I realized I've changed substantially somewhat recently...

[PCIntern]

I was having a conversation with a “fellow-traveler” in my office and I found myself actually saying this: “I was always a humanist and an altruist and I used to try to convince people that certain things were for the better good of the individual to whom I was speaking (and the population) even though the person would argue with me. In other words I was trying to assist someone who was resistant to the conceptual aspect of my altruism or suggestion and would become somewhat agitated if the person didn’t see it my way. But with respect to the vaccination, I find myself saying, ‘ Ok, then get sick and perhaps die. I don’t really care one way or another. That the Darwinian precepts and theorems were fully applicable here and so be my guest.’”

And it’s true: this insanity promulgated by narcissistic, malevolent, know-nothings is a self-perpetuating moron machine which has led to incredibly unnecessary morbidity and mortality. In short, if you refuse vaccination, then whatever happens to you….happens to you. As a college professor once said in lecture, “If you don’t apply yourself and then do badly, well that’s just tough shit.” I agree. I only hope and pray that they don’t take too many innocents with them.

I never ever thought I’d feel that way but I do. One of the saddest aspects of the most recent rise in fascism is that I am filled with vituperation, hate, and disgust. But that’s the truth and I’m no hypocrite and I don’t live in La La Land, so, as Michael Corleone said in Part III, “If they want to do business with me, then I will do business with them.”

[Walleye]

1. I confess I feel the same way

[dianaredwing]

72. And I don't think the repugs understand yet

That we have all just collectively gotten battle fatigue and won't put up with their infantile shit any more. It's like, enough already. There is no more second chance when you are on your three hundredth chance. You are not my child and I don't have to put up with any more crap, that I wouldn't from my own child by the way. No more playing nice with no reciprocating. Enough already. Grow up or get out.

[drmeow]

73. I think they would be shocked to learn

that as a "bleeding heart liberal" I stopped giving a flying f**e if they die once they elected TFG. My heart doesn't bleed for them - it bleeds for their victims only.

I freely admit that I am completely prejudiced. If in 2021 you still say that you are a Republican, I absolutely judge you and don't want to have anything to do with you. I'm not interested in trying to change your mind because "Ain't nobody got time for that."

[lagomorph777]

2. But that is, ironically, a sort of altruism.

Letting bad people self-destruct leaves more space for good people. That is an outcome for the greater good. Besides, there's nothing we can do about it anyway.

[ananda]

17. Good point.

My main coping mechanism is pure escapism.

Watch tv.

Play bridge.

Talk on the phone and laugh a lot.

I just can't make myself interact with assholes these days.

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. Yep. And it's exactly the kind of social darwinism that the right FUCKING LOVES

applying to poor people and brown people and black people and addicts and others that THEY think are making bad decisions.

"Let 'em die" has been the mantra of the GOP for 100 years, so I feel no guilt applying their own ideology to them.

[erronis]

66. I hear you and agree. But we can't expend valuable resources on those want us to argue and lose.

Wrestling a pig in the mud. The pig wins.

Trying to convince a RWNJ about anything other than what they've bought into - they've won by making us engage.

I think WE are trying to reach out to everyone and give them a hand.
I know THEY are trying to give the hand to their RWNJ compatriots and pushing the rest into the mud.

[alterfurz]

68. #COVIDIOTS

#DarwinAwards

[Hugin]

3. KnR'ed solely for the word 'vituperation'...

Nice work, Doc.



(I share your angst.)

[3catwoman3]

67. I agree - one of those great words that...

...we don't get to use very often.

[TexasTowelie]

83. I had to look it up.

It's definitely not in my everyday vocabulary.

[mnhtnbb]

4. I have come to the realization that this country is full of

ignorant, racist, misogynistic, bigoted and self-centered people happy to be conned as long as someone is willing to validate their hate of others.

[PCIntern]

5. Corregidor!!!

Exactly!

[patphil]

11. Yes, the hate was always there, waiting for a chance to emerge.

And the Republicans, even long before Trump, provided the platform for hate to "rear it's ugly head".
So what's happening in this country now was bound to happen sooner or later. Trump made it sooner.
Now we have to confront it, and decide what kind of nation we are truly going to be.

