On Monday of this week, the US Government finally “re-opened” the Canadian land border, meaning that Canadians (and other foreign nationals) who were previously deemed “non-essential” may once again enter the US in their motor vehicles, after having been prohibited from doing so since March 2020.
My family could not come to the US for my daughter's wedding because travel was banned. And, yet, at that time the vaccination rates were higher in their state than in the US. One couple was able to come by spending 2 weeks "quarantining" in a country with lower vax rates and higher covid rates than either the US or Brazil.
We are not making science based decisions - we are just yelling SCIENCE! at people who disagree.
Despite endless warnings from the media about Trump’s and Republicans’ supposed authoritarian instincts, we are suffocating in an environment of left-wing oppression. They seem to be completely okay with permanent state control of basic behavior.
And believe you me, I'm no fan of Trump. But though Trump might have authoritarian tendencies, he did not wield this kind of authoritarian power.
Dictatorial nations are dictatorial from the summit of political power right down to the local traffic cop. There’s no level below which bureaucrats suddenly turn competent and rational. We are now czarist Russia, East Germany, Maoist China, the Soviet Union, all the countries we read about and felt sorry for when I was a kid. That’s us.
Per a certain soon to be published memoir, Fauci initially opposed travel restrictions with, "they don't work" (he later amended this per the White House mtg notes where he first entered the picture in the oval office). We went from the Trump admin, accused of racism (by the "science based" Biden campaign) due to travel restrictions with China to now the Biden administration, with travel restrictions based on mode of travel, not likelihood of infection, now accused (by serious journalists) of...science based incompetence. Hollywood would reject this as a movie script..."unrealistic". That probably would not happen, right?
If you're a dogmatic Branch Covidian, the notion of questioning even the most insane policy opens up a can of worms. Can't give an inch to those yahoos who don't wear two masks at an outdoor yoga session. Welcome to culture war meets kakistocracy; may the most neurotic, emotionally unstable, and petty rise to the top. I'm only shocked that the explanation didn't include the "out of an abundance of caution" nonsense.
The airline lobby must have more influence (due to bribes) than the car driving lobby, if such a thing even existed. Most legislative and regulatory anomalies are probably due to corruption which is more widespread than stupidity and inefficiency. There's nothing more "efficient" to a wallstreet executive than a government official with a bribe in his pocket.
The only possible explanation is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I would also like to say that you can't sell that bridge in Cheektowaga. I own it. I purchased it just last week from the King of Cheektowaga. It's not for sale.
"But sometimes it’s worth pointing out that even according to their own vaguely-stated criteria, US Government policy frequently makes zero sense and is barely scrutinized."
Thank Heaven for you and the handful of others who still see the role of good journalism as challenging waste, fraud, abuse & stupidity rather than acting like government's biggest cheerleaders.
Non football fans know of Aaron Rodgers because the media has gone bezerk about someone at the peak of physical human condition not getting a vax for a 'virus' that has killed 0.02 of the population.
Henry Ruggs, former Raiders WR kills Tina Tintor, drunk out of his mind, going 156mph, and the story is a blip in the news cycle. Here's the best part. Ruggs' lawyers want to block the release of his medical records for the trial. Canadians must show med records to cross the border, I have to show records to get into a bar here in NYC, but Ruggs attorneys are making the case that this is an invasion of privacy.
At this stage of the game, the people masking up, getting boosters, and talking about 'science' have to be some of the dumbest people alive.
This portion of your post really made me snicker considering Biden was rhapsodizing about the great "negro" baseball player, Satchel Paige, me thinks your sarcasm was well warranted...
"How does one explain this dynamic? Perchance could it have anything to do with the absenteeism of Joe Biden, who was ultimately the one with the unilateral power to make the relevant policy decision? (The border had been closed pursuant to a presidential Executive Order.) Or maybe Biden was diligently on top of it all along, and regularly assessed the ramifications of this policy over which he had complete unbridled control. Also, maybe the moon is made of cheese.
Surely if prompted, Biden could provide a thorough and compelling explanation for why allowing people to drive across the border alone in their private vehicles was such an extreme public health threat on October 8, but by November 8 the threat had been eliminated. Or alternatively: no one really knew the justification, and no one could really explain. If you don’t think such institutionalized obliqueness has far-reaching policy implications well beyond COVID, I have a bridge to sell you in Cheektowaga."
