Political sectarianism in America

[Nick Danger]

I read his concern about mental health problems with the same skepticism as I do when a Republican expresses concern about infectious disease in developing countries. You know it's a form of whataboutism and not actually a way to address other humanitarian issues.

I'm not trying to represent myself as a humanitarian, Bronco. Am I? I listed suicide and depression as part of the COST of the lockdown, not something that's keeping me awake at night.

[filghy2]

I couldn't sleep because I realized I had forgotten to give you a source, Flighty.

Here's one - https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4352 - stating that "widely reported studies modeling the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on suicide rates" indicate an increase of 1% to 145%. .

You should have read further beyond that sentence, or just stayed in bed. As it says in para 4:

Nevertheless, a reasonably consistent picture is beginning to emerge from high income countries. Reports suggest either no rise in suicide rates (Massachusetts, USA11; Victoria, Australia13; England14) or a fall (Japan,9 Norway15) in the early months of the pandemic.

[broncofan]

Good catch on the article. I hadn't even opened it but assumed maybe there was evidence because someone had posted some evidence about drug overdose on my twitter timeline.

We really are talking about a margin of more than 300,000 extra deaths because of our response to covid. Where I live the lockdowns have not been pervasive at all. Almost everything has been open except for short periods of time when there are spikes in cases. Lots of daily life is taking place virtually. I have meetings on zoom, I have doctors' appointments on zoom, and I call people instead of meet up with them. That is psychologically stressful and challenging.

We now have a vaccine and 2 million people a day are getting either their first or second shot. I can't believe we couldn't even get people on board with safety precautions with the end (possibly) in sight. That is the result of a fractured society. It also reflects the Republican mindset in which nothing matters except maximum self-interest. Wearing a mask is a little uncomfortable and if the cost of it is a painful and awful death for someone else so be it.

[filghy2]

Also, I'm not telling you it's the victims' fault, I'm telling you it's your fault. For being foolish enough not to see the oh-so-simple solution to the whole problem, short-sighted enough not to realize that there are some people who are literally going to promote this lockdown (and therefore their own place in the international spotlight) FOREVER if we let them (Fauci's already setting us up into 2022), and for being panicky enough to accept any "solution" that's offered, no matter how fucked it leaves us in the end. Because you don't want to be sick. What a bunch of fucking cowards and babies.

Are you going to refuse to be vaccinated then. It sounds like a nanny state solution, and real men should be able to deal with a tiny virus themselves.

Better still, why not avoid doctors entirely? After all, primitive man didn't have any nanny advice from doctors, and they managed to live to a ripe old age of about 35.

Do you ever read over your posts and ask yourself "Am I being a complete dickhead just for the sake of being against whatever the other side is for?"

[Nick Danger]

Are you going to refuse to be vaccinated then. It sounds like a nanny state solution, and real men should be able to deal with a tiny virus themselves.

Better still, why not avoid doctors entirely? After all, primitive man didn't have any nanny advice from doctors, and they managed to live to a ripe old age of about 35.

Do you ever read over your posts and ask yourself "Am I being a complete dickhead just for the sake of being against whatever the other side is for?"

I've already told you, Flighty, I'm immune to the virus. I'm immune to everything, I haven't been sick in decades. I attribute it to the fact that as a child I had ALL the stuff - chickenpox, measles, mumps, even mononucleosis. All before I was like 8. I've already been around 3 people I know had the virus and I walked away clean. I'm probably one of those "super-spreaders."

And I do avoid doctors. Haven't been to a doctor since my Air Force physical.

I try to remember that I'm among mere mortals but it's hard to soar with the eagles when you're surrounded by a bunch of turkeys.

And no, I'm not a contrarian, Flighty. I just disagree with you on practically every issue under the sun.

[broncofan]

I attribute it to the fact that as a child I had ALL the stuff - chickenpox, measles, mumps, even mononucleosis. All before I was like 8. I've already been around 3 people I know had the virus and I walked away clean. I'm probably one of those "super-spreaders."

And I do avoid doctors.

I try to remember that I'm among mere mortals but it's hard to soar with the eagles when you're surrounded by a bunch of turkeys.

You don't need a doctor until you do. Lots of great people would have died in their first decade of life without modern medicine. And many of their contributions to this world exceed yours (and mine etc).

You have no basis for knowing whether you have immunity to covid or even if your parents didn't get very sick because they were infected with a low viral dose as opposed to having a robust immune system. There are libraries filled with stuff you don't know and when you need a doctor you'll forget all your bragging and be thankful.

Besides, maybe you misheard your air force doc;

[filghy2]

I've already told you, Flighty, I'm immune to the virus. I'm immune to everything, I haven't been sick in decades.

And I do avoid doctors. Haven't been to a doctor since my Air Force physical.

I can just see the inscription on your gravestone: "Doctors? I don't need no doctors."

I take it you don't travel overseas because it's likely many countries will require proof of vaccination if you don't want to be quarantined.

[Nick Danger]

You don't need a doctor until you do. Lots of great people would have died in their first decade of life without modern medicine. And many of their contributions to this world exceed yours (and mine etc).

You have no basis for knowing whether you have immunity to covid or even if your parents didn't get very sick because they were infected with a low viral dose as opposed to having a robust immune system. There are libraries filled with stuff you don't know and when you need a doctor you'll forget all your bragging and be thankful.

Besides, maybe you misheard your air force doc;

Me: Exposed to covid multiple times, didn't get it, history of savage immune system
You: "You have no basis for knowing whether you have immunity to covid..."

Hell, Bronco, you should be happy for me!

I can just see the inscription on your gravestone: "Doctors? I don't need no doctors."

I take it you don't travel overseas because it's likely many countries will require proof of vaccination if you don't want to be quarantined.

If I want to go somewhere and I have to get the vaccine to go there, I'll get it. I'm not scared of it, I just don't need it.

[broncofan]

Hell, Bronco, you should be happy for me!

If I want to go somewhere and I have to get the vaccine to go there, I'll get it. I'm not scared of it, I just don't need it.

I'm happy for you that you didn't get covid. I'm happy your parents recovered well. I'd be careful though about concluding you're invulnerable to it.

I don't necessarily doubt everything you've said given the boy band revelations bc sometimes people pick and choose lies, but I'm gonna start digesting your anecdotes with more grains of salt...I just worry about my blood pressure. But yeah, I wish you well and don't want anyone to get sick.

[Stavros]

Another day, another Republican Govt at war with Voting. I find this quite amazing, from Iowa-

"The law shortens the early voting period to 20 days from the current 29, just three years after Republicans reduced the period from 40 days. It also requires most mail ballots to be received by Election Day, rather than counting votes postmarked by Election Day that arrive by noon on the Monday following the election.

Voting sites will close at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m., and county election officials are banned from sending out absentee ballot request forms unless requested. Satellite voting sites also can only be set up if enough voters petition for one, and voters will be removed from active voting lists if they miss a single general election and don’t report a change in address or register as a voter again."
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/iowa-dems-...164326604.html

Closing voting booths at 8pm? That alone seems extreme to me. Maybe they should abolish voting and just appoint themselves? But the more serious question is, why do these Republican Governments in the States assume that mail-in ballots, satellite voting stations, extending the time period in which to cast or send in a vote only benefits Democrats? Do no Republicans use mail-in ballots? And why assume that if someone did not vote in 2020 they are no longer in some way 'active' and be removed from the roll, when there might be non-political reasons why they did not vote in 2020 but still live at Chestnut Ave? Why not do what we do here, and send voters a form every year to confirm their ID and address? Is that so difficult?