iNow

Because labels are flat and one dimensional, whereas we humans are complex, nuanced, and multi-dimensional. @Phi for All has had some excellent posts through the years here about the problem with labels that have resonated with me. Fun fact: After chatting with Senator Elizabeth Warren briefly at an event in 2019, I got pulled aside afterward by a reporter. Long story short… I was quoted in the Washington Post using the phrase “Overton window.” It was part of my response to their question “Why Warren and not Bernie?” and I was praising Bernie for shifting the Overton window on topics like UHC and wealth inequality before answering why my preference was for Warren. I’m almost famous 😂 I return you now to the previously scheduled Troubles in Texas topic.

Your framing of this is definitely more accurate than mine. The particulate matter (PM2.5) is leading to worse outcomes and increased infection in the lungs / increased inflammation across the immune system. I suspect you’ve seen this, but here’s a study saying same: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi8789 Where my view came from was commentary on that story above from doctors and related experts on the news. They suggested that the particles in the smoke offer a platform for the virus to move greater distances than it would in clear air. A bit like larger raindrops form on grains of pollen than by themselves… However, if the ability of Covid to transport more easily in US wildfire smoke has been studied, then I’m not easily able to find where right now so will withdraw my confidence above and suggest it as an interesting possibility that deserves study. In the meantime… This study touches on how bioaerosols and airborne pathogens enjoy easier spread amid polluted air, but I’m not certain Covid fits that same bill (or if instead Covid would simply “die” whereas the bacteria or fungi this team studied would not… I’m unclear if the particulates are equally a vector for Covid in the same way they are with the others) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es4048472

Then lobbying needs to be reformed and regulated, not abolished. And this anti-abortion law didn’t come from big money corporate lobbyists. It came from groups of single issue base voters and groups who know how to move the levers of our governance and legislate by fiat / shadow dockets.

It depends on which ones we’re talking about, what the actual issue is, what numbers they have supporting them, which populations are affected by the issue and how sympathetic or connected they are, and what tactics they use to advocate and push for said change. We don’t disagree that they’re usually outgunned by big money and big corporations. I’m simply saying they’re not useless nor worthy of being disallowed under the generalization that “lobbying = bad.”

As a father of young kids and someone who cares for others who will outlive me, I am unable to share this nonchalance about our shared future. But they do. Not all constituents agree. Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.

Agreed, though it’s free (at least in the US), which makes people still refusing to take it that much more infuriating. Too many people are treating it like a how-to guide In fact, they’ve found covid to be spreading more rapidly with all of the wild fires in the western US since the virus can grab ahold of the smoke particles and fly farther.

I support this. It's how the state supreme court jurists are selected in my state (tho some on the right are trying to change this to corrupt the process in pursuit of power and control) Judges in the US don't campaign in this sense. They're appointed. It's all currying of favor, but still needs to be approved by the senate which is where the check is supposed to exist. But it's not a political campaign in the standard sense. Again, I support all of this. As you have already acknowledged, however, it'll never happen since the people we need to write these laws into place are the very ones benefiting today from their absence. I'm not as convinced this would matter nor that people living in their echo chamber ecosystems would watch / care, but I am not opposed to it. I don't see any way this could be done given freedom of speech and freedom of the press protections. This one seems like it would help, but could never be implemented so is moot. This is too broad. Some lobbying is good. Parents of massacred children lobby for better gun regulations. Residents near heavily polluted waters lobby for better environmental protections. Lobbying is not bad in and of itself. What I think you want to focus on instead is no longer equating lobbying with money contributions, not letting corporations have so much access, and not letting former elected officials lobby for X number of years after leaving office. Anyway... thank you for engaging my question directly. It's very much appreciated, you offered good ideas, and I clearly wasn't giving you enough credit last night.

Please elaborate. How might one do this? What could it look like beyond lofty idealized words on a page or screen?

Have you ever seen the movie Idiocracy? One of the storylines was that they were killing their crops and starving because they kept "watering" them with a Gatorade-like product called Brawndo. After all, it had electrolytes... it's got what plants crave! But then all the plants died and they were starving as a community. They just needed to use water and the plants would be fine, but nope... they just kept using the Brawndo / Gatorade and the plants just kept dying. Well, that's kinda how I see this whole conversation we're having about ivermectin (or hydroxychloroquine or whatever the next snake oil happens to be). You're basically watering your garden with Gatorade by taking that stuff and the plants just keep dying... It's like you got a cut and refuse to use neosporin and a bandaid, and are choosing instead to seal it with metallic spray paint and elmers glue. It's this ridiculous and absurd style of thinking that's causing this pandemic to continue and get worse. So, here's a thought... Just use water for your plants... just use the neosporin! This isn't exactly rocket science... just get the vaccine. Here I was wrong and obviously did. I withdraw this particular comment, but not the others. I am basically saying to just get vaccinated already.

No

No. I’m saying the mRNA vaccine is quite obviously better than any sheep dewormer promulgated by Fox News and which one buys at a feed store.

