Politics

Vaccines are like voting

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One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is the anti-vax movement, which came to be as an reaction to the overly communitarian promotion of the COVID vaccine in the months after the pandemic. Getting vaccinated became a patriotic thing, it was something you did not because you didn’t want to get sick but because it would save the lives of the elderly and disabled.

It may very well be good to save the lives of the elderly and disabled. Many are inevitably very nice, good decent people. But at what cost? Getting vaccinated isn’t free in sense of your own time and motor fuel, it certainly hurts, and there is some risk — though probably the risk of dying in a car crash on way to the pharmacy far exceeds the risk of sickness after getting the jab.

I’ve never thought vaccines should be required or thought of as a way to build herd immunity or keep your community safe. But I do think they are worthwhile, because who wants to get to sick, stay home from work bed-ridden or spend costly time in the hospital? While I’m sure protecting the elderly and disabled is a noteworthy goal, keeping oneself healthy is a most worthy goal. There is no need to have a parade for those who get vaccinated, but you should consider getting your flu and COVID shots, and any other recommended vaccines like TDAP because who wants to get the whooping cough?

Vaccines are a lot like voting. Truth is the risk for most people getting the whooping cough, COVID or flu in any particular year is low, but vaccines are considered free, preventative maintenance for one’s health under most plans. Voting in most cases won’t change election outcomes, but sometimes it does. But it’s cheap, in most cases about the same cost as getting vaccinated, or these days with Early Mail Voting even slightly cheaper as you can do it from home.

I don’t like patriotism or community spirit as a motivator to take individual action. But I do think enlightened self-interest is important, and you should do things that are right for yourself and your family. Both voting and vaccination should be very inexpensive in time and cost, as their benefit for most in cases will be fairly minimal, but they do offset a large risk and can do often make a difference around the edges.

2024 General Election Voters by Enrollment

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2024 General Election Voters by Enrollment

Ward leaders had stuff like this memorized in their heads back in the day. I think it's fascinating how Democrats and Republicans cluster around themselves on the same streets. Also this kind of map doesn't have the problem of the exaggeration of the rural vote.

Rural America is Getting Redder

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ο»ΏI often think Rural America, at least in New York State is getting redder, while the inner suburbs and even some of the outer suburbs are getting bluer. Maybe that observation is antidotal, not based on facts, but I could also see that being true.

Rural areas are undergoing a lot of change, old ways of doing things are being confronted by a new reality of the world that doesn’t work the way it once. Technology continues to replace mechanical labor, automation means more economic output with fewer people working in rural areas. Natural resources are more regulated, but also are managed much more efficiently with greater output.

The problems of cities – pollution, crime, and violence – are spilling over onto the ways of rural life. While most rural areas don’t have a significant issues on this front, urban politicians which tend to be Democratic are pushing for one-size fits all solutions, noting the real problems they face. And that is generating a reaction against their policies in rural areas.

I Like the Numbers Game Behind Politics.

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I like the math of politics more then the politics … πŸ”’

Most politics is rooted in statistics and polling these days. While people are showing their ideological tints on social media – myself included – what I find most fascinating is numbers that go behind winning an election, both the polling and final results. While often you don’t hear much about the math and theory behind the game, I do really enjoy listening to the FiveThirtyEight podcast and how the numbers game is played.