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.
Media has abdicated its role even in simple mechanical circumstances like this. Covid deniers, antivaxers, trump supporters it all made opening a land boarder toxic for the media monoculture. Bad career move.
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.
One mystery is why stories like these did not translate into more urgent advocacy for policy change. I guess not enough Americans have direct international connections to make a critical mass. Western Europe probably would never have tolerated such restrictions, for example.
I would agree with that. I also blame two related bureaucrat/politician axioms - 1) the need to Do Something which leads to policies that don't make sense in an objective framework, but work well in an emergency, and 2) undoing a policy requires much more effort, explanation, and exposure to negative feedback than leaving it in place even when it doesn't make sense or may even make things worse.
And then add in a generally incurious press and punditry class...
I wish there was an edit button...Let me rephrase: 1) the need to Do Something leads to policies that don't make sense in an objective framework, but work well in providing a positive political feedback loop in an (often self-declared) emergency...
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.
LOL. Oh, okay. Is that why his administration is more concerned with concocting a "National Gender Strategy" and erecting turnstiles at the southern border than more *moderate* policies and goals?
I know that Fox is flogging those concepts, but if Biden mentioned them at all, he was just appealing to the "weirder" members of his base, like the LGBTQ community -- promising something he was never going to deliver.
Those are definitely subjects that require attention since the Republican (Fascist?) side of our government uses those issues to distract us from addressing more important issues.
FWIW: Trump also suffered from the "Turnstile" and (IMHO) made a fool of himself wasting money on his "Great Wall".
Getting back to the "gender strategy", Biden don't care. Just as with abortion, if the Republicans didn't bludgeon him with it all the time, Biden wouldn't mention it at all. Somehow, his "advisors", who appear to be political idiots who have their positions more because they tell Biden what he wants to hear rather than because they know anything, believe that the LGBTQ community has a lot of influence in national politics. So now the LGBTQ community has "Mayo Pete" in office betraying every thing that the Democratic Party is suppose to stand for. So, screw 'em. I've been persuaded for years that Roe v. Wade was important but the Democrats did nothing to make it law. Kind of like the promises the Republicans have made but failed to do anything about.
I don't watch cable news, and haven't since 2015 or so. So whatever Fox news is "flogging" has no bearing on what I say.
During 2020, Trump's last year in office, there were 458,088 apprehensions at the border. So far this year, there have been 1,734,686. Those numbers are from the official website of the Department of Homeland Security. So no, you're woefully incorrect about that.
As for your argument that Biden "don't care" and the only reason he's championed such a wondrously-idiotic leftist agenda is because -- and this is where you literally contradict yourself -- Republicans "bludgeon" him with things like "gender strategy" all the time, and his advisors all tell him what he wants to hear (which, by default, means he obviously cares about it...), that doesn't come anywhere close to withstanding scrutiny.
You gave away your hand when you couldn't stop yourself from including the Republicans-are-Fascists reference, but the idea that something like actually creating a "National Gender Strategy" -- which they did in fact do, announcing it with great fanfare -- was of interest simply because Republicans "use those issues to distract us from addressing more important issues" is even more laughable. Ninety percent of the howling that comes from the starboard side of our country's political spectrum could reasonably be characterized as reactionary--as in reacting to the left. Republicans don't conjure up intersectionality nonsense so they can then use the issues as some sort of ideological cudgel LOL.
If you'll note my original comment, I explicitly said "I'm no fan of Trump." But of course you've resorted to the standard rhetorical refuge of those truly inflicted with TDS, which is to reduce people on the “other side” to one-dimensional characters in an attempt to reconcile reality to your online-derived bubble.
I haven't "interpreted" anything you said, I just repeated it back to you in a way that reveals you're not exactly the brightest planet in the intellectual Orion. You're embarrassing yourself. Just stop.
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.
Good point. It's often the lumpen-bureaucratic class that is the most stringent and loathsome. As bad as our elites are, we'd be worse off if governed by the proclivities of the typical brunch liberal.
The term has been so misused it is now completely meaningless unless preceded by dozens of qualifying adjectives clearly defining what time period one is referring to.
I use it as a short-hand for professional-managerial class, laptop class, and bourgeois liberal. Maybe it's irrelevant today because I first heard it used to describe default liberals who would presumably go "back to brunch" and tune out after Joe Biden won, which did not happen at all.
In your defense you did say "brunch liberal" and I kind of overlooked the "brunch", so I'll give you back your point. ;-)
"Liberal" used to be opposite of "Conservative" but since I can no longer see the difference between the two parties (in action if not deed), I reflexively reject the use of "Liberal" because I considered myself to be one my entire life. To be exact a "Paul Wellstone" liberal; supportive of a well-regulated capitalist economy with "liberal" (meaning few restrictions) interpretation of rights and government support (including financial) for those rights. Total opposition to the Oligarchy.
