Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page
Categories
QuicksearchLinks
Blog Administration |
Tuesday, August 3. 2021DIY LinksIt’s another extravagant illustrated edition: Bookworm Room Japan demands global response for ‘survival of Taiwan’ after China’s nuclear threat The Left’s CRT Straw Man Shows They Don’t Trust Parents to Teach Morality Top social media platforms fail to act on reported antisemitism, study finds Mexico bars US from returning many migrant families, threatening to make border crisis worse Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks
Comments
Display comments as
(Linear | Threaded)
I thought at first Bookworm Room was circulating all the incredibly stupid memes she had run across in order to make fun of them. As I went along, I realised these must be memes she agrees with. I used to visit there years ago, because Neoneocon (now The New Neo) used to link a lot. But never again. There's no point.
Just for openers, the vaccines are no longer experimental. They have been given millions of times, compared to the few thousands that usually go into testing. As to the duration, those who were originally tested have had the vaccine over 12 months now, still being monitored, with very low side effect profile. Health care workers are at 8 months. I am nearly at 6 months from first dose. Remember that many of the people telling you how experimental this is are also people who oppose all vaccines, trying to pretend otherwise. I'm not "telling" you the vaccines are safe. Don't focus on how irritated you are with people "telling" you things. I'm giving you evidence you can look at with your own eyes. I don't think the Baron at the Gates of Vienna quite agrees, at least according to his post yesterday. A few more booster shots may prove him right.
1. Pfizer and other manufacturers are still making governments and other customers sign waivers of all legal claims.
When they stop doing that, I will consider the vaccine - and the relatively new technology on which it is based - to be no longer experimental. 2. Nowhere in the world has the percentage of people sick enough to seek treatment exceeded tenths of a percent. That is not a pandemic, or even an epidemic. It's what happens every decade or so when corona-family viruses are more prevalent than flu-family viruses. Last time it happened was during Obama's tenure - so the media panic machine was not turned on. Ben David: 1. Pfizer and other manufacturers are still making governments and other customers sign waivers of all legal claims.
That would be the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005. Ben David: 2. Nowhere in the world has the percentage of people sick enough to seek treatment exceeded tenths of a percent. That is not a pandemic, or even an epidemic. In the U.S., about 0.7% of the population has been hospitalized, or about 1 in 140. This is now just the beginning of August, 2021. Are you saying vaccine testing began back in June or July of last year. Also, while you may not have had any side effects, are you certain that -heading into the next 'flu season - your immune system will not have been compromised by the "jab"?
Just asking. Frances: Also, while you may not have had any side effects, are you certain that -heading into the next 'flu season - your immune system will not have been compromised by the "jab"?
One claim is that the immune system would overreact to future infection, a cytokine storm, but breakthrough COVID infections have had much reduced severity. People who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 have also got the influenza vaccine (not a the same time, though). The evidence is that side-effects of the vaccine are very rare. It's only a matter of time until China takes Taiwan at this point.
I hate to disagree with AVI, but I love the Bookwormroom memes. They made me smile this morning! Thanks for posting the link, Bruce.
Re "Mexico bars..."
There's something wrong when the Mexicans tell the United States what we can do. How 'bout we just drop them off over there and invite them to do something about it if they want? China is known for their patience and their long-term thinking, but I think they would be fools to not take advantage of the current global situation and seize Taiwan as soon as possible. Go ahead and seize Japan, Australia, the Philippines, South Korea and whoever else wants to give them any guff about it as well - nobody will be coming to the rescue. This is much worse than Germany circa 1938, at least then we were all agreed on who the enemy was. If a third World War were to break out, it's hard to say who would step up and fight - and which side they'd fight on.
Jerryskids: China is known for their patience and their long-term thinking, but I think they would be fools to not take advantage of the current global situation and seize Taiwan as soon as possible. Go ahead and seize Japan, Australia, the Philippines, South Korea and whoever else wants to give them any guff about it as well - nobody will be coming to the rescue.
Even though the era of Trump undermined the alliances and norms that have largely held war in check for decades, that would be a serious miscalculation would do untold damage to China. Consequently, they will almost certainly choose soft power to extend their influence. Jerryskids: This is much worse than Germany circa 1938, at least then we were all agreed on who the enemy was. That is not correct. There were strong fascist elements in all the western nations, including the U.S. When It Happened Here: The Transnational Development of American Fascism, 1920-1945 AOC's handling of the CRT question is the classical Motte & Bailey switcheroo. "No CRT? Why how can you be against teaching about racism ! "
It's hard to give it much thought, with the media's refusal to be skeptical or ask even slightly difficult questions anymore. If ever there was an easy task, it would be asking a question AOC finds difficult to answer. In any case, the story is a straw man in and of itself. "The Left’s CRT Straw Man Shows They Don’t Trust Parents to Teach Morality" The Left's trust in anything is its own problem. Their trust is not in consideration while Parents teach morality to their children. It does not feature in those conversations. Aggie: Their trust is not in consideration while Parents teach morality to their children.
That misses the entire point of systemic racism, which is posited to exist regardless of individual racism. Here is a statement of critical race theory: QUOTE: Why is equality so assiduously avoided? Why does white America delude itself, and how does it rationalize the evil it retains? The majority of white Americans consider themselves sincerely committed to justice for {Blacks}. They believe that American society is essentially hospitable to fair play and to steady growth toward a middle-class Utopia embodying racial harmony. But unfortunately this is a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity. Overwhelmingly America is still struggling with irresolution and contradictions. You make Gramsci and the Frankfort School proud.
Except, Zach, that is not very much true anymore. The fact that racism is no longer systemic or individual but African Americans have still not succeeded, unlike Asians, Jews, and (gulp) Hispanics and immigrant blacks is why everyone is furious and doubling down despite evidence. It is not because their solutions have nearly succeeded and need a final push over the top, but because their solutions partly succeeded and then leveled out.
Assistant Village Idiot: that is not very much true anymore.
The point was the misunderstanding of Critical Race Theory. Teaching morality is all well and good, but it won't address the posited systemic racism. Assistant Village Idiot: The fact that racism is no longer systemic Systemic racism is found in everything from how public schools are funded to how juries are selected to laws that make it more difficult to vote in minority neighborhoods. Just having an African-sounding name results in fewer call-backs on job applications. Employers' Replies to Racial Names Consequently: Minorities Who 'Whiten' Job Resumes Get More Interviews |