When politics is fatal. COVID-19 decimates red counties

People have long observed that poor whites voting Republican vote against their economic self-interest. Apologists for these voters explain they are more interested in social issues such as abortion, guns, religious freedom, and the restraint of government. Others, perhaps more cynical, say they vote for Republicans because it permits them to express their bigotry against minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. But what has now become overwhelmingly obvious is that conservative voters have embraced politics that can kill them.

An analysis by NPR shows that Americans living in red counties are more like to die of COVID-19 than Americans who live in blue counties. And those living in the reddest counties are 5.5 times more likely to die than those who live in the bluest.

I don’t believe that the government is a panacea. It makes mistakes, especially when things are left up to politicians. We have a habit of fighting pointless wars. And both Democratic and Republican Presidents have wasted blood and treasure on these stupid affairs. But I do trust the medical community. Especially as government researchers agree with medical researchers in the ‘real world’. And the American medical community agrees with the international medical community. I’m not saying they don’t make mistakes. For instance, doctors initially believed vaccines would prevent infection. It has become apparent they do not. But unlike conservative politicians, the medical community learns from its mistakes. And as more information becomes available they make better decisions.

In the war on COVID-19, we now have plenty of information. And after over a year of trials, and with millions vaccinated, it is obvious to any unbiased observer that vaccines save lives and reduce the likelihood of hospitalization. And that the side effects are minimal — certainly less severe than getting the disease while unvaccinated.

Many anti-vaxxers, who can’t find factual statistical evidence to support their position, rely on lies and anecdotes to justify their science denial. A classic example is Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s impotence from swollen testicles. It is an absurd story but taken as gospel by many. Almost every anti-vax anecdote is equally absurd. But let’s play along. For the sake of argument, we will treat anecdotes as evidence — and ask where are the deathbed stories of people regretting they were vaccinated? We hear every day of people wishing they had got the shot. But I am not aware of anyone at death’s door ruing they had been jabbed.

Science-denial is as old as science. Some people dismiss evolution. Or think the earth is flat. Others believe that a single wonder food can cause you to lose weight and reduce your chance of a heart attack. And they aren’t just on the right. Most of the time this science-denial is harmless. It just makes the denier look like a moron. And when you live in a community of morons, you don’t stand out. It doesn’t kill you to think the earth is flat. But vaccine- denial is not benign. It can kill you.

Then there is the religious ‘justification’. Some anti-vaxxers claim vaccination is against their faith. But no major religion bans vaccination. Most religious leaders say that vaccination is the correct choice. Jewish philosophy goes further. Judaism mandates individuals act to keep the community safe. And during a pandemic, that means getting vaccinated.

Anti-vaxxers also ignore the evidence of their existence. Almost all the people objecting to the COVID-19 vaccination received the full panoply of childhood vaccinations. And they are still here. They didn’t die of polio, smallpox, diphtheria, tetanus, or any other killer diseases once so familiar. American life expectancy has doubled in the last century — in large part due to vaccination.

They may claim government/Big Pharms rushed COVID-19 vaccines’ development. But, as said above, millions are vaccinated with few problems. Other non-scientists say we can’t know the long-term effects of vaccines. But a vaccine is out of the body in 72 hours. So yes, we can. And then there’s the extreme claim that an mRNA vaccine can change your DNA. No, it cannot.

It isn’t just vaccine-denial. These are the same people who vote for politicians who are against universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid coverage. Politicians who will not allow Medicare to use its enormous purchasing power to negotiate drug prices. No other industrial country has medical bankruptcies. People in developed countries don’t die because they cannot afford life-saving prescriptions.

A country cannot call itself “great” when it is 41st in the world in life expectancy — behind Cuba for chrissakes.

The Republican pro-death position goes beyond their cavalier attitude to healthcare. Their promiscuous position on guns is reflected in America's extraordinarily high homicide rate. And the Republicans' anti-regulation enthusiasm has compromised the food supply. Our environment is more polluted than it needs to be. And God only knows just how damaging the effects of climate change will be on health and life expectancy.

The GOP says it is the pro-life party of family values and fiscal responsibility. Those are three big lies.