A Headlong Rush To A Dark Past

It seems more than passing strange that here we are, in the 21st century, but all signs are that Amerika is nostalgic for earlier times, when faith in God's intervention (see Paula White) was strong, and science was regarded with deep suspicion. 

With measles cases burgeoning and vaccine rates plunging, perhaps that benighted country is expecting some sort of divine intervention to keep them healthy. Consider the latest developments at the FDA, which is under the aegis of Robert Kennedy, Secretary of Heath and Human Services and a notorious vaccine skeptic:

Especially chilling was the dismissive and Orwellian tone of HHS about Marks's departure:

“If Peter Marks does not want to get behind restoring science to its golden standard and promoting radical transparency, then he has no place at FDA under the strong leadership of Secretary Kennedy,” a spokesperson at HHS said.

Undoubtedly, as it embraces theocracy, the Benighted States of America believes it has a secret weapon in God. Consider Paula White, the head of Trump's White House Faith Office. In a recent 'sermon' at a Florida megachurch, White offered 

that Trump has been anointed by God, to help Christians shape American culture and change the world.

“Thank you for being there for the president,” she says.

“You have nations to reach. You have territory to take.”

“Here is where the fight begins.”

This 'religion' amplifies a malignancy that is bred in the American bone: U.S. exceptionalism:  

This ministry’s followers are some of the 30 per cent of Americans who are said to sympathize with Christian nationalism, an ideology that’s rooted in the belief that the United States enjoys special favour by God, and that seeks to bring religion into every aspect of civil life. Podcaster Bradley Onishi, a noted critic, says the movement favours a specific brand of Christianity worshipping what he calls a “straight white American Jesus.”

Critics say that Christian nationalism is a fervent and dangerous movement that twists the religion to promote authoritarianism. “It’s all about hatred ... a front for racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, misogynist feelings,” Rev. Laurie Hafner, a leader of Mosaic Miami, an interfaith community that advocates for social justice, told the Star.

For non-Americans, this is a particularly threatening mindset.

 John Faragher, an emeritus professor of history and American Studies at Yale University .... said the idea that “the Lord Almighty is on our side” is a theme that goes back to the beginning of the idea of America.

For Canada and other countries in the region, the long-standing idea that it is America’s right and “Manifest Destiny” to expand across all of North America is particularly troubling, Faragher said.

Nineteenth-century leaders used Manifest Destiny as a rationale to expand westward, adding Oregon and Texas in 1846 and purchasing Alaska in 1867. U.S. politicians and citizens also used it to call for America to claim control of Canada. Manifest Destiny is an ideology taught uncritically to Florida’s seventh-grade civics students as part of history, in a new textbook issued by Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, and reviewed by the Star.

Politics and religion have always been a dangerous combination, and it is the theme of this entire post. For RFK, it is the religious fervour with which he embraces opposition to vaccines and other medical developments that have saved countless millions. For White, it is a potent weapon to wield against all those who oppose groupthink, collective conformity, and American imperialism.

None of this can end well for anyone. 

 

The Tyranny Of The Minority

A great deal has been recently written in various media about vaccine certificates, both for and against their use. The arguments are pretty basic: such certificates should be required to enter restaurants, bars, movie theatres, etc. so that people know they are patronizing relatively safe businesses. The other side insists they are intrusive and violate people's privacy, that such coercive measures have no place in a 'free' society.

I have no use for the later argument, as this is an issue of public health. While I oppose mandating vaccines, I see nothing wrong with making life harder for those who don't give a damn about the lives of others. This is one of those rare issues that, in my view, is black and white.

The minority should not be permitted to tyrannize the majority. End of discussions.

Following is an assortment of letters to the editor that succinctly and effectively address this issue.

The first two letters, from The National Post, are a response to the dismantling of a website, safetodo.ca, which was started to list businesses that offered safe environments to patrons, either by indicating that all staff have been fully vaccinated or requiring proof of vaccination before being permitted on the premises. It was taken down due to a backlash against the businesses from the perpetually aggrieved anti-vaxxers.

Re: Businesses Attacked Over Vaccinated Status, July 22. In a free society, anti-vaxxers are entitled to boycott Safetodo.ca. But when dissent actively censors a website by forcing it to shut down over people sending personal, directed and hateful messages, then society must address such vandalism because it is clearly against the public interest.

Consequently, on behalf of society, including businesses, government should respond by setting up a similar site where knowledge of proof of vaccination is communicated. The government has the resources to withstand such an affront to our rights.

