Bob, I share your fury at these self-absorbed truckers, but am comforted by the fact that nobody outside the beltway is paying any attention to them. With the lifting of vaccine mandates, they missed their moment. They should declare victory and go on home.
I dislike the tone of this article. it overwhelms the substance of the message and reeks of arrogance and disdain for mankind. The root of authoritarianism is author. I would not put any power in the hands of this one.
Don't think I'd want Bob running the nation either, but I think anger on this topic is completely justified. Many, many on the right have embraced the corruption that vaccine "hesitancy" and mask resistance have become, and millions embrace the victimhood of dark, but easily debunked lies and conspiracy theories about mainstream media, Democrats, you name it. I know several who are extremely intelligent people, but they have allowed what they wish to be reality to take the place of the genuine article. The are self-deceptive fools, and they have seriously f***** up our country. They chose to hang out with the wrong crowd and adopt their damaging ideas. We have every right to be angry with them.
Complainers and degraders - one must always take Bob with a grain of salt. Under his dramatic bluster, he usually makes a worthwhile observation. OTM isn't nearly as interesting without him.
Although I don't do Starbucks, Netflix, Amazon, Cable or any of the other the other money grabbers, there is never enough leftover at the end of the fixed income month to subscribe. If I could, I would, because Garfield is worth it.
I thought it was a great piece and I am surprised by some of the complaints. I do see how someone might think Garfield was beyond the pale when he poured derision on poor truckers. But I do not have a problem with that.
And if you think they are pissed now, wait until the self-driving trucks are rolled out.
It's amazing to read you promote so many obvious conspiracy theories completely uncritically. You don't seem to have any ability to think for yourself. The claim that somehow the CoVid vaccine is equivalent to the polio vaccine is scientifically faulty. The polio vaccine stops transmission as well as hospitalization and death. The CoVid vaccines don't stop transmission and as time goes on it's becoming clear that they're having less and less effect on hospitalization and death. Thus claiming that the vaccines are equivalent is factually inaccurate and scientifically faulty. So many conspiracy theories in your views in this piece.
It's also completely ridiculous to claim that because someone is focused on what's happening in their own country that they don't care about other people's freedoms like what's happening in Ukraine. Or that you can only care about Ukraine and not about your own freedoms at home.
Keep spreading conspiracy theories if you want, but it's incredibly sad.
Do you honestly think they are the only ones? It’s incredibly naive to believe that. Pretty much everyone believes some kind of conspiracy theory regardless of their political affiliation. I encourage you to check out this piece in particular:
What the whole idea of Trump and Q-anon reveals is that the left is just as willing to believe conspiracy theories. Like the idea that Russia is overturning elections by posting on social media and hacking elections. But somehow it only happens when Trump or a Republican gets into office. It never happens when a Democrat is elected.
Everyone has beliefs that don’t make any sense if you really think about it. Claims to the contrary are faulty and possibly a conspiracy theory in and of itself.
I am quite disappointed and disheartened by the blatant bias exposed in this article. I subscribed to Booksmart through Coleman Hughes, who I find reasonable. When you demonize people with a view other than your own, you loose all credibility. Did you know, for example, that the Ukrainians fleeing are also fleeing Ukrainian far right militia, and not just Russians? Did you even consider that the truckers are using this convoy to express their concerns without burning and pillaging, like BLM and antifa protesters? As for vaccine hesitancy and mask objections, there is ample evidence to support those who feel that way. It is a shame that we have little hones journalism today. How can we have an informed public with the media and news persons engage in propaganda for only one view?
Bob, I was going to comment that you are preaching to the choir; but then I read the comments and come to the conclusion that the congregation is much more diverse than I expected. Seems like Kellyanne Conway was prescient when she spoke about “alternate facts”. How about a column about how we have lost the ability to logically process information and agree commonly about what constitutes reliable sources .
You were way to accurate with this mention in your piece, "Not even the Gazpacho thuggery that abridges their 2nd Amendment right to target practice inside of preschools".
I love reading your clever rants because they allow me to vicariously let off steam. But I don't often agree with their spirit.
Human beings are by their nature, superstitious, not rational. They make up (or accept) stories to explain things they can’t understand. And they suffer for it. Belittling those who are afraid and by so doing denying they maybe have good reasons for their fear, however ill-informed, makes it impossible to ever bridge the gap. And if we don’t bridge that gap, I am pretty sure we are lost as a nation.
