Sometimes the obvious escapes us. I wrote a piece earlier today about how the QAnons in Dallas are drinking bleach and that may be a precursor to drinking poison-laced kool aide. Then it occurred to me: why are we waiting for some symbolic gesture, where a group of GQPs decides to drink from the poisoned chalice, the end? How many would that kill? 39 like in Heaven’s Gate? 900 plus, like in Jonestown?
Silly, silly me. I wrote how I anticipate such an event, yet in truth it would be a drop in the bucket amongst the cult members who have already died from the coronavirus, because they insist on listening to right-wing outlets. The GOP anti-vaxxer cult has already killed hundreds of thousands of anti-vaxxers and their High Priestess, Sarah Palin, just went on record in Arizona this weekend, saying in essence that she prefers death over a simple, life saving medical procedure. Incredible mind, that woman.
The question now is not whether anybody will actually drink kool aide so much as it is a question of whether they have enough brains to get off the railroad track as Omicron comes hurtling down it, screaming as she blows through city after city and the COVID infection rates skyrocket. Death is already a fait accompli of the cult. The GOP did its “job” well. The only thing left to do now is look at the numbers and try to get the rest of us out of the way. Dana Milbank, Washington Post:
Blogger Charles Gaba, who has been tracking coronavirus death rates by county, reported Monday that since June 30, there have been about 117 deaths per 100,000 people in the reddest 10 percent of the United States (as measured by counties’ vote share for Donald Trump in 2020) — nearly six times the death rate of about 21 per 100,000 in the bluest decile. Likewise, the 100 million people who live in the most pro-Trump 30 percent of the United States had a death rate of about 98 per 100,000 since June 30 — more than triple the 30 per 100,000 among the people who live in the least pro-Trump 30 percent.
In the early days of the pandemic, those in urban areas — Democratic strongholds — were disproportionately likely to die from covid-19. That leveled out in January of this year. Then, the vaccines became available, and the delta variant struck. In August, there were more than 7 deaths per 100,000 in the reddest counties for every 1 death per 100,000 in the bluest. This month, Gaba projects there will be 5.62 deaths per 100,000 in the Trumpiest 10 percent for every 1 death per 100,000 in the least-Trumpy decile of America. (Gaba’s data is consistent with other recent studies.)
The cause of the disparity, which persists when accounting for age and health-care access of the different populations, is obvious: As of Dec. 20, among the bluest 10 percent of the population, 68.8 percent are fully vaccinated. In the reddest 10 percent, only 41.9 percent are fully vaccinated. The pattern is consistent through all deciles of the population: the more pro-Trump, the less vaccinated the population — and the higher the death rate.
Little wonder. In Washington, Republicans threatened to shut down the federal government to block a vaccine mandate, and they are still trying to force President Biden to veto their attempt to overturn the requirement. Republican-led states are fighting mandates and even incentivizing people not to take the vaccine. And Fox News and similar outlets have filled the airwaves with vaccine paranoia.
Now let’s stop here for a moment. This is where it gets beyond ugly. Fox News is the quintessential example of hypocrisy, do as I say, not as I do.
NEW – Internal memo for Fox staff: "All workers in NYC who perform in-person work at an office location, including Fox employees, must show proof of receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine" by Dec. 27.
Testing will no longer be alternative to getting vaccine in NYC.
— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) December 20, 2021
In real world terms, Fox isn’t jeopardizing the corporate dollar by allowing any of this anti-vaxx foolishness on its premises. Yet Fox is killing people who listen to their fantasy land broadcasts. I honestly don’t know how those people live with themselves, but I guess it’s because their god is money. As long as the money comes, whatever destruction, pain or misery occurs while securing it doesn’t matter.
And you know the scene at Arizona’s AmericaFest, where Anthony Fauci is made out to be the stalking horse. They present him as the wrongdoer of wrongdoers, a man of great evil, while they hide behind the reality that they themselves are vaccinated and lying to their public and constituents. All the usual suspects were down there, along with Sarah Palin. Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Jim Jordan, Ted Cruz, Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Jeanine Pirro; Donald Trump Jr.; Seb Gorka, and Kyle Rittenhouse were all there. I would bet money they’ve all been vaxxed but they all see their way clear to spread the lie.
It’s all about owning the libs, even if the price tag for that is death.
It will be interesting to see what happens this winter. You don’t need to be an epidemiologist of Dr. Fauci’s stature to read what’s happening in other countries, where Omicron has spread like wildfire, and do the math. The only people who will have an easy time with Omicron are the vaccinated. Trump country could suffer massive casualties.
What can be the possible sense of this? Anybody? Life really is that cheap that killing people with disinformation is okay, as long as the cash register rings?
But how long can that cash register keep ringing? If death by COVID doesn’t get the anti-vaxxers, medical conditions from catching it will. Or maybe the medical bills in their future will turn the cash tap off. In my life, these were the people who betrayed my trust for their own gain so many times. Their turn now…and it’s more than earned.
Remember when Palin was leading the charge warning about the “death panels” that would condemn Grandma and Grandpa if the country was forced to accept Obamacare?
What a diff’rence a decade makes.
I wonder if the 1 to 6 ratio would hold if cholera made an appearance again on the scale of Covid-19