As the Deity is my witness, I swear that certain of our elected officials at the state and municipal level are holding a contest to see who can be the most petty, obnoxious, contradictory, and unreasonably dictatorial boot stamping on a human face in the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus. (Yes and I will call it the Wuhan coronavirus, or maybe even the Chinese Commie Crud; I owe nothing to the Chinese Communist Party, nor do I expect to sell books in China, so bite me, Premier “Winnie the Poo” Xi, you and your running-dog lackeys in the American media.)
Lets’ see – Governor Gretchen “Karen” Witmer was making a strong showing for most of the last few weeks; stupid and illogical orders as to what was essential and what was not; yea, even to the point of roping off aisles in general-purpose stores. You could go to the store, look at the merchandise which was sitting right there, in plain sight … but because Governor “Karen” had ruled, in her inexplicable wisdom, that certain items were not essential … you could not purchase them. You could, in fact, order them through the store website … but you could not actually pick up the item and schlep it to the cashier yourself. Governor “Karen” also, in her infinite wisdom, decided that the same quarantine/isolation practices that were marginally appropriate for the Big City in her state were also appropriate for the far-distant rural counties, where one might have to actually arrange for someone with the Wuhan coronavirus to come and cough on you. Governor “Karen” also claimed to see Nazi and Confederate banners at public protests objecting to her idiotic policies. So, not only stupid and illogical … but delusional. If she was auditioning for a spot as the Dem VP-nominee, I suspect that she has bombed the audition. (But one never knows. Like idiocy, there seems to be an infinite and boundless supply of delusions of competence on the part of our current political leadership in blue states.)
Alas, there are other front-runners in the idiocy sweepstakes over this last week. Governor Cuomo, he of the great state of New York likely takes the cake, if not for his apparent nipple-piercings, than for his ukase that medical volunteers from out of state coming to New York to tend to the suffering – at their own expense and unpaid by the health panjandrums in New York – let it be known that New York felt entitled a share of whatever they had been earning at their regular jobs. For grasping ungraciousness that rivals the unwelcome mat put out for the Samaritan’s Purse emergency portable hospital in Central Park. I have never expected much from Mayor “Kaiser Wilhelm” de Blasio, so I don’t feel particularly disappointed in his assorted coronavirus bungling – to include failing to consider the subway system as a super-spreader of the Wuhan Crud until fairly late in the game. Garbage mayor in, garbage city out. I know that there simply must be some sensible voters in New York who do not deserve the dysfunctional hell which “Kaiser Wilhelm” has inflicted on New Yorkers … but really. Y’all voted in Rudy Giuliani once upon a time. Pull up your socks and do it again.
As for my own dear state of Texas … While Governor Abbott appeared so far to be reasonably on the ball with regard to lockdown conditions in Texas generally, certain other local officials have come off not looking so good; notably Judge Eric Moye, who might have been within the letter of the law in convicting Shelly Luther of violating the law in opening her beauty salon ahead of time, but was definitely pushing the limits in demanding that she apologize and grovel, or else. And speaking of the full weight of the law – the Ector County sheriff’s deputies certainly don’t look any better than Judge Moye, prompting all kinds of vicious reference about doughnuts, and out of shape officers with delusions of military adequacy. Since businesses like salons, bars, small retail and all the rest are supposed to be opening over the next few weeks, authorities like … Judge Moye, and the Ector County sheriff’s department have not done themselves any good long-term by being such “respect mah authoriteh!” hard-liners about it all. Neither have governors like Gavin “Gruesome” Newsom of California, in continuing to rigidly enforce the lock-down in view of developing information on exactly the Chinese Commie Crud spreads. Interesting and reassuring that citizens are increasingly inclined to defy such lock-down orders, even as certain authoritarians become ever shriller and more insistent on being obeyed. Discuss as you will.
That judge did accomplish one good thing. The lady that he jailed ended up with a half million dollars in a GoFundMe account.
I read that the Lt Gov made a TV appearance where he mentioned that Judge Moye is up for re-election this fall.
The sheriff deputies provided a lot of light entertainment. “Light” being the humor, not the size of them.
I went to the barber shop today and was #51. I told the barber to “take a month’s worth off.”
Governor “Karen” also claimed to see Nazi and Confederate banners at public protests objecting to her idiotic policies.
As long as we’re making up stuff, can we assert that there were hammer and sickle banners at public demonstration in support of her idiotic policies?
I have been strongly reminded what a generally sensible state NH is. We have an excellent, calm governor, Chris Sununu (son of the older John Sununu and brother of former Senator Sununu, both excellent as well), and our law-enforcement officers do not seem to be generally overbearing, though there are of course exceptions.
I suppose out of fifty states we are always going to find a few examples of people getting impressed with themselves, but as with stories about the idiocy of college administrators, each story is not so much that infuriating as it is infuriating to keep hearing the sheer volume of them. We expect the republic to weather a few knuckleheads. Multiple knuckleheads signals that something deeper is happening.
