The Agony of Stupidity...Covid-19...2 Stories...2 Deniers...2 Deaths

 

Stephen A. Lawrence died in Tennessee in October. He was 59, recently relocated to Nashville from Garner, NC. He loved helping others but failed to help himself. To a Covid jab. He refused to believe the virus was real; the man must have been unable to assimilate numbers with a raging pandemic going on plastered over all the media of the world. In the end Lawrence even refused to go to the hospital when he couldn't breathe.

He left behind a family...

"Lawrence leaves behind his 92-year-old mother, his brother, a son and many others who loved him, according to the obituary. After the tragedy, David [his brother] said the family is trying to illustrate how important the battle against COVID is, showing people how Stephen's choice is affecting them today." 

One can only wonder the reasoning of a person like Lawrence.

And then there is the appalling story of a man in Maine who as a county lawmaker repeatedly flaunted the coronavirus protocols. But it was his wife who caught the virus, subsequently dying; no word whether she was vaccinated but considering her husband's ideology, probably not. State Rep. Chris Johansen, R-Monticello, resigned from the legislature for the reason that, with his wife gone, he had to take care of the farm.

In a rather cold statement, Johansen said...

“Her dedication to the farm allowed me to dedicate the time I needed to the people of Aroostook County,” Johansen wrote. “With her passing I am no longer afforded that time.”

What's appalling? Johansen wouldn't even admit his wife died of the virus. And obviously impassive...

"A few weeks after Cindy Johansen died, Chris Johansen attended an Augusta rally against the state’s vaccination mandate for health care workers."

The man must be a Covid zombie. 

GOP 'Do Nothings' now "cult of know-nothings"

 

It is a known fact for several years now the Republicans are known as the 'do nothing' party. They would rather block or sabotage Democrats' issues than come up with meaningful legislation of their own. Moscow Mitch, even in his Senate secondary roll today, has still done damage to the Biden agenda. But it the party's allegiance to Donald Trump that has recently defined Republicans, and it doesn't look like this will change any time soon.

In a Hill opinion piece, Bill Schneider led with...

"The Republican Party is becoming a cult. Its leaders are in thrall to Donald Trump, a defeated former president who refuses to acknowledge defeat. Its ideology is MAGA, Trump’s deeply divisive take on what Republicans assume to be unifying American values."

But it has been clear of late that the GOP doesn't really want to unify anything but lies, corruption, deception and violence. Their support of Donald Trump's state after state attempts to invalidate the 2020 election to determine he is a winner is evidence of this. And Trump is the focus, which can be seen here...

"The party is now in the process of carrying out purges of heretics who do not worship Trump or accept all the tenets of MAGA. Conformity is enforced by social media, a relatively new institution with the power to marshal populist energy against critics and opponents."

GOP Green Lights Right-Wing Extremism Within Halls Of Congress...

How does the former White House maniac hold on to this loyalty? The answer is we have to accept the fact that there are more double-digit morons out there than we thought. Trump supporters. Poor souls who have blindly, and still are, completely ignoring what this lunatic did during four years in the White House, and since. Hard to believe...but true. Schneider has more insight...

"What’s happening on the right in American politics is not exactly new. To understand it, you need to read a book published 50 years ago by Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab, "The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970." Right-wing extremism, now embodied in Trump’s MAGA movement, dates back to the earliest days of the country."

 In the Lipset and Raab book, the authors conclude, "Right-wing extremism is not about the rational calculation of interests. It’s about irrational impulses, which the authors identify as “status frustrations.” The key words here are "rational" and "irrational," and the Republicans are only guilty of one, obviously the latter. Lipset and Raab also talk about attacking "scapegoats," mostly minority ethnic or religious groups.

Obviously they know nothing about humanity, but there is no better definition of the current thrust of the Republican Party than “the politics of unreason.”

 

What is Wrong with a Federal Firearms Registry? Got Something to Hide?

 

Are gun owners afraid to admit or reveal they own firearms? Maybe it's because they have an arsenal at home and don't want the government to know. The idea the Feds will take your guns way should only concern those who are doing something illegal or unethical in their gun ownership. In a country where there are more guns than people, there are 393 million civilian-owned firearms in a population of 333,728,343. To say the above is absurd is the understatement of the year.

So far in 2021, there have been 40,704 gun violence deaths broken down by 18,792 homicides, 21,912 suicides. There have been 646 mass shooting, in most cases involving an assault weapon, and tragically 1,374 children have died from gun violence and hundreds injured. If you can argue that there should be more guns on the street after seeing those numbers, and deny the fact we need more gun control, then you are a thoughtless, heartless gun nut.

