Did media malpractice cause Qanon?
COVID fallout continues
Hello friends!
On the most recent edition of the podcast you can hear my immediate reaction to the Chauvin verdict in my conversation with Kevin Ryan. I also explore the SALT fight in the House and Senate which has created some really interesting political bedfellows… specifically AOC and Biden teaming up to save a Trump accomplishment.
Here are the emails! - JUSTIN
Q
Yes, QAnon is nutty.
Separate unrelated thought: I wonder why people have stopped trusting established news organisations, seek out alternatives, and almost willingly believe the opposite of what's reported.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm booking my vaccine appointment, I'm getting the AZ extra blood-clotty one. - KEN
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Personally, I enjoyed the ride. The extra time let's us get to know the wacky characters of Fred, Jim, and Ron better. I'd rather have more info than less about them in order to come to my own conclusions about each of them.
But then again, I enjoyed the Snyder Cut... - TAYLOR
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I feel that if the MSM and cable news just ignored the MTG wing on the right and the Richard Spencer "Punch a Nazi" wing on the left both extremes would fade away and have to limit themselves to posting self-satisfied TL:DNR manifestos on obscure 8Chan groups.
You'd think we would have learned our lesson after giving a lunatic clown massive free publicity in 2016, arguably leading to the most disastrous Presidency in US history. - GARY
COVID
Regarding the J&J vaccine being pulled, yeah...that seems like a huge PR/Marketing miss. People were already concerned about "rushed" vaccines. Other countries were already having outsized concerns about blood clot risks from AstraZeneca. Instead of doubling down on, "You can trust us, we've done the homework, this is very safe and well within the normally occurring rates in the general population" in favor of a "We want to show you that you can trust us, so we'll pull anything that has a negative headline attached to it to show we're listening." My personal opinion is that the implications for this are less for the US (due to Moderna and Pfizer availability) and more for other countries who are likely to rely on the J&J vaccine. - TON LOC
I really hadn’t thought of it like that. These are the actions of a group that KNOWS they have a credibility gap with people and pulling the J&J shot is a way of demonstrating they care.
Where I think they are mistaken is that most people are comfortable with a government is that is competent, seen and not heard.
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When it comes to the vaccines and the two sides that you brought up, I have a lot to say, and this is my 5th draft, but I'll try to keep it short. The biggest reason why one group has decided to nope out is because no one is allowed to ask questions or raise concerns or do anything other than bend over and take it. If I had said something like "I'm slightly concerned about possible side effects in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine" yesterday (Tuesday) I could have been censored or banned off of youtube, twitter & facebook. Today it's ok, because the FDA removed it for causing blood clots, for better or worse. I watched this heavy handed behaviour push a couple people from being vaccine cautious to "I would rather die than get it" in the last two months. While one group is silencing and removing actual doctors who aren't quacks for not walking in lockstep, you'll see more and more resistance to it. Let people talk their fears out, convince them with reason and sound arguments backed up by real science, and don't just shoot down any dissenting voices, and you'll see a whole lot less pushback. - ANDY
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Have I ever mentioned that I'm Canadian? Most of the people I know are Canadian having lived here all my life. I personally know five Canadians who've had shot one of two. Three seniors, a nurse and a cop. I know more vaccinated Americans than Canadians at this point.
Being a Canadian right now is like being a grounded kid watching all the other kids playing outside from your bedroom window.
Anyway, I'll get a lukewarm, leftover vaccine if and when I ever get that call, and it won't be one of the cool, designer brand ones, it'll be one of the discount, blood-clotty ones. I've never been much for designer brands anyway.
In the meantime, go out there and enjoy a body shot for us Canadians who can't. - KEN
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I think we could all stand to do a lot less “Looking on the bright side” of this tyranny. - SCALE
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We cannot continue on forever in a pandemic state. We must reopen businesses. We must get kids back to school. Me must be allowed our body shots. - DR WHISKEY
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This is why I’m of the mindset that “COVID shots equal Body Shots” isn’t going to happen, despite it being an awesome phrase.
It sure seems like the government/health experts/Fauci/ whoever the fuck is “in charge” doesn’t EVER want us to unmask and end social distancing.
Because if we can’t continue to vaccinate based on a 1 in 1 million plus chance of a clot, what prevents further restrictions on ANYTHING based on “potential COVID (or various COVID treatment)” risks?
