"Thousands of patriots called for a re-opening. . . . Life is full of risks."
Laura Ingraham, Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Fox News
Land of the free. Home of the brave.
There are two dueling ideas about the virus. They have become partisan.
The headline today voiced one of the views. People protesting in North Carolina and Michigan demanded we end social distancing. They are "patriots," according to Fox Host Laura Ingraham.
Two days ago this blog led with a headline that voiced the other view of patriotism: "Are you telling me we can save the world just by sitting on the couch and watching TV? Let's not screw this up!"
One view. Readers of this blog who mostly consume mainstream news may sense that in a public health emergency we have heightened consciousness of the mutual responsibilities we carry for the well being of one another. We practice social distancing for the common good, including our own, with the resultant shutdown of the economy. Moreover, we are--with some success--flattening the curve of exposure to the virus, to the benefit of everyone, but at inconvenience to some and a severe disadvantage to many, a disadvantage we partially compensate with various monetary giveaways. It is the Democratic view.
There is another view. Trump's. Fox's. This view reflects the sentiment of a lot of Americans. Regular Americans. Heartland Americans. Americans who drive pickup trucks and who work outdoors and who live in rural and exurban America. Political conservatives. People oriented toward self reliance, and sensitive to having to pay taxes to take care of the improvident, the lazy, the people with unhealthy lifestyles. The people who voted overwhelmingly for Trump, because Trump understands them and Hillary did not. They are sick and tired of this social distancing, of masks, of economic distress. They don't think the price is worth it. They see this as nanny state over-reach.
This view defines "patriot" as the guy who is free and brave, just like it says in the national anthem. A patriot looks out for himself and his own family. It is the patriotism of self reliance. It is the Republican view.
In the Michigan protest people chanted "Lock her up," referring to the Michigan governor. "We want to go back to work. We have employees," one protester said. "If you are sick, stay home. We want to go to work," another said.
Fox News quoted Meshawn Maddock, the organizer of the Michigan protest: “Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people."
Like any generalization, there are nuances. Democrats talk about the need to restart the economy and get back to normal, but it is the subordinate clause in their bigger message of flattening the curve. They acknowledge the opposite before making the real point: don't rush this. Andrew Cuomo does this. (Biden is invisible, but that is another story for a separate post.)
Meanwhile,Trump, Fox, et al. talk about the virus and flattening the curve, but it is their subordinate clause in the bigger message of going back to work soon. Large Trump standing next to short Dr. Fauci is emblematic of the relationship: Fauci is the cover story, Trump the decider.
The data is complicated enough that there is an arguable case for the Trump view, and that information is circulating in right-oriented channels.
****The evidence that 13% of New York area women who enter the hospital to deliver babies, and therefore are screened for the virus, had the virus but were a-symptomatic. This suggests that the virus is already widespread. Implication: forget avoidance. It is too late. Moreover, apparently the virus danger is hit and miss. It is like everything else in life, from riding a motorcycle to getting out of bed, a bit of risk. So go live your life.
****The evidence that the people at most risk from the virus--people who die--are people with co-morbidity risk of advanced age and obesity, which correlates with diabetes, heart disease and pre-existing inflation. Implication: Blame the underlying condition, not the virus. Click: Physicians Weekly study. It's age and obesity.
Which view will win out? The stock market has already made a decision. We are going back to work and things will be some version of normal pretty soon. The Trump view wins.
My own view is that Democrats are right, that the virus could spin out of control if we move too quickly, but that may be costly politically. A great many people want to go back to work, as before, whether it makes sense or not. I suspect it is an irresistible force.
 |
| Michigan protest against closures |
Two days ago this blog led with a headline that voiced the other view of patriotism: "Are you telling me we can save the world just by sitting on the couch and watching TV? Let's not screw this up!"
One view. Readers of this blog who mostly consume mainstream news may sense that in a public health emergency we have heightened consciousness of the mutual responsibilities we carry for the well being of one another. We practice social distancing for the common good, including our own, with the resultant shutdown of the economy. Moreover, we are--with some success--flattening the curve of exposure to the virus, to the benefit of everyone, but at inconvenience to some and a severe disadvantage to many, a disadvantage we partially compensate with various monetary giveaways. It is the Democratic view.
There is another view. Trump's. Fox's. This view reflects the sentiment of a lot of Americans. Regular Americans. Heartland Americans. Americans who drive pickup trucks and who work outdoors and who live in rural and exurban America. Political conservatives. People oriented toward self reliance, and sensitive to having to pay taxes to take care of the improvident, the lazy, the people with unhealthy lifestyles. The people who voted overwhelmingly for Trump, because Trump understands them and Hillary did not. They are sick and tired of this social distancing, of masks, of economic distress. They don't think the price is worth it. They see this as nanny state over-reach.
