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

Introduction

I decided against House Mountain hike #171 this afternoon. Under the “any excuse is a good excuse” mantra, the weather is too warm and humid for my preference today. I could blame it on my left shoulder to left hip muscles “fun” that I’ve been enduring lately, but that would be a cop out. I’ve sweated many a T-shirt to the point of wringing it out by hand, after several hikes. I leave a spare T-shirt in my truck, into which I change, after having taken off the one that I soaked in sweat.

Let’s play the unmask game, instead!

Socialism Unmasked

On 5/11/2020, Monday, I saw a post by a grade school and high school friend that referenced a Bernard (i.e., Bernie) Sanders chart, which compared (the socialistic enough) healthcare cost in America to other (even more socialistic) healthcare costs in other countries. The chart indicated 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 the cart.) The implication is that America needs more socialism in healthcare.

Well, that’s fine, if you drink the socialism Kool-Aid. I remember Dad telling us how much he had to pay the doctor and the hospital, each time, after each of us four brothers was born. He also told us how much the health insurance cost was back then. To him, the costs were reasonable and affordable. Dad said that medical costs and health insurance started going up, after the government started getting into healthcare, more and more. Dad was wise. Dad was right.

Take the time to investigate what people 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 time and effort. I will not do all that work in this article. I might do it in a later article. Nothing is free, except God’s grace. Someone pays for the healthcare, in some manner, every time.

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

The solution is easy. The Hippocratic Oath drives healthcare professionals. The free market, based on constitutional principals, drives healthcare costs and keeps them in check.

Bernard “P.” Sanders (aka “Fife”) believes in socialism. 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 for our anniversary yesterday, did not wear masks. Other folks are wearing masks, either by choice or by employer mandate. I do NOT judge those who wear masks. THEY MUST NOT judge me. At least in Tennessee, the “right to chose,” to mask or not to mask, is yours – for now.

I have started to feel the negative, social peer pressure (via TV, radio, social media, etc.) to wear a mask. If I don’t, I’m not as loving or caring as the mask wearers. That is their implication. That is their manipulation. They are judging me falsely. They need to STOP it!

It’s all part of Corona Myopia, of course. The “guvrmint” is causing Corona Myopia.

“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.

On 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, 25,942 total 2020 Tennessee deaths, at this entry.

COVID-19 deaths 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. COVID-19 deaths:

-- 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, varies by county. KNOX COUNTY: 5 deaths.
-- 4 counties: 10 to 19 deaths, varies by county.
-- Davidson County: 41 deaths.
-- Sumner County: 41 deaths.
-- Shelby County: 85 deaths.

Conclusion

The rifle is still better than the shotgun, to hunt a squirrel, or to kill a new cold virus. The “guvrmint” needs to pick up a rife 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!