UNMASKED: SOCIALISM & CORONA MYOPIA (published 5-17-2020)

Introduction

This afternoon, I decided against hiking House Mountain for the 171st time. Under the “any excuse is a good excuse” mantra, the weather is too warm and humid for my preference. I could blame it on the tight muscle “fun” from my left shoulder to my left hip that I’ve been enduring lately, but that would be a cop-out. After many warm-weather hikes, I have sweated many a T-shirt to the point of wringing it out by hand. I keep a spare T-shirt in my truck. After hiking, I change into it after removing the one soaked in sweat.

Instead of hiking, let’s play the unmask game!

Socialism Unmasked

On Monday, 5/11/2020, I saw a social media post by a grade school and high school friend that referenced a Bernard (Bernie) Sanders chart. The chart compared the sufficiently socialistic healthcare costs in America to other even more socialistic healthcare expenses in other countries. The chart implied that America isn’t doing very well. At this time, I will not take the effort to find the chart or to investigate the numbers on it. Sanders' chart implied that America needs more socialism in healthcare.

Well, that’s fine, if you drink socialist Kool-Aid. I remember my father telling us how much he paid the doctor and hospital, after each of us four brothers was born. He also told us how much family health insurance cost back then. To him, the costs were reasonable and affordable. Dad said that medical costs and health insurance started going up, once the government got more involved in healthcare. Dad was wise, and he was right.

Take the time to investigate what citizens in other nations pay in total taxes. Compare that to what they pay for healthcare. Do the math. It’s easy enough, if you invest the proper time and effort. I will not do all that work in this article, but I may in a later article. Nothing, except God’s grace, is free. The cost of healthcare is paid by someone in some manner every time.

Take the time to investigate the plethora of factors that have been driving up the cost of healthcare and health insurance in this country. There are many factors. The intrusion of government, with various and usually unnecessary rules and regulations, is a major factor.

The solution is easy. The Hippocratic Oath is supposed to guide healthcare professionals. The free market, based on Constitutional principles, should regulate healthcare costs and keep them in check.

Bernard Sanders (or Barnie Fife as I call him) is a socialist. Let’s see him practice what he preaches! Perhaps he will demonstrate his verbal diatribe, by getting by on a living wage and by sharing his “way too much money” with the less fortunate. Hey, Bernie, I’ll take a cut of your pie!

Corona Myopia Unmasked

I do not wear a mask when I’m out and about. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman does not either. We, out and celebrating our anniversary yesterday, did not wear masks. Other folks were wearing masks, either by choice or by employer mandate. I do not judge those who wear masks. They must not judge me. In Tennessee at least, the “right to choose” to mask or not to mask is yours for now.

I have started to feel the negative social peer pressure, from television, radio, social media, and so forth, to wear a mask. If I do not, media label me as not being as loving or caring as mask wearers. That is their implication and attempt at manipulation. They are judging me falsely. They need to stop it!

It’s all a part of Corona Myopia, of course. The “guvrmint” is the cause of Corona Myopia. The following is one example: “TN Department of Health: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has created an unprecedented health and economic crisis for Tennesseans.” Unprecedented health crisis? That is an exaggerated overstatement to say the least!

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Unified Command, Tennessee State Government has the reality. First, I bypass the number of cases. How do they know the number of cases? The number of cases could be far more than their known numbers. Many could have had COVID-19, a new, hence the word “novel,” cold virus, without knowing it, since they had no symptoms. Second, I bypass the number of recovered. Again, how do they know the number recovered? Folks could have had a mild case of it, gotten over it, and not been counted!

I look at the number of deaths. I regret the loss of life for any reason. The number of COVID-19 deaths in Tennessee, as of today’s date, is 295.

Today, 5/17/2020, at 5:02 PM, the total number of 2020 deaths in Tennessee is 25,647. That number does not include 2020 Tennessee COVID-19 deaths. That web link shows 294 2020 Tennessee COVID-19 deaths, off by one number from the prior web link of 295. Thus, there have been 25,942 total 2020 Tennessee deaths, as of this entry.

Deaths by COVID-19 are 1.137% of total 2020 Tennessee deaths. I wish that Corona Myopia didn’t keep state number crunchers from parsing out the reasons for the other 25,647 deaths to date, but it does.

Let’s “dig a little deeper in the well, boys!” Tennessee has 95 counties. From the previously cited sources, the following are COVID-19 deaths by county:

-- 53 counties: No deaths. Hancock County has not had a COVID-19 case.
-- 9 counties: 1 death in each county.
-- 9 counties: 2 deaths in each county.
-- 7 counties: 3 to 8 deaths, which vary by county. Knox County: 5 deaths.
-- 4 counties: 10 to 19 deaths, which vary by county.
-- Davidson County: 41 deaths.
-- Sumner County: 41 deaths.
-- Shelby County: 85 deaths.

Conclusion

A rifle is still better than a shotgun to hunt a squirrel or to kill a new cold virus. The “guvrmint” needs to pick up a rifle and stop using a shotgun.

To all mask wearers, wear your masks! To all non-mask wearers, we are just as loving and caring as the mask wearers! Don’t let the mask wearers intimidate you!

Mask wearers, we know your opinions. Keep them to yourselves! By the way, non-mask wearers, do not make fun of mask wearers! To both, “Judge not lest you be judged.” I rest my case! Good evening, y’all!