I’m Michael A. Cohen, and this is Truth and Consequences: A no-holds-barred look at the absurdities, hypocrisies, and surreality of American politics. If someone sent you this email and you’d like to become a subscriber: you can sign up here.
Generally speaking, I’m not a big believer in miracles, but the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is testing my lack of faith. This stat from yesterday blew my mind:
“Of the more than 117 million people in the U.S. who have been fully vaccinated, 9,245 later tested positive for Covid-19. Those illnesses have generally been mild.”
That’s a positivity rate of 0.0079 percent. It’s mind-boggling, particularly when you consider where we were a year ago. Never in my wildest imagination would I have believed that we’d be at this point - but here we are.
Right on cue, the CDC announced yesterday that if you’re fully vaccinated, you can get rid of your mask. That decision produced what is perhaps the sexiest CDC infographic ever.
I understand that this makes some people afraid. Perhaps the unvaccinated will lie and say they got their shot as they permanently stop wearing a mask. I tend to think such fears are overblown, but it’s also the case that if people don’t want to get a vaccine, go around without a mask, and lie about being vaccinated … they are putting themselves in danger. Those vaccinated — as the numbers above indicate — are not going to be at risk. So too, are those who still refuse to get vaccinated. Considering that pretty much any American can walk into a chain drug store and get the shot, there aren’t many excuses left for not doing it.
What about kids and those who are immunocompromised? The latter obviously represents an ongoing challenge, and these individuals may have to continue wearing masks and avoiding crowds until vaccination rates get higher. As for kids, the CDC says they should continue to wear masks, even though children rarely get sick from COVID. My biggest fear with my kids was less them getting ill and more them exposing others to the virus - and that has driven much of the policy around mask-wearing.
If people are still worried about their kids testing positive for COVID, they should continue to have them wear masks and keep them out of situations with lots of unmasked people. I’m comfortable not forcing my kids to wear masks outside, but I completely understand why some people feel differently, and, at least for the time being, I’ll continue to ask them to cover their faces when they are inside.
As I’ve written here before, balancing risk is an integral part of life. It’s true when we get in a car, ride a bike, go on a hike, play sports, etc. Managing the risks of COVID is going to be no different. We must find a proper balance between taking precautions and living a normal life. All of us are going to make decisions at our speed and comfort level. But, it’s good to know that we now have greater options and that the threats to our health have dramatically receded.
Going Down The Road Feeling (Not So) Bad
I expect that the CDC announcement will further coax the vaccine-hesitant to get their shot in the arm (while likely having little effect on the committed anti-vaxxers). Here’s another way to nudge people in the right direction - requiring proof of vaccination.
Yesterday was a happy day for me and not just because of the CDC’s changed mask mandate: Dead and Company announced their summer and fall tour dates. For regular readers of Truth and Consequences, you know that I am a tad obsessed with the Grateful Dead - and I can’t wait to see this iteration of the band in concert again. As part of the tour announcement, the band made clear that if you’re not vaccinated, you’re not getting into the general admission section of the outdoor venues where the band is playing. I’d rather the band required this for every attendee, but I’ll take it.
I want to see more of this - a two-tiered system for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Except for those small number of people who cannot take the vaccine, those choosing not to get protected are putting themselves and others at risk. There should be a social cost for doing so.
But here’s the bottom line: if you’re not vaccinated, do it now. Encourage others to do so. The light is at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic. Working together, we can get there. And when we do … it’s party time!
What’s Going On?
This NYT photo essay on people experiencing their first post-pandemic hugs is beautiful.
A great piece in the LA Times on how baseball saved an Iran hostage not once, but twice.
Dan Drezner is concerned about the state of US civil-military relations.
As usual, Michael Koplow provides the best take on the recent violence engulfing Israel and Palestine.
The continued refusal of red-state Republicans to expand Medicaid - even when their citizens vote for it - is indefensible. It’s also a reminder of how polarization continues to wreak havoc on America. Twelve states, including Florida and Texas, are still refusing to take federal money to expand Medicaid coverage to their poorest and most vulnerable citizens. It’s part of a continued temper tantrum by Republicans who insist on refusing to have anything to do with Obamacare (Medicaid expansion was a crucial aspect of the Affordable Care Act).
The decision by state legislators in Missouri, backed this week by the state’s Republican governor, to not fund the Medicaid expansion that voters approved last November means that 230,000 low-income Missourians will lose out on the chance to get health care coverage. Make no mistake; people will die as a result.
The G.O.A.T
This remains, forty years later, the greatest call in the history of sports. Even to this day, it still gives me goosebumps.
Musical Interlude
Obviously, I’m going to post a video of the Grateful Dead playing “I Need a Miracle.” Duh.
The Dead’s run of shows at Alpine Valley in the summer of 1989 is one of my favorites. In general, 1989 and 1990 are two of the best’s band touring years. This version of “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” is particularly strong. If you want to listen to the whole show, check it out here.
This more languid version from the Europe ‘72 tour is also great, particularly Jerry’s gorgeous mini-solo on the intro. The way the band follows him down that musical cul-de-sac is why we love this band. Indeed, this entire show from April 26, 1972, is fantastic. Though in fairness, it’s hard to find a bad Europe ‘72 show.
0.0079 percent, I believe (slightly better than one in 10,000)
Is that a positivity rate among vaccinated people? I’m have another five days to wait to be fully vaccinated. I got the second shot a week ago
Wednesday. Not a fan of the Grateful Dead but to each his own.