[brush]

80. Yes. It's a wonder there are so many of them. One good thing trump did is bringing them...

out of hiding so we know who they are. They're about a third of voter. Maybe even a third of the population.

So many people don't take advantage of free, public education. Of course republicans love to cut education funding because educated voters aren't easily fooled by their bullshit.

[MontanaMama]

6. Kick.

I agree that letting them destroy themselves is our only option, really. The rub is making sure they don’t take too many innocent bystanders or our democracy with them.

[pwb]

7. Hold your head up and let the pukes take their chance at

Death. Say goodbye and you hope to see them again. Wink wink. One less vote for them.

[calimary]

54. DAMN! That's what I've come to, also.

My version is “one less trump voter.”

Yep. right there with ya.

[Bird Lady]

60. This is what I think too.

Even with my own. They refuse to get vaccinated and are proud of it. I can't understand
how normally intelligent people can act so stupid. I told my son to do what he was going to do
and if he dies as the last living asshole where he lives, oh well he is a big boy.

[Aldemelod]

8. This is healthy and good

By easing up, not arguing, living your own vaccinated life true to yourself, you impact the antivaxers in a positive way. They feel under existential threat by something they don't understand. Some are so frightened they will never come around. They're self-selecting out of the gene pool by failing to adapt. But others will come to the truth on their own and will in time rejoin the rest of humanity. We should welcome them back quietly. Nothing needs to be said. There is no score keeping.

[yonder]

62. I like the tone of your words and welcome to DU.

[Generic Brad]

87. A refreshing take on this!

I appreciate a reasoned, thoughtful reply even though I find myself struggling at times to devise one. Well said!

I also welcome you to DU.

[hlthe2b]

9. Instinctively, my anger at those who promote lies about vaccines and refuse them themselves

does make me care less about their prospects for surviving this pandemic. I am absolutely honest in saying that. But, it isn't guilt (or some childhood religious tenet) that pulls me back, but the knowledge that these people won't just take themselves down, but increase the risk to all of us. Like it or not, we are in this all together and there is a detrimental impact on us all when such a large minority of our population opts to become a community incubator for COVID-19 variants.

[PCIntern]

10. That is very much the case.

[Sanity Claws]

12. agree

They are responsible for their own lives and choices. Being forced to live with the consequences of one's choices may be the best way to get someone to wake up.
The real problem is that they will take innocent people, those who can't get vaccinated due to a medical issue, with them.

[pandr32]

40. "They will take innocent people with them"

I agree with this and it is not only the people with medical issues, but they have turned themselves into a fertile human field in which the virus can continue to mutate into stronger versions that will continue to threaten all of us.
The deliberately un-vaccinated pose a threat to humanity.

[Beetwasher.]

13. I'm Wondering if Enough of them Might Die To Effect the '22 Election

[magicarpet]

20. Justice of poetic proportions should that occur.

Don't get vaccinated... Go see your maker,... Don't vote,... Don't collect $200.00,... Play checkers with Rush Limbaugh up in heaven and have a glorious hate fest.

[wnylib]

45. Limbaugh in heaven?

[magicarpet]

47. Oops,.... The boiling,... fire,.... and brimstone of purgatory. Burn Rush burn.

[wnylib]

55. Hopeless case. Skip the purgatory

and send him straight to hell.

[Wednesdays]

49. You've got Limbaugh's location wrong. nt

[spanone]

14. K&R...

[seta1950]

15. You are right

But they are slowing things because of the surges happening everywhere, they are endangering the rest of us too.

[HUAJIAO]

43. Your first point is my point.

They will bring back closings and all that goes with it.....

[wnylib]

50. I don't think there will be closings or

lockdowns. This surge will be bad in some places, but not as bad as last year. Not in the US anyway. Businesses do not want to close again and politicians do not want to do shutdowns.

But there might be slowdowns and shortages of some things as businesses become understaffed due to employee illness. There also might be shortages of imported materials, foods, and goods as heavily affected, unvaccinated nations shut down.

So there will be economic effects even without closings.

