Illusion of "Land of the free..."

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  • Slalom.45

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    Jan 10, 2013
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    The hardest part of this for me has been the breaking of the illusion of "Land of the free and the home of the brave".

    I relation to other countries around the world we are allowed more freedom than average. Certainly not as seen by the founders and certainly not controlled by "the people". They told us it's to "flatten the curve". Now it's so "it doesn't come back". Will it be for another reason in two weeks?

    There are many brave individuals out there. We see them every day. You may be one of them. Again, when I look around the behavior of many is not one of bravery. There are some who because of age and health issues should have concern and take more precautions. For 99%+ of people there is no danger from this. Look at the raw statistical numbers.

    The disappointment is really hard to take.
     

    machinedrummer

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    Was this a over reaction and now they can’t say, whoops sorry we crashed the economy but it was for the safety of the people at the expense of freedom? Was it an attack? And now that the numbers don’t seem to support the continued oppression they have to keep the fear factor high by inflating death numbers, wrecking the food supply chain, and printing funny money to keep the illusion the economy will come back stronger when business is only allowed to operate at 25%. Dunno
     

    Kraut

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    It's fear that's crippling us, nothing else. There aren't enough police in the country to put a dent in anything if stores and restaurants just didn't roll over and close, and people didn't just roll over and go home. Few are willing to be the test case, though. And as far as the corporations, it's litigation they fear. I've heard there are already lawsuits being filed claiming employers didn't do enough to protect people against exposure. The government doesn't have to actually DO much of anything, just rattle their saber loudly enough.

    What's really disgusting to me is seeing the stories of some of the things some police departments are willing to do in the name of this bu11sh!t. Ticketing people in cars watching a sunset. Ticketing people in cars in a church parking lot. Arresting a guy out paddleboarding. I like to think that justice will be done for them when or if these things make it to court (I think most won't go that far, they've already thrown out the ones in MS in the church lot), but it's hugely disappointing to see these actions taken in the first place.
     

    Bangswitch

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    If an 18-wheeler sheds a tire in the interstate it wouldn’t be an overreaction to change lanes far in advance to avoid a collision. As a matter of fact if you waited till the last second and swerved to avoid it it would look pretty irresponsible. Now this is clearly not an apples to apples comparison but there are lesson we can take from it. A measured response to give that tire a wide birth by measure of clearance between your pickup and that tire could be deemed an overreaction because you could have skirted your lane and been fine.

    From the onset of this I said our overreaction to this would do more damage than the virus. And so far we have chosen fear and dictator like leadership as the sizable course of our actions. A lot of places and things that have been deemed no go’s wouldn’t add significant risk while others have been open. My personal favorite have been the workers at restaurants and grocery stores being required to wear mask but not required to wear it correctly. Funneling people threw one entrance and exit at the grocery store forcing closer contact in efforts to reduce close contact.

    For all our advancements in science, the human race is still a bunch of dumb herd animals.
     
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    Bangswitch

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    It's fear that's crippling us, nothing else. There aren't enough police in the country to put a dent in anything if stores and restaurants just didn't roll over and close, and people didn't just roll over and go home. Few are willing to be the test case, though. And as far as the corporations, it's litigation they fear. I've heard there are already lawsuits being filed claiming employers didn't do enough to protect people against exposure. The government doesn't have to actually DO much of anything, just rattle their saber loudly enough.

    What's really disgusting to me is seeing the stories of some of the things some police departments are willing to do in the name of this bu11sh!t. Ticketing people in cars watching a sunset. Ticketing people in cars in a church parking lot. Arresting a guy out paddleboarding. I like to think that justice will be done for them when or if these things make it to court (I think most won't go that far, they've already thrown out the ones in MS in the church lot), but it's hugely disappointing to see these actions taken in the first place.

    Drive in fast food.... good

    Drive in Jesus.... bad

    Buying booze at the liquor store... essential
    Buying your kid new clothing that fits in Target who is already open... non essential

    I don’t remember where the target instance happened.

    Before all the ‘naders up this way for a few weeks we were under a statewide burn ban ‘so fire and rescue could focus their efforts on Coronavirus.’... Yeah ok
     

    DAVE_M

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    I think all of this allowed many to see that the government is incapable of babying them, as they were promised when they voted certain idiots into office. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

    The country got a little taste of a **** show. If people don’t wise up, we are doomed when something worse happens.
     

