Why do liberals want masks and restrictions forever?

[Schiff for Senate]

Because they are insane.

This is a really a fault of the fake news media.  They've been doing so much fearmongering disguised as "fact based reporting" and a significant portion of Americans have bought into it.  There's also a portion of the auth-left which supports excessive government intervention, believing it will lead to a communist revolution of sorts.

I firmly believe this group will cause Democrats to lose a huge amount of support, especially if this is still ongoing leading up to 2024.  People are sick and tired of the mask cult and their nonsense.

You sound like just the sort of person who'd support Kristi Noem, even when her anti-mask posture has caused cases in SD to spiral out of control and she made SD the only state to decline unemployment benefits offered for free by the nation for the people who lost their jobs during COVID19.

I don't know how many different ways sane people will have to spell it out for you before it finally sinks in (if ever), but: Masks save lives.

But I'm assuming 5 or 10 cents and 2 seconds of your time to wear the mask is too much to ask to ensure you and the people you meet are healthy and to potentially help save lives. Shocking as it may sound, wearing a mask and staying home a little more is not the end of the world, and is certainly worth it if the outcome is lives saved.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Because they are insane.

This is a really a fault of the fake news media.  They've been doing so much fearmongering disguised as "fact based reporting" and a significant portion of Americans have bought into it.  There's also a portion of the auth-left which supports excessive government intervention, believing it will lead to a communist revolution of sorts.

I firmly believe this group will cause Democrats to lose a huge amount of support, especially if this is still ongoing leading up to 2024.  People are sick and tired of the mask cult and their nonsense.

You sound like just the sort of person who'd support Kristi Noem, even when her anti-mask posture has caused cases in SD to spiral out of control and she made SD the only state to decline unemployment benefits offered for free by the nation for the people who lost their jobs during COVID19.

I don't know how many different ways sane people will have to spell it out for you before it finally sinks in (if ever), but: Masks save lives.

But I'm assuming 5 or 10 cents and 2 seconds of your time to wear the mask is too much to ask to ensure you and the people you meet are healthy and to potentially help save lives. Shocking as it may sound, wearing a mask and staying home a little more is not the end of the world, and is certainly worth it if the outcome is lives saved.

Ok then let people and individual businesses decide what they want to do regarding masks

[Schiff for Senate]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

[Schiff for Senate]

Because they are insane.

This is a really a fault of the fake news media.  They've been doing so much fearmongering disguised as "fact based reporting" and a significant portion of Americans have bought into it.  There's also a portion of the auth-left which supports excessive government intervention, believing it will lead to a communist revolution of sorts.

I firmly believe this group will cause Democrats to lose a huge amount of support, especially if this is still ongoing leading up to 2024.  People are sick and tired of the mask cult and their nonsense.

You sound like just the sort of person who'd support Kristi Noem, even when her anti-mask posture has caused cases in SD to spiral out of control and she made SD the only state to decline unemployment benefits offered for free by the nation for the people who lost their jobs during COVID19.

I don't know how many different ways sane people will have to spell it out for you before it finally sinks in (if ever), but: Masks save lives.

But I'm assuming 5 or 10 cents and 2 seconds of your time to wear the mask is too much to ask to ensure you and the people you meet are healthy and to potentially help save lives. Shocking as it may sound, wearing a mask and staying home a little more is not the end of the world, and is certainly worth it if the outcome is lives saved.

Ok then let people and individual businesses decide what they want to do regarding masks

Why should innocent people get infected because they accidentally ran into a selfish, stubborn person who refused to get vaccinated and wear a mask? Not being vaccinated or wearing a mask is fine with me as long as you stay completely away from the people who are vaccinated and/or wearing masks.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

[Skunk]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Because they are insane.

This is a really a fault of the fake news media.  They've been doing so much fearmongering disguised as "fact based reporting" and a significant portion of Americans have bought into it.  There's also a portion of the auth-left which supports excessive government intervention, believing it will lead to a communist revolution of sorts.