Dear Bob, your tone of voice is not my cup of tea. But I usually agree with you about, well, almost everything, so I keep reading your articles and listening to your podcasts. Thanks for what you do.
“The Cutter vaccine had been used in vaccinating 200,000 children in the western and midwestern United States. Later investigations showed that the Cutter vaccine had caused 40,000 cases of polio, killing 10. In response the Surgeon General pulled all polio vaccines made by Cutter Laboratories from the market, but not before 250 cases of paralytic illness had occurred. Wyeth polio vaccine was also reported to have paralyzed and killed several children. It was soon discovered that some lots of Salk polio vaccine made by Cutter and Wyeth had not been properly inactivated, allowing live poliovirus into more than 100,000 doses of vaccine. “
If Fox News and others had been around raising fears about Polio vaccine, we would still have polio outbreaks.
Up to a point, I agree with everything Bob says about the convoy. But the truckers are right, and Bob is totally wrong about one thing--the truckers are bringing their grievances to their own government. Bob's admonition that they really should be protesting Putin, is not clever and not funny. The idea that Americans should be out protesting governments that they have no influence on is silly, and profoundly undemocratic.
The whole idea of democracy is that people should control and take responsibility for their own government. The government makes its worst decisions when people are told to go protest someone else. "Why aren't you out protesting Saddams weapons of mass destruction?" "Why don't you go to Hanoi and protest Ho Chi Minh?"
History looks like it is repeating itself if Bob's current column is any indication. Let's hope that it repeats itself as farce, because there are a lot of worse outcomes.
Bob, I share your fury at these self-absorbed truckers, but am comforted by the fact that nobody outside the beltway is paying any attention to them. With the lifting of vaccine mandates, they missed their moment. They should declare victory and go on home.
I dislike the tone of this article. it overwhelms the substance of the message and reeks of arrogance and disdain for mankind. The root of authoritarianism is author. I would not put any power in the hands of this one.
Don't think I'd want Bob running the nation either, but I think anger on this topic is completely justified. Many, many on the right have embraced the corruption that vaccine "hesitancy" and mask resistance have become, and millions embrace the victimhood of dark, but easily debunked lies and conspiracy theories about mainstream media, Democrats, you name it. I know several who are extremely intelligent people, but they have allowed what they wish to be reality to take the place of the genuine article. The are self-deceptive fools, and they have seriously f***** up our country. They chose to hang out with the wrong crowd and adopt their damaging ideas. We have every right to be angry with them.
Sure you do, as everybody does. just don’t expect others to condone it.
You're confusing "mankind" with "malevolent dopes."
Complainers and degraders - one must always take Bob with a grain of salt. Under his dramatic bluster, he usually makes a worthwhile observation. OTM isn't nearly as interesting without him.
Although I don't do Starbucks, Netflix, Amazon, Cable or any of the other the other money grabbers, there is never enough leftover at the end of the fixed income month to subscribe. If I could, I would, because Garfield is worth it.
I thought it was a great piece and I am surprised by some of the complaints. I do see how someone might think Garfield was beyond the pale when he poured derision on poor truckers. But I do not have a problem with that.
And if you think they are pissed now, wait until the self-driving trucks are rolled out.
It's amazing to read you promote so many obvious conspiracy theories completely uncritically. You don't seem to have any ability to think for yourself. The claim that somehow the CoVid vaccine is equivalent to the polio vaccine is scientifically faulty. The polio vaccine stops transmission as well as hospitalization and death. The CoVid vaccines don't stop transmission and as time goes on it's becoming clear that they're having less and less effect on hospitalization and death. Thus claiming that the vaccines are equivalent is factually inaccurate and scientifically faulty. So many conspiracy theories in your views in this piece.
It's also completely ridiculous to claim that because someone is focused on what's happening in their own country that they don't care about other people's freedoms like what's happening in Ukraine. Or that you can only care about Ukraine and not about your own freedoms at home.
Keep spreading conspiracy theories if you want, but it's incredibly sad.
TRump and the Dope Q-Anins are the one spreading conspiracy theories.
