There are at least a few virus truisms that even someone who isn’t a specialist in infectious diseases understands. Viruses mutate, especially ones that are relatively new to the scene. Additionally, Infections can come in waves that are hard to predict, though the best science (Published in Nature, perhaps the most prestigious scientific journal) says that we likely face a “winter 2022” COVID wave. There is another thing a non-scientist can presume, and that is that no one in our [current] administration wants Americans to suffer. No one is conspiring to use COVID. And no one is trying to “get us.” But Senator Marsha Blackburn rejects that last one, saying there is a “cabal” in the White House seeking to prolong COVID and anti-COVID measures.
From Mediaite, we get the rundown of Blackburn’s Fox News interview:
Harris Faulkner noted that Biden renewed the Covid-19 public health emergency for at least another 90 days. She said the move is “especially confusing” after Biden stated just last month, “The pandemic is over.”
Jump in to note that the Nature article was published on October 2nd, two weeks ago. Non-scientists understand that as more data comes in, the outlook can change. Second, obviously, saying the pandemic is “over” has several layers of meaning.
Regardless, Blackburn responded:
“You just can’t make these things up. He said very definitively more than once that Covid is over and the pandemic is over. And because of that now – the team behind him, what I call that cabal in the White House – they have to keep this pandemic going so that they can spend more taxpayer money the way they want to.”
Huh? Again, no one is “out to get them,” and the money is appropriated already. There is no “desire” to spend money on a non-existent health problem. The economy could appreciate a boost, instead. But again, the government isn’t out to get us, and thus it’s based on a belief that this is needed to protect Americans.
The senator went on to state that Biden and the Democrats “continue to drive fear” in the American public because they believe it will help in the midterm elections.
Wut?
“And, they think it helps them in the elections, having more people vote via mail-in ballot, making certain that they have that power and control,” Blackburn continued. “That’s what this is all about, always has been from day one.”
“Has been from day one.” Right. Over one million Americans have died, but the administration’s interest in COVID has been exclusively about voting. Not for nothing but notice how nonchalantly Blackburn throws out the affront of “more people voting” as if, by definition, that’s a bad thing.
Just like the public health measures taken in the face of an emerging virus, the budget priorities are – by definition – also subject to an evolving dynamic and not obvious. There is room to disagree on the emphasis of funds in certain areas versus others, but not if your starting point is that there is a “cabal” in the White House out to use the epidemic for political gain. And if more people voting is an issue, perhaps you might want to look into why your positions don’t attract more people.
Never mind. One would have better luck persuading a head of lettuce than a fully-committed MAGA like Blackburn. The lettuce would get vaxed, too, if someone gave it a ride.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.