A gun registry could help improve those numbers simply by the fact that a gun used in the killing or wounding of an individual can be quickly traced back to its owner. If you are a law-abiding firearms owner, you have nothing to worry about. However, here is the opposition to the registry,,,

"Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas led 51 of his colleagues in a letter to acting ATF Director Marvin Richardson on Monday, expressing their concern over a proposed rule by the agency that Republicans fear could eventually lead to a backdoor gun registry around Congress’ prohibition."

What the hell is a "backdoor gun registry?" The term implies the fact that it would be wrong to legislate something that could save lives, particularly those of innocent children. Involved is a "20-year burn date that the federal firearms licensees must abide by, requiring them to preserve firearm purchase records older than two decades." Records eventually end up in the hands of the ATF. And what's wrong with the leading gun agency knowing who owns guns?

Gun Violence Today Explained...

This is all ludicrous, but there is even more. This same group of Republicans says...

"The Biden administration is yet again ignoring the real threats against America and instead using political leverage to encroach on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens."

And finally, these gun nuts in Congress make the case for gun control advocacy. They say the new rules...

"will enable the Biden administration to collect more information on law-abiding gun owners, all with the purpose of eventually having a registry of every gun owner in the United States."

Of course it will. And what is wrong with that? 

The Agony of Stupidity...Another senseless Republican

 

This wingnut, William Hartmann, not only an anti-vaxxer and anti-masker, but also a purveyor "the Big Lie — the false, totally debunked conspiracy theory that Donald Trump really won the 2020 presidential election but was robbed of a victory because of widespread voter fraud." Hartmann is a former vice-chairman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers in Michigan. He's also a crackpot that thinks 'it's just a virus.' This idiot is now in intensive care, condition unknown.

Hartmann is taking up space in a Michigan hospital ICU that someone with a legitimate health problem might need. Yes, I do believe this moron's case is not legitimate in the eyes of the health community, as has been voiced by a number of doctors and other health care professionals. Here's an example of Hartmann's lunacy, he...

has "criticized the vaccine and compared government COVID-19 efforts to Nazi Germany."

I have advocated repeatedly that these medical maniacs should be corralled in a gulag somewhere and let them kill each other. Well, now, I have another idea...the U.S. should buy an island that is for sale off either Florida or Texas (reference the two senseless governors, Greg Abbott, Texas, Ron DeSantis, Florida) where resistance to pandemic protocol is maximum. Put the anti-vaxxers, maskers on the island and quarantine them for life.

The latest Covid-19 figures for the U.S. are 49,022,858 cases, 798,894 deaths. Pretty big numbers, wouldn't you say, for 'just a virus?' Something has to be done about these people who have no consideration for themselves and others. Okay, I've got it, call it Cuckoo Island.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Don't we all wish it could be happier, and...more thanks and giving...

The Agony of Stupidity...7 Brainless Doctors Who Never Learned

 

One, a Dr Bruce Boros was dumb enough to think Ivermectin would help, he said... “I have never felt healthier in my life.” Then the idiot cardiologist and staunch anti-vaccine advocate caught Covid-19 two days later. Head event organizer, Dr John Littell told the Daily Beast...

six other doctors among 800 to 900 participants at the event also tested positive or developed Covid-19 symptoms “within days of the conference”.

You have to wonder what part Florida Gov., the demented DeSantis, had to do with all this, if not directly, most certainly indirectly. But apparently these docs flew in from other states, so, obviously Littel would say they brought the virus in with them. Littel said...

“Everybody so far has responded to treatment with ivermectin … Bruce is doing well.”

However...

"The Beast said sources close to Boros said he was gravely ill at his Key West home."

This incident just proves, once more, that you cannot believe anti-vaxxers, and here you have a supposedly educated group of physicians. In a Facebook post Boros...

"condemned Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, as “a fraud” and said 'big pharma is playing us for suckers.'” 

 Dr. Peter Hotez On Vaccine Disinformation...

There's more, Boros even "criticized his 97-year-old father" for getting the coronavirus vaccine, saying...

“He had been brainwashed … He got it. He didn’t tell me. I was very upset. I wanted to give him a spanking. He got both jabs.”

This kind of talk coming from a medical professional is unconscionable since it becomes authoritative to those susceptible to the anti-science movement that has killed. It would be nice to know how many have died from irresponsible pariahs like Boros. The doc should know that Ivermectin was discredited earlier this year "after data was found to have been falsified and patients nonexistent." It would seem to me Boros' actions border on mal-practice.

Finally, a warning from the FDA...

people should “never use medications intended for animals on yourself or other people. Animal ivermectin products are very different from those approved for humans. Use of animal ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19 in humans is dangerous.”

And this is why you should never believe an anti-science advocate. 