Do you honestly think they are the only ones? It’s incredibly naive to believe that. Pretty much everyone believes some kind of conspiracy theory regardless of their political affiliation. I encourage you to check out this piece in particular:
https://aeon.co/essays/the-different-lives-of-fringe-and-strange-scientific-ideas
What the whole idea of Trump and Q-anon reveals is that the left is just as willing to believe conspiracy theories. Like the idea that Russia is overturning elections by posting on social media and hacking elections. But somehow it only happens when Trump or a Republican gets into office. It never happens when a Democrat is elected.
Everyone has beliefs that don’t make any sense if you really think about it. Claims to the contrary are faulty and possibly a conspiracy theory in and of itself.
I am quite disappointed and disheartened by the blatant bias exposed in this article. I subscribed to Booksmart through Coleman Hughes, who I find reasonable. When you demonize people with a view other than your own, you loose all credibility. Did you know, for example, that the Ukrainians fleeing are also fleeing Ukrainian far right militia, and not just Russians? Did you even consider that the truckers are using this convoy to express their concerns without burning and pillaging, like BLM and antifa protesters? As for vaccine hesitancy and mask objections, there is ample evidence to support those who feel that way. It is a shame that we have little hones journalism today. How can we have an informed public with the media and news persons engage in propaganda for only one view?
I like the tone. It is the tone that made me a subscriber. I sent Bob’s article to my friends and they liked it too.
Loved the piece and widely shared it. The feedback I have received has been uniformly good. Thanks for going after these mother truckers, Bob.
Maybe you should search ou t a less like-minded sample. in-group thinking should always raise an orange flag.
It’s obvious you are a Trump supporter. Why are you here?
Bob, I was going to comment that you are preaching to the choir; but then I read the comments and come to the conclusion that the congregation is much more diverse than I expected. Seems like Kellyanne Conway was prescient when she spoke about “alternate facts”. How about a column about how we have lost the ability to logically process information and agree commonly about what constitutes reliable sources .
So true but so sad.
You were way to accurate with this mention in your piece, "Not even the Gazpacho thuggery that abridges their 2nd Amendment right to target practice inside of preschools".
Ugh.
I am not that in any way. I hate hectoring. Stop doing it.
Bob,
I love reading your clever rants because they allow me to vicariously let off steam. But I don't often agree with their spirit.
Human beings are by their nature, superstitious, not rational. They make up (or accept) stories to explain things they can’t understand. And they suffer for it. Belittling those who are afraid and by so doing denying they maybe have good reasons for their fear, however ill-informed, makes it impossible to ever bridge the gap. And if we don’t bridge that gap, I am pretty sure we are lost as a nation.
Dear Bob, your tone of voice is not my cup of tea. But I usually agree with you about, well, almost everything, so I keep reading your articles and listening to your podcasts. Thanks for what you do.
The Polio vaccine was not without its problems. I copied this from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio_vaccine#Vaccine-induced_polio
“The Cutter vaccine had been used in vaccinating 200,000 children in the western and midwestern United States. Later investigations showed that the Cutter vaccine had caused 40,000 cases of polio, killing 10. In response the Surgeon General pulled all polio vaccines made by Cutter Laboratories from the market, but not before 250 cases of paralytic illness had occurred. Wyeth polio vaccine was also reported to have paralyzed and killed several children. It was soon discovered that some lots of Salk polio vaccine made by Cutter and Wyeth had not been properly inactivated, allowing live poliovirus into more than 100,000 doses of vaccine. “
If Fox News and others had been around raising fears about Polio vaccine, we would still have polio outbreaks.
Up to a point, I agree with everything Bob says about the convoy. But the truckers are right, and Bob is totally wrong about one thing--the truckers are bringing their grievances to their own government. Bob's admonition that they really should be protesting Putin, is not clever and not funny. The idea that Americans should be out protesting governments that they have no influence on is silly, and profoundly undemocratic.
The whole idea of democracy is that people should control and take responsibility for their own government. The government makes its worst decisions when people are told to go protest someone else. "Why aren't you out protesting Saddams weapons of mass destruction?" "Why don't you go to Hanoi and protest Ho Chi Minh?"
History looks like it is repeating itself if Bob's current column is any indication. Let's hope that it repeats itself as farce, because there are a lot of worse outcomes.