STARTING TOMORROW: Babel and Gomorrah!

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021

Intellectual, moral disorder: On Saturday morning, we sat down—with the analysts arrayed around us—for one of the two "sacred hours" we try to observe each week.

It was 7 A.M. Eastern—time for C-Span's Washington Journal to spend an hour taking phone calls from viewers. As the program began, Jesse Holland defined the day's question: 

Do you plan to get vaccinated against the coronavirus? 

The standard collection of phone calls rolled in, almost always from good, decent people. At 7:43 A.M., an instructive exchange occurred.

The caller was calling from Bismarck, North Dakota. And no, he said, he wasn't planning to accept vaccination. 

We've transcribed the exchange in full. At the 43-minute mark, you can hear the full exchange here:

JESSE (1/2/20): Let's go to John, who's calling from Bismarck, North Dakota. And John says no, he will not be getting the Covid-19 vaccine. John, good morning. 

JOHN: Good morning. I don't plan on getting it. I've had friends that got Covid and they, they survived. It's a 98% survivability rate. And the ones that survived, they said it was not a really big deal. You know, it wasn't, it wasn't a pleasant experience but they—it took them a week, ten days and they were over it, and now they got the antibodies. They got tested for antibodies and they got it.

And I just don't think it's necessary for me.  I'm healthy, I don't have any comorbidities, I'm under the age of 60. It just doesn't—it doesn't concern me at all. I don't have anybody in my life that's close to me who's elderly or has comorbidities, and I just don't think it's necessary. 

Plus, I know this might sound kinda weird, but I'm a, I'm a movie buff, and I've watched World War Z and I Am Legend. And those movies, all that trouble came after people got the vaccinations. It wasn't disease that caused all the issues, it was the vaccination. So that's my thoughts.

John knew that last remark sounded strange, but he offered it anyway. Before we focus on that final remark, let's summarize the various things he said.

Plainly, John is familiar with some of the variables which affect the degree of threat the coronavirus provides. He's under sixty, and he has no comorbidities. On this basis, and on several others, he said he thinks that vaccination isn't necessary for him.

For ourselves, we wouldn't agree with that reasoning, but John displayed a basic familiarity with some of the fundamentals of the Covid threat. Then, he added another point. Let's restate what he said:

Plus, I know this might sound kinda weird, but I'm a, I'm a movie buff, and I've watched World War Z and I Am Legend. And those movies, all that trouble came after people got the vaccinations. It wasn't disease that caused all the issues, it was the vaccination. So that's my thoughts.

Yes, that's what he said. If you listen to the tape, you will note the following:

This C-Span caller was totally serious when he stated this line of reasoning. Although he knows his reasoning might sound weird, you won't hear the slightest sign that his comment was tongue in cheek.

In short, John said that he has seen vaccination lead to chaos in a pair of Hollywood films. In part on this basis, he won't be accepting the Covid vaccine, he told C-Span's giant audience.

Full disclosure—we've never seen World War Z. That said, the leading authority on the film describes it as "a 2013 American apocalyptic zombie action horror film." 

The leading authority doesn't specify that World Wat Z is fictional. Because we've never seen the film, we don't know if its (fictional) events proceed in the way John described.

We have seen chunks of I Am Legend. According to that same authority, it unfolds in the following (fictional) manner:

In 2009, a genetically re-engineered measles vaccine, originally created as a cure for cancer, turns lethal. The vaccine kills 90% (5.4 billion out of 6.0 billion) of the world's population and turns 9.8% (588 million) into vampiric, albino, zombie-like, cannibalistic mutants called Darkseekers, who are extremely vulnerable to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight. The remaining 0.2% (12 million) of the population is immune to the virus and is the prey of the mutant Darkseekers.

Warning! The events described in that synopsis were fictional in nature!

John has seen both these zombie films, each of which did big business worldwide. In part on the basis of what he saw in these films, he has decided that he won't be taking the Covid vaccine.

