). Democrats will have to behave counter to form, and pass these requirements. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if most Democrats have the courage of their convictions, even though there are few issues where the right policy is so obvious.
Requirements do work, we already have them, and they would get more people vaccinated.
The question is if Democrats–because Republicans are lost on this–will enact them.
mikethemadbiologist
I think that we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Republicans are fully corrupt and incompetent, and enough Democrats insist on playing nice with Republicans. All our screaming goes unheard.
Maybe it might help if you focus attention on the Democrats who push to do the right things, for example AoC and her crowd. One can also focus on primary challengers to Democrats who have fallen in with the consultants or play nice with the Republicans.
Keep using Atrios’s comments about trying good things, then weakening them, making them more complicated, and giving them to the corporations.
As for eternal war, try talking about punishment for aggressive war. We can scream, plead, and whine all we want, all in vain, unless we can enforce it. I imagine things like chopping the top persons to pieces on national television — the deciders, the plotters, those who order the media to push war.
Question to former high-ranking officer: “Would you accept being chopped to pieces on national television, if we continued the occupation and conquest of Afghanistan?”
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