How We Talk Now

Back in Year Moderna, while I was absolutely throwing away my life and murdering my own child by refusing the lifesaving vaccines that would prevent us from being immediately slaughtered by the deadly virus, I had a series of discussions with concerned intervenors who tried to save us. The discussions always went the same way:

They screamed about what a disgusting anti-science bigoted stupid dangerous hateful vicious ignorant monster pig I was.

Then I sent peer-reviewed articles from medical journals describing the potential dangers of rushed vaccines, like this one:

…which arrived at the conclusion that “challenge of mice given any of the vaccines led to occurrence of Th2-type immunopathology suggesting hypersensitivity to SARS-CoV components was induced. Caution in proceeding to application of a SARS-CoV vaccine in humans is indicated.”

Then they screamed at me about what a disgusting and dangerous unbeliever I was, and WHY AREN’T YOU OBEYING!?!?!? You make me sick with your ignorance!

Near the end of those discussions, before we lapsed into years of icy silence, I said explicitly that I was completely done responding to hyperemotional shaming language. I’ve sent articles from medical journals, I said, and would happily discuss them, or evaluate any evidence they wanted to send me. Send evidence, I said, and let’s discuss it in a rational and serious way, without emotion.

Then they screamed at me that I was dangerous and a disgusting person and an unbeliever who hated Saint Dr. Fauci like a repulsive Trumper. Yes, there’s an irony in that last sentence.

In Los Angeles, now, we’re seeing several days of steady rain. Our crap infrastructure isn’t built or maintained for these conditions, and the strength of the storm is causing us some problems. I put on my rain suit and took a walk last night, and the storm drains weren’t keeping up. I was glad I’d worn boots. A couple of traffic signals went out. But the schools and stores are open this morning, and life goes on.

Also, the news is full of headlines about California being SLAMMED by a devastating ATMOSPHERIC RIVER that’s CRUSHING us and producing TERROR AND DESPAIR as the CLIMATE EMERGENCY worsens. We’re being lashed!

I drove from Pasadena to Long Beach on Saturday night, then drove back to Pasadena a couple hours later. It was raining a bit, but nothing serious. And there were signs all along the remarkably ugly 710 freeway corridor warning about the SEVERE WEATHER. I kind of enjoy the effect I accidentally got by taking a picture as I drove by one of them, sort of illustrating the psychological effect of deliberately promulgated panic:

Meanwhile, here’s the latest in medical science, from the magazine of the Harvard School of Medicine:

Doctors are “bearing witness,” like Elie Wiesel, as the climate absolutely murders all the young people:

Across the world, people are experiencing the health effects of a changing climate. Those health effects are especially pronounced among young people, and small groups of them are now turning to the justice system to push back. Some are even suing the government, arguing that policies permitting fossil fuel consumption violate their constitutional right to a stable climate that sustains their health. And some doctors are offering expert evidence essential to their cause.  

It’s medically interesting, isn’t it, that older people are much less likely to experience climate illness? But doctors are prescribing an end to fossil fuels, because of the Constitution. That’s medical care, you see, like setting a broken bone.

See also this discussion about a parent who asked a pediatrician to discuss the potential side effects of vaccines, causing the doctor to stammer and weep and to throw the family out of the office forever. "I'm not going to be able to provide care for your baby,” the physician said. “I feel very strongly about this." That’s what medical doctors do — they feel things very intensely, which is the practice of clinical medicine.

We’re surrounded. Public language is emotionally heightened, persistently, to the exclusion of reason. Nothing is merely bad or unfortunate; everything is an emergency, and the worst ever. Of course the intent is manipulative…

The Hysterical Style in Western Politics

…but the tediousness is having the opposite effect. How do you respond to a sobbing physician who tells you that you have to obey her because she feels strongly? When every discussion is emotionally heightened, no discussion is emotionally heightened. You’ll want to notice this point during the next week of five-alarm-fire media discussion about the “bipartisan border security bill,” which will be extremely stupid. I won’t be here to witness any of it, of course, because I’m unvaccinated and being lashed by the climate emergency.