I firmly believe this group will cause Democrats to lose a huge amount of support, especially if this is still ongoing leading up to 2024.  People are sick and tired of the mask cult and their nonsense.

You sound like just the sort of person who'd support Kristi Noem, even when her anti-mask posture has caused cases in SD to spiral out of control and she made SD the only state to decline unemployment benefits offered for free by the nation for the people who lost their jobs during COVID19.

I don't know how many different ways sane people will have to spell it out for you before it finally sinks in (if ever), but: Masks save lives.

But I'm assuming 5 or 10 cents and 2 seconds of your time to wear the mask is too much to ask to ensure you and the people you meet are healthy and to potentially help save lives. Shocking as it may sound, wearing a mask and staying home a little more is not the end of the world, and is certainly worth it if the outcome is lives saved.

Ok then let people and individual businesses decide what they want to do regarding masks

Why should innocent people get infected because they accidentally ran into a selfish, stubborn person who refused to get vaccinated and wear a mask? Not being vaccinated or wearing a mask is fine with me as long as you stay completely away from the people who are vaccinated and/or wearing masks.

The problem is you want vaccinated people to be mandated to wear masks and no they should not be mandated to do so at all

[Schiff for Senate]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

[Schiff for Senate]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

Well I'm liberal (or at least somewhat liberal) on most issues. For example, I don't support Trump and don't think the election was 'stolen.'

[OSR stands with Israel]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

36000 people die every year due to the flu

[Horus]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

The flu is most certainly deadly. Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID but not the flu are more likely to die of the flu.

For the very old or immunocompromised, a mild case of influenza can turn fatal.

[Schiff for Senate]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

36000 people die every year due to the flu

Okay, so the flu does sometimes become fatal. But COVID19 is much, much, much deadlier. It's like saying an assault rifle and pistol are equally deadly.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

36000 people die every year due to the flu

Okay, so the flu does sometimes become fatal. But COVID19 is much, much, much deadlier. It's like saying an assault rifle and pistol are equally deadly.

Not for people who are vaccinated: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/health/fully-vaccinated-people-breakthrough-hospitalization-death/index.html

[Schiff for Senate]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

The flu is most certainly deadly. Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID but not the flu are more likely to die of the flu.

For the very old or immunocompromised, a mild case of influenza can turn fatal.

You're right, and I should have double-checked that, but COVID19 is much, much more deadly. It's very wrong to compare the flu to COVID19 just because both can become fatal. COVID19 is a lot deadlier. And even a mild case of COVID19 can turn deadly, and not just for the very old or immunocompromised. Of course, if you are vaccinated, COVID19 becomes a lot less deadly, and not that much more deadly than the flu. But still, the delta variant is unpredictable and potentially deadly for even the doubly-vaccinated.

[Schiff for Senate]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

36000 people die every year due to the flu

Okay, so the flu does sometimes become fatal. But COVID19 is much, much, much deadlier. It's like saying an assault rifle and pistol are equally deadly.

Not for people who are vaccinated: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/health/fully-vaccinated-people-breakthrough-hospitalization-death/index.html

I refer you to this post:

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

That's because people are vaccinated. Vaccination dramatically reduces the chance of getting infected, but doesn't entirely protect you from the delta variant, which is why masks are a good additional precaution.

That is exactly my point and why we dont need mask mandates or social distancing rules anyway. If you get COVID but the symptoms are mild then it is not much more of a problem then getting the flu is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flu isn't deadly. Of course COVID19 cases can be mild sometimes, but people with vaccines can still get badly (and potentially fatally) infected with COVID19's delta variant, though the probability does go down.

The flu is most certainly deadly. Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID but not the flu are more likely to die of the flu.

For the very old or immunocompromised, a mild case of influenza can turn fatal.