MUST READ QUOTES...from...Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis...the killing machine

 

The science is clear from experts that tell us, yes, having the Covid-19 virus can establish a certain level of immunity, but one that needs the follow-up of vaccination to insure more solid protection. Here's the reasoning from the scientific community...

"how much immunity COVID-19 survivors have depends on how long ago they were infected, how sick they were, and if the virus variant they had is different from mutants circulating now. For example, a person who had a minor case one year ago is much different than a person who had a severe case over the summer when the delta variant was raging through the country. It’s also difficult to reliably test whether someone is protected from future infections."

Enter the demented DeSantis, Florida's governor who has to-date killed 61,081 of

his constituents by opposing coronavirus masks, vaccines and any other Covid protocol that the Biden administration calls for. Here's the quote...

“We recognize, unlike what you see going on with the federal proposed mandates and other states, we’re actually doing a science-based approach. For example, we recognize people that have natural immunity,”

His "science-based approach" apparently evolves from the twisted mind of DeSantis along with the moron he appointed State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who entirely supports the governor's policies. You would think Floridians would have the brains to simply look at the numbers: 3,726,720 coronavirus cases that represent 173,515 per 1000 population. The U.S. average is 146,761. What is even worse is the new Florida law this lunatic passed...

"The new Florida law forces private businesses to let workers opt out of COVID-19 mandates if they can prove immunity through a prior infection, as well as exemptions based on medical reasons, religious beliefs, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear."

By the way, it is Ladapo that "will have authority to define exemption standards." So far, Joe Biden has chosen not to interfere in Florida politics, although with the constant flow of DeSantis' deranged criticisms, he has certainly had the openings. The sunshine state twit back in July fundraised off t-shirts, "Don't Fauci my Florida." Now, 2 golf balls with the inscription, "Florida's Governor has a Pair." Now this is the kind of thing one would expect from a high school sophomore.

Just as it was with another maniac, Donald Trump, it is the supporters that are just as much at fault as the clown on parade. If you can look at those numbers, above, and not agree that he should be removed from office, well, you deserve what you get. After a number of protests from individuals and lawmakers over vaccine mandates, no one has come up with credible scientific facts that refute the fact there is anything better than a jab in the arm as the surest Covid-19 prevention.

The Agony of Stupidity...Republican Voter Fraud That Wasn't

 

Rosemarie Hartle was supposed to have voted three years after her death in the last presidential election. In Nevada, flags were waved, accusations were made from Donald Trump on down. CNN says...

The Hartle mystery is now solved. And it turns out that the fraud was committed by a Republican.

The husband did it...READ MORE...

Holding on to Democracy

 

It would appear that Donald Trump is slowly losing at least some of his appeal in the higher echelons of Republicans. Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox News misinformation network has regularly supported Trump since he came on the scene several years ago, is tiring of Trump's living in the past. In a recent speech Murdoch said...

the United States faces a number of major political decisions that conservatives will fail to shape unless Trump moves on. "The current American political debate is profound," he said, citing education, welfare and economic opportunity. "It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate," he added, "but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past."

The media mogul is speaking of the fact that T-rump has dwelled on the fact that he refuses to accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election, and it is a fact that he has used every means possible, many blatantly illegal, to overturn the election. The

former White House maniac has clearly put himself in the forefront of the Republican drive to overthrow out democracy. Here's a comparison between parties by Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post...

"The Republican Party’s tolerance of violence is not matched by Democrats. Nor is the Republican Party’s refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections. Democrats did not call the elections they lost in 2020 and 2021 “rigged,” nor are they seeking to replace nonpartisan election officials with partisan lawmakers. Republicans’ determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election is without historical precedent."

Another big threat to U. S. democracy is the corruptness in GOP gerrymandering. Here's an illustration of just how bad it has gotten from the New York Times...

"A year before the polls open in the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans are already poised to flip at least five seats in the closely divided House thanks to redrawn district maps that are more distorted, more disjointed and more gerrymandered than any since the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965."

Republicans Are Running Against Democracy Not Democrats | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

But getting rid of Donald Trump may not be the advantage it seems. Some pundits believe that Trump will not run because he is afraid he cannot win. He has crossed swords repeatedly with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida who has aspirations of a 2024 run. In the above scenario, we'll take Trump to lose. There are more in Ballotpedia's lineup like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Chris Christie and others. If I had to make a choice, the least undesirable would be Christie, but just barely.

However, the major roadblocks with any GOP candidate is simply, they are Republicans. If you look at Jennifer Rubin's assessment that chronicles how the party is anti-democracy: they tolerate violence, actually, in some cases promote it; refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections; determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Republicans are, just, Republicans which has become the party of anti-democracy.

