The Internal Contradictions of Republicans’ COVID-19 Politic

The Atalantic ^ | 8/19/21 | David A. Graham

[DallasBiff]

Crises have the power to expose tensions within ideologies, and the current pandemic has made some of those in contemporary American conservatism vividly apparent.

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is not only fighting a COVID-19 infection—he’s also on the front lines of a clash within conservatism. The Republican has declared his state “the Freedom Capital of America.” He has consistently prioritized cutting regulations on business, and in a 2018 opinion column boasted, “Innovation and self-reliance are deeply rooted in the Lone Star State, and when freed from the stranglehold of over taxation and overregulation, new ideas flourish. By limiting senseless government restrictions, the opportunity to succeed in business is as limitless as the land itself.”

[DallasBiff]

I know from 3 years ago, but a victory for conservatives, Fauci's public pension should be taken away.

Flame away, mods pull if to controversial.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

It's interesting that even libertarians are on both sides of the COVID issue.

Some libertarians are against masks, forced jabs, lockdowns, etc. because they see it as a paternalistic imposition and violation of the NAP.

Other libertarians believe that unjabbed people walking around are a violation of the NAP since they could be infectious.

If people had remained rational they would have all agreed that if the jabs worked then there was no need to require everyone to get jabs, and if they didn't work then nobody should have got jabbed.

Libertarians used to be against helmet laws even though motorcyclists without helmets who crashed could cost the health care system (and thus insurance companies) more money . Applying this same logic, the only downside of allowing others to choose not to get jabbed is that it will cost the health care system more money and potentially fill up more hospital beds.

[Alberta's Child]

Mandatory vaccinations are the epitome of nanny-state idiocy.

I still remember the red-haired guy who made all those comical videos exposing the absurdity of that Branch Covidian fiasco. In one scene, he wades into a swimming pool wearing a life jacket. He’s holding a second one in his hand, and he proceeds to scold another swimmer — telling him: “If you don’t wear this life jacket, I might drown!” LOL.

[Seruzawa]

If you can force helmet laws because it might save public money there is virtually no behavior that cannot be regulated. Roller skating without gear, eating French fries, drinking soda... Oh wait.

There is no limit to the totalitarian goals of moral busy bodies. They would regulate everything.

[jimwatx]

I’m what I consider to be a small “l” libertarian and I thought them forcing this vaxx on people was insane. First of all it was inadequately tested and rushed through, second of all it was employing a new technology that hadn’t been used before (except experimentally) so it made us all guinea pigs, and third the mortality rate was a puny less than 1%.

Now say if the mortality rate was 50% I could understand some restrictions on movement and such if one refused the vaxx (assuming the vaxx actually worked) but I still wouldn’t force people to get it as long as they isolated themselves. If they then were to violate self isolation under those circumstances putting others in danger then criminal sanctions would be applied.