I understand and agree that strict health measures were needed for safety’s sake. And the death total is staggering.
But man, we gave up a lot of freedoms to get there. And history always proves that getting those freedoms returned is very difficult to impossible. - THE BUCK
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I would challenge you, Justin, on Fauci's assessment of risk. His message is not great. He is doing what I would expect the top expert in infectious disease to do though. He is going to take the hardline. Some of the precautions that are in place, I want to be permanent, less militant, but permanent. How nice is it to be standing in a line and have personal space? How great is it to see sparkling clean bathrooms, tables, counters, registers everywhere you go? We should get back to re-useable plates and utensils. We should get back to higher capacities at restaurants and movie theaters to get people jobs. Maybe Fauci needs to stop focusing on Covid and talk about all infectious diseases. Maybe he can keep up parts of his argument if he reframes it as an ongoing public good. We all got used to certain protocols, so lets keep some of those in place. The CDC estimates that there were 18-26M medical visits related to the flu with up to 740k hospitalizations and up to 62k deaths. Imagine cutting those numbers in half or even shaving off one quarter. 2019-2020 U.S. Flu Season: Preliminary In-Season Burden Estimates | CDC If you look at the note at the top, for the 2020-2021 season hospitalization rates are too low to generate an estimate. That is a win we need to champion.
Fauci is not going to change his tune. His communication style is fixed. He has no ambition to get a new position. He will continue to communicate like a hardliner. Maybe it is time for others to interpret and moderate that messaging into something more useful and practical. - SEAN W
Like I wrote a few weeks ago, Fauci is best used as a “Wash Your Hands!” mascot. The more he talks beyond that the less I like him these days.
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Extrovert reporting in. I'm 38 years old and recently (3 years ago) returned to community college to finish my bachelor's degree. I'm also a recovering alcoholic and just celebrated 8 years of sobriety. For the past 6 years I've paid my bills working in music venues as a live sound engineer, a job I love to death.
I miss my recovery community that was such an integral part of my sanity on a daily and weekly basis. I'm suffering from the worst depression I've had since I first got sober. I started seeing a therapist (in Zoom obviously). I've stayed mostly at home for the safety of my family and I am suffering.
I am a true extrovert. I need to be around people on a daily basis and that connection is my lifeblood. I don't know how to function without in person human interaction. One 90 minute lecture and an hour of homework alone in my room and I'm exhausted. I take a depression nap by noon everyday.
My father, my mother, and myself have all been vaccinated as of 17 days ago. And you know what? I'm going to in person meetings again, I have tickets to see my World Champion LA Dodgers in a couple weeks. I start an in person internship in June. I'm flying to Memphis in July. COVID SHOTS MEAN BODY SHOTS LFG!!!! Maybe like energy drinks for me, no alcohol of course. I don't know if this is back to normal, but I'm done suffering mentally and emotionally from the isolation. I'm done. - CHRISTOPHER A
A friend of mine who had been in and out of rehab pre-COVID died during the lockdown. I consider his death a cost of our reaction to the disease. I’ve been around addiction most of my life and the one thing that becomes clear is that patterns rule the world of an addict. The destructive pattern is hard to break, the productive pattern is hard to keep.
To outlaw a portion of someone’s pattern for a year and counting is very rough.
You are very strong Christopher. Anyone who has been through or around alcoholism knows that and we are all pumped you can get out and touch people again!
Rage Against the Machine
Kyle’s not the only one who was confused by Rage Againat the Machine, neither band was my thing in school so for the longest time I thought Rage Against the Machine and Rise Against were the same band. - CHRIS
Nancy Pelosi
I am often amazed at the ability of Nancy Pelosi to find a way to insert herself into any social topic, and through her words or actions make it about her. Witness yesterday’s Chauvin verdict, a moment that should have been about the family of George Floyd seeing Derek Chauvin be held accountable for his actions. This led to something of an immediate catharsis, in the crowd that was assembled and around the nation. It was a step in the right direction... which Pelosi found a way to screw up.
She made clarifying comments later, but thanking George Floyd for his “sacrifice?” Sweet Jeebas, Nancy - read the room. Perhaps you simply say you’re glad Chauvin was held accountable, thank those who worked to have that happen, say we have more to do as a society and then stop there? - BEAU
Considering how performative she can get, this was tame on the cringe factor.