One DUers Questions and Musings about the Protests

[Algernon Moncrieff]

Her most radical GOP constituents have called the order tyrannical, as they made evident by blaring car horns, waving signs that likened Whitmer to Hitler—including one that read, “Trump, lock up the Nazi woman from Michigan”—and chanting, “Lock her up!” and “We will not comply!” on the capitol front lawn. The protest was organized by the Michigan Freedom Fund and Michigan Conservative Coalition, the former of which is backed by the billionaire family of Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump’s education secretary. MLive reporter Malachi Barrett highlighted the president’s influence on the rallygoers, calling it “half protest, half Trump rally,” an unsurprising connection given that Trump has recently upped demands for “OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!”

Over at Fox News, a number of top hosts had nothing but praise and encouragement for protesters demanding a return to normalcy. “They want to keep us away from churches and synagogues. They want to make sure we don’t go back to work. They don’t get it. The American spirit is too strong, and Americans are not gonna take it,” host Jeanine Pirro said on Sean Hannity’s Wednesday show. “And what happened in Lansing today? God bless ’em, it’s gonna happen all over the country.” An hour prior, Tucker Carlson hosted Michigan protest organizer Meshawn Maddock and thanked her for her service. “Thank you for coming on tonight, and thank you for exercising your constitutionally protected rights as an American. Bless you,” he said, denouncing Whitmer’s “mindless and authoritarian” leadership and saying he hopes “she loses her job.”

Laura Ingraham lionized the protesters in a Wednesday tweet, writing, “Time to get your freedom back,” in response to a video of cars heading to the Lansing rally. The Fox prime-time host, who called scientific findings about the virus “wrong” and envisioned many more Americans throwing rallies “for their right to work, travel, assemble, socialize, and worship,” previously advised her fans to continue air travel, tweeting last month that it was actually a “great time to fly.” Elsewhere at Fox News—where most employees are working from home and others are being advised to heed the CDC’s precautionary guidelines—a “NO TO THE ‘NANNY STATE’” headline led the website on Wednesday, and Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade mocked Democratic governors’ “ridiculous” mitigation efforts on Thursday, while anticipating more protests flaring up across the country.

With every passing day that lockdowns are extended, Ingraham’s prediction appears more and more likely, especially if conservative pundits have their way. Infowars host Owen Shroyer, a conspiracy theorist currently facing a lawsuit for promoting hoax claims about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, has already scheduled an April 18 “You Can’t Close America” rally in Austin, Texas. “It’s time for citizens to stand up and take our country back, just like President Trump promised during his inaugural address,” Shroyer said on Tuesday, downplaying the risk of a mass gathering by telling viewers he was not afraid to catch COVID-19 and ginning them for a revolt. “Are we in martial law right now? Because we’re acting like it.”

Vanity Fair

1) So after 9-11, it was rationalized that we'd all have to give up some rights and endure some cost over the loss of 3,000 lives and billions in economic damage. Many Americans swallowed the loss of protections and privacy in the Patriot Act accordingly. Two wars started as a result. In the past - call it six - weeks we've lost more people than 9-11 and the two wars combined? Why wouldn't an extraordinary national sacrifice be called for?

2) I see the "this is no worse than the flu" argument resurfacing in social media. How is an illness that takes ~ 40K lives and rising in six weeks not worse than flu taking ~33K in a year?

3) There is a vaccine that works against many common forms of flu. There is no such virus in this instance? So other than closing businesses that draw crowds, social distancing, and PPE, there is nothing that can be done to stop the illness. Question for the protesters: how many lost lives are an acceptable tradeoff for opening the economy?

4) I always hear a lot of talk about the wisdom of the founding fathers regarding the 2nd amendment when folks bring firearms to "peaceful protests." Personally, I view it as a form of bullying. But regarding the founding fathers: you do realize these were the same guys that thought 3/5 of a person was also a good idea? They thought not granting votes to women was a good idea? The Constitution is a flawed document written by flawed people - you do know that, yes?

5) I haven't seen this - what were the thoughts of the protesters on the COVID deaths in the Holyoke Soldier's Home? I do understand they were old - but didn't they deserve better than this?

[AllaN01Bear]

1. very good post . demonstration brought to u by nancy devos and husband.

the r s have publicy stated for 30 years that theyd love to get rid of us disabled , and vets who fought for this country. if we aint there to buy their cheep junk , who will? when we open up it will be the low income workers who man the lines and get infected and the managers get to work at home .

[Algernon Moncrieff]

3. What you said

I could see some limited reopening some places in a few weeks - but with a "go slow" approach. If we just flip the sign to "Open" my guess is we will see a huge spike in cases.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. The Answer To #3 Is Already Out There

Charlatans like Drew & Phil have flat out said 2-3% of the population is an acceptable loss.
So, the mouthpieces for this crowd have already laid out what is acceptable.
It's beyond stupid, and truly, horribly unsympathetic, but they're on record!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

4. 2 -3% is 20 - 30k for every 1M Americans

So between 6.5 to 9.5 million people.

About the same number as the widely accepted nomber (6M) of Jewish Holocaust deaths.

I don't think anybody thinks its acceptable. I think they just refuse to believe it would really happen. Denial is powerful.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. That's Not What Drew Said

His statement was that the mortality rate would be 2-3% and that would be acceptable.
I know he's a piece of crap, but he said this on live TV.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. 1) Past 13.8 9/11s. 2) Long term organ damage. 3) Vaccine 9-18 mos. 4)

4) A ragtag bunch of undisciplined overweight hairy guys with mixed armaments is not a well-regulated militia.

5) Love the fetus & soldier. They hate children and vets, except their own children who are all above average.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

6. 6) If this had happened under Obama, they' have lost their damn minds

....especially over the veterans. Then it'd be a national tragedy.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. They lost their minds 12 years ago. . . . nt