[eiji]

I appreciate having a discussion. It's very simple to to paint an opinion as xenophobic. I think that is too easy. And a sign of our times to cancel people, opinions and debates.

If people are concerned about half a million adults educating themselves, than please also be concerned about 100 million people of a country trying to make it through a difficult time. Black and white thinking is all there seems to be these days. Either we close schools and businesses, or we don't. Either we allow the beach, or we don't. But whenever it suits we put on our refined thinking hat and try to think about all the consequences.

If a person supports closing schools, closing businesses and to not have political gatherings, all of which impacts hundreds of millions of people in the US alone, but finds excuses for exemptions, that for me would be a convoluted narrative. You quote an earlier comment of mine. Which is still valid. I made it two weeks ago and look around you. Are we accommodating peoples lives, all of them, or are we not. If you don't want to accommodate a gym instructor, nail salon owner, or working parents with what they need, its hard to get the policies you want, or the country you want. You want to prevent the spread with heavy handed measures, ruining peoples lives, and at the same time walk a fine line for expat students and protesters? You can't do both at the same time.

[bdhe]

It is simple to paint certain opinions xenophobic when they are! This is not another instance of culture wars under which the right is so fond of painting themselves as victims.

> If people are concerned about half a million adults educating themselves, than please also be concerned about 100 million people of a country trying to make it through a difficult time. Black and white thinking is all there seems to be these days. Either we close schools and businesses, or we don't. Either we allow the beach, or we don't. But whenever it suits we put on our refined thinking hat and try to think about all the consequences.

Absolutely hogwash! You think the folks outraged by this aren't equally outraged by the nonsensical way in which Congress is acting towards social nets in this country (the 100 million or so struggling while the 1% get even wealthier)? That's why I put out your earlier comment because it reeks of bad faith arguments. You've not put forth one coherent good faith argument in all the discussions we've had.

> If a person supports closing schools, closing businesses and to not have political gatherings, all of which impacts hundreds of millions of people in the US alone, but finds excuses for exemptions, that for me would be a convoluted narrative. You quote an earlier comment of mine. Which is still valid. I made it two weeks ago and look around you. Are we accommodating peoples lives, all of them, or are we not. If you don't want to accommodate a gym instructor, nail salon owner, or working parents with what they need, its hard to get the policies you want, or the country you want. You want to prevent the spread with heavy handed measures, ruining peoples lives, and at the same time walk a fine line for expat students and protesters? You can't do both at the same time.

Wrong once more. I'm employing empathy in both scenarios. Your solution is to view things in a black and white manner. Instead of suggesting that we close businesses and incentivize them to keep things safe for themselves and others, through expanded social safety nets like Europe is doing, so that they may reopen quicker, you paint it as a black and white open or close. Your opinions come from the same place, that of abject selfish thinking devoid of empathy. You want things to be open because the alternative, the 1% of the country taking on their fair load during these difficult times to help support the rest is unfathomable. Then, you look at a scenario that again requires empathy and placing others needs ahead of your own and choose to deploy a "safety from covid" narrative which is an awful convenient fig leaf around xenophobia.

You brought up protestors which suggests to me that you're not coming from a place of having a reasonable argument. You've got your victim narrative, everything else be damned. I pity your inability to get out of the narrow republican talking points and I wish you luck getting to a more empathetic and genuine place of discourse.