    Bangswitch

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    I think all of this allowed many to see that the government is incapable of babying them, as they were promised when they voted certain idiots into office. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

    The country got a little taste of a **** show. If people don’t wise up, we are doomed when something worse happens.

    Yeah and sadly leaders of all potential persuasion have taken their turn in the dictator chair.

    The story came out this morning the Mayor of Hattiesburg would have to lay-off personnel because sales tax revenue was so low but a day earlier the story was Hattiesburg mayor requiring non essential businesses that are opening back up have follow stricter guild lines than called for in Statewide EO. All no essential businesses in Hattiesburg are by appointment only.
     

    DAVE_M

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    Yeah and sadly leaders of all potential persuasion have taken their turn in the dictator chair.

    The story came out this morning the Mayor of Hattiesburg would have to lay-off personnel because sales tax revenue was so low but a day earlier the story was Hattiesburg mayor requiring non essential businesses that are opening back up have follow stricter guild lines than called for in Statewide EO. All no essential businesses in Hattiesburg are by appointment only.

    The situation has peaked. It’s dying, albeit slowly.

    They could have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they didn’t shut down every *non-essential* business. As if a seamstress had thousands of customers in the shop per day. I can’t even go to a book store, where I have only interacted with other humans when I was buying my items.
     

    ajk3rd

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    Jul 28, 2012
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    It is obvious that this was a "Plandemic" to make sure President Trump would not be re-elected. "They" are scared to death of him and have created and carried out a pandemic on the world to insure he is not re-relected. Our freedoms have been severely infringed upon with many individuals facing financial ruin because of their idiotic shut down rules and social distancing. IMO this pandemic is no worse than the regular flu but the media has made it out to be something horrific and others have gone along with it. I am saying that those who have been infected and those who have died were part of their plan, this was needed to sell the hype, these people are evil. We need to get back to work and on with our lives and quick accepting these draconian rules that have been placed upon us.
     

    thperez1972

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    Dec 28, 2015
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    One issue is there are people who think the measures taken were excessive because the numbers aren't as bad as projected but haven't considered the numbers aren't as bad as projected because of the measures that were taken. Looking forward from the beginning, very little was known. It's not reasonable to use the knowledge we've learned after the decisions were made to judge the making of the decisions.

    That being said, I think the usual definition of essential business is too narrow in the real world. If anyone has kids and even some without kids will realize some essential things were left off the list. Mental wellbeing is important as well. I'm stuck at home with nothing to do, maybe I can spend a lot of time working on that flowerbed with the honey but we need to get some flowers. We can't because they are not essential. The kids could use some sidewalk chalk but we'd have to go to the store to get it. And if you have kids, you'll probably recognize alcohol as essential. And the rules for the grocery store can certainly be applied to other stores.

    But even with social distancing in mind, I do think some rules have gone too far. For example, it takes some maneuvering for two people in two boats to get within 6 feet of each other.
     

    DAVE_M

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    One issue is there are people who think the measures taken were excessive because the numbers aren't as bad as projected but haven't considered the numbers aren't as bad as projected because of the measures that were taken. Looking forward from the beginning, very little was known. It's not reasonable to use the knowledge we've learned after the decisions were made to judge the making of the decisions.

    That being said, I think the usual definition of essential business is too narrow in the real world. If anyone has kids and even some without kids will realize some essential things were left off the list. Mental wellbeing is important as well. I'm stuck at home with nothing to do, maybe I can spend a lot of time working on that flowerbed with the honey but we need to get some flowers. We can't because they are not essential. The kids could use some sidewalk chalk but we'd have to go to the store to get it. And if you have kids, you'll probably recognize alcohol as essential. And the rules for the grocery store can certainly be applied to other stores.

    But even with social distancing in mind, I do think some rules have gone too far. For example, it takes some maneuvering for two people in two boats to get within 6 feet of each other.

    A lot of measures have been extreme, but some were necessary. I don’t agree with all of them.

    The North Shore upscale moms bitching that they can’t get their nails done and sit by the pool at the Health Club can suck it up and suffer.
     

