Irony and hypocrisy are rampant among the parties and the party faithful. I have always touted myself as a card-carrying Democrat, but as of late have found myself on the outside looking in. I am astonished by the reactions to the response to COVID-19. If you’re on the Left you think that the only way to survive is to hide in your basement, having the government pay for your rent and groceries until this threat is gone, while you’re screaming at those who don’t. If you’re on the right, then you think all is well, and you should just live your life as if “well…I’ve gotta die of something” and never mind if you risk the lives of anyone other than yourself. As with all things the truth is in the middle, and I get to sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
First, let’s look at the world back in 2001 when we were attacked by a terrorist organization who flew three planes full of passengers into three buildings full of people and one plane full of passengers directly into the ground. After that happened, the conservative wing of the country decided that they needed to be protected. The government needed to lock the entire country down, and we needed armed police searching our luggage and person, warrantless wiretaps for all our communications, and there was an idea that the loss of personal freedom and loss of personal liberties far outweighed the need for personal safety, and the conservative party was MORE than happy to give it all up. All this from a government that gave every indication they had no idea of what they were doing.
When the Left saw how easily the Right was willing to give up their personal rights for personal safety, they went nuts! I know. I was one of them that went nuts. The loss of personal liberty because of an attack on our country because they hated our personal liberties was a sign that the enemy has won. The fact that we require a pat down every time we step on a plane, or enter a large event, or that the government can listen in on our personal conversations, or that we can be, without warrant, trial, or due process removed from our homes and taken to a non-disclosed location (Cuba) all in the name of public safety is appalling.
Now let’s fast forward to 2020. In just 19 short years, we’re in the exact same place, talking about the exact same issues, for the exact same reasons. The only difference is that our enemy isn’t some unknown religious fanatic, but an unseen disease. In addition, the roles have reversed. Now the Left is more than willing to give up all their personal liberties for their personal safety. No longer can you get on a plane, go to a restaurant, a movie, the beach, or even exit your own home without the express permission of a government organization who, frankly, has given every indication they have no idea what they’re doing.
This time it’s the Right who are screaming about losing their personal liberties. They argue that a few lives lost are more than an acceptable risk for their personal freedoms. The government through their incompetence at the reaction to this pandemic has overstepped their authority, put even more lives at risk, and jeopardized the lives of hundreds of millions of people for the lives of a few hundred thousand. There’s zero logic in the reaction from either the government or the supporters within the government for the decisions being made to put even more lives at risk of starvation, poor or no healthcare, lack of housing, personal safety or general well-being.
I love irony that the problems are exactly the same but the enemy is different. It appears that a seen enemy gets the Right’s panties in a bunch and one you can’t see wads the ones on the Left. Both groups however, are more than willing to give up all their personal rights if they get a little frightened. I guess sending troops into battle to die for their rights doesn’t bother either of them but when it comes to ponying up their own lives they say , “Fuck it, I’ll stay inside.” I personally find this so hilarious that I was literally up at 2 a.m. giggling thinking of writing about it.
Now what I find most ironic is that during both these fucktastrophies was the complete incompetence of a single political party who were in charge. In both cases that party completely ignored the warnings of the experts, and the previous Administrations on what they needed to look out for, and what plans should be followed in the event of the impending disaster. Can you guess which party that is? If you said Republican, give yourself a sucker. In both cases it has been the complete and utter incompetence of the leader at the top of the Republican party that put us into these situations. It has also been the leaders of the Democratic party that were both prepared, and ignored, when these things came to pass. When we had George W. Bush people, including myself, thought “what the fuck have they done? This guy’s a complete idiot!” Then we had eight years of steady growth, leadership of an economic bailout, the death of Osama Bin Laden, and a booming economy that surpassed any reasonable person’s expectations, all brought to you by a black Democrat with a Muslim sounding name. Then when all was well and good, and we thought there was no way on earth anyone could fuck it up as bad as George W. Bush, the Republicans came along and said “wait a minute. Hold my Beer.
Everyone needs to make their own decisions on their own personal safety. That doesn’t mean you get to make everyone else’s decisions on theirs. Want to wear a mask? Wear one. Want to hide in your basement? Stay there. Want to be in public? Be considerate of others. It isn’t that hard. Everything you learned in this world to survive and be a good person you learned before first grade. That doesn’t mean you get to act like six-year-old for the rest of your life.
All of ya just need to grow the fuck up.
Rex