Der Right’s Black Sheep

Right-wing stupidity (doubly superfluous?).

On Gab, I’m being called a “sheep” because of my support of covid vaccination and my criticism of those who spew lies to discourage vaccination among the general population.

The mind-numbed Gab/FOX News crowd, in a classic case of “pot calling the kettle black” projection, aver that their dogmatic spouting of falsehood, following their clueless leaders in lemming-like lockstep, is "independent thinking," and people who are well informed about science, who actually know what mRNA is and how it works, who understand epidemiology and virology, who understand vaccines, and who decide that vaccination is best for both the individual and for society, are “sheep.”

Let us consider together:

On an individual level, the cost-benefit ratio strongly supports vaccination. Whatever risks that exist from the “jab” are greatly outweighed by the risks of getting covid itself.

But, I have no interest in saving these yahoos from covid-related morbidity and mortality. Quite the contrary, I hope that these unvaccinated yahoos, particularly the ones that spread nonsense that discourages societal vaccination protection, do suffer covid-related morbidity and mortality.  They richly deserve it.  Alas, however, there are some negative externalities for the rest of us.

When the yahoos suffer from covid-related morbidity and mortality, they use scarce healthcare resources, leaving others with less (thus, I believe that the willfully unvaccinated should not be treated for covid; if they die, they die, the quicker the better).

Although the vaccines are most effective in preventing severe symptomatology, they do reduce actual infection to some degree. If we had close to 100% vaccination rates, then that partial protection from infection, coupled with social distancing and masking, and whatever short-term protection from natural immunity, may be enough to get the covid R number under 1.0 and end the pandemic.  Thus, large numbers of the unvaccinated do the following;

• Keep the pandemic going, instead of ending it.
• Infecting others, and since we know the vaccines are not 100% effective (the idea that every vaccine must be 100% effective – and 100% safe - is a straw man for the anti-vaxxers), vaccinated people are threatened as well.
• Increasing the probability of generating new covid variants, which could more effectively evade vaccine protection and/or be more virulent.

So, even if I am not bothered if the unvaccinated, as isolated individuals, get sick and die, all of the negative externalities of their decision for the rest of us does bother me.

True, it would be optimal if the vaccines were more effective (and safe). It would be great if they had a very high probability of conferring long-lasting sterilizing immunity. It would be great if they had less side effects. I at no time ever dismissed the real possibility of current, or future, covid vaccine side effects, and I wish I didn't have to take the vaccine to begin with. I’m not really completely satisfied with these vaccines, but they are the tools we currently have, and should be used. The Holy Orientals created the problem; don't blame the vaccine or the vaccinated. Blame the Yellow Devils.

Further, one can wonder if it is at all possible to generate sterilizing immunity, or any kind of long-lasting immunity, against coronaviruses, and whether it is possible to generate any sort of effective immune response against covid without at the same time risking side effects. It's a difficult situation.  The Wuhan lab did their job really well, didn't they?

Indeed, if you don’t like the situation, blame China – don’t act like jackasses, acting as the extended phenotypes of covid-19, and call people who know what they are doing – based on currently available information – “sheep” while you are the ones following leaders who are either clueless or who are just pandering to your stupidity for their own rent-seeking benefit (and this latter group may well be vaccinated themselves).

With respect to the relationship of the Torbas and Carlsons of the world with their sheep followers, this here is appropriate.  The “we’re all God’s children” cuckservatives are getting (mind) screwed by their fearless leaders, most or all of which couldn’t tell you what mRNA is or how vaccines work.

Advice for the yahoos - don't be the black sheep of the Right. Considering how moronic much of the Right is, to be the black sheep of that motley crew is a damning indictment indeed.  Do better.

Further, if these yahoos would invest maybe one-one-hundredth of their time and energy opposing mass immigration and forced racial integration as they do opposing covid vaccination, we'd all be a lot better off.