Studying the behavior of my fellow citizens — most of them stop at Stop lights; very few of them pay much attention to speed limits, especially outside cities. Stop lights make sense — everyone can see the benefit of orderly traffic patterns. Speed limits often make no sense whatsoever. Most of us do what makes sense, regardless of what “Authority” says.
From this, one can hypothesize that respect for “Authority” has been growing tenuous for years as “Authority” tried to become more & more dictatorial. Good Lefties who once called for keeping the government out of the bedroom now demand that the government sits in the bathroom (low flow toilets) and in the kitchen (dishwasher powders that do not clean). And the more that the new generation of Lefties want to extend their control, the less respect for “Authority” remains. All that is left for “Authority” is enforcement.
Not to worry. Real money for governments is running out, and a quick glance at Zimbabwe shows where the Best & Brightest are heading with their “Quantitative Easing”. Politicians ability to control what happens through enforcement will break down once pay checks for police officers and judges and prison guards stop arriving regularly.
Today must be similar to what it was like to live in the 1930s. Anyone with eyes in his head then could see that disaster was looming, but the Political Class staggered on regardless.
How about Grand Rapids Congressman Justin Amash, who is supposed to be the Libertarian candidate for president, condemning the protestors and repeating the lie about Nazis. Obviously, the Libertarian party is less real political party and more a self-parody, but opposing a demonstration defending the 1st and 2nd amendments is taking their platform to new level of cognitive dissonance.
amash went to the dark side pretty fast
https://thefederalist.com/2020/05/08/a-look-at-the-democrat-dallas-judge-who-jailed-a-salon-owner/
I have been strongly reminded what a generally sensible state NH is.
Have the refugees from Taxachusetts wised up or have they quit coming ? I spent a year there in 94-95 and liked the state a lot.
The Senator then, Judd Gregg, was a good guy and a help when I was looking to try to make some use of my Dartmouth degree and volunteer with the House committee on health policy. I was told that the House committee was only interested in tax lawyers on health policy. No interest in “providers” with extra training who would work for free. The new Congress had taken over after the 94 election but were not interested in reform in any fashion.
AVI
Just coincidentally, they are Republicans. :)
Though the Ector County fiasco probably had Republicans involved.
The San Antonio City Council has declared that certain names applied to COVID=19 encourage hate crimes. You know, like describing it by its geographical origin. Calling Lyme Disease by that name has resulted in hate crimes against residents of Lyme CT, doncha’ know.
I hadn’t been aware of any targeting of members of the Jewish faith as a result of the pandemic.
I have business in two states, Wisconsin and Illinois. Both have put forth five step plans to bring us back to normal and neither plan is achievable in any fashion, predictably – and neither plan makes any sense whatsoever. They both continue to treat rural areas of both states like they are Chicago. There are literally zero cases in many parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. Social distancing in these places is just the way things are. It is, of course, completely ridiculous.
I think the most ridiculous thing so far, and there are a lot of things that qualify, are the field hospitals. I call them “things politicians like”. Gov Evers of Wisconsin set one up at Wisconsin State Fair park. Zero cases, pending shutdown. He requested one at the Alliant Energy Center here in Madison and I assume FEMA laughed him out of the room as that one never got set up. Gov. Cuomo set one up in the Javits center, not sure of any cases, but it is being shut down. The hospital ship blazed into NYC at Cuomo’s repeated fire shouting in the crowded theater (remember that 40,000 ventilator shouting as well?), and it is already gone. I think they saw a couple dozen patients. McCormick place in Chicago had a several thousand bed field hospital set up, and it is being taken down after seeing close to zero patients. All of this while “real” hospitals are being shut down due to doctors and nurses having nothing to do, since all of the “elective” surgeries were cancelled by our betters in the government.
Everyone keeps saying they are using “science” in these decisions, but that is some seriously bad science right there. We are so poorly served by our elected officials, it is absolutely staggering.
Gringol…”The resolution also states that the use of terms like “Chinese Virus” or “Kung Fu virus” encourage hate crimes and incidents against Asians as well as spread misinformation. Meanwhile, it says, the Jewish community has been targeted with blame and conspiracy theories regarding the disease….I hadn’t been aware of any targeting of members of the Jewish faith as a result of the pandemic.”
The only case I can think of is Bill de Blasio, whose over-the-top verbal assault on “the Jews” (following some non-social-distancing behavior by a group of ultra-Orthodox) does IMO qualify as anti-Semitic. And even here, he wasn’t accusing Jews of *causing* the pandemic; merely taking the opportunity to take a cheap shot, approved by a significant % of Dems.
All of this while “real” hospitals are being shut down due to doctors and nurses having nothing to do, since all of the “elective” surgeries were cancelled by our betters in the government.
My niece who is an OR nurse at Rush in Chicago has been on two day a week schedule since her liver transplant team was shut down. I hear that they are resuming elective cases, like breast biopsies next week.
