We were eating dogs for dinner while Chris Hayes’ MSNBC program droned on in the background. The segment was about debt ceiling talks and proposed cuts to existing and planned programs. A new program with the goal of developing vaccines for new coronavirus threats – a $5 billion program called NextGen – is targeted for elimination the GOP’s hostage negotiation.
Susan: “That’s really stupid.” (Susan’s last gig was as head of communicable diseases at the State’s Dept of Health)
Me: “It’s perfectly logical to the GOP. People who die of COVID are parasites.”
Susan: “Huh?”
Me: “Most people who died of COVID were on Social Security, and on Medicare or Medicaid. They were takers – not makers.”
Susan: “Oh, I see. Dead people don’t cost anything.”
Me: “Exactly. If you can get a pandemic to kill off 10-20% of folks who represent non-military discretionary spending, you don’t need to cut government safety-net programs or increase taxes. For the GOP, it’s a win-win.”
I wonder whether this is an example of the banality of evil.