Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson  Red Bluff Daily News   12/05/2023

Covidiocy and Gav-idiocy

First, I’d like to thank the readers who have made this Tuesday conservative writer feel that efforts to distill issues into revealing, illuminating columns are worth the time and research. It’s a daily obsession in addition to the 5 hours of writing and editing.

Changes in the Daily News hierarchy have brought a focus on issues that, over nearly 19 years, have not generally driven my passions. However, within the categories of “local and state” issues, some topics do inspire my juices.

That said, as we head into Christmas, New Years, and our alpine skiing obsession, there may be weekends when the appeal of being among the first to hit freshly groomed runs surpasses the desire to squeeze in the hours needed to write a column. It is my hope that readers will allow for that occasional shifting of priorities.

Observing ads for a nearly unlimited range of products and services, which generate the revenue needed to create the programming, I’m reminded of the abundance that accompanies free-market capitalism, and the nearly limitless products enticing consumers.

I note the nearly ubiquitous pharmaceutical ads, and the “full court press” to get Covid shots and boosters, enlisting celebrities’ and sports figures’ endorsements. We find ourselves in the 4^th year of a pandemic that has inflicted massive dislocation, governmental overreach, unimaginable death and familial alienation—and a nearly existential controversy over information and its misuses via “dis-, mis-, and mal-information.”

Barbara and I are going through a non-Covid infection shared with her upon visiting relatives in Lakeport. Several among the extended family had symptoms which, in hindsight, should have been a warning to delay the visit. The inevitable viral march from throat to bronchial areas has slowed us down, reminding us to cherish being “in the pink” as a reward for avoiding infected people. Our supplements should help our immune systems to restore natural, normal health. Old saying: You can’t stop a bird from landing but you don’t have let it build a nest.

Regarding ads for prescription drugs. You’ve surely noticed the “disclaimers” and “fine print” advising you of “side effects,” and warnings that a physician’s advice and consultation is required. Does it not strike you as odd that no such “disclaimers” or warnings accompany any ads for Covid shots and boosters?

Just review what we were told, by those supposedly endowed with authority and/or certitude, that turned out to be not true: The vaccines are superior to “natural immunity. Vaccinated people can’t get Covid and certainly won’t spread it to others.

More “untruths”: Vaccination prevents hospitalization and death. The Covid vaccines and boosters pose no risk of side effects and can and should be taken by all age groups, including the very young, regardless of actual risk from the virus. You shouldn’t think that the emphasis on vaccines, as opposed to cheaper and more commonly available treatments, is driven by the profit motives of drug companies.

The minority of people lining up for “the poke” suggests doubts are widely shared; perhaps people are feeling fooled.

Don’t mistake this for medical advice. Your personal physician is the one to analyze your situation, and weigh your overall health and immunity against what are established risks that admittedly only affect a minority of vaccine recipients. Vaccine ads won’t say that.

Right now, at Donpolson.blogspot.com, are links to articles: How natural immunity is better than vaccines for protection; Pfizer is being sued by Texas for misrepresenting its vaccine efficacy; A US military study shows postvaccination myocarditis link; Vaccinated people are more likely to suffer blood disorders; Emails show Moderna stopped child mRNA vax trial over myocarditis. Or, just blindly take authorities’ advice.

Remaining space goes to Gov. Newsom’s disingenuous debate performance, complete with “Cheshire cat-like” toothy, smirky, smarmy mugging for cameras and audience. Is Gavin really oblivious to the hundreds of thousands of residents fleeing to lower-tax, less crime/immigrant/homeless-ridden states, together with their billions in income taxes vanishing from CA?

That Newsom would shamelessly try to “gaslight” us over CA to FL vs. FL to CA relocation reveals a level of willful deception unbecoming a state leader. Over 2 years, 2021-2022, 88,165 fled Cal. to Florida; 53,249 Floridians moved to Calif. Huge difference, right?

Then PolitiFact (in typical “fact check” fakery) tried to say Newsom was referring to “per capita” migration, words he never used. PolitiFact rated Newsom’s prevarication as “mostly accurate” on a “per capita basis.”

No, wrong again, by my calculator. Divide the relocation numbers by CA’s 2020 census of 39.24 million and you get 0.00225. Those leaving Florida for CA, divided by its 2020 census of 21.78 million gets…0.00244. Ok, eyes glazing…it’s a difference of a few thousand people over 2 years.

That requires ignoring the 100,000+ moving to Texas each year. Last time I checked, a moving van from CA to Florida or Texas cost about 3 times what it costs to rent it going to California. Nobody wants to move here if they don’t have to. Does that clear things up? The failed California buck stops with Gavin Newsom.