To submit to such a denial of our rights by allowing a vociferous minority to deny or cancel the free speech rights of the majority to advocate for free association with other vaccinated people on Safetodo.ca is an assault on all our rights.

Society must confront these anti-social outliers with our political will, medical knowledge and legal authority to save as many lives as possible. Safeguarding Safetodo.ca should be our civic mission statement for today, and the days ahead.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto.

Just when you think that you have seen it all, this article about the attack on a website listing businesses that have fully vaccinated staff by a minority of hate-spewing, gutless anti-vaxxers, who remain anonymous on social media, proves that the world truly has gone mad. Kudos to Quebec for planning to issue vaccine passports in September. The majority of Ontarians will soon be fully vaccinated and I strongly urge Premier Doug Ford to do the same.

In a democracy the majority rules. The safety of all should never be trumped by a selfish minority.

Bob Erwin, Ottawa. 

The last letter is from The Toronto Star, responding to a column by Martin Regg Cohn in which he opined that all people working in health care should be vaccinated. 

 When it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations, health and safety should trump job security, July 14

I completely agree with Martin Regg Cohn regarding vaccinations of all medical workers. However, this principle should be extended to all persons age 12 and above.

To me, personal privacy is trumped by the general good. Without a vaccine passport, a person still can order goods to be delivered to their home — just not go out to the stores to pick them up.

People have the right not to be vaccinated, but to attend physically is a privilege they have not earned without being vaccinated. Why should those of us that have been vaccinated be at the health peril of those not willing to protect their community?

Furthermore, a business that fails to enforce that its customers are vaccinated, threatening my health in the process, does not deserve my business.

J. Psutka, Toronto

 

The Road To Infantilization

 

If one were to judge by the fervour with which Canadians are availing themselves of vaccines to stop the spread of Covid-19, one would classify ours as a very mature response. Certainly, there will always be pockets of resistance among the anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy buffs, but on the whole, we are eager for the protection offered by these modern-day miracles of medicine.

Alas, the same cannot be said for our neighbours to the south. While it is true they have a much larger proportion of both partially and fully-vaccinated citizens, the problem becomes apparent when looking at those who have not been vaccinated and apparently are not keen to get the jab.

And this is where the real story begins. How to convince the other 50% of eligible Americans to get the vaccine? Time for a couple of carrots.

The first carrot is the appeal to renewed freedom. As the new CDC guidelines state, if you are fully vaccinated, you can begin to live normally again. 

• You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
• You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
• If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.

Oh, sweet liberty.

But what to do about those for whom such promises do not move the resistance dial?

How about a bigger carrot? Unfortunately, it is this larger-sized vegetable that, in my view, represents an infantilization of the population. And its message is a simple one: if you are good boys and girls and get the vaccine, you will be eligible for some nice treats.

For example, West Virginia will give $100 savings bonds to 16- to 35-year-olds who get a Covid-19 vaccine, Gov. Jim Justice said.

It would seem that money talks. Researchers found that

a third of the unvaccinated population said a cash payment would make them more likely to get a shot. The benefits were largest for those in the group getting $100, which increased willingness (34 percent said they would get vaccinated) by six points over the $25 group.

But there is much, much more on offer. Here is a sampling:

Illinois became the latest state to join the trend when it announced Thursday it will be doling out 50,000 free theme park tickets to anyone who has been vaccinated through a partnership with Six Flags Great America (the tickets are valued at a combined cost of $4 million).

 This comes after Ohio rolled out a similarly eye-popping incentive on Wednesday: A $1 million prize for five vaccinated residents chosen at random in a weekly lottery.

In New York, inoculated individuals can choose from a whole host of benefits, including free 7-day metro cards, tickets to sports games and some of the city’s key attractions (the Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Lincoln Center) and, as of Thursday, free food from burger joint Shake Shack.

Indeed, even the mayor of New York is getting in on the act. If this is not childish, please tell me what it is:

Makes you want to go to New York for your second shot, eh? But wait, there's more!

While not ruling out cash prizes, New Jersey is currently offering a “shot and beer” program which rewards the newly inoculated with a free beer at participating breweries through the rest of this month, while Connecticut is also offering a free drink “on them” for residents who get vaccinated in May.

There are other states offering inducements as well, but I think you get the picture. Even the private sector is getting involved. Krispy Kreme, for example, is offering a free glazed doughnut, while Budweiser is offering debit cards for free beer. 

Are any of these measures ill-advised? Of course not, if they get more needles into arms. They are, however, a rather sobering reminder to all of us that human evolution clearly has a long, long way to go before we can truly call ourselves an advanced species.