Which, of course, was why Wellstone was murdered. Some will say it was a plane crash, I feel the right to exercise my conspiracy options at this point.
A few years ago, that definition was transferred to the Progressives, but the DSA and the squad have now totally destroyed the meaning of "Progressive". So, I dunno, what am I -- other than a lost soul in a lost world. <sigh>
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.
My sense is that it was fairly arbitrary and ad hoc. The airline industry took a massive hit in other areas due to the EU flight restrictions, for example. But they were also given this odd little carveout with Canadian flights. Again, nobody can really provide an explanation for how any of it makes sense.
The answer to these riddles and others probably lies within the Deep State (or the pocket of a Deep State worker). If we can solve the puzzle of border regulations and other pieces of Fauci-Science it may help to reveal the inner workings of the Deep State itself. Also, there's probably corruption within the Canadian government and EU to factor in. It must be tricky to line up the bribes to satisfy every crooked official and the final result may itself appear crooked and arbitrary.
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.
lol not even close he gave them ratings they haven't seen since 9-11. Trump did push their buttons enough to show themselves for the liars they are. Rachel Maddow gets the gold for her Russiagate mania but nearly entire MSM was in the same boat.
It stank of Clinton network from the get go & FBI knew that as we see now with Durham indictments. Trump was way out of his league in Washington with covert networks that go back generations & plenty of snakes like Mike Pompeo an insider would know to avoid. If Trump broke anything it was blind faith in news & that is a fantastic thing in my view, even though I'm not a fan of Trump.
I agree with what you say. What I meant is that the fact of Trump wiped out, obliterated any pretence that media holds politicos accountable. They are now sycophants, no truth to power.
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.
In related news, the Raiders also had to make the "painful decision" to release Damon Arnette for posting death threats while waving a gun on social media. I'm sure this minor verbal slip-up is totally out of character for him, no?
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.
Media has abdicated its role even in simple mechanical circumstances like this. Covid deniers, antivaxers, trump supporters it all made opening a land boarder toxic for the media monoculture. Bad career move.
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.
One mystery is why stories like these did not translate into more urgent advocacy for policy change. I guess not enough Americans have direct international connections to make a critical mass. Western Europe probably would never have tolerated such restrictions, for example.
I would agree with that. I also blame two related bureaucrat/politician axioms - 1) the need to Do Something which leads to policies that don't make sense in an objective framework, but work well in an emergency, and 2) undoing a policy requires much more effort, explanation, and exposure to negative feedback than leaving it in place even when it doesn't make sense or may even make things worse.
And then add in a generally incurious press and punditry class...
I wish there was an edit button...Let me rephrase: 1) the need to Do Something leads to policies that don't make sense in an objective framework, but work well in providing a positive political feedback loop in an (often self-declared) emergency...
To be clear, they live in Brazil. But in the south.
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.
Biden is not left-wing. It isn't even clear that he is more "left" than Trump.
LOL. Oh, okay. Is that why his administration is more concerned with concocting a "National Gender Strategy" and erecting turnstiles at the southern border than more *moderate* policies and goals?
I know that Fox is flogging those concepts, but if Biden mentioned them at all, he was just appealing to the "weirder" members of his base, like the LGBTQ community -- promising something he was never going to deliver.
Those are definitely subjects that require attention since the Republican (Fascist?) side of our government uses those issues to distract us from addressing more important issues.
FWIW: Trump also suffered from the "Turnstile" and (IMHO) made a fool of himself wasting money on his "Great Wall".
Getting back to the "gender strategy", Biden don't care. Just as with abortion, if the Republicans didn't bludgeon him with it all the time, Biden wouldn't mention it at all. Somehow, his "advisors", who appear to be political idiots who have their positions more because they tell Biden what he wants to hear rather than because they know anything, believe that the LGBTQ community has a lot of influence in national politics. So now the LGBTQ community has "Mayo Pete" in office betraying every thing that the Democratic Party is suppose to stand for. So, screw 'em. I've been persuaded for years that Roe v. Wade was important but the Democrats did nothing to make it law. Kind of like the promises the Republicans have made but failed to do anything about.
I don't watch cable news, and haven't since 2015 or so. So whatever Fox news is "flogging" has no bearing on what I say.
During 2020, Trump's last year in office, there were 458,088 apprehensions at the border. So far this year, there have been 1,734,686. Those numbers are from the official website of the Department of Homeland Security. So no, you're woefully incorrect about that.
As for your argument that Biden "don't care" and the only reason he's championed such a wondrously-idiotic leftist agenda is because -- and this is where you literally contradict yourself -- Republicans "bludgeon" him with things like "gender strategy" all the time, and his advisors all tell him what he wants to hear (which, by default, means he obviously cares about it...), that doesn't come anywhere close to withstanding scrutiny.
