COVID-19: PICK YOUR TRIBE

In this strange new COVID-19 world, it is relatively stunning how quickly COVID-19 has been assimilated into America’s culture war.

Amazing how quickly the sides were drawn and the political positions defined?

AT the extremes, the talking points and group-think around this strange new COVID-19 world have been clearly defined.

Like every other social issue, nuance is not permitted. It’s black or white. Up or down. You are either in or out.

The following is a bit of an exaggeration, but only a little bit of an exaggeration.

This is essentially how every single discussion will play out until COVID-19 is contained and a vaccine is developed.

DEMOCRATS

If you are a democrat you must be against reopening unless every single “scientist” agrees that it is time to re-open.

You Will:

• Argue that “lives will be lost” if we open too early.
• Ignore the fact that it is impossible to eliminate risk completely and you will keep referring to some vague “we need to listen to the scientists”. .
• Let us all know that you get your information from “independent” or “academic” resources that can only be understood by other liberals.
  (Because y’all are of superior intellect).
• You will characterize people who want to “open it up” as being stupid, moronic and clearly not as enlightened as you are.

REPUBLICANS

If you are a republican you must be in favor of opening up NOW.

You Will:

• Focus on your liberty and freedom and act as if this is the Battle of Bunker Hill.
• You are a patriot and the rest of them are parasites who want to live off your tax money.
• Cash your stimulus check.
• Characterize those with other opinions as American-hating communists.
• You will make the strange connection between COVID-19 and other conservative issues, such as gun-rights. If they make us stay home they will take our guns?

FOR EVER & EVER, AMEN

There you have it. Every single cable news show from now until the end of time.

But what if?

These extremes don’t represent the majority. Whet if these tough guys and super intellects are the minority.

They just make for better television and better ratings for media coverage.

The complete elimination of reasonable disagreement makes politics something that is nearly impossible to tolerate.

ENLIGHTENED, NIHILISTS, EXTREMISTS, INDEPENDENTS

Is there a tribe of enlightened disinterest? A group that refuses to engage because of the silliness of engagement?

Where are the nihilists?

Alas, the nihilists are too non-committal and stand for nothing (literally).

Where is the group that rejects these extremes? It’s not the “independents”. That’s not a real thing.

There are no 3rd parties, no independents or nuanced positions.

Were there ever nuanced positions? Revisionist history and nostalgia says there were “back in the day”.

Apparently, Newt Gingrich changed all that (at least that’s what the New York Times told me–wait…the New York Times told me that—shit….).

FOR THE RECORD

I want “them” to keep “it” closed and be extra cautious.

But I don’t think people protesting to “open it up” are automatically “morons”. I don’t agree with them.

And I”m pretty sure there are some morons out there.

But I don’t have the ability to pick them out and make such statements. And I certainly do not think most of y’all who are saying they are morons are particularly intelligent.

If you were such an intelligent being, you would spend time thinking about their position, considering their position, refuting their position and you would not resort to childish playground type insults.

WOKE OR NOT

Isn’t the word moron politically incorrect and unacceptable in a civilized society?

Can someone who is more “woke” than me let us know if that word is acceptable?

In the end, it makes people feel better to put other people down and randomly assert superiority.

Just as it makes me feel better to randomly assert that I am somehow above all that tribalism.

I guess this is simply a way to cope with a very strange new COVID-19 world.

And we are all doing the best we can?

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