Opinion: Why so many Republicans talk about nonsense

[IronLionZion]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/20/why-so-many-republicans-talk-about-nonsense/



The latest numbers on vaccination rates are telling: Mississippi has the lowest percentage of vaccinated residents, followed by Alabama, Arkansas, Wyoming, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee. All except Louisiana have both Republican governors and legislatures, as do the next seven on the list. Among the 14 U.S. senators representing the bottom seven, only two (both in Georgia) are Democrats. The Post reports, “Ten states, concentrated in the Deep South and rural West, report fewer than 35 percent of residents are fully immunized.”

Health care in these deep-red states is generally dreadful. Among the 12 states that have neither expanded nor voted to expand Medicaid, all but three have GOP governors and in those three (North Carolina, Kansas and Wisconsin), a Democratic governor faces a GOP legislature.

Of the 15 poorest states, all but two (Maine and New Mexico) are also deep red. Among the 30 Senate seats from those states, 27 are held by Republicans.

By these or just about any other measures, Republican states are failing to meet the basic needs of their residents. Among unvaccinated Americans, infection rates are climbing. More will get sick in those places, and some will die. Republicans are unwilling or incapable of meeting the challenge.

This sorry sight is unsurprising given that Republicans have all but given up on the notion of governance. At the national level, they consume themselves with race-baiting (e.g., scaring Americans about immigration and critical race theory), assailing private companies (e.g., corporations that defend voting rights, social media platforms, book publishers) and perpetrating the most ludicrous and dangerous lie in memory — that the 2020 election was stolen.

[BlueNProud]

1. I've pretty much ceased caring about what happens in red states

Republicans often win by very large margins in these places so if that's what the people there want then enjoy.

[Dan]

9. +1

[Deep State Witch]

17. It seems to be working for them

White people want "freedom" from government. Suppress the Black vote.

[Faux pas]

2. Kickin'

[Bev54]

3. I live in Alberta, Canada which is considered the most conservative

province and we just achieved 70% and just started getting more vaccines in the past few months. I expect we will be 80-85% by Sept. We have a small percentage that watch Fox News but I think even they are getting embarrassed into getting the vaccine or in many cases required by their employers.

[localroger]

4. The politicization of COVID seems to be a uniquely American thing

This all seems to flow from Trump's attitude that LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU IT WILL JUST GO AWAY, and when it didn't a steadfast refusal to accept the truth. Since Trump says it's not a big deal any attempts to do anything about it become partisan, including both masks and vaccines. News reports of actual problems due to the disease are rejected as partisan propaganda and requirements are seen as oppressive and dangerous incursions on our FREEDUMB.

Meanwhile the death rate is going down for the moment, because we do have a large minority who aren't idiots (including myself). This gives the idiots latitude to say SEE IT DON'T MATTER. The biggest danger of course is that a variant will emerge in one of the unvaccinated idiots that is more dangerous to us who did get vaccinated, and that's a problem even if you live in a blue state that has hit its target. Too many of our politicians are eating their own dogfood and spreading these lies from their positions of power, in some cases issuing executive orders and passing laws to forbid requiring precautions.

On that last note the cruise line industry is about to get in a major shoving match with the state of Florida. It will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

[ChubbyStar]

15. This needs to be an OP

It is well written and so damn true. Thank you localroger, I greatly appreciate this.

[IronLionZion]

8. In the US the vaccine is as free as socialist Canada

and the dumbest conservatives here have used that excuse to claim it's bad because it's paid for by taxes.

[Bev54]

10. Seriously let them pay $ and use it as donations to a hospital or something

They don't need to know. Especially now that most dems have been vaccinated.

[LiberalLovinLug]

5. Those idiots are going to spark a 4th wave

With the Delta variant, or who knows what's coming down the pike. Hopefully if it happens, most of the rest of the country will be vaccinated, and only those dumb fuck red hats will suffer. I can see many more eligible Darwin Award winners in Trump country, who won't be around to vote for him in 2024.

[Bev54]

11. The Delta variant just killed a fully vaccinated woman in her 80's in our city.

[paleotn]

13. Unless things change....

it may burn red hot in red Amurka this fall and winter.

[thucythucy]

16. And yet the red mad hatters will blame Democrats

and liberals for their own ineptitude. Their reasoning of course won't make any sense, but being nonsensical is now an absolute requirement in GOP circles.

It's difficult to see how we'll ever get out of this hole. I'm almost at the point of thinking that allowing the red states to secede might be our best and only option. One complication would be that this new confederacy would inevitably ally itself with Putin's Russia, and most likely go to war with Mexico.

Troubling times indeed.

[LiberalLovinLug]

18. "yet the red mad hatters will blame Democrats and liberals for their own ineptitude"

Yup.
I thought of that too. If they squeek through, and there is no big 4th wave, it will be due to the sacrifice of others wearing masks, SDing, and getting vaccinated, while they were whining that it was too hard. And in that instance they will claim ....

"SEE? It wasn't that big a deal. I refused to go along with the Socialists plan of injecting liberal nanobots into me and I'm fine!"

But....if it gets over that tipping point, and there are enough unvaccinated covidiots in one county or area, and Delta or another variant ravishes them with death in another wave to the point that they can't ignore it or downplay it, in that instance they will claim....

Who knows?
"Democrats purposely gave Trump supporters a placebo instead of the vaccine"
"Democrats actually sent out a virus to be injected into them (but COVID was made up)"
"Chemtrails with the China Virus are being spread by jets above"
"The Commies have put it in the drinking water!"

You know it will be something like this.

[roamer65]

23. Not if they are quarantined in FEMA camps.

[mgardener]

6. You are so right

[dalton99a]

7. Kick

[AverageOldGuy]

12. Could this be part of the problem?

I can't speak of or for all the states with low vaccination rates and generally poor public health, but, being a native Mississippian, I'll make an observation about Mississippi.

When the state and local governing bodies spend decades making certain that the (insert N-word) can't vote, don't have decent schools and the like instead of trying to make life better for everyone, there comes a time when the whole charade falls apart. And that time is here.

[OldBaldy1701E]

22. It is the same in North Carolina

The tissue of lies is falling apart and they don't want that. Unfortunately, the insanity will continue until that party of traitors is crushed. Forever.

[Blue_true]

14. Their base eat up the nonsense.

With that, all they have to do is convince enough Independents.

[XanaDUer2]

19. Imo, rebukes are in deep denial about reality

they love nonsense. They could be dying on the street and talking smack about welfare.

[bucolic_frolic]

20. Not surprising. They don't believe in government. They're libertarians. They own everything,

and that's the natural order of things to them.

[gratuitous]

21. Every unnecessary infection, every preventable death

In those states with low vaccination rates, every preventable death is an isolated incident. Tragic, to be sure, but there's no context for any individual's death, and certainly no connection between Aunt Ruthie's death and the public health system in Monroe County (or wherever).