Keeble

just waiting for "leftist" or "socialist" to fully turn into the new "progressive" in america the way it did in france with the socialist party: an utterly meaningless way for liberals to aesthetically distinguish themselves from percieved mainstream 3rd way liberalism while, in actuality, supporting policies consistent with a liberal republican in 1980 (universal healthcare, for example) and ultimately a little too reverent and idealistic of The Process

yes, im still very disappointed in people who stopped masking, in particular people who are, nominally "leftists" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean anymore)

i think the reason this is so disappointing is that we proved, for years, that we could do it. we saw not just covid but so many diseases--flu, for example--reduce so much in transmission. I like not being sick and its been good to just, like, not get stuff. and i have a high risk job, interacting with the general public for 30-40 hrs a week! and this job has yet to make me sick, including days i worked quite literally right next to someone who later that day tested positive. I eat my meals at work, during which i of course remove my mask for like 10 mins or so. Sometimes i will go out to eat, too. I view all this behavior as fairly risky, but worth the risk every once in a while, and whenever possible i wear a mask (including at restaurants when, like, not eating).

but no, ive seen so many people descend into this frustrating doublethink where the permission of others in society to let them not care has let people go "okay we're done now!" and try to pretend its 2019. This level of risk i take, much much more than i did in 2020-1 even remotely, is viewed by most people as being WAY more risk averse than necessary. this, despite and its like, how do you have enduring solidarity when even a fucking mask that you wore for years without it being enough of a big deal to stop is Too Much™ to ask bc the rest of the world wont yell at you for not doing so anymore

and again, so often the main emotion i feel isn't anger. its disappointment. its like, you knew better. i saw it myself. and then the second--the SECOND!--it became convenient, you revealed that "believe science" was just a slogan that you threw out when it was too much work. I know that this development isn't anything new and most of the time ive had to force myself to just, like, not dwell on it. but still, every time i see it, even for a second, no matter how often it happens, for a second im like. oh.

yes, im still very disappointed in people who stopped masking, in particular people who are, nominally "leftists" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean anymore)

i think the reason this is so disappointing is that we proved, for years, that we could do it. we saw not just covid but so many diseases--flu, for example--reduce so much in transmission. I like not being sick and its been good to just, like, not get stuff. and i have a high risk job, interacting with the general public for 30-40 hrs a week! and this job has yet to make me sick, including days i worked quite literally right next to someone who later that day tested positive. I eat my meals at work, during which i of course remove my mask for like 10 mins or so. Sometimes i will go out to eat, too. I view all this behavior as fairly risky, but worth the risk every once in a while, and whenever possible i wear a mask (including at restaurants when, like, not eating).

but no, ive seen so many people descend into this frustrating doublethink where the permission of others in society to let them not care has let people go "okay we're done now!" and try to pretend its 2019. This level of risk i take, much much more than i did in 2020-1 even remotely, is viewed by most people as being WAY more risk averse than necessary. this, despite and its like, how do you have enduring solidarity when even a fucking mask that you wore for years without it being enough of a big deal to stop is Too Much™ to ask bc the rest of the world wont yell at you for not doing so anymore

yes, im still very disappointed in people who stopped masking, in particular people who are, nominally "leftists" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean anymore)