I have seen a couple of references to the rich and well connected as members of “The Tribe” a couple of times. This is probably a trace of anti-Semitism and is directed at the political left/rich. I could see this growing as lockdown creates more bankruptcies and the left presses for prolonged lockdown.
Just as black crime ignored may have had a bit to do with that shooting in Georgia, the Biden accuser is now being described as wearing “sexy clothing” at the time she says the incident occurred. Under duress, old themes can emerge from the past.
I have seen a couple of references to the rich and well connected as members of “The Tribe” a couple of times.
Better description: the High Priests of the CCCO – the Cult of the Credentialed and Connected Omniscient (just one letter away from CCCP). And we have let them become the omnipotent moral busybodies C. S. Lewis warned us about.
Everyone keeps saying they are using “science” in these decisions, but that is some seriously bad science right there.
Not science … SCIENCE!!! As in, pontifications from “experts” afflicted with tunnel vision, who ignore the collateral damage they are inflicting because profit is icky and has no bearing on the living standards of ordinary people, y’know, so economic impacts are irrelevant.
We expect the republic to weather a few knuckleheads. Multiple knuckleheads signals that something deeper is happening.
It’s been happening for a century … starting for each of us, regardless of generation, back in our early school years when we were told to “listen to Teacher” and “always follow the rules” and “you need to share because it’s fair” and that educational achievement assures wisdom and virtue and those who hold it need not be questioned.
The more we become, comfortably numb … the more knuckleheads we allow to run amok, right over us.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/ritchie-the-riveter/the-seven-assumptions-of-the-comfortably-numb/1918369764876760/
Political figures often seem unaware of the destructiveness of a positive-feedback cycle. Gretchen Whitmer, in response to the resistance to her excesses of authority, is trying to exert even MORE undelegated, anti-Constitutional authority. Tom Wolf in Pennsylvania is actually threatening county executives and law enforcement officials who are refusing to enforce his ukases.
Where did these ignoramuses come from? Don’t they have any sense for when a process is about to spiral out of control? How could anyone so politically inept rise to governor of a state?
It hardly matters now. They’re where they are, doing what seems to come naturally to them — and they’re about to get a sharp lesson in Americanism: one that begins thus:
“When in the Course of human events…”
“Political figures often seem unaware of the destructiveness of a positive-feedback cycle.”
Here’s George Eliot, from 1866:
“Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessman had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary’s men, but a little uncertain also about your own . . . You would be especially likely to be beaten if you depeneded arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with a game man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for instruments.”
One would think that a person who has achieved any level of success in politics would understand this point. Apparently not.
Also…I’ve been thinking about Prohibition, in the context of our current situation.
Drunkeness was indeed a significant problem in the early 1900s. But instead of taking reasonable actions to deal with the situation, which most people would have supported, the Karens and Cartmans of the time chose to ban all alcoholic beverage drinking, by anybody.
Similarly, most people can see the reasonableness of temporarily banning, say, indoor movies. But when the Karens and Cartmans do things like banning *drive-in* movies and *drive-in* church services, people are going to push back, and some of them are going to conclude that the whole things was just an excuse for power-grabbing.
I prefer “Winnie The Flu”.
Interesting and reassuring that citizens are increasingly inclined to defy such lock-down orders
Someone noted that “even the Germans are pushing back.” When you’ve made a (sortof) libertarian of a German, you might have gone a step too far.
One would think that a person who has achieved any level of success in politics would understand this point. Apparently not.
Neither do they respect Callahan’s Principle of Leadership: a man’s got to know his limitations.
So in arrogant hubris, they drive too fast for the reach of their headlights, confident that we will follow right behind them … even if that means their wreck becomes a million-car pileup.
GWB
I prefer “Winnie The Flu”.
Agreed. It personalizes the virus, focusing attention on the person most responsible for the spread of the virus by` 1) acting against those who wanted to bring attention to the problem and 2) by keeping flights from Wuhan to the rest of the world when he had shut down Wuhan. Don’t spread it all over China, just spread it all over the world. Just doing what Alinsky recommended. Having that repeated on media over and over again would drive Fearless Leader Xi bonkers.
I’m encouraged by the increasing numbers of LEOs, usually Sheriffs (elected independently of state officials) who are paying attention to the Bill of Rights and refusing to enforce aspects of these lockdown orders. Obviously the tele-tubbies of Ector County are not among these, but all will be facing the voters sooner or later, and the campaign ads are writing themselves.
We don’t know and will never know what Xi knew and when he knew it. In a country with a long history of shooting the messenger and before that beheading him, even a well intentioned ruler might not know what’s happening until it’s too late.
The subsequent actions of the Chinese have thoroughly suppressed any impulse I might have had to cut them any slack. There is conclusive evidence that they knew there was a serious problem in early January when they were buying all the PPE they could and shipping it to China.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/revealed-china-stockpiled-2-billion-face-masks-and-25m-medical-items/news-story/5304e5a5080bd4087e4a9be9de210b97