I just got vaccinated. A pop up clinic run by the Vermont Army National Guard here in Vermont was the venue and I must post of few observations. First, I was able to go online Monday of this week and had a needle in my arm TWO DAYS after signing up. Veterans among us will attest that if the Army is good at one thing, its getting folks to line up and do something. My appointment was for 12:15, and I was sitting across from a medic at 12:15.
I am well aware that many people had a harder time with this. And I’m sure some of you will point out that Vermont is a small state with a tiny population. But two months ago, Vermonters were having many of the same problems. What I see unfolding is the difference a change in leadership makes. Since team Biden took over the show there have been steady improvements. Each week has increased the number of doses by hunderds of thousands of vaccinations.
What I experienced was Government working well. ( And yes MAGA fans, the Army is part of our government.) It was personal, direct positive support from the Government I pay for and support. The whole Republican ideology is founded on the lie that Government is bad, its your enemy and it is hopelessly incompetent. What I experienced was well organized timely assistance from my fellow Citizens who love their country enough to enlist in the service. By summer hundreds of millions of Americans will have had some version of this, even if it is harder where you are. It is hard to sell the idea that Government is a monster to be drowned in a bathtub when it most certainly just saved your life.
Ronald Reagan was dead wrong when he said Government is the Problem. Screw that guy, he doomed us to three decades of sunny optimistic racism and lead to a country where big corporations pay no taxes, but make all the political decisions.
If things keep moving in the right direction, Americans may just remember how good it was before St. Ronnie shit in the pool.