You're right, and I should have double-checked that, but COVID19 is much, much more deadly. It's very wrong to compare the flu to COVID19 just because both can become fatal. COVID19 is a lot deadlier. And even a mild case of COVID19 can turn deadly, and not just for the very old or immunocompromised. Of course, if you are vaccinated, COVID19 becomes a lot less deadly, and not that much more deadly than the flu. But still, the delta variant is unpredictable and potentially deadly for even the doubly-vaccinated.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Having taken a break from this forum for the past couple of weeks and coming from a country where COVID restrictions are usually not tied to a specific political ideology (the ideology it would be most closely associated with is probably "centrism", if anything) this thread looks downright bizarre to me, starting with its very thread title.

[ProudModerate2]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

[Vladimir Leninov]

The actual amount of "liberals" who want indefinite mask mandates and social restrictions are really low. A niche internet forum like this is bound to overrepresent introverted people who don't have as high of a desire to interact face to face in person with friends again and thus view masks and social distancing efforts as "low cost" compared to everyone else. Even with that though there are still plenty left leaning users, myself included, who don't wear masks given the option.

And I thought that liberals, at least, were rational with regards to the pandemic. It seems as if the whole nation has collectively lost its mind and has thrown caution and safety to the winds. Luckily, I'm in that small percentage of mask-wearers and who social distance or stay home.

It appears the country is suffering from two pandemics simulataneously, each of which is helping fuel the other: COVID19 and idiocy/irrationality.

The whole point of the Vaccine is so we dont need to socially distance anymore

  Yes, it's unfortunate that the delta variant is reaching even the vaccinated, but that's all the more reason to wear masks. And just because the delta variant is reaching the vaccinated isn't an argument to remain unvaccinated - if you're vaccinated, there's a way lower chance of getting COVID19. A strong correlation has been found between counties/areas with low vaccination rates and counties/areas with high case numbers, and between counties/areas with high vaccination rates and counties/areas with low case numbers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting COVID19 significantly, but unfortunately, it's becoming clearer that it can't always stop the COVID19 variant, so wear masks even if you're vaccinated. Get vaccinated and wear masks. Getting vaccinated and then not wearing masks is, in some ways, because you've done the big step (being vaccinated) and haven't done what's very easy to do (just putting on a surgical mask or two), and are still putting yourself and those around you at some risk of getting the deadly variant.

The number of hospitalizations matter far more than the number of cases as  Keep in mind the last time we had this many cases the number of hospitalizations was 3 times higher than it is now

https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1422586002200219657

Hospitalizations are spiking insanely fast, the fastest growth we've seen thus far. The difference this time is younger are being hit (like 22 month old babies)

and older vaccinated people are still being re-infected

wear the damn mask

[Skunk]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

His only contributions to this thread in this thread are condescendingly telling us that he's socially distancing and masking and everyone else who isn't is an idiot, doubting the effectiveness of vaccines by overexaggerating the dangers of breakthrough cases due to his own paranoia, and putting his ignorance about viral diseases on full display by not knowing that the flu is deadly. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a "doomer."

Besides, as you pointed out already, my only other contribution is this thread is pointing out what a ridiculous premise this question is since it's an overexaggeration and mask authoritians exist on all sides of the political spectrum and I was merely pointing out how it was funny that both the OP and CentristRepublican are both self described moderate Republicans.

So I think you and your friend are the ones who actually need to learn how to read.

[DabbingSanta]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

His only contributions to this thread in this thread are condescendingly telling us that he's socially distancing and masking and everyone else who isn't is an idiot, doubting the effectiveness of vaccines by overexaggerating the dangers of breakthrough cases due to his own paranoia, and putting his ignorance about viral diseases on full display by not knowing that the flu is deadly. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a "doomer."

Besides, as you pointed out already, my only other contribution is this thread is pointing out what a ridiculous premise this question is since it's an overexaggeration and mask authoritians exist on all sides of the political spectrum and I was merely pointing out how it was funny that both the OP and CentristRepublican are both self described moderate Republicans.