MUST READ QUOTES: Tucker Carlson

 

"Acosta says this comment has put Tucker Carlson over the top"

CNN's Jim Acosta criticizes Fox News' latest coverage of top headlines including the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, the Astroworld tragedy in Houston and Vice President Kamala Harris, stating the network is churning out "lie after lie."

Pres. Biden should be applauded, but...

It's all good news, according to Robert Reich, economist, professor and lawyer. So, why are Joe Biden's latest poll numbers so abysmal? Reich shows why the President should be commended...

"America is overflowing with good news. Unemployment is down, wages are up, consumer confidence is rebounding, and consumers are spending more (retail sales jumped 1.7% in October, the third monthly increase). Covid seems to be in retreat, at least among those who have been vaccinated. And two big parts of Biden’s legislative agenda – last spring’s $1.9tn American Rescue Plan, and his recent $1.2tn infrastructure plan – have been enacted."

These are accomplishments, folks, something we have become unused to in the prior administration of Donald Trump. The White House maniac spent his four years spreading hate and promoting white supremacy, lying, ignoring the Covid-19 pandemic, basically undermining anything to threaten America's democracy. This left Biden with a multitude of fires to put out. And it isn't easy to govern when the other party is determined to continue Trump's anti-democracy.

Biden's $1.2 Trillion Plan to Rebuild America...

Reich cites the President's low and recently plunging approval ratings, the latest at 41%, with most registered voters exclaiming, "if the midterm elections were today, they’d support the Republican candidate." On Friday the House passed the President's Build Back Better Bill, with the Senate not guaranteed but highly hoped for. All that said, at least some blame here: "Biden’s and the Democrat’s poor messaging." The economist calls it "awful," and I agree.

We never hear the end of Republican accomplishments on the Fox network, Newsmax and Breitbart, and there may lie one of the biggest problems with the left...they don't have similar media. At least that which is listened to regularly crowing over liberal achievements. CNN and MSNBC do a good job of reporting but not collectively the crowd pleasers the competition have. The famous liar, Tucker Carlson, is a good example of conservative followings.

I recognize, as most on the left do, that Carlson's audience, as are the other hosts on Fox, are populated with double-digit IQs, have to be to believe this drivel. Others think it is the media. Reich surmises...

"Even now most Americans have no idea what the “Build Back Better” package is. It sounds like infrastructure, but that bill has been enacted. “Human infrastructure” makes no sense to most people."

 It is hard to say if the latter is the fault of the Biden administration or the combined media. Regardless, it is a fact and, if Biden doesn't change this soon, his approval rating can only get worse. Finally, because of the higher education level of Democrats, they don't "really want major social change anyway." I call this group the apathetics, somewhat out of touch with reality. But Reich says most of the country was ready for the quiet mind of Biden to repair it all.

And, Pres. Biden has made a great start, but most don't know that...yet.

Sleepy Joe Just Woke Up...

 

Joe Biden may have nodded off in the past and been criticized for his lack of attention, but it's pretty clear today that he is wide awake and in full control of his agenda. Jeff Stein in the Washington Post writes that the President "is finally gaining momentum." He may not yet have put the Machins and Sinemas completely behind him, but it is certain he has aroused the bipartisanship needed when 13 Republicans stepped across the aisle voting for his Infrastructure Bill.

Here's what Stein said...

"Long stymied by seemingly intractable divisions, Biden in the same week signed into law a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill while also pushing through the House of Representatives a separate, $2 trillion social and climate policy measure that has become the centerpiece of the president’s vision to change the American economy."

Next up, Biden must decide whether to keep Jerome Powell as the chair of the

Federal Reserve, something that will have a large effect on the economy. Nominated by Trump, questions have arisen of late with rising inflation. Added to this thrust in the President's plan is the success in slowing down the Covid-19 pandemic with more people vaccinated and now booster shots and vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

Stein cites the fact that people are buying goods and there is a positive outlook for Christmas. Unemployment is looking good and the jobs market is improving, two factors that are sure to move the market forward. Biden is working behind the scenes to control inflation, encouraging corporations to hold the line on consumer price increases. And, the President and China's Xi have gotten together to encourage the release of oil reserves around the world to stabilize gas prices.

The fact of the matter is Sleepy Joe may have nodded off at one time, but it is definitely clear today he is in full control and this country is moving ahead.

The Agony of Stupidity...Kyle Rittenhouse

 

CNN says it best...

Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted Friday of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges.

Apparently the judge was on his side all the time, and, apparently a jury saw the self defense sold by the defense. But the fact is he killed two people and injured another. Will we ever know if it was fully justified?