From what I have heard, one of the main reasons Trump won again is because people were very, very upset about “elites” being condescending to them. Personally, I find this hard to understand given all of the horrible things they say about other people, but sure. It’s probably true that they feel that way. They certainly talk about it enough.
One of the most glaring examples of this was during the pandemic when we were saying things like “Hey, don’t drink that magical miracle bleach — it won’t cure COVID but it will make you sick!” or “Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are not going to do anything for COVID!” or “Get the vaccine so you don’t get COVID!”
They’ve also been quite unhappy about being told they shouldn’t drink raw milk, which has led to a similar outrage. Some have decided that sunscreen is bad and don’t want us telling them about “skin cancer” (which we probably made up, because we hate the sun and want people to be unhappy).
We thought we were being helpful, but they believed that we were lying and condescending to them, thinking that we know better just because we listen to actual scientists. They did not like that at all. So now it’s likely that they will get an FDA that operates the way they want it to — that tells them “Oh, you guys do what you want, you know better than we do!”
You see, under Donald Trump, Robert F Kennedy Jr. will be remaking the FDA and the health departments in his own image. And, you know what? That is exactly what they deserve. I believe in my heart that this is the balm these weary souls need after years of suffering through people cruelly saying “If you drink colloidal silver, it won’t cure what ails you but it will make you look like Papa Smurf.”
I, for one, will never again dare suggest that they refrain from taking medicines that will do nothing for them or that will actively harm them or make them ill. Raw milk? I hope they chug it by the gallon.
Again, this is exactly what they deserve.
That being said, there are about 68 million people out there (and those other people’s children) who would, in fact, like to be made aware if food has been contaminated or will make them sick, or if the miracle cure being sold by some weirdo on the internet will not, in fact, cure what ails them. And we deserve that, too.
We all have different perceptions of things. If someone who knows better than I do tells me “Hey! That’s poison! Don’t eat that!” then I consider that a favor. I feel cared about when someone in my family messages me to say “Hey! Lay off the Caesar salad for a minute, the romaine’s got the e. coli!” I’m grateful, both because I don’t want to die and I don’t want to be nauseated. If someone who knows better than I do says “Hey! That thing you’re taking isn’t going to work, try this thing that we know works instead!” I also consider that to be a favor. None of that makes me feel condescended to. I assume that the rest of our 68 million friends out there feel the same way.
Now, we do have state food safety regulatory agencies that we can hope will pick up some of the slack, but is that enough? I’m not sure it will be! Especially in the states that went for Trump. What we need is a shadow FDA of some sort — a mutual aid FDA, maybe? — that can continue to do the same work that the current FDA does, while the new FDA is off researching which crystals are most effective at treating leg amputations.
Ideally there could even be a branch that will ensure that those who need hormones are able to get them and also ensures that people know they can import sunscreen.
They could issue safety announcements that very clearly state “If you voted for Donald Trump, this information is not for you, you should definitely just go do your own research on this, because you definitely know way better than the scientists!”
Everyone would be happy! We wouldn’t get food poisoning and they could, you know, stop punishing us for their egos being bruised.
This is all somewhat tongue-in-cheek, of course (though I truly do not care if these people drink all the colloidal silver or Miracle Mineral Solution or try to cure cancer with black salve that will literally eat a hole through their skin), but I do think that one of the main things we do need to do is to set up more infrastructures that are separate from the federal government and that will ensure people are okay and safe and cared for regardless of who is elected.
That has to be our focus, because you know what? Trump is going to get up every day and say horrific things, he is going to do horrific things, as are those he appoints. We could get het up about that or we can do whatever we can to ameliorate the situation for those of us who did not ask for this. We can build community, we can care for each other, we can do our best to shield ourselves and others from the horrors to come.
PREVIOUSLY ON WONKETTE!
As a country boy raised on a dairy as a yute... YOU DON'T WANT RAW MILK. I've seen it and it's got a bunch of gross shit in it when it's just fresh tit juice! We didn't drink it and we squeezed it fresh from the source... but my Daddy was a Democrat, so he was not an idiot.
I'm finding this happening and expect more of it along with an uptick in divorce.
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I ended a friendship today. He is a lawyer, an educated man. And he is a Muslim American of Pakistani descent. He voted Jill Stein because "Harris was for the destruction of Palestine." I valued many things in our friendship but with the election over, with the dye cast as it were, I no longer wish to converse with him. I also, honestly, don't wish to see his pain as he realizes what will happen to the souls of Palestine now that any and all breaks have been taken off of Netanyahu.