Possible Benefit of COVID-19?

 

COVID-19 is a disaster. I get that. I see one potential long term benefit, however.

In Michigan, there is a generation of high school students learning that totalitarian nanny statism is extremely undesirable. I think they are learning a visceral dislike of being told what to do and not to do by the government. Freedom is becoming more loved by its absence.

Progressivism is much more attractive in theory than in practice. Instead of hearing of the wonders of theoretical progressive government, they are experiencing the pain of actual progressive government. I am hoping this painful lesson will have a long-term political impact.

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  1. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    E. Kent Golding: Progressivism is much more attractive in theory than in practice, and instead of hearing of the wonders of theoretical progressive government, they are experiencing the pain of actual progressive government.

    Great point.

    • #1
  2. Songwriter Inactive
    Songwriter
    @user_19450

    You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.

    (Joni Mitchell)

    • #2
  3. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    I thought the same thing in the political sense.

    The blue state Governors sincerely believed locking down their states and placing the blame of all things bad as the result of Trump, would damage Trump and the (R)’s which would help the (D) this November.

    In my estimation the actions of the (D) guvs has had the opposite effect for the reasons you express in your OP.

    Most citizens are not very political, but screw around with their personal freedom a bit and they will get political enough to oust out of office those they perceive are taking their personal freedom, and put in office those they perceive to be on their side in not denying their personal freedom.

    Besides choosing Biden as the (D) Presidential candidate, the (D) appears to have taken a page out of the old GOP election strategy handbook and managed to commit some potentially fatal strategy errors early in this election cycle.

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    The Left will do anything they can to deflect the blame placed on Progressivism. They will continue to blame the Right and President Trump, and the media will promote that view, in the face of the obvious. Let’s hope that the people will see through their lies.

    • #4
  5. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    I hope you are right.  

    • #5
  6. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    E. Kent Golding: Progressivism is much more attractive in theory than in practice, and instead of hearing of the wonders of theoretical progressive government, they are experiencing the pain of actual progressive government.

    Amen!

    I am hoping this painful lesson will have a long term political impact.

    Amen!!

    E. Kent Golding: COVID-19 is a disaster.

    Kent, This is the only thing I disagree with, and I disagree strenuously.

    That it’s a disaster is a Progressivist propaganda narrative, successfully instilled in the mind of the public by relentless repetition in the media and almost airtight suppression of the true facts about the impact.

    Without having brainwashed people into thinking that this disease was a disaster sufficient to justify turning the country into a prison–an existential threat to society and our government–this greatest advance in the history of the Progressivist war on American freedom and on Christianity and Judaism could never have been successfully carried out.

     

    • #6
  7. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    My hope has been, and is, that the unreasonableness of some governors’ actions in the Virus Crisis will serve to inoculate us against government-declared restrictions in the future. I find Governor Whitmer’s actions and pronouncement especially helpful, in that she seems to have a firm conviction in her own righteousness — like so many Leftists.

    • #7
  8. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    What about the recent flood?

    Do people have to shelter in place and flood to death?

     

    • #8
  9. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    I think that most people are irrational.  And specifically, in this case, people will still vote Democrat — even though they hate what they see its results to be — in the same way MeToo was dismissed as an after thought when it became a choice between MeToo and Joe Bidet.

    • #9
  10. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    What about the recent flood?

    Do people have to shelter in place and flood to death?

     

    Michigan told people to evacuate to the homes of loved ones, but still to wear masks when possible and not to go out much.

    • #10
  11. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    E. Kent Golding:

    COVID-19 is a disaster. I get that. I see one potential long term benefit, however.

    In Michigan, there is a generation of high school students learning that totalitarian nanny statism is extremely undesirable. I think they are learning a visceral dislike of being told what to do and not to do by the government. Freedom is becoming more loved by its absence.

    Progressivism is much more attractive in theory than in practice. Instead of hearing of the wonders of theoretical progressive government, they are experiencing the pain of actual progressive government. I am hoping this painful lesson will have a long-term political impact.

    Experience can be a cruel teacher, and these students got one helluva lesson her the last couple of months.  Lets hope the knowledge sticks instead of deteriorating over the summer as usual . . .

    • #11
  12. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    E. Kent Golding: Progressivism is much more attractive in theory than in practice. Instead of hearing of the wonders of theoretical progressive government, they are experiencing the pain of actual progressive government. I am hoping this painful lesson will have a long-term political impact.

    I pray you’re right.

    • #12
  13. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):
    My hope has been, and is, that the unreasonableness of some governors’ actions in the Virus Crisis will serve to inoculate us against government-declared restrictions in the future.

    Me too! Especially if there should happen to be a second wave this fall and people start talking about shutting everything down again.

    • #13
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