"Assimulated"? Sure, all being turned into identical simulations, copies of cautious, nervous sheep, readily brainwashed by the latest “tropes” and mind control.

No one wants to die from an incurable, fast-killing disease.
This pandemic period would be a good time to re-evaluate everything of value, everything worth doing, breaking out of the social trends that lead to dead ends and self-destructive cultural entropy.

Countless animal species go extinct when circumstances of survival change and they lack knowledge of self-preservation. Yet another countless number survive and even thrive. Depending on their environments, new species constantly emerge, as scientists tell us.

Humans through the ages have managed to cope with changes through adaptation, inventiveness, creative thought (reasoning), stimulated by crises. Not all humans coped--millions perished from wrong choices or ignorance, including an unwillingness to change, to abandon old habits and beliefs. And worst of all, a willingness to slaughter their fellow humans for no good reason is a global disease.

Blaming and hating won't solve today's problems. The energy wasted on violence and riots would better be used to revise, repair, re-evaluate objectively, and proceed as thinking humans in symbiotic collaboration, not as animals with inadequate instincts. Too bad too many people are satisfied to run with the unthinking but emotional herd, grab what they can from others, and resent others' greater success.

Instead of gratitude for the beneficial achievements of creative individuals, a majority of humans clamor for exploiting the successful in the name of social equality. What a contagious sick notion! What a twisted way to obtain the necessities of survival, a replay of hunter-gatherer methodology attempted in a technologically advanced society.

The next stage of evolution we desperately await is raising cognitive awareness to self-correcting and self-programming functions (essentially, rational application of free will). Think ourselves out of this dead end of solving problems by wiping ourselves out. Ladies and gentlemen of the Objectivist persuasion, will you rise to this challenge?

I agree with you. If I am not sick, I can't give you anything, mask or no mask. I think it's far more about compliance and control than stopping a virus. Besides, if the masks really worked, why did they have to let so many criminals out of prison rather than just giving them masks? The contradictions in this are just so glaring.

"The statistics generally support mask wearing as slowing the spread of the virus."

I don't believe that's true. See https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/m...

I don't see how anybody could watch this video, and NOT get it! It's all I can do NOT to post it on my Facebook pages. But I know just what would happen if I did. Nobody would read it, except people like me who are already convinced.

Lefties, like a good many of my relatives, refuse to even consider that they might be wrong. And there is no way to convince them, since they refuse to talk or read about it.

There! I got it out of my system.

I guess I just don't get the anti-vaxxer bit. When I was in service during the Vietnam era, everyone who might possibly be sent there was vaccinated against numerous diseases, including bubonic plague. The black plague shot had such bad side effects that my military hospital reserved a room for each of us after we had the shot. When I didn't report to the hospital, they demanded I report to the clinic to see if I needed to retake the shot. The doctors were genuinely puzzled when they saw I had the black bruise around the shot location that was the sign I had reacted properly, and yet had non of the debilitating side effects.

Maybe I'm just lucky in having a well balanced immune system, as I've never had more than a slight soreness for any shot I've had to take. I will say that I haven't had a serious communicable disease in the last fifty years, and rarely take anything for pain, even after surgery.

Maybe I should be more sympathetic to people who are leery about all the vaccinations being pushed at us. I can't imagine what it would be like to be one of those people who frequently have bad reactions to shots.

Most people don't have a problem with seatbelt laws, as the evidence is pretty clear that they do make your chance of surviving a crash significantly better. The mask bit is sort of the same thing. The statistics generally support mask wearing as slowing the spread of the virus.

What aggravates me is that the advice is still to stay home if you're showing the early signs of the virus, and wait until they get worse before seeking treatment. All of the countries that have low death counts acted to treat the symptoms early, either with Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, or nebulizer delivered steroids.

Brilliant! Thank you!

Sure is good to hear from you, Pirate.

If you should be pushed, you might consider my neck of the woods.
A lot of land, low cost of living, reasonably conservative, a lot of barter in the area, tangible manufacturing base for economy makes for a more stable lifestyle.
I just moved 300 miles from Minny and have 2 years of reserves vs 6 months back there. If I sell my rental house over there (small house and lot) I can buy a 25,000 sq ft school here and cash out with a profit......188k sale vs 175k purchase.

and we have a wonderful fresh water ocean

40 below keeps the riff-raff out. I think that came from a band in Fargo/Moorehead area.
Chicago is moving north to mid-eastern WI as well. I'm finding that these folks are part of a reasonable exodus. A lot of retired business owners.

The Flathead is a bit smokey right now, as usual for the summer, but it's sure pretty. We're being invaded by big money paying asking price and more for all the real estate up here. I'm hoping for 30 feet of snow and -30* this winter.

When those who have caved start getting hungry through their own reticence to support their lives...it is good to have friends like yours!
I'm slowly putting together a load of furniture grade slab wood for a run to Cody WY. Hope to complete by spring. I'll let you know if I swing north from there. i really have a desire to sail Flathead too.

Wait until they come out with the vaccine. You ain't seen nothing yet. They'll dangle all kinds of rights like a big carrot - Take the vax and you can have your rights back. Job. School. Travel. Passport. No vax? - wear that mask! Here in Cali it will likely hasten my retirement because I expect it to be a condition for coming back to the office. I'll quit...

I have good friends in Kila. They are business partners and he is my shooting instructor. I also stand with those not caving into irrational fears and the mind control.

I will stand with those who express the fundamentals of reasonable objective survival, not those who have capitulated to fear.
Both of these entrepreneurs expressed their respective positions without my coaxing. If "we" do not stand at the ready in some capacity of support the mob wins.

I've kin in Kila. Like minded folks. Pilgerams

The weekend before last I went to Rocky Mountain Outfitters in Kalispell to buy some hiking boots that my podiatrist recommended. I ended up buy not on the boots, but hiking shoes as well for a grand total of $360. Staff was wearing masks, and the poor sales lady had a raw spot on her nose from wearing a mask. No on said anything about my not wearing a mask. Last weekend I returned to that store with my 90 year old mother who wanted some shoes. Neither of us wearing a mask (did I mention it was 95*). A male employee (owner?) said he was uncomfortable with us not wearing masks and asked us to leave. We did. I'm not going to get arrested for trespass, especially since I'm a CCW holder. We took our custom elsewhere and yes I will out them and will never do business with them again, nor recommend them to anyone. I try to help the small businesses. I won't shop at any big corporate stores. When a business man chooses to do harm to his own business, that's his choice.

Initially I thought I was standing up for my rights, and the rights of others to make their own choices. I have changed my mind. I'm standing up for myself, most of the rest of the people don't deserve us that stand for liberty. WHO IS JOHN GALT?

This morning I visited two shops I have never patronized before....as I have just relocated since the end of March.
In the first, within the first minute, I was thanked for not wearing a mask. Contact info shared and a schedule to get together next week
The second, a slight trepidation, barber shop, and within 5 minutes he was relating the hardships and trials. Contact info shared and scheduled meeting. I'll share here what I shared with Jay: If anyone promotes or uses force to close you call me and I shall stand with you, if necessary, armed.
For any others reading this, get out, challenge the "rule", get arrested, get fined, defy at every chance you get. I'll not ask of you that which I have not or will not do to preserve Liberty for posterity.

"Long live the fighters"

We are. 👍