That part of John's reasoning struck us as very poor. But so it tends to go, each weekend morning, during these sacred hours.

John was calling C-Span from a very red state. Beyond that, he had reached a somewhat "red state"-friendly conclusion concerning the Covid vaccines. 

For these reasons, it's easy for us in the streets of Our Town to dismiss John as one of "those people." Indeed, it's long been a basic part of our sacred tribal belief:

     The dumbbells are all Over There.

For ourselves, we'd say that John's reasoning was extremely poor.  As noted, very strange reasoning is a regular part of C-Span programming during each weekend's sacred hours. 

Very strange reasoning is quite common whenever C-Span takes phone calls. Despite this fact, it's long been part of upper-end pundit scripting to declare that "the American people are pretty sharp." 

When we see major pundits in Our Town currying favor in this way, we sometimes wonder if they've ever tuned in to Washington Journal.

(Full disclosure: In 1999 and 2000, we appeared on the program three times.)

It's easy for us, over here in Our Town, to regard John as one of "those people." In the next few weeks, we'll be asking an heretical question:

To what extent do we self-impressed folk over here in Our Town resemble those found Over There?

We'll be examining the intellectual infrastructure on wide display in Our Town. Beyond that, we'll start to look at the basic values which prevail in the streets of Our Town, including the values which prevail in Our Town concerning our Hollywood movies.

Within the realm of intellect, we in our country are all trapped inside a modern Babel. Within the realm of basic values, it can almost be said that we're living in a type of dim-witted modern Gomorrah.

Is it possible that our intellectual infrastructure is a giant mess even here in Our Town? Is it possible that, if it weren't for our famous performative virtue, we'd come up a bit short in the streets of Our Town with respect to values as well?

Tomorrow, we'll be starting our analysis with Donald J. Trump's recent phone call—but also, with the reaction to that phone call overheard in the streets of Our Town. We'll be focusing on the intellectual skills, or the lack of same, we bring to our instant critiques.

We won't likely focus on values until the start of next week. But when we do, we may look at the way the New York Times has normalized the devolving  values of some very big Hollywood films. Can any society with values like ours really expect to thrive?

Here within our failing nation, we're living inside a strikingly obvious modern Babel. Our warring tribes are able to speak to themselves and to no one else. Each tribe has its own sacred language.

When it comes to our nation's values, we've been watching some Hollywood films of late. We've also been watching our own tribe's highly entertaining "cable news" TV shows, where the values can be very poor.

Tomorrow, we'll start with the president's recent phone call. Things will go downhill from there.

Tomorrow: "Do you think it’s possible that they shredded ballots? Because that’s what the rumor is."


31 comments:

  1. "That part of John's reasoning struck us as very poor."

    Meh. One doesn't need to watch zombie movies, dear Bob, to know that vaccinations can cause health problems, emergencies, and deaths, occasionally.

    Consequently, dear Bob, your attitude strikes us as a typical dumb, dogmatic assertion of a brainwashed liberal.

    Fortunately, vaccination is still a voluntary decision, and let us leave it at that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. He might have remembered the swine flu vaccine of 1976. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_swine_flu_outbreak

    Although as I refresh my memory, 362 cases out of 45 million looks like a fairly tiny blip. 0.00081% And in that case, swine flu was more of a nothingburger than covid has been.

    Seems to me though, that the media has been over-hyping covid. 360,000 covid deaths they will report, always without the context that our normal non-covid deaths would be over 2,000,000 for the same period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I recall, no one turned into a zombie after taking swine flu vaccine.

      My next door neighbor, aged 70, was taken to the hospital by ambulance last night, intubated (which means his case is very serious). He dared to celebrate Christmas with his extended family.

      Tell me again about how covid is a nothingburger, you asshole.

      Delete
    2. Calling covid a nothingburger is bravado. The more someone protests like this, the greater their fear because look at the lengths they are going to as they deny that they are worried. It takes courage to face your fears and wear those masks, consider the risks and take precautions every day. That means living in close proximity with conscious awareness of fear. Conservatives (especially Trumpies) are scared shitless. The irony is that they are the most likely victims, because you can't fool a virus into leaving you alone by swaggering and calling it names like nothingburger.