[Wednesdays]

51. And then they'll riot against that...

and so the cycle continues.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Would that it be so

but I doubt the consequences will be sufficient to alter course enough to make a difference.

We must look to active measures ... like voting en masse.

But what do we do if that becomes a bottleneck unable to process all those who wish to participate in the franchise? 65,000 would-be voters in a polling precinct able to process 38k?

"Doors close at 8pm!"

"No extensions allowed. By law!"

[Moostache]

35. There is an answer to every problem...

In the case of over-booked polling places, we need to prepare voters to the bottleneck...

If you need time to read every line of a ballot, then you need to prepare BEFORE you go to the polling place and take up physical space...

If you are reticent to make choices until the ballot is in your hands, YOU must change to facilitate the process and allow OTHERS a chance to vote as well...

The blockades being put in place are there to make it HARDER to vote, but they cannot (yet) make it ILLEGAL to vote. Is that fair? Of course not... Is it fatal to our cause? Only if we let it...

There is no chance of getting Voting Rights legislation done short of a Christmas Carol type intervention of the supernatural variety on some members of the Democratic Senate Caucus...but what CAN and SHOULD and indeed MUST be done is voter education and if necessary, practice elections.

Look at it honestly...if we all teach other voters how to manage the blockades and still show up in record numbers to be counted, the GOP cannot win - they lack the overall numbers (which is why they are so focused on suppression efforts and laws).

I say we deliver the ultimate middle finger to them by turning the tables on them and spend the next 18 months ahead of the mid-term focused on teaching people HOW to still vote instead of wasting time trying to fix the legislative issue until we have 50+ SOLID and DEPENDABLE Democratic votes in the Senate and a House Majority...THEN we can fix the laws and end the GQP for good.

[Probatim]

18. I've been struggling with the same feelings.

Previously, I had hoped people would come to their senses about staying healthy and getting vaccinated, then I came to realize they were all nucking futs. Who would have ever thought public health would be politicized? It's maddening and frightening at the same time.

While I'm not at the point of cheering for 30% death rates for the delta variant, I'm definitely leaning that way.

It's not even that I'm angry or spiteful - it's that these morons need a dose of reality to reprioritize their own anger and stupidity.

[Nasruddin]

21. Somewhat the same

It's a real test of empathy. I'm not finding much for fax-resistant people at this point - it was different in Dec/Jan when the vaccines were untested in the field. 100s of millions of injections later - come on.

Natural consequences is a good teacher (but not fool proof, eg Trump). Unfortunately, infection & disease allows the virus to spread more, so we can't have this. We have got to get these mini-sociopaths vaccinated no matter what.

[WinstonSmith4740]

19. Agree 100%

I hate feeling this way, too, but as Jonathan Swift told us ‘There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know’. It's also referenced in The Bible they profess to believe in so much. (And in reality, they need to get their noses out of Leviticus and into Matthew once in a while.)

You're familiar with the Darwin Awards, right? Forget the yearly awards. These anti-vaxxer Trumpists are the All Time Grand Prize winners. As far as I'm concerned, let Darwin take over...we'll just be weeding out the stupid. Although I also feel bad about are the innocents they'll take with them, especially the ones who's job it is to help these idiots.

[Moostache]

37. I sympathize emotionally...rationally though there is a huge catch...

Darwinian evolution - change and speciation over time through natural selection and genetic mutation - carries a double edged sword in the behavior of the anti-vax MAGAt crowd.

On the one hand, it is certain that more of them will die - some 95%+ (even over 99% in some tallies) of COVID-19 deaths in the past month were non-vaccinated people. And I join with those whose sentiments run towards the idea of "fuck them, let them die then"...I really have struggled to maintain ANY empathy towards these people at all. If it were possible to quarantine them all into a large out door camp until they either get COVID and survive - thus self-immunizing through their own antibodies - or get COVID and die - then I would be all in on the idea.

The real problem is in genetic mutation and evolution. COVID-19 has already shown a terrible propensity to mutate into strains that are worse than before - such as the current Delta variant. Given enough opportunities to mutate and shift, the virus WILL break the efficacy of the current vaccines in some degree - and THAT causes deaths of innocent people.

