It’s interesting to look at this from an evolutionary perspective. Given the current level of outbreak in parts of the country where Trumpism runs rampant, it’s probably safe to assume that a significant portion of the deaths are within the group that doesn’t believe that covid is real. Natural selection is a blunt but effective process by which those organisms that cannot adapt are removed from the gene pool. Are we currently seeing an evolutionary selection for humans that believe in science? Maybe also a selection for those that can self-sacrifice for the good of the group?
I don’t mean to be cold or to diminish the tragedy that every death brings. I’m just very curious if the long term effects of the pandemic might actually increase the distribution of rationality and for-the-greater-good behavior in the species.
I keep thinking of what I heard a science reporter tell Rachel Maddow about six months ago: some people have to learn the hard way, which includes dying.
Trump must wear his phone around his neck,without it he is lost.firing people by TWEET what a big man we have here,PITYFUL !
Creating policy by TWEET,PATHETIC !
He survived. That’s pretty much all that matters to him. And the millions of supporters convinced he has their best interests at heart are now at greatest risk because they believe his lies about the virus.
He simply is a dangerous cult leader. Unfortunately, the danger extends to a great many others who aren’t believers.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. - September 17, 1787.
On the other hand it will just reinforce their idea of their “good genes”. That they had the hand of God protecting them, while the sinners and losers didn’t. An attitude that may have brought us “but there for the grace of God I go” doesn’t play out well over large catastrophes.
The result you are describing may only work when a disaster is more localized, thinking of Joplin, MO and the tornado in 2011.
i would promptly resign from that hospital and go where health care workers are applauded for the work they do. i would not put my life and family at risk for those people
I live in KC so, I remember the Joplin tornado well. How would this natural selection effect have played a part there? Were there people who refused to take shelter and subsequently died because they thought god would protect them or because they didn’t believe in tornadoes?
I take your larger point. However, I’m talking about a species-level intellectual shift due to genetic culling as opposed to the reinforced world views of those who survive.
These voluntary victims of COVID-19 live among us and happily spread it throughout the entire population. Unless people shelter in place and avoid exposure to the general public the pandemic is maintained. Essential workers can only do so much to protect themselves. Wage slaves can do even less. Trump’s policy of keeping the economy wide open carries the cost of mass death, which he finds joyfully acceptable.
I think improvement of the species is as unlikely as his assumption that mostly Democrats and minorities will be effected by the pandemic, as long as there is a sufficient host density.
As he flew out the window before the chains broke again, President Peter Pan claimed that not only did he win the 2020 election but that the quarter of a million Americans who died from the Coronavirus were really on vacation and would be back in two weeks.