So I think you and your friend are the ones who actually need to learn how to read.

A lot of "self described moderate Republicans" on here are actually communists.  This might cause a stir but hear me out. The word "liberal" implies you're for personal and economic freedoms.  The mask cult is not for either.  Advocating for control of businesses and personal affairs before 2020 would have been an insane fringe position.  Normalizing it has caused nothing but trouble.  Time to call it what it is — communism.  If you support lockdowns and mask mandates, you are advocating for communism.

[ProudModerate2]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

His only contributions to this thread in this thread are condescendingly telling us that he's socially distancing and masking and everyone else who isn't is an idiot, doubting the effectiveness of vaccines by overexaggerating the dangers of breakthrough cases due to his own paranoia, and putting his ignorance about viral diseases on full display by not knowing that the flu is deadly. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a "doomer."

Besides, as you pointed out already, my only other contribution is this thread is pointing out what a ridiculous premise this question is since it's an overexaggeration and mask authoritians exist on all sides of the political spectrum and I was merely pointing out how it was funny that both the OP and CentristRepublican are both self described moderate Republicans.

So I think you and your friend are the ones who actually need to learn how to read.

A lot of "self described moderate Republicans" on here are actually communists.  This might cause a stir but hear me out. The word "liberal" implies you're for personal and economic freedoms.  The mask cult is not for either.  Advocating for control of businesses and personal affairs before 2020 would have been an insane fringe position.  Normalizing it has caused nothing but trouble.  Time to call it what it is — communism.  If you support lockdowns and mask mandates, you are advocating for communism.

Oh God.
Atlas ... we have "one of them" in our forum.
Uggggg.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

Besides, as you pointed out already, my only other contribution is this thread is pointing out what a ridiculous premise this question is since it's an overexaggeration and mask authoritians exist on all sides of the political spectrum and I was merely pointing out how it was funny that both the OP and CentristRepublican are both self described moderate Republicans.

So I think you and your friend are the ones who actually need to learn how to read.

The other one is a Trumpist as well lol

[Badger]

Because we hate freedom. (shrugs)

[Schiff for Senate]

Hilarious that the most extreme Delta doomer in this thread is now someone named "CentristRepublican," should we change the thread title now?

His comments are not anything near being an "extreme Delta doomer."
Any no where did he say he wants "masks and restrictions forever" (the actual thread title you make light of).
Learn to read.

His only contributions to this thread in this thread are condescendingly telling us that he's socially distancing and masking and everyone else who isn't is an idiot, doubting the effectiveness of vaccines by overexaggerating the dangers of breakthrough cases due to his own paranoia, and putting his ignorance about viral diseases on full display by not knowing that the flu is deadly. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a "doomer."

Besides, as you pointed out already, my only other contribution is this thread is pointing out what a ridiculous premise this question is since it's an overexaggeration and mask authoritians exist on all sides of the political spectrum and I was merely pointing out how it was funny that both the OP and CentristRepublican are both self described moderate Republicans.

So I think you and your friend are the ones who actually need to learn how to read.

A lot of "self described moderate Republicans" on here are actually communists.  This might cause a stir but hear me out. The word "liberal" implies you're for personal and economic freedoms.  The mask cult is not for either.  Advocating for control of businesses and personal affairs before 2020 would have been an insane fringe position.  Normalizing it has caused nothing but trouble.  Time to call it what it is — communism.  If you support lockdowns and mask mandates, you are advocating for communism.

Or maybe we just want to stop irrational people from being a threat to themselves and others, and want to potentially save lives. If my wanting that triggers you to call me a 'communist,' I'm fine with that. At least I want to save lives. You don't. That to me matters for more than whatever random label you choose to give me (knowing basically nothing about my political views except for the fact that I support masks and lockdowns).

[Thank you for being a friend...]

I don't know - why do all these conservatives and religious righties keep dying from COVID?