How is that not negligent homicide?

[packman]

22. I'm convinced those anti-vaxxers are desperate for attention

and I ignore them. Reminds me of a child pouting at the dinner table. Let them suffer or not - their choice.

[dchill]

23. "We're through the looking glass here, people."

It's a defense mechanism, I think.

[Joinfortmill]

27. We are.

[panader0]

24. I have two friends that I always got along with--both are musicians I have played with.

When Trump was elected, they changed. Their racism, which was camouflaged during Obama,
came out, and they bought into all the BS. Then when covid came, I isolated, not playing regularly
every week. I have heard it all, covid is a hoax, the vaccine makes magnets stick to you, Bill Gates,
on and on. So to maintain a modicum of our former friendship, I said we should never discuss politics,
the pandemic, or religion anymore (I am atheist).
I don't see them much these days, but when I do we discuss other things, as we are aware that
we don't agree on many things. Too bad. Truth was the biggest victim of the trump presidency.

[Joinfortmill]

25. I hear you

[justhanginon]

26. Yes to everything you said. I still feel pangs of guilt

for my feelings at times but these are no longer people that I wish in my life or even in my country. They have brought it on themselves and they are responsible for destroying our nation.

[roamer65]

28. The minute the vaccine started being distributed I knew we would arrive at this point.

So...here we are.

It’s generally available everywhere now, and there are people who are refusing it for mainly political reasons.

Fine.

Don’t expect any sympathy from me, anti-vaxxers. In fact, if your reason is politically based, you deserve what may be coming to you.

[Bo Zarts]

29. I pride myself on my fairly extensive vocabulary, but I had to look this one up:" Vituperation."

Vituperation (noun) - bitter and abusive language.

Yep. That's me now too. And I'm totaly shutting people off, too. If someone shows me his or her racism, gun fetishes, election conspiracy bullshit, or Trumpophilia, then they are dead to me.

Bury them. Piss on their graves.

[Stuart G]

42. I had to look it up too. I don't think I had ever seen that word before today:7/9/21 - Friday

While there are lots of causes for this word...Donald Trump is the #1 Cause: Was, Is, Will Always Be!!!

[Klaralven]

30. Altruism applies to your "in-group". Unvaccinated people are not in your "in-group".

[cilla4progress]

31. The problem I see is that the root is

an anti-science stance that could kill us all, especially when it comes to CLIMATE!!

[Moostache]

39. Hear, hear! 100% agree (n/t)

[mountain grammy]

32. Completely agree!

Especially this:

This insanity promulgated by narcissistic, malevolent, know-nothings is a self-perpetuating moron machine which has led to incredibly unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

[Warpy]

33. Unfortunately, they also provide a reservoir in which that virus will continue to mutate

meaning we'll need a new vaccine in years instead of decades. We've seen new strains appearing wherever there is a very large outbreak For now, the vaccines are effective against all of them. That is not likely to be true in a very few years.

It's sad and frustrating to see people so loyal to horseshit. About the best we can do with them is enforce ironclad quarantine laws the next time a serious viral threat appears--and it's coming.

[GoneOffShore]

61. Pfizer and BioNTech are already talking about booster vaccines and/or third jabs.

And I'm fine with that.

A friend of mine here said this morning that she hopes they die, when we were talking about anyone who can, not getting vaccinated.

[Warpy]

69. This is nature's shot across our bow

becuase as a mass extinction event, it falls flat.

In my most uncharitable moments, I hope they come down with what I had. It was unpleasant and the after effects lasted quite a while. It's must mean spirited on my part, most of them still won't get the point.

The booster idea is a little premature. They'll have to come out with them in the future, but I think that will be years, not months.

[GoneOffShore]

82. Indeed it is a 'shot across our bow' - Glad to hear that you are feeling better

It looks like Pfizer and BioNTech are already on the trail of a booster.