You gave away your hand when you couldn't stop yourself from including the Republicans-are-Fascists reference, but the idea that something like actually creating a "National Gender Strategy" -- which they did in fact do, announcing it with great fanfare -- was of interest simply because Republicans "use those issues to distract us from addressing more important issues" is even more laughable. Ninety percent of the howling that comes from the starboard side of our country's political spectrum could reasonably be characterized as reactionary--as in reacting to the left. Republicans don't conjure up intersectionality nonsense so they can then use the issues as some sort of ideological cudgel LOL.
You must work really hard to reinterpret what people say so that you don't have to acknowledge what they're telling you?
There are two types of TDS:
-- Trump Derangement Syndrome, the kind practiced by Rachael Maddow where everything is a grand plot by Trump
-- Trump Defense Syndrome. the one you suffer from where everything is a grand plot against Trump.
Communication with those suffering from either type of TDS is futile.
You're deflecting. Badly.
If you'll note my original comment, I explicitly said "I'm no fan of Trump." But of course you've resorted to the standard rhetorical refuge of those truly inflicted with TDS, which is to reduce people on the “other side” to one-dimensional characters in an attempt to reconcile reality to your online-derived bubble.
I haven't "interpreted" anything you said, I just repeated it back to you in a way that reveals you're not exactly the brightest planet in the intellectual Orion. You're embarrassing yourself. Just stop.
Lmao at fascists shrieking warnings about those other fascists.
Yes! It is not clear that Biden is further to the left than Trump. Stylistically and in terms of platitudes yes.
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.
Good point. It's often the lumpen-bureaucratic class that is the most stringent and loathsome. As bad as our elites are, we'd be worse off if governed by the proclivities of the typical brunch liberal.
+1 for lumpen-bureacratic
-1 for "typical brunch liberal".
The term has been so misused it is now completely meaningless unless preceded by dozens of qualifying adjectives clearly defining what time period one is referring to.
I use it as a short-hand for professional-managerial class, laptop class, and bourgeois liberal. Maybe it's irrelevant today because I first heard it used to describe default liberals who would presumably go "back to brunch" and tune out after Joe Biden won, which did not happen at all.
In your defense you did say "brunch liberal" and I kind of overlooked the "brunch", so I'll give you back your point. ;-)
"Liberal" used to be opposite of "Conservative" but since I can no longer see the difference between the two parties (in action if not deed), I reflexively reject the use of "Liberal" because I considered myself to be one my entire life. To be exact a "Paul Wellstone" liberal; supportive of a well-regulated capitalist economy with "liberal" (meaning few restrictions) interpretation of rights and government support (including financial) for those rights. Total opposition to the Oligarchy.
Which, of course, was why Wellstone was murdered. Some will say it was a plane crash, I feel the right to exercise my conspiracy options at this point.
A few years ago, that definition was transferred to the Progressives, but the DSA and the squad have now totally destroyed the meaning of "Progressive". So, I dunno, what am I -- other than a lost soul in a lost world. <sigh>
Canadian here: we are worse.
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.
Hey, maybe THAT’S where AOC really comes from.
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.
My sense is that it was fairly arbitrary and ad hoc. The airline industry took a massive hit in other areas due to the EU flight restrictions, for example. But they were also given this odd little carveout with Canadian flights. Again, nobody can really provide an explanation for how any of it makes sense.
The answer to these riddles and others probably lies within the Deep State (or the pocket of a Deep State worker). If we can solve the puzzle of border regulations and other pieces of Fauci-Science it may help to reveal the inner workings of the Deep State itself. Also, there's probably corruption within the Canadian government and EU to factor in. It must be tricky to line up the bribes to satisfy every crooked official and the final result may itself appear crooked and arbitrary.
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.
Trump obliterated the media as we knew it.
lol not even close he gave them ratings they haven't seen since 9-11. Trump did push their buttons enough to show themselves for the liars they are. Rachel Maddow gets the gold for her Russiagate mania but nearly entire MSM was in the same boat.
It stank of Clinton network from the get go & FBI knew that as we see now with Durham indictments. Trump was way out of his league in Washington with covert networks that go back generations & plenty of snakes like Mike Pompeo an insider would know to avoid. If Trump broke anything it was blind faith in news & that is a fantastic thing in my view, even though I'm not a fan of Trump.
I agree with what you say. What I meant is that the fact of Trump wiped out, obliterated any pretence that media holds politicos accountable. They are now sycophants, no truth to power.
oops my bad, sorry about that but glad we agree!! :~)
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.
In related news, the Raiders also had to make the "painful decision" to release Damon Arnette for posting death threats while waving a gun on social media. I'm sure this minor verbal slip-up is totally out of character for him, no?
Whoopsie
We live near the border, total clown show.
News flash: The moon is made of cheese.
underrated comment. moar likes plz.
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."