    EightySix

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    Jul 21, 2013
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    Ponchatoula
    This will be the new norm. Every flu season the frightened sheeple will expect the gubment to come to their rescue to save them and make them feel safe and will be willing to give up any and all liberties for that feeling, And if they don't, well that president especially if republican will be the worse president ever. I think that is why Trump initially kowtowed to the democrats, but now he's in to deep. It's all part of a plan. Hegelian Dialectic
     
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    Bosco

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    Sep 4, 2009
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    Have you guys looked at what other countries are doing? My fiance is in Dublin and there are checkpoints where police are stopping to ask for your ID because people are only allowed 2 kilometres from their home address. Almost every shop is closed other than places for groceries, medicine, and food delivery. You know actual essential services. People over 70 aren't allowed to leave their house, not even to go for walks. Open stores have security guards who will kick you out if you don't properly social distance or if you have any symptoms of COVID19. This is on a small island with fewer cases/deaths than the state of Louisiana.

    Meanwhile, here in Covington, LA, the Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes parking lots have been full every single day I've driven past to go to work. Car washes remain open as people are parked next to each other at the vacuum cleaners like there's nothing to worry about. I mean thank God we still have a 24 hour donut shop open with a drive thru because nothing says essential like stuffing your face full of fat and sugar at 3am because the drive thru daiquiri shop was also open and a donut goes great with jungle juice. Just a few days ago, the damn tax shop was open with someone dressed as the statue of liberty dancing out front. Meanwhile at Rouse's there's tape on the ground to try and keep people socially distanced during checkout, but nobody is taking it seriously, and most of the time people are mocking the precautions saying that it's all a bunch of phony baloney and people wearing masks are stupid.

    We're facing something that hasn't been faced in modern times. People are doing their best. Some of the **** is a bit silly but to say that the US being the land of the free is an illusion is just ridiculous.
     

    EightySix

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    We in the South haven't been free since 1865....But in the meantime,This is the largest most successful terrorist attack on the USA in history....

    Yall keep buying that Made in China crap...Or Bill Gates crap for that matter !

    According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Chinese imports of pork from the United States more than tripled from 23.4 to 93.4 million pounds from January 2019 to August 2019

    Smithfield foods is owned by the Communist Party of China
     

    Cheesy Lasagna

    Sooooo Cheesy!
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    Kennah!
    It is obvious that this was a "Plandemic" to make sure President Trump would not be re-elected. "They" are scared to death of him and have created and carried out a pandemic on the world to insure he is not re-relected. Our freedoms have been severely infringed upon with many individuals facing financial ruin because of their idiotic shut down rules and social distancing. IMO this pandemic is no worse than the regular flu but the media has made it out to be something horrific and others have gone along with it. I am saying that those who have been infected and those who have died were part of their plan, this was needed to sell the hype, these people are evil. We need to get back to work and on with our lives and quick accepting these draconian rules that have been placed upon us.

    Okay, this is potentially the most misled and insane thing that I’ve ever seen on this forum.
    If you truly believe that this is a global plan to unseat Trump made possible by *them,* you might want to look more closely at your belief systems.
     

    oleheat

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    No, I don't believe this was a staged event to take down our President. But I do absolutely believe there are many within this government who are all for allowing our economy to continue suffering in HOPES that it damages his chances of getting reelected. Nothing is more important to them than regaining/retaining their own political power- including the country's well-being. I do not see anyone on the far left fighting to get the economy rolling again.
     

    Cheesy Lasagna

    Sooooo Cheesy!
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    Kennah!
    No, I don't believe this was a staged event to take down our President. But I do absolutely believe there are many within this government who are all for allowing our economy to continue suffering in HOPES that it damages his chances of getting reelected. Nothing is more important to them than regaining/retaining their own political power- including the country's well-being. I do not see anyone on the far left fighting to get the economy rolling again.

    Can’t argue that.
     

    GunRelated

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    Feb 22, 2012
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    Do you feel like we should shut down the country every flu season? Regardless of what other countries are doing, that has nothing to do with what should be happening here...
    It's quite obvious, to me anyway, that this 'virus' is not a serious health threat as once thought. To have people agree with keeping our economy shut down over something like this, blows my mind.
    I'm so sick of even hearing the word covid, it's almost like nails on a chalkboard at this point.
    How many of you actually know someone that has this 'virus' or has died from it? I'm not saying it doesn't exist, obviously it does, but I bet very few if any can say they personally know someone who died or even caught the 'virus'.
    Open this bitch back up and get back to work.
     

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