Pfizer Asks FDA To Authorize Booster Dose For Covid-vaccine As Delta-variant Spreads

[peggysue2]

34. I think a lot of us have gone the same way

The wholesale ignorance that has spread across the country concerning vaccines is mind-numbing. I no longer care to understand the reasoning or lack there of, merely shrug my shoulders and think, okay, your choice if you want to put yourself, family and friends at risk. But if you end up on a ventilator, don't expect any great sympathy. And if you infect some innocent? Expect me to be angry and put the full blame on you.

I feel the same way with this Ashli Babbitt nonsense, the rush toward martyrdom. I never wished anyone killed. I watched Babbitt's shooting during the Capitol insurrection and it was ghastly. But pretending the woman was a murdered innocent, that she wasn't attempting to breach the chamber doors with a mob behind her screaming for blood goes beyond anything that makes sense.

Bad decisions often lead to bad ends.

The Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Ms. Babbitt was protecting the chamber and the lives of our representatives and their aides. He did his job and prevented further death and mayhem. Unlike Ms Babbitt who was caught up in the fervor of the mob, hellbent on seeking a capitulation to their unlawful demands, upturning a legal, legitimate election.

Again, I shrug my shoulders. Tragic but a death that could have easily been avoided had Ms Babbitt acted in a judicious manner, not allowed herself to be swept up in a destructive rage fest.

And now the white nationalists--the likes of Paul Gosar--want the the officer identified.

There's no end for these people. They're at the bottom of the pit and they wish to drag us all there.

My answer is: No! You want to go to Hell, you're going alone.

[lunatica]

38. I hear you.

Willful ignorance is a disease in our society as much as is COVID-19 and any new variant that comes along is. Mass delusion seems highly contagious these days. I don’t know what a possible pre-disposition we may all have to buy into that crap, but we must resist getting infected by it.

We are deep into our second civil war now. The war of ideas. I wonder if our species is mentally ill in some way. Is this a manifestation of the idea of the rugged individual? A delusional ideal to strive for? The quintessential American ideal? The eternal cowboy living in a lawless land?

Houston. We have a problem!

[Joe Nation]

41. I guess that I'm somewhat right there with you

If someone asks me why I am wearing a mask even though I'm fully vaccinated, I say, "Just to piss off stupid people at this point."

[Bob_in_VA]

46. An even better response

Well, I'm recovering from a nasty bout of the flu and thought it best to not needlessly expose others to it, but if the mask bothers you, I'll take it off and breathe heavily in your face. Hope you like the results.

[Mr.Bill]

44. The biggest problem is the majority of the will survive

and be emboldened. And those that die? They've alread got that covered. They've been saying from the beginning of this they didn'e die of Covid and the hospitals are lying on the death certificates to make more money.

The hard core ones will never admit to anyone dying of Covid because they are convinced it doesn't even exist.

[traitorsgalore]

48. Covidiots have broken a social contract, an agreement as decent people we don't kill each other

They not only don't care if we die, they also purposely spread deadly disease hoping we die. It's an unforgivable violation of human life and decency, they're deadly predators.

It's self-preservation to avoid them all and hope by whatever means they disappear from the human race.

[barbtries]

52. the thing is

who they may take with them. i'm still advocating for vaccinating and mask wearing.
it's hard not to be cynical and I don't have sympathy for these foolish, selfish assholes. Sadly, some are people I love. sigh

[OverBurn]

53. I use to be kinder, but now, Fuck'em.

[Jim G.]

57. Obviously Your Fear Of The Pandemic Has Affected You Emotionally

You should seek help.

[roamer65]

58. 🦠

Let’s meet.

Hugs.

Delta.

[roamer65]

59. We learn things about ourselves from events like this pandemic.

I am a Darwinist.

[PatrickforB]

63. I hear you. After awhile, you have to say, "That's how you feel? So be it."

But it is tough to deal with people who are brainwashed by the right-wing noise machine. And Q. Let's not forget Q, Jewish lasers from space, and underground pedophile pizza.

Sigh.

[Butterflylady]

64. Gee, here I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

Let them destroy themselves. I'm in 70% vaccinated state.

[PCIntern]

70. That's the beauty of the Intertubes...

Your feelings can be validated by people who have no reason to “blow smoke”.

