Originally published at: 11 percent of the unvaccinated blame Trump for the COVID-19 surge | Boing Boing
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Different take on the same poll?
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we assume that the unvaccinated are largely Trump supporters
That’s not completely true. Among whites over 30, it’s only the Trumpers that are unvaccinated. But there are also low vaccination rates among Blacks and young adults (under 30) across all ethnic and political subgroups.
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What I can’t figure out is that for all of last year Trump was hyping the vaccine non-stop, it was always days away, “we’ll have the vaccine very very soon!”, and yet it’s still Trumpers who are largely the ones avoiding the vaccine.
Perhaps we should make a special “Trump vaccine” for them, it’ll just be the Pfizer with Donald’s smiling face on the vial.
Whatever it takes.
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As long as the unvaccinated stay in the US and don’t try to come into Canada for their vacations, I’m good. This includes my unvaccinated American relatives.
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My wife is unvaccinated due to her health (Ovarian cancer patient). She 100% blames the numbers of unvaccinated on Trump and Trump followers.
I am vaccinated but am extra careful not to get COVID for fears of bringing it home to her. So I am back to isolation and remote working.v
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I think it’s a mistake to assume that people who haven’t been vaccinated have chosen not to be vaccinated because of politics. There’s a big group of people who have heard that the vaccine will knock you out of commission for a day or two. They’ve avoided the vaccine because they cannot afford to miss a day or two of work.
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I doubt that. There are plenty hippy/crusty/lefty/ anti-government aluminium-hattet types that for all kinds of “reasons” don’t vaccinate but are also not trumpist.
Don’t fall for a no true Scotsman fallacy, idiots are everywhere even among non-trumpers.
From an epidemiological point of view most relevant are not-vaccinated people that live in an isolated bubble. It is in these religious bubbles where all children go to the same school, adults work on the same businesses, go to the same social events, same church, same sport clubs, etc. where herd immunity easily fails.
Left wing non-vaxxers are often better integrated in society as a whole and therefore benefit from the protection by other vaccinated people.
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The left wing anti-goverment types tend to be pro-vax, with a few notable exceptions (like primitivists). They take the social part of social anarchism seriously.
Bakunin gave the solution to anti-vax propaganda (and other conspiracy theory nonsense) 140 years ago.
Does it follow that I reject all authority? Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or engineer. For such or such special knowledge I apply to such or such a savant. But I allow neither the bootmaker nor the architect nor the savant to impose his authority upon me. I listen to them freely and with all the respect merited by their intelligence, their character, their knowledge, reserving always my incontestable right of criticism censure. I do not content myself with consulting authority in any special branch; I consult several; I compare their opinions, and choose that which seems to me the soundest. But I recognize no infallible authority, even in special questions; consequently, whatever respect I may have for the honesty and the sincerity of such or such an individual, I have no absolute faith in any person. Such a faith would be fatal to my reason, to my liberty, and even to the success of my undertakings; it would immediately transform me into a stupid slave, an instrument of the will and interests of others.
If I bow before the authority of the specialists and avow my readiness to follow, to a certain extent and as long as may seem to me necessary, their indications and even their directions, it is because their authority is imposed upon me by no one, neither by men nor by God. Otherwise I would repel them with horror, and bid the devil take their counsels, their directions, and their services, certain that they would make me pay, by the loss of my liberty and self-respect, for such scraps of truth, wrapped in a multitude of lies, as they might give me.
I bow before the authority of special men because it is imposed upon me by my own reason. I am conscious of my inability to grasp, in all its details and positive developments, any very large portion of human knowledge. The greatest intelligence would not be equal to a comprehension of the whole. Thence results, for science as well as for industry, the necessity of the division and association of labor. I receive and I give-such is human life. Each directs and is directed in his turn. Therefore there is no fixed and constant authority, but a continual exchange of mutual, temporary, and, above all, voluntary authority and subordination.
Mikhail Bakunin, God and the State
I am not sorry for repeating this, because if you do know any anti-vax anarchists they need to hear it. Ask them what most doctors and nurses think about vaccinations, and don’t let them dodge the question. Doing the opposite of what you are told is not anarchism, it is leaving yourself vulnerable to reverse psychology.
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Have they not heard how long Covd-19 will keep you out of work for?
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That’s me right now. Kind of.
Dose two knocked me out proper and I had to stay home from work. But I realise that once back to the office tomorrow I should probably understate how nasty it was, as I worry I could inadvertently discourage my most sensitive colleague from getting dose two.
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While that’s true, it’s not always as simple as that. Many low-income workers need every penny they can earn, and the loss of even a single day’s income has a big impact. They can’t always count on support from their managers, either; some businesses run such a tight ship that they expect employees to show up no matter what, and just one day’s absence can result in getting fired. Consider also that in some areas, getting to vaccination sites requires traveling significant distances, especially in more rural regions. If you don’t have a car or reliable public transportation, it can be hard to access the shot, even if you desperately want it. And finally, some worry about getting unexpected bills for it. Vaccination is free in a lot of places, but with our health care system as broken as it is, I can understand the fear.
I’m not making excuses for anyone-- we need as many people vaccinated as possible if we’re ever going to get Covid under control. But not everyone has the privilege to simply skip work without consequences, and it’s important to acknowledge that, if only to design measures to ensure thorough vaccine distribution. Let’s face it, the rollout wasn’t as organized as it could have been, in part due to haste and supply issues, but also due to partisan politicking, mismanagement, and miscommunication. It’s going to take more effort and strategic planning to finish the job and achieve herd immunity. Trump didn’t even try, and I’m not 100% convinced that it’s a priority for Biden, given that he’s been vocal about avoiding further lockdowns and getting people back to work when it’s not safe yet.
I consider myself damn lucky that I didn’t have to worry about time off, and that I had a pharmacy giving free shots within walking distance of my home. Not everyone is that fortunate. And the Powers That Be need to crank that inequality into the equation and find fixes for these problems, fast, or else things will get much worse before they get better… if they ever get to “better.”
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Yeah… i really don’t know if the expected reaction is:
"OMG-- 11% of unvaccinated blaming Trump is so high!"
Or:
"OMG-- 11% of unvaccinated blaming Trump is so low!"
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Are you sure your interpretation and wording are accurate? It seems far more likely that “…11 percent of the unvaccinated blame the monstrosity that is Donald J. Trump” should read “…11 percent of the unvaccinated praise and thank their eternal divine leader Donald J. Trump”.
You’d probably have to dye the vaccine a garish orange to make it more acceptable to the true Trumpists.
Maybe they have to purchase it directly from Trump’s website, otherwise it’s not the REAL Trump vaccine.
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