Dr. Lucky Tran Oct 26, 2023

I know there's a lot going on, but the Senate just passed a reckless amendment that would prohibit the enforcement of mask mandates on public transportation at the federal level for the next fiscal year.

Shamefully, 10 Democrats voted in favor of a ban:
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO
Brown (D-OH)
Kaine (D-VA)
Kelly (D-AZ)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Manchin (D-WV)
Rosen (D-NV)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Tester (D-MT)

Show threadDr. Lucky Tran Oct 26, 2023
Sources:
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00266.htm
https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-vote-ban-mask-mandate-jd-vance-1838224
U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 118th Congress - 1st Session

Show threadDr. Lucky Tran Oct 26, 2023
Note that the amendment would mean that the federal government would not be able to enforce a mask requirement on public transport. In theory states, cities, and local governments could still enforce mask requirements themselves. Though in practice, most usually defer to federal rules.
Show threadjhall251Oct 26, 2023
@luckytran
I think at least 5 of those are up for reelection in 2024 in reddish states. They need to be careful.
Show threadThwaitesAwaitsOct 26, 2023

@jhall251 @luckytran

Right, we need to keep the people who think germs are a conspiracy theory happy at all costs. Even, if that means letting a pandemic continue to fester. If Grandma dies after catching covid at Thanksgiving then so be it.

Show threadjhall251Oct 26, 2023
@thwaites_awaits @luckytran
You're welcome to all the purity you want. Meanwhile in the real world a lot of ppl will suffer and likely die - maybe many ppl - if the Republicans take the Senate. I am glad that at risk candidates are careful.
Show threadLightning Bjornsson*  Oct 27, 2023
@jhall251 @thwaites_awaits @luckytran They're not being careful at all. They're sadistic.
Show threadjhall251Oct 27, 2023
@lightning @luckytran @thwaites_awaits
You're wrong. But whatever floats your boat.
Show threadLightning Bjornsson*  Oct 27, 2023
@jhall251 @luckytran @thwaites_awaits Am I, though? People are more likely to vote for the demagogue than the coward who sees an opportunity to protect them and refuses.
Show threadSuperTwaddle

@lightning @jhall251 @luckytran @thwaites_awaits What a thread.

On twitter, I had (maybe all, haha) BNMW cultists blocked. So it's been a while since I've seen similar fervid certainty of righteousness in the face of a mountain of ignored facts like this display.

In a way, it's enviable - the comforting psychological crutch of having a good team and a boogieman, instead of clear realization that the US govt is corrupt and authoritarian from top to bottom.

Viewing US pols as Good VS Evil seems considerably more emotionally snug & cozy than acknowledging it's just a narrow gradient strip of shades of self serving, massive-scale harm doers. Or if you have a terse internal editor, "evil."

Supporting perpetrators of massive-scale harm is participating and assuming culpability, albeit infinitesimally, in massive-scale harm. I can see why BNMW cultists resist exiting Denialville.

I don't respect it, but I can understand it.

Oct 27, 2023 at 5:11pmWeb