[CaptainTruth]

65. I feel the same way about Republicans in general.

In the era of Trump they showed us what they are, they're traitors who don't give a damn about our democracy, our Constitution, the rule of law, or the system of 3 co-equal branches of government that our founders created, so fuck them, fuck them all. My father & uncles fought a war to defeat fascism in Europe, & if we have to fight to defeat Republican fascism on our own soil, so be it, I'll be there. I'm all out of fucks to give.

[trof]

71. I look on the antivaxers as thinning a herd that NEEDS thinning.

Just sayin...

[Skittles]

74. I too am completely fed up with what is going on

it's ridiculous and absolutely maddening

[Ferrets are Cool]

75. Ditto

[BigmanPigman]

76. "The moron machine"

Did tRump invent that before he decided to ignore Covid as a major health issue?

[AmBlue]

77. I feel the same, but I'm also ANGRY.

Last edited Sat Jul 10, 2021, 01:37 AM - Edit history (1)

These idiots not only stupidly provide ample human prey for a mutating virus, they are also selfishly endangering others, AND causing every one of us to endure a much longer period of threat from COVID and its variants. Their stupidity is staggering! At this point, I'm quite okay with any and/or all of them catching it and dying due to their own selfish recklessness. What may be the only silver lining in this mess? Come election time, in many of these cases, there'll be one less vote for the Rs.

But one other thing I don't see being discussed is this: the unnecessary and WILLFUL burden being placed on our healthcare workers and the added EXPENSE and danger of caring for these stupid, sick people-- especially when said expense was 100% avoidable!! Why on earth are these cretins not being penalized in the form of substantially higher insurance premiums? Or complete denial of healthcare services if they choose to be un-vaccinated AND un-insured?

It's bad enough they are making this pandemic worse in every respect for EVERYONE. The cost of providing healthcare for these idiots should NOT have to be borne by those of us who have been quarantining and masking and getting vaccinated. These idiots should be cut off from healthcare for their self-induced COVID infections except at their own cash-before-treatment expense!!

Oh, and did I say I'm ANGRY?? Hell yes. I'm angry...

[Grasswire2]

78. and they are killing off the Republican base via Covid transmission.

I wonder why they all continue to fight against the vaccine, when Covid is killing the deniers and GOP is already shrinking to less than 25 percent of the electorate.

[brush]

79. Agreed 100%. If people are foolish enough to not get vaccinated, it's on them...

especially with reports that this latest variant of covid is killing unvaccinated people left and right.

And IMO tucker carlson and imgraham et al should be not just taken off the air, they should be arrested for encouraging their viewers not to get vaccinated. They're killing their vulnerable, low-info viewers.

[Iggo]

81. Yeah! Let's see how many people under 12 they can take with 'em.

It’ll be worth it just to own the magats!

(Seriously, though. You know they’re not just killing themselves, right?)

[struggle4progress]

84. "Will we miss you're gone?"

When death shall close your eye lids
and your heart shall cease to beat
and we lay you down to rest
in some flowery-bound retreat

will we miss you?
(Miss you when you're gone)
Will we miss you?
(Miss you when you're gone)
Will we miss you?
(Miss you when you're gone)

Will we miss you're gone?

Perhaps we'll plant a flower
on your poor unworthy grave
and come and sit along beside you
when the roses nod and wave

Will we miss you?
(Miss you when you're gone)
Will we miss you?
(Miss you when you're gone)
Will we miss you're gone?

[scrabblequeen40]

85. Hard when a family member joins the cult

My partner's son set up a tent on his front lawn on July 4, and decorated it in red, white and blue. He draped it with homemade banners "Trump Won" and "Biden Sucks."
He sat in a lawn chair to glare at passersby.

If he was looking to offend, he succeeded. Using patriotism to defend fascism.

Man, I hate Trump voters.

[dlk]

86. Sad but true

Living in reality when it comes to TFG and his minions is unavoidable. It would be naive not to.

[Gore1FL]

88. We have come off of decades of the same stupid people impacting us.

I am tired of their shit, especially after the last four years. If they want to run off the cliff, I, too, am inclined to let them, as long as they don't force the rest of us with them, that is.