- Joined
- Dec 1, 2011
- Messages
- 33,000
- Reaction score
- 13,973
- Location
- FL - Daytona
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
Unsurprisingly, you're missing the point. It's that we are under-reacting to COVID.
Close, but no cigar -- in a somewhat literal sense. I believe that, even though prohibition is not a perfect solution, cigarettes should be outlawed. There is no justification for them being legal, especially since the addictive properties of nicotine deprives individuals of the free choice to stop smoking whenever they want.
Anyway. Our society engages in a huge range of laws and actions to prevent harm and disease. We have vaccine mandates for students and health care workers. We have speed limits, seat belt requirements, air bag requirements, other auto safety requirements, and traffic controls. Workplaces must meet safety standards, including taking steps to avoid exposure to toxins and known carcinogens. Buildings have to meet complex zoning and construction codes. We have laws requiring that clothing can't be too flammable. Restaurants must meet food safety standards. Food gets inspected for safety. Alcohol and tobacco are regulated, including age limits for buyers. Legal cannabis is even more heavily regulated.
In fact, I'd say that almost all consumer products are inspected or regulated in some way. And people often complain about the few that are less regulated, a condition often exploited by scammers (e.g. dietary supplements).
I could be here all day listing the myriad ways that government intervenes to ensure safety, including from things that are less threatening than COVID. We've done it for decades. None of it results in "totalitarianism and oppression."
In the late 19th and early 20th century, there was a wave of smallpox. City, county, state and federal governments were all involved in forcibly quarantining and inoculating people. As in, they were literally going door to door, and using physical force to vaccinate people -- and that was with an early vaccine that wasn't even remotely safe by today's standards. Funny how that didn't lead to "totalitarianism and oppression," huh?
In fact, mandatory vaccinations REDUCE the need for government interference in daily life. If enough people get vaccinated, then we can basically get rid of mask mandates, potential lock-downs, social distancing, and more.
I also think it's rather hilarious that you are suggesting that getting 2 shots of a vaccine, or even getting an annual vaccine, is anywhere near as intrusive as a government mandate for decades of daily exercise and daily medications and daily supplements.
Right. So, I guess we shouldn't do jack shit until what, 2 million Americans die? Does that number sound good to you? Maybe you want to hold out for 3 million?
What can I say, it sure seems to me that your blasé attitude towards a disease that has already killed 700,000 Americans, and will kill hundreds of thousands more if you get your way, is a shining example of the failures of your libertarian leanings.
You use your intellect to make a good argument but are simply wrong in trading off too many liberties for a little extra security. It historically has never ended well for a society when the state begins to dictate how the masses should live on every level. People have to have the freedom to make their own mistakes to live, learn and grow or you end up with a civilization with no incentive to excel and be unique, like communism.
Your philosophy of governance robs people of self-determination. In psychology, self-determination is an important concept that refers to each person's ability to make choices and manage their own life. This ability plays an important role in psychological health and well-being. Self-determination allows people to feel that they have control over their choices and lives.