      Delete
    3. "360,000 covid deaths they will report, always without the context..."

      Not to mention that their 360K number is bullshit anyway, as it includes everyone who died and tested positive any time in the past, including those died in car accidents and from gunshot wounds.

      Delete
    4. Trump lost a landslide election to Joe Biden (of all people), because he tried to gaslight a viral pandemic.
      What a buffoon.

      Delete
  3. Who sees "chunks of" a movie? Not a movie enthusiast. If you love movies, you watch even the bad ones through to the end, and you then discuss why they were bad.

    World War Z is excellent (book and film) because of its attempted realism. That also makes it more satisfying sci-fi. Nearly all science fiction films (as opposed to fantasy and futuristic action/adventure) express discomfort with advances in modern science.

    Somerby calls out John's "reasoning" but he never discusses his obvious fear. That fear is what is expressed in the films he resonates to. John doesn't have a sense of trust in medicine or government to counteract the fear and nameless anxiety free-floating in our society as people are not only sick but also losing their jobs, and relationships.

    Men don't get to talk about fear in our society, because they are supposed to be brave. Admitting to fear isn't manly, not part of their role. Perhaps that is why Somerby doesn't see his fear either. Or his own, that perhaps leads him to minimize covid by reducing it to exact numbers that he has played statistical games to low-ball.

    If we had a competent government, it would be running an ad campaign to help allay people's fears, to tell them why this vaccine isn't turning anyone into zombies and why it is better to get the shot than tough it out and hope for the best.

    John isn't worried about his granny or anyone else's either. As long as he considers himself OK, he has no concern for the rest of his community. Just like a Republican, just like Trump, just like House and Senate Republicans. Ads might encourage a greater sense of responsibility, but just like our polarized election, we are too busy fighting to form a coherent front against this pandemic.

    But Somerby thinks the problem is John's "reasoning", which he generalizes (on no stated basis) from John to liberals, in one swift transition, and then blames us for everything bad in our world. Somerby has made liberals his own personal bogeyman, and pinned all of his fears on our misdeeds, even though we are the ones wearing masks. Liberals can watch WW-Z and not believe in zombies afterwards. Not Somerby, apparently. And it is one short step from liberal-bashing to calling us all lizard people in disguise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really, really stupid comment. You're dumb as fuck.

      Delete
    2. There is a theory that domestic violence arises because women are more verbal than men. In a dispute, the man cannot express his ideas or feelings whereas the woman can talk rings around him, so he just gets frustrated, mad and hits. I think @8:02 is a good example of such a person. He can't mount a cogent argument so he just calls names. This is why little boys need to be taught to "use your words" in kindergarten. So they won't grow up like @8:02.

      Delete
    3. "John isn't worried about his granny or anyone else's either. As long as he considers himself OK, he has no concern for the rest of his community. Just like a Republican, just like Trump, just like House and Senate Republicans." And he's using a movie as an excuse not to care about other people. Most Republicans are more honest in expressing their "freedumb" attitude. Not caring about other people is the 1st commandment of the Republican Cult. Good comment.

      Delete
    4. "can't mount a cogent argument" Look who's talking! Oh my.

      Delete
  4. From Rawstory:

    "A group of anti-mask protesters stormed a shopping mall in Century City, California, this Sunday, and were captured on video getting into multiple confrontations -- sometimes physical -- with employees and shoppers.

    Video of the incident was uploaded to Twitter by local journalist Samuel Braslow, and it shows the protesters going from store to store, arguing with employees and customers in the Los Angeles-area shopping center.

    In one segment that was recorded in the mall's Ralph's grocery store, an anti-mask protester claims she was assaulted by a customer, then proceeds to try to ram him with a shopping cart. She then chases after him and tries to strike him."

