My Thoughts on the Strib Editorial on the End of the Plane Mask Mandate? Take a Guess.

I am pretty much on empty with outrage about the policies implemented to suppress the transmission of CV-19, all of which we can now safely say were completely fruitless and incredibly expensive in a variety of ways.  And I really have zero expectations of the media, which has been non-stop hysterical fear-spreaders and just delighted in the misery caused by both the epidemic and those pathetic government policies.  Our local paper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has met or exceeded, in the wrong direction, my expectations.  The op-ed editor is actually a sensible and reasonable person who very kindly published several of my pieces.  Whoever writes the main editorials is another story.

Now a little background on the paper, which is pretty much like most of the other newspapers in the country–a pathetic, woke publisher of ideological drivel, both editorially and in the reporting.  There is no wall between reporting and opinion that I can discern.  The paper, like its kin elsewhere, also serves as the house organ for the democrat party, and in this case, the Incompetent Blowhard hisself–little Timmy Walz.  So throughout the epidemic nary a criticism of little Timmy could be found, and intense cheerleading for all of his absurd lies and futile restrictions was the order of every day.  The paper reveled in repeating the government-approved message of fear and terror, routinely selectively reporting data and research that fed the fear and the restrictions on regular life.   And nothing to say about the destruction of education, health care, jobs, businesses, social lives, and finances caused by little Timmy’s actions.

So I can’t say I am completely surprised by the editorial, but I was a little taken aback, given what most people have come to understand about the epidemic, by the harsh tone.  But then I remembered, this is the democrat party mouthpiece, and oh, my God, did you know that this opinion striking down the transportation mask mandate was rendered by a, cover the children’s ears, TRUMP-appointed judge.   And she was only 35.  Too horrendous to contemplate.  I will encourage you to read the opinion, easily found online, and I can assure you as an attorney who once clerked for a federal judge, it is actually an exceptionally well-reasoned and written opinion and almost certainly came to the right conclusion.  The CDC and the administration have no authority under any law to issue a mask mandate.  And we are still supposedly a nation of laws.

The editorial screeches about how outrageous it is to ignore the public safety.  One of the tipoffs to a writer knowing they have an incredibly weak argument is the use of really dumb and inapt analogies, and the editorial starts out with several of those.  Where it might more profitably have started was by asking if there was any evidence that masks actually stop transmission, is there any evidence that transmission occurred on airplanes with or without masks, and whether other measures adopted by the airlines, such as the incredibly high rates of air turnover, might not be adequate.  And if we are going to have a battle of dumb analogies–should we not just strap everyone in hazmat suit so no one ever has to worry about contracting any pathogen on a plane.

Now the truth, as readers of this blog know, is that there is no evidence that masks made one damn bit of difference in the epidemic and you know why–they can’t stop the virus, in fact they collect and nurture it for later distribution.  Whichever editor wrote this piece of dreck goes on to resurrect the paper’s strong suit–spreading unwarranted fear–cases are rising, there are new variants, blah, blah, blah.  Apparently doesn’t recognize that the fear response in humans become exhausted after too many fake stimulations.  There are a few more cases, from a very low level, almost none are serious.  The vast majority of deaths and hospitalizations being reported at this point are in the vaccinated and/or are incidental to CV-19.  But to the editorial writer this isn’t over, it can’t be over, the Strib has made too much money off the epidemic for it to end.  This is basically lying about the risk and the data, and trying to score a cheap political shot, and it is the exact opposite of what the paper should be dedicated to–telling the public the truth, in a measured and rational manner.

I have news for the paper–no one cares anymore.  People have realized that for most of them this is a cold, that nothing that we were told we had to do–but only for two weeks, mind you, til we flattened that curve–including masks, lockdowns, social distancing, testing every hour, contact tracing and yes, even vaccines, made the slightest difference in the end result–almost everyone got infected, many got reinfected, more got breakthrough infections, people are still getting infected, people are going to get infected.  Where did I come in on this epidemic, over two years ago–I think it was saying that you can’t stop a respiratory virus.  The paper was shocked that “some” people celebrated the end of the mandate with “glee”.  Uhhh, the vast majority of people celebrated it because, unlike the dunces at the Strib, they knew it was political theater and made no difference to their safety.

The writer of course encourages readers to do the right thing and mask up forever.  So if you take the Strib’s advice, and think you simply must wear a mask, may I suggest that you fashion one out of the Strib’s editorial page–it will work as well as any other mask, and really that part of the paper has no better use, well, maybe one, at the other portal to and from your body.  Otherwise, my advice is to do what almost all Americans have decided to do–live a normal life, make your own decisions about whether there really is any risk and what steps you might want to take to deal with that risk.

One final note on the topic, the initial Twitter reaction from the mask religionists was predictable and quickly quite hilarious.  As the first couple of airlines said they would not impose their own mandate, the diehard nuts declared that they would never fly the airline again, it had no regard for their safety.  Then when every airline took that position, they were flabbergasted.  Now those of us who fly a lot were delighted and hope these people keep their word, because I and most other passengers would just as soon never have to be on a plane with these sanctimonious, insipid whack-jobs who think they are entitled to impose their neuroses on everyone else.  Enjoy your lonesome, long walk to wherever.