The Washington Post observed on Saturday that whether or not people wear masks can be an indicator of their politics. It’s more foundational than that. This site was started largely under the premise that personality determines politics, and people’s behaviors indicate whether or not they are conservative or liberal (not Republican or Democrat). Of course conservatives are reluctant to wear a mask. Conservatives are inherently skeptical – especially of government, bureaucracy, and group think. Democrats mischaracterize conservatives as anti-science, but it’s quite the opposite. The wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth that is the media’s reporting on coronavirus…
Let the free market decide how we deal with the virus
Capitalism: Is there anything it can’t do? As President Trump starts to turn his focus to restarting the economy, some states are starting to look at strategies to reopen. This is exactly what should have happened from the beginning. If you look at how Sweden’s been dealing with this from the outset, they decided to keep everything open and trust people to do what’s best for them. And so far, the results have been encouraging. People know what’s best for them, and we should trust them to make their own decisions. If Vice President Pence’s task force had taken…
The government disconnect persists
It wasn’t too long ago that I wrote about why conservatives have a natural suspicion, if not dislike, of government. Keeping it simple: Government has completely lost sight of who they work for. Adding to this, the people have completely lost sight of who the government works for. We don’t hold our government accountable, and we don’t know how to tell them when enough’s enough. Because of our government, we’re all staying home to “flatten the curve.” But all that means is giving the hospitals time to prepare for when the virus really does a number on us. Well,…
What’s better? Emotion or logic
We have two political parties in the United States: Republicans and Democrats. One of the core (or at least stereotypical) differences between the two is that Republicans think while Democrats feel. You can always count on Republicans to be practical, regardless of what people think, while Democrats will usually act on emotion. It’s why one of Reagan’s oft-remembered statements is “trust, but verify,” while Clinton’s is “I feel your pain.” (or, “I did not have sex with that woman,” but that’s really relevant to this post…) As a republic, we’ve largely chosen sides based on these two approaches. It’s…
Who saw this coming? No one.
The simple truth of the coronavirus is that no one saw it coming. There’s not a person in our government, at any level, who predicted six months ago, a year ago, four years ago, that we would be hit soon with a pandemic. And certainly no one predicted we would shut down one of the strongest economies in the history of our country because of it. It’s that simple. That some pundits, politicians, and members of the media are trying to cast blame tells us that this isn’t so deadly that we can’t make it political. And so, the…
Covid gone wild
In March, Florida hosted it’s annual slate of college Spring break parties and events. If past numbers are any indication, that means nearly 1,000,000 kids descended upon the state to party, hang out, and do what kids do during Spring break. Florida took it on the chin for letting it go on this year. There was a public outcry against how thoughtless and irresponsible it was to let this go on. Over the past few days, I was wondering if anyone tracked just how many kids died because they attended Florida’s Spring break. So I searched Google (as one…
Lockdown is just kicking the can down the road
It is not at all unusual for politicians to kick the can down the road. How many times have we heard our congressional representatives unveil plans that will make social security solvent in 2034, relieve on our dependence on oil by 2045, balance our budget by 2027, stop the oceans from rising by 2038, etcetera, etcetera… And the great irony of this approach? They always assume things will be static, just like they are today, when the coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent reaction, should teach us just the opposite. Consider our plan to confront this pandemic. We decided to lock…
Quick thoughts II: Nation of bandits
Yesterday, the news said there are more than 560,000 coronavirus cases with 32,000 recoveries and 22,000 deaths. That’s since we started collecting data (roughly one-to-two months after the virus had started infecting the country). How come we never hear what’s up with the 506,000 people who’ve had the disease for the past few months? The Swine Flu, our nation’s last pandemic, killed 12,000 US residents. 80,000 US residents died during the 2017-18 flu season. My question, where’s the line between flu and coronavirus? In other words, what’s the magic line between business as usual and shut down the entire…
Happy Easter: A time for renewed appreciation
Happy Easter, everyone. Much has been written about the symbolism of Easter: rebirth and bloom. And, of course, the significance of the day cannot be understated. While Christmas gets more attention, the day Christ is risen carries more significance. But as we contemplate this time of renewal, I’d like to call attention to one aspect. This is a time for appreciation. If we’ve learned anything from the last few months, whether or not you think we over-reacted or under-reacted, I think it’s time to pause and consider all of the things you may have taken for granted. Life: You…
WWSD?
I can’t say that I’ve ever looked to Sweden for the answer when considering solutions to problems we all face. But Sweden is starting to make the news again for the approach they’ve been taking to the coronavirus over the past few weeks. Back in March, made the conscious decision to leave it to the citizens to use their own judgment and do what they thought best. They explained social distancing and its benefits. They warned the populace about at-risk groups and asked those people to avoid public situations when possible. Alternatively, they asked residents to keep their distance…