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The Idiot of the Week trophy from El American goes to Kamala Harris, after a bizarre tweet about vaccines. While Harris has come close to winning the award on several occasions — and perhaps it should be given to her every time she answers press questions with awkward nervous laughter — this time she takes it for a tweet that looks like a tongue twister.
“By vaccinating the unvaccinated, increasing our testing and masking, and protecting the vaccinated, we can end this pandemic. That’s exactly what we are committed to doing,” tweeted the U.S. vice president.
The message, far from shedding light and conveying confidence in the government’s pandemic strategy, make us ask a lot of questions. Vaccinate the unvaccinated to protect the vaccinated who are supposedly protected by the vaccine, huh?
I can imagine her saying this out loud — with her guffaws and giggles every time she tries to say something serious — and, if we were in Gotham, I’d bet Kamala is the Riddler. We could almost imagine her attending the Met Gala in a green leotard full of question marks, a mask and a staff.
Although it sounds like a riddle, Kamala Harris’ tweet looks more like a desperate attempt to shore up the Democratic political narrative against the pandemic—at least the current talking point, as it has changed so many times, illustrating that these are based on political gain rather than science.
We have gone from “15 days to flatten the curve”, messages of union and fraternity “leaving no one behind”, and that we would come out of the pandemic better, to the fact that the unvaccinated are a risk for the vaccinated.
What does Kamala Harris’ tweet want to convey?
With this message, Kamala Harris makes it clear that they have no doubts nor will their pulse tremble when it comes to continuing imposing authoritarian measures that a few months ago were unthinkable. Although what she says is contradictory per se, she says it with great conviction. It seems that no matter how much doubt there is, or how much new evidence comes up, this plan is the one they are committed to maintaining at any cost and no matter what.
Every single thing she mentions in the tweet is in question. So are the mandatory and effective masks, so are the tests with their false positives and how they affect the way we count infected and dead; and now Kamala also acknowledges that vaccines are not sufficient protection.
Protecting the vaccinated from the unvaccinated is a perfect example of George Orwell’s “doublethink”, and would not be more than an anecdote of a very poorly written and unintelligible tweet if it were not for the fact that we can find clear meaning in what Kamala Harris wants to tell us.
Notice that by saying that vaccinated people must be protected, she not only acknowledges that the vaccine must not work very well but also points to a culprit, which, in this case, is not the virus but the unvaccinated. And, in general, those who doubt the effectiveness of the masks, the tests, the COVID passport, or, in short, anyone who doubts the Government’s measures.
There is a lot of talk about the consequences of the virus, and more and more doubts about the measures and treatments that have been imposed. But little is said about the worst side effect of the virus and vaccines: an unhealthy addiction in politicians, who are hooked and delighted to be able to prohibit and impose whatever they want without being questioned.
Ignacio Manuel García Medina, Business Management teacher. Artist and lecturer specialized in Popular Culture for various platforms. Presenter of the program "Pop Libertario" for the Juan de Mariana Institute. Lives in the Canary Islands, Spain // Ignacio M. García Medina es profesor de Gestión de Empresas. Es miembro del Instituto Juan de Mariana y conferenciante especializado en Cultura Popular e ideas de la Libertad.
Social Networks: @ignaciomgm