One of the frustrating realities of the US welfare state is that people always say that while of course it would be ideal if we ensured housing, food, income, and healthcare for people, it’s simply impractical because too expensive. But we already largely do this; we just do 1/

let's all marvel at Dan Aykroyd in 1988 presciently rendering today's Midwest Republican Politician with near 100% accuracy

Today someone asked me why I was wearing a mask. Was I just worried about a new variant? Was I vaccinated? He was shocked when I told him that: -60 percent of Americans dying from covid are vaccinated -it's the 3rd leading cause of death across age groups -covid never went away

-5 to 20 percent of infections cause long covid and there is no cure -it can affect every organ of the body -it's not the flu or a cold -risk increases with reinfection -vaccine efficacy wears off and the vast majority of people haven't had a shot recently

-265,000 in the US died from covid last year -we're undercounting infections, deaths, and long covid by A LOT I told him I'm a journalist and the public has been misinformed by the government for political reasons and the press has largely been an agent of those political lies.

He told me how surprised he was to hear all that and shared that he doesn't like wearing a mask -- that it feels like showering with your clothes on. I told him I understood, and I definitely do not enjoy wearing a mask either. I do it to protect others and to protect myself.

Then I asked what he did. He's a family doctor -- semi-retired. I can not express how sad and furious I feel thinking about this. Wake up, folks. You have been fucked with. Doctors do not know their shit. I'm so tired of those pretending they do -- especially fellow journalists.

If you feel shame, good. You should. But being ashamed of what you've done doesn't mean it's too late to change. Wear a mask. Educate yourself, then others. Report on policy solutions and the lack of them. Agitate for clean air in your communities. Use tests to prevent spread.

Pay attention. Please. I can not keep living this way. I can not keep feeling like I carry this alone.