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To be sure, I am not accusing medical doctors or epidemiologists of cooking the data, of duplicity or other nefarious behavior. Yes, occasionally this does happen, but rarely. I don't mistrust their recommendations in the sense of their medical accuracy. What irritates me is how these recommendations get implemented.
By way of example, if my medical doctor alerts me that I'm overweight, and consequently my odds of disease or premature death are increased, I don't view his diagnosis with suspicion or contempt. The gentleman is well-educated and sincere. I respect his opinions. But what if I like food, I like the husky and corpulent appearance that being overweight entails, and I don't particularly care to live a long life? In other words, what if I view the detriments of being overweight not as a "bug", but as a "feature"? Then I'll continue eating a pound of bacon for breakfast every day.
But what if instead I am forced by executive-order to cease eating bacon? Because after all, by abstaining from bacon, or at least moderating my consumption, my health is advanced. Well, yeah, most assuredly it IS advanced! That's not in dispute. What's in dispute is the cost-benefit calculation, and in particular, that I am forced to behave in the manner than advances health, rather than, the manner that I happen to like.
In sum, I am not blaming Dr. Fauci or Dr. Birx or any of those folks. Actually, I have considerable respect for them, as medical professionals. Where I bristle is in the mandatory following of said professionals' advice. The fault is with the people who wield the power, and not the people who do research or report said research's results.
This is the problem Fauci has every day in discussing what is best for the nation, vs what is best for the individual. And all that frequently changes both for the nation and for the individual, as the medical facts change along with the mutating virus and evolving Pandemic. Which all can happen very quickly and potentially impacting many of us in very negative ways, as compared to opinions and recommendations on personal weight and diet.
Well I won't debate your preferences. You are entitled to want what you want. But you can't have it in any first world country. You can have it in many third world countries. Why are you still here?
Because I am 60 years old Bob. However, I do applaud the 8.7 million that have left and the others that are following them. Some straight out of college headed to s-t hole countries, because they can.
The 3rd industrial revolution, that began in the 50s, put many out of work in the 60s is being followed by the 4th industrial revolution with AI at center stage --- Many people will leave here, for the same reason people come here --- to find work. And the people leaving will set their sight on countries whereas they don't have to compete with AI for a job. [the one time in history were more people left the u.s. than coming in was during the Great Depression, country of destination, Russia]
Remember the choice though --- with most countries dancing to the COVID beat of restricting their citizens from going about their days --- going anywhere to any other country without a vaccine passport, will be difficult, if not impossible.
Welcome to 2021 --- where as all events in the past, has led us to here.
So we are here for the same reasons, because we made a comfortable life here, have available health care, have all the goods and services we want, good roads, good drinking water, reliable power, internet and phone, and have all we need to live well, are not persecuted or forced to conform to any religion or political persuasion and are free to live whatever lifestyle we choose.
I'm sure many are pleased living abroad. I like to watch House Hunters International and many people living abroad seem quite happy. As long as you have enough money you can be happy anywhere. If you don't have enough money, you can be miserable anywhere.
I've lived in many parts of the US (Michigan, Washington, Colorado, California, NY), but as a retiree NJ suits me the best. NYC was the place where I got a chance to prosper personally and economically. I have no desire to travel or be anywhere else. I've got no complaints. Two things were key to a happy life for me, someone to love and an adequate income from a job I enjoyed in IT. I count myself lucky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellis Bell
Because I am 60 years old Bob. However, I do applaud the 8.7 million that have left and the others that are following them. Some straight out of college headed to s-t hole countries, because they can.
The 3rd industrial revolution, that began in the 50s, put many out of work in the 60s is being followed by the 4th industrial revolution with AI at center stage --- Many people will leave here, for the same reason people come here --- to find work. And the people leaving will set their sight on countries whereas they don't have to compete with AI for a job. [the one time in history were more people left the u.s. than coming in was during the Great Depression, country of destination, Russia]
Remember the choice though --- with most countries dancing to the COVID beat of restricting their citizens from going about their days --- going anywhere to any other country without a vaccine passport, will be difficult, if not impossible.
Welcome to 2021 --- where as all events in the past, has led us to here.
I find it ironic that many of the Democrats that are calling for Covid vaccination passports are the same people that believe mandatory voter ID laws are reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.
Just claiming we need more freedom is not some sort of rational health policy.
Sadly, it is for many conservatives.
Imagine being an elected official during the deadliest pandemic in over 100 years, and telling your constituents that masks and vaccines are bad. Because FREEDOM!!!