    "In another video, an anti-mask protester claims he doesn't need to wear a mask because he tested negative for coronavirus. He then refers to a customer as a "mask nazi."

    At one point, a store closed its doors in an attempt to bar the protesters from entering, prompting one of the protesters to call the store's employee a "big dumb white c*nt."

    "According to witness Peter De La Chingada, police showed up on the scene but didn't get involved.

    "Since it was Century City LAPD showed up fast when anti maskers came to harass mall shoppers but just stood back, stood by, and watched these trump supporters disturb the peace," he tweeted. "They did not show aggression like they've shown BLM protesters and tenants rights protesters."

    https://www.rawstory.com/anti-mask-protests-2649729845/

    Also described on Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/la-mask-protest-mall-covid-deatths-1558695

    But Somerby somehow thinks we are the problem because we call out John in North Dakota and similar idiots for threatening the lives of the neighbors?

    Today he is making vague references to our "intellectual infrastructure" whatever that means. He pulls a couple of Biblical references out of his ass but doesn't bother trying to relate them to anything liberals have said or done. It is enough for him to wave a stick and shout "whores, jezebels, spawn of satan" because Babel and Gomorrah are shortcut words for sinners who got theirs.

    I think Somerby is just trying to work up his courage to call in to C-Span himself, one of these mornings, and warn us that the apocalypse is now, before going out back and cutting down his pear tree. He isn't even bothering to make up sins these days. The name-calling is enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "According to witness Peter De La Chingada, police showed up on the scene but didn't get involved."

      That is an obvious fake name, if you know Spanish slang.

      Delete
    2. It's a legit name. Dembot!

      Delete
  5. “we may look at the way the New York Times has normalized the devolving values of some very big Hollywood films.”

    Were any altar boys molested in the process?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Please moderate this blog properly by removing this spam.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Next, Somerby will bemoan the rescinding of the Hays Code or the cancellation of Lawrence Welk. He is positing a moral decline in the United States and holding liberals responsible for it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We'll be examining the intellectual infrastructure on wide display...and the basic values of Our Town, including the values which prevail in our Hollywood movies. Within the realm of intellect, we are all trapped inside a modern Babel. Within the realm of basic values, we're living in a type of dim-witted modern Gomorrah.”

    Oh, this should be interesting. I have no doubt you will stretch this out into several posts, though the reasons required to explain it need not take more than a few sentences. We also know you will stupidly narrow the focus to Hollywood so you can attack liberals.

    I expect that you will never mention capitalism and corporate-domination as the top source spreading the value of the ego-driven greed that runs wild in the USA. I also expect that you ignore the crazed intellect-destroying power of right-wing Christain-fundamentalism. It too runs wild in the USA, led by charlatan end-times preachers who hate critical thinking because they know that logic is their enemy and truth is a menace. No, you are not going to talk about these destructive forces that dominate each Town.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is an astute comment. Somerby adopts the conservative misdirection of blaming society’s ills on “liberal” Hollywood. What’s next? Railing at comic books? Rock music? It’s bonkers.

      Delete
  9. Do you mean your own self-indulgently no pseudonym-bearing post, apparently so created so that you can blend with innumerable others here who insist on making their posts as difficult to identify by author as they are devoid of meaningful/interesting content?

    If so, I totally agree, “spam” is the right word for what you have to offer, and if I could change only one thing about this site, the spell-casters would be safe, since it would be to require all of you self-righteous posters of anonymous drivel to spend the two seconds necessary to come up with unique name, just to demand from you the minimal respect for other readers that you refuse to provide out of simple courtesy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Or you could save yourself the trouble and obvious psychic pain by ignoring all the anonymous so-called drivel. Simple, no?

    And then perhaps you could make some pertinent non-drivel comment relevant to Somerby’s post and actually participate in a discussion.

    And as long as you bring up the idea of being self-righteous, consider that Somerby is just a *tad* that way himself.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's great to see someone base their decision on whether to vaccinate on the movies!

    ReplyDelete
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