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Freedom of speech is granted by the American people themselves and it means listening to someone you utterly disagree with. A dialogue of some political sort.
So, though I find you are usually wrong with stereotypical avatars about conservatives, it does seem that you're starting to learn and I'm hoping you can help close the divide. I hated Trump in the primaries but in the general election I saw my choices as the Devil or the Anti-Christ, who only lasts 7 years. I seriously hate ALL politicians, but some lies are more dangerous than others. My choices are the ones who lie the least, or whose lies are less dangerous than the lies of their opponent.
Most conservatives didn't love Trump until we saw how much politicians and media on the Left hate him. We have so enjoyed watching him tweak the Establishment both Left and Right. When we hear lefties hating on him incessantly, we think "job well done, let those haters boil in their hatred". We voted against not only the DNC & GOP establishment (traitors of the people) but also against the radicals (traitors to freedom) who want to lump us into racial divides.
I've tried to communicate this to my friends on the Left, but they prefer identity politics to reality….they would rather hate on me because it's easier and I'm close. The Left repeatedly posits that anyone who has a policy disagreement MUST be a racist or some other bullshit moniker to avoid the reality of their really bad ideas and candidates.
But I believe freedom of speech is how we will finally overcome. I welcome your opinions daily, if only to understand the perspective of why my lefty friends still don't get it. Please tell them to just keep burning in anger against their preferred straw man. It's funny.
I would never unsubscribe from watching that. Thank you for such quality entertainment.
Ted Pearce
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Love your life views on music industry but enough on the Trump hating. Haven't you figured out it is the Uniparty and not Trump who got us here? Tired of Governors and lifelong politicians and Congress blaming Orange Man Bad for things that got baked in before he took office. Damn straight I voted for him. Went to his first big rally in Phoenix so I could see the crowd and hear the man unfiltered by the news outlets. Stood in line behind a younger couple with grade school kid, Jewish in 100 F heat as we snaked around a city block to get inside. The crowds have never been accurately portrayed by the press.
Many of your readers would love to know when we should start reading you again. Count me in this camp.
Kathleen Wasecha Clifford
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Hi Bob!
I write this from my home in Atlanta where I'm self-quarantined since Friday. On Saturday, I came down with what feels like a bad chest cold but I know it's Covid-19. I'm lucky as hell. I didn't take this zombie apocalypse seriously until Obama tweeted the graphic illustrating why we should all stay home, and while I had already reduced my meetings and used Zoom and Meet as much as I could, for a week I still did stuff in person keeping my distance from others, washing my hands, and using Purell instead of staying in the house like everyone else. Well, it wasn't enough. I still got sick. I now realize that it wasn't about keeping myself from getting ill, I should have been protecting others. Fortunately, no one else I was around has gotten sick. Yet!! If they do, I will have to deal with the fact that I caused their illness. I regret that. Would I have taken it more seriously if the government did? Of course. But I know the man is an ass hat, so shame on me for expecting a presidential reaction from a clown.
Wendy Day
Rap Coalition
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My little town of Maplewood NJ had a 75 percent increase today, from 12 to 20 positive tests, ranging in age from 4(!) to 75, I believe. And testing is still sparse enough that most people have to be pretty ill to be sick. NYC and environs are being slammed hard. People elsewhere just don't understand. A total national shutdown for 3 weeks would probably help a lot. Instead this has become a partisan divide and it's going to linger and keep spreading.
Thanks.
Alan Pail
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Hi Bob, it's getting even more real here in Park City, UT. As of today it has been announced that we are going into a Shelter in Place order to last until May 1. Why? Because Summit County is 5th in the nation for cases per capita. Scary prospect. I keep watching the mortality rate of this virus climb every day. A week and a half ago it was 2.9% today it hit 4.5%. That means its getting worse, not better.
I personally know two people that have tested positive for it. This evening I got a text from another friend who saw that Park City was getting the Shelter in Place order and contacted me to ask if I was okay. They then proceeded to tell me they are waiting on an Oximiter and are having difficulty breathing. They plan on getting a COVID-19 test asap, if they can. After the messages about all that they tell me: It's been nice knowing you.
THAT'S FUCKED UP.
As a musician who does a lot of recording, I'm generally ok with staying home working. A local venue was doing solo live streaming events to give local musicians something to do - with no audience and no staff, just the artist and a sound person (keeping their distance). With the order coming down, that's not going to continue. As it shouldn't.
Being that I live right next to the ski run in Old Town of Park City, I have been seeing multiple people walking up the mountain and ignoring the suggested stay home shit. Now that it's a misdemeanor, I wonder how many will continue to try and hike/ski now. It baffles my mind how selfish people get - mind you, I've never been thru something like this before. I guess my survival instinct outweighs my Covidiot desires.
The county where Telluride is located, San Miguel County, in Colorado is doing an amazing thing. They're giving free blood tests for every resident to check people for a certain antibody to see who does and does not have the virus. I'm hoping that Summit County will follow suit.
Why is it so fuckin hard for people to understand it takes a little physical distance to get over this faster?
Jody Whitesides
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Please forgive me my English.
I am Slovene living in France and working for an international organization. I am not a 'famous' person, but I still wanted to write regarding the 'corona mailbox' you send on a daily basis: a contribution from a common citizen. Let me add that I have been on medication for OCD since 2011 (remember Jack Nicholson in 'As good as it geets' - it was me before). For people like me suffering from this kind of disorders this outbreak is just ....Unlivable.
I do not think we should overpolitizise this virus issue : close to every leader in the world right now has it wrong, we could say.
Look at the president Macron, organizing the election, going to the theatre with his wife whilst in Italy the crisis was already unmanageable...
In my home country which is, unfortunately, also known in the States 'thanks' to Melania Trump, a right wing military freak leads the country. But, the virus is somehow managed. Why is that ?
Maybe I am being naive, but my guess is, it has to do with hygiene standards. The basics. Lots of people in my home country 'overreacted' if we can call it like that, and have been staying at home for three weeks now, in self-isolation although nobody told them to do so.
Now, they have to stay home but can still go for a walk if they respect social distancing. And know what? An extremely low number of infractions has been registered. This means no matter who holds the rains, the spread of the virus depends largely on the behavior patterns. Collective behavior patterns.
My colleagues were making jokes of me three weeks ago because I wouldn't kiss friends to greet them and when I started the self-isolation 15 days ago I was treated by my closest friends as 'an OCD person who has always exaggerated