Like...how stupid can you be? Rand is pretty stupid.
If you recall how the disease spread so violently and easily last spring there was no way businesses could function. Lockdown is a broad term, there are practical steps to be taken as the disease rises and falls. Just claiming we need more freedom is not some sort of rational health policy.
Telling healthy people to stay home, be unproductive, dont celebrate, dont mourn, dont exercise, etc is illogical on its face. No doctor worth their hippocratic oath would make such recommendations
Imagine being an elected official during the deadliest pandemic in over 100 years, and telling your constituents that masks and vaccines are bad. Because FREEDOM!!!
Like...how stupid can you be? Rand is pretty stupid.
Rand has never said vaccines are bad. That comment is dishonest. He said the way masks are being used by the public is pretty much worthless. Please quit making things up and get involved in an honest discussion.
This is the type of nonsense that needs to pointed out. Doesn't matter which side a poster is on, posts like these need to be exposed. Can't discuss policy or the actual issue when comments are made up out of thin air.
So we are here for the same reasons, because we made a comfortable life here, have available health care, have all the goods and services we want, good roads, good drinking water, reliable power, internet and phone, and have all we need to live well, are not persecuted or forced to conform to any religion or political persuasion and are free to live whatever lifestyle we choose.
I'm sure many are pleased living abroad. I like to watch House Hunters International and many people living abroad seem quite happy. As long as you have enough money you can be happy anywhere. If you don't have enough money, you can be miserable anywhere.
I've lived in many parts of the US (Michigan, Washington, Colorado, California, NY), but as a retiree NJ suits me the best. NYC was the place where I got a chance to prosper personally and economically. I have no desire to travel or be anywhere else. I've got no complaints. Two things were key to a happy life for me, someone to love and an adequate income from a job I enjoyed in IT. I count myself lucky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobspez
So we are here for the same reasons, because we made a comfortable life here, have available health care, have all the goods and services we want, good roads, good drinking water, reliable power, internet and phone, and have all we need to live well, are not persecuted or forced to conform to any religion or political persuasion and are free to live whatever lifestyle we choose.
You're speaking for yourself Bob, because that's not what I said.
“The perfect dictatorship would have the appearance of a democracy, but would basically be a prison without walls in which the prisoners would not even dream of escaping. It would essentially be a system of slavery where, through consumption and entertainment, the slaves would love their servitudes.” - Aldous Huxley
It's not that I didn't dream of escape ... life just had this odd way of grounding my butt, here. Now the governments around the globe have finished the job. I'm not talking about me --- but for everyone. A person is going to have to get past the check points otherwise your not leaving the country.
"As a lethal pandemic, economic and physical insecurity, and violent conflict ravaged the world in 2020, democracy’s defenders sustained heavy new losses in their struggle against authoritarian foes, shifting the international balance in favor of tyranny. Incumbent leaders increasingly used force to crush opponents and settle scores, sometimes in the name of public health, while beleaguered activists—lacking effective international support—faced heavy jail sentences, torture, or murder in many settings.
These withering blows marked the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom."
Last edited by Ellis Bell; 08-11-2021 at 05:25 PM..
Reason: adding a link
Always amusing when people like Rand Paul get banned on social media then go on multiple networks claiming they have been silenced. ... .
Musical interlude:
Oh, I used to be disgusted
And now I try to be amused ...
I find it ironic, albeit unsurprising, that the King of Smarm, Rand Paul himself, would even try to complain about getting banned on social media when he's on record multiple times for his opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act ban on discrimination on the basis of race in "places of public accommodation" such as privately owned businesses that are open to the public:
Quote:
When Paul appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show," Rachel asked, as part of a discussion of the Civil Rights Act, "Do you think that a private business has the right to say we don't serve black people?" Paul replied, "Yes."
... As a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010, Paul told the Louisville Courier-Journal he opposed the Civil Rights Act's ban on discrimination on the basis of race in "places of public accommodation" such as privately owned businesses that are open to the public. He said the same thing on NPR.
Rand Paul tripped up by Civil Rights Act once again Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) spoke this morning at Howard University, a traditionally black school in Washington, D.C., and returned to a subject that has caused him great difficulties in the past.
It's become clear to me that the whole "freedom" thing they fed us in school was a nothingburger; just lip service. I never thought I'd see Americans fall into line so easily. Seems that you will have to take away Americans' beers to ever get them to stand up to government and get an actual victory, as that's about the only one they've ever had when it comes to taking back their rights.
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