This is indeed a mystery. If only there were lively, curious and competitive communications media to get to the bottom of it.
My family could not come to the US for my daughter's wedding because travel was banned. And, yet, at that time the vaccination rates were higher in their state than in the US. One couple was able to come by spending 2 weeks "quarantining" in a country with lower vax rates and higher covid rates than either the US or Brazil.
We are not making science based decisions - we are just yelling SCIENCE! at people who disagree.
Despite endless warnings from the media about Trump’s and Republicans’ supposed authoritarian instincts, we are suffocating in an environment of left-wing oppression. They seem to be completely okay with permanent state control of basic behavior.
And believe you me, I'm no fan of Trump. But though Trump might have authoritarian tendencies, he did not wield this kind of authoritarian power.
You were expecting an “explanation for the policy”? That’s so 2019!
Dictatorial nations are dictatorial from the summit of political power right down to the local traffic cop. There’s no level below which bureaucrats suddenly turn competent and rational. We are now czarist Russia, East Germany, Maoist China, the Soviet Union, all the countries we read about and felt sorry for when I was a kid. That’s us.
Per a certain soon to be published memoir, Fauci initially opposed travel restrictions with, "they don't work" (he later amended this per the White House mtg notes where he first entered the picture in the oval office). We went from the Trump admin, accused of racism (by the "science based" Biden campaign) due to travel restrictions with China to now the Biden administration, with travel restrictions based on mode of travel, not likelihood of infection, now accused (by serious journalists) of...science based incompetence. Hollywood would reject this as a movie script..."unrealistic". That probably would not happen, right?
If you're a dogmatic Branch Covidian, the notion of questioning even the most insane policy opens up a can of worms. Can't give an inch to those yahoos who don't wear two masks at an outdoor yoga session. Welcome to culture war meets kakistocracy; may the most neurotic, emotionally unstable, and petty rise to the top. I'm only shocked that the explanation didn't include the "out of an abundance of caution" nonsense.
The airline lobby must have more influence (due to bribes) than the car driving lobby, if such a thing even existed. Most legislative and regulatory anomalies are probably due to corruption which is more widespread than stupidity and inefficiency. There's nothing more "efficient" to a wallstreet executive than a government official with a bribe in his pocket.
The only possible explanation is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I would also like to say that you can't sell that bridge in Cheektowaga. I own it. I purchased it just last week from the King of Cheektowaga. It's not for sale.
"But sometimes it’s worth pointing out that even according to their own vaguely-stated criteria, US Government policy frequently makes zero sense and is barely scrutinized."
Thank Heaven for you and the handful of others who still see the role of good journalism as challenging waste, fraud, abuse & stupidity rather than acting like government's biggest cheerleaders.
Non football fans know of Aaron Rodgers because the media has gone bezerk about someone at the peak of physical human condition not getting a vax for a 'virus' that has killed 0.02 of the population.
Henry Ruggs, former Raiders WR kills Tina Tintor, drunk out of his mind, going 156mph, and the story is a blip in the news cycle. Here's the best part. Ruggs' lawyers want to block the release of his medical records for the trial. Canadians must show med records to cross the border, I have to show records to get into a bar here in NYC, but Ruggs attorneys are making the case that this is an invasion of privacy.
At this stage of the game, the people masking up, getting boosters, and talking about 'science' have to be some of the dumbest people alive.
We live near the border, total clown show.
News flash: The moon is made of cheese.
Keep up the good work Michael. An actual reporter, hum, almost alone in his reports on banned topics.
This portion of your post really made me snicker considering Biden was rhapsodizing about the great "negro" baseball player, Satchel Paige, me thinks your sarcasm was well warranted...
"How does one explain this dynamic? Perchance could it have anything to do with the absenteeism of Joe Biden, who was ultimately the one with the unilateral power to make the relevant policy decision? (The border had been closed pursuant to a presidential Executive Order.) Or maybe Biden was diligently on top of it all along, and regularly assessed the ramifications of this policy over which he had complete unbridled control. Also, maybe the moon is made of cheese.
Surely if prompted, Biden could provide a thorough and compelling explanation for why allowing people to drive across the border alone in their private vehicles was such an extreme public health threat on October 8, but by November 8 the threat had been eliminated. Or alternatively: no one really knew the justification, and no one could really explain. If you don’t think such institutionalized obliqueness has far-reaching policy implications well beyond COVID, I have a bridge to sell you in Cheektowaga."