This view defines "patriot" as the guy who is free and brave, just like it says in the national anthem. A patriot looks out for himself and his own family. It is the patriotism of self reliance. It is the Republican view.
In the Michigan protest people chanted "Lock her up," referring to the Michigan governor. "We want to go back to work. We have employees," one protester said. "If you are sick, stay home. We want to go to work," another said.
Fox News quoted Meshawn Maddock, the organizer of the Michigan protest: “Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people."
 |
| Ingraham: "That's astronomically low!" |
Like any generalization, there are nuances. Democrats talk about the need to restart the economy and get back to normal, but it is the subordinate clause in their bigger message of flattening the curve. They acknowledge the opposite before making the real point: don't rush this. Andrew Cuomo does this. (Biden is invisible, but that is another story for a separate post.)
Meanwhile,Trump, Fox, et al. talk about the virus and flattening the curve, but it is their subordinate clause in the bigger message of going back to work soon. Large Trump standing next to short Dr. Fauci is emblematic of the relationship: Fauci is the cover story, Trump the decider.
The data is complicated enough that there is an arguable case for the Trump view, and that information is circulating in right-oriented channels.
****The evidence that 13% of New York area women who enter the hospital to deliver babies, and therefore are screened for the virus, had the virus but were a-symptomatic. This suggests that the virus is already widespread. Implication: forget avoidance. It is too late. Moreover, apparently the virus danger is hit and miss. It is like everything else in life, from riding a motorcycle to getting out of bed, a bit of risk. So go live your life.
****The evidence that the people at most risk from the virus--people who die--are people with co-morbidity risk of advanced age and obesity, which correlates with diabetes, heart disease and pre-existing inflation. Implication: Blame the underlying condition, not the virus. Click: Physicians Weekly study. It's age and obesity.
Which view will win out? The stock market has already made a decision. We are going back to work and things will be some version of normal pretty soon. The Trump view wins.
 |
| Today's local paper. Irresistible force. |
My own view is that Democrats are right, that the virus could spin out of control if we move too quickly, but that may be costly politically. A great many people want to go back to work, as before, whether it makes sense or not. I suspect it is an irresistible force.
2 comments:
Do Trump Supporters and the GOP Love Civil Liberties More than Progressives?
It depends on what civil liberties and for whom. In a reversal of roles since Skokie and safe spaces, Trumpers and the GOP now support 1st Amendment free speech, free expression of religion and free assembly more than progressive Democrats do. Since Reagan, Republicans have been more protective of 4th Amendment rights against government intrusions against property rights and the home than Democrats. The cry against government "tyranny" is almost wholly owed by Trumpers. Progressives and Republicans are evenly split on personal and medical autonomy with Democrats focused on abortion rights and Trumpers championing the right to life, and to refuse compelled vaccinations or being unplugged from life support. Democrats want the church out of government and the GOP wants the government out of church.
Covid 19 is the perfect storm of these very different views on civil liberties and what powers the government can claim in the name of national emergency. Democrats, as Peter's post implies, think the government can shut down the economy, the public square, and churches to "save lives". Democrats apparently readily concede such quasi-martial law powers to government at all levels without the need for data or proof that the government is meeting the "least restrictive alternatives" legal test for that goal. That test is a bedrock due process protection that once was high value for Democrats but is being championed almost exclusively by Trumpers.
The protesters in Michigan and elsewhere and the church closure resistors in Kentucky have not advocated the end of social distancing and use of masks. In fact, they argue that such measures are the least restrictive alternatives the data will support, not broad and arbitrary "stay at home" orders. Since Trump's election, I have seen my party turn away from civil liberties we once championed as a reaction to him, and substituting for them poorly defined "social justice" goals.
Democrats appear to be in the throes of "zero risk bias" when it comes to Covid 19. Trumpers and the GOP aren't.
https://govsite-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/CjmGprg8S1abXTZ6lMet_Oregon-COVID-19-Projections-2020-04-10.pdf
"Finally, we emphasize the urgent need for enormously increased testing capacity. It will not be possible to
relax social distancing measures and avoid an epidemic rebound without significantly increased testing.
Increased testing must be coupled with detailed contact tracing, asymptomatic testing of at-risk individuals,
and likely the quarantining of infected individuals away from households, where significant transmission
occurs"
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