Jul 29

Bad Ideas

Yep. People had this stupid fucking idea for some reason I can’t fathom that when societal relations are disrupted that things just “return to normal” as if by magic. I even heard (and linked to) some saying that the “economy was on pause” or other such crap.

Once again, to paraphrase Chuck Babbage, I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a conclusion. The economy does not pause, especially how we mismanaged the crisis, nor can it resume in any meaningful way.

Again, as I said months ago, when those relations are destroyed they don’t just come back. They are gone forever. Will never return. Bad models lead to bad thinking. Or perhaps the reverse. I don’t really give a shit. What I do know is that many people had and still continue to have fantasy thinking going on about the economy.

Also, to reiterate, if we’d managed the crisis properly and had an effective 1-2 month lockdown with proper stimulus and business preservation measures, more of this would’ve been realistic. But we did not do those things and here we are.

Jul 28

The Plan

But the oligarchs and plutocrats don’t want to eliminate the virus. They are using it as a cudgel to break labor and any remaining power there. It’s working — why would they stop?

No, it’s not a formal conspiracy. However, just like anyone or any group, they tend to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them. This is one and they are now in fact taking full advantage. We will not contain the virus in the US anytime soon for just this reason because the effort to destroy labor is working beautifully.

The virus being out of control now is the plan.

Jul 28

In Spite

I am largely spite-driven when I achieve anything. It works.

Jul 28

Thinking Poorly

I grew up in a singlewide, too. I didn’t even really understand that I was poor until I was at least 10 or 11. Everyone I knew, except my grandparents, lived the same way I did. I just thought what I saw on TV (which turned out to be in many cases “normal” middle-class lives) was exaggerated. Sure, I was very smart and read a lot, but I had no basis for comparison.

So, no, I never thought, “We are so poor.” It’s just the way things were.

Jul 27

Carne

This is my conclusion, too. Same of most nutritionists and similar “experts.” It depends on what you’re doing, but my ideal diet is lots and lots of meat, some carbs and veg, and a a bit of fruit.

The only thing that’ll stop me eating the meat I need is if they throw me in jail for it.

Jul 27

Health “Care”

I believe this too, especially since healthcare is most like a Giffen good. And it exerts a massive direct and indirect drag on the entire economy. The direct drag is just how expensive it is and the indirect is people not wanting to change jobs, or quit bad jobs, because they will lose their health care.

And people like me who can afford it who keep way more in reserve in savings and investment vehicles in case a health crisis occurs.

Jul 26

Two Peas

Milena, WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL GRAMMA?

Don’t you know that that sort of talk shows you are only interested in murdering gramma and partying atop her virus-infested corpse.

Admittedly, this liberal attitude I’m satirizing is not as bad as the anti-maskers, but is still pretty vile.

Jul 26

Mors

“If you’re quiet in the woods long enough, you’ll hear something die. Then it’s quiet again. There’s no outrage about injustice, or even mourning. One animal’s death is another’s dinner; that’s just the way it is. What remains will go to the earth, yesterday’s bones sinking into today’s dirt, the only bit of life left where a mouse nibbled, leaving tiny indentations that say there was once something of worth here.”

–Mindy McGinnis in Be Not Far From Me