How long exactly is your chalk? Like sidewalk long, or just blackboard long? It’s super fun how you so nonchalantly and with such conviction lay the entirety of the blame and ownership of this problem solely down on to one side of a coin that itself actually has three. It’s easy to the point of being lazy and slothish to tear down existing barns. It is, however, much harder to build new barns from scratch and from the ground up. My question to you is, “What alternative do you have in mind?” You speak of rules needing shredding. Okay, great. I’ll supply both the power and the blades. But with what will you replace them? This is a genuinely interesting question. Sadly, my expectation of you, however, is for little more than another waste of bandwidth / waste of time post lacking in any meat, merit, or meaning. Truth be told, I would genuinely welcome you proving me wrong here. Go ahead, I dare ya… I’ll even say, please. Good for you. I’ve seen it, too. Please, however, try replying next time with something even within the vicinity of relevant… or at least within the same zip code or continent of relevant. It would be much appreciated.

Jesus, dude. “Interesting” is how female friends describe to each other blind dates of questionable character, attractiveness, and intelligence. Just take the damned vaccine. You’re basically drowning and refusing the life vest 17 people are throwing you bc once some uninformed uneducated crank somewhere in a place that doesn’t matter once said to you one time that “blue magnets can help you float in choppy waters during hurricanes”… so you keep brushing aside all those 17 people with life vests in search of this nonexistent and nonhelpful blue magnet. It’s like someone is asking you what 2 + 2 equals and the answer you keep giving over and over and over again is “banana, but only when it’s purple.” No, dipshit. 2 + 2 = 4.

I guess it sure is a good thing I never told you to shut up. Let’s add lying and problems with reading comprehension to the list of reasons your opinion lacks value. There’s literally no debate. It’s not effective, at least not in context of successfully slowing the spread of this pandemic and treating Covid.

Good for you. You’ve given me no reason to care.

You’re welcome. Now, shut up and go get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Golly. Now… Imagine just how profoundly worse it would be without them having been vaccinated. I’m all out of shits to give, buddy. You’re a moron if you think you’re on the right side of this one.

Of course, they can. The way it’s been framed, however, provides them with a quote unquote “legitimate out” not to have to. There is no constitutional challenge. It’s just private citizens exercising their legislatively guaranteed rights to sue “people.” Like I said. Clever. We need more on the right side of history willing to surrender their scruples to achieve wins within the rules of the game like this. It’s smart, even though I hate what it means.

Sorry..: WTF is the meaning of “infinitively pointless?” Feels a bit like word salad without any of the roughage or fiber.

The sad part is that all this idiocy around making it illegal for schools to ban masks, or ensuring guns can be carried into kindergartens, or that private citizens can legally sue anyone they personally decide are wearing Scarlett letters in abortion issues, or that voting shouldn’t happen on Sunday’s or be allowed via mail, or ad infinitum… all that stuff is PRECISELY what wins them the election. The problem isn’t the politician. While governors and their various henchmen obviously wield enormous power, the problem is not with them, per se. They are the symptom, not the cause. The problem is the widespread base of millions of otherwise decent neighbors demanding the pols all behave in one certain and very precise way or else be strung up and cast out. The problem is the elected “officials” are doing these things precisely bc that’s the most optimal and successful path towards maintaining power when the next election ultimately happens.

Because they’re fucking idiots who refuse to take the easiest most well evidenced and effective path toward bringing this pandemic to an end Here again, idiocy of this magnitude is no longer acceptable.

There’s always a way, but it requires power and control. Right now, those who know how to play the game and who wish to impose their preferences on women at all costs tend to have the power… in Texas and other states like mine, and also in the federal courts across the states and most importantly in the US Supreme Court (see also: Mitch McConnell blocking Merrick Garland, but allowing Amy Conen Barrett to be seated during election years). Hope that she has enough money or a kind friend with enough money to drive the 8-10 hours across Texas into a more liberal neighboring state (tho really the only state bordering Texas where this could possibly help is New Mexico… Oklahoma and Louisiana are really no better than Tejas in this regard) to have the procedure done there, then repeat the 8-10 drive back home and still hopefully have gainful employment / not have been fired for being gone 2 days. Here again, profound wealth inequality rears its ugly head. Yes, some can. No, most can’t.

That’s effing disgusting, and not even within the same galaxy of what I was thinking when the word “ramen” crossed my brain 😂

The clever bit here is that they’ve subtracted government officials from the process. They’ve basically opened up the system such that any private citizen can sue abortion providers and also anyone else deemed to be “assisting” in the process of abortion for money and damages. They’ve empowered citizens to rip the system apart from the inside and this allows judges to look aside and avoid ruling for/against since it doesn’t involve government entities. Like redrawing district lines and changing who can vote / how they can vote, these practices are effective. I disagree with them, but they know how to play the game. We need more people like this without scruples on the side of liberal policies. The right is racking up win after win after win despite being a minority.

I find that the type of person who actually reads studies doesn’t tend to be the same type of person avoiding vaccines or masks and rushing off to take hydroxychloroquine… erm… ivermectin or whatever other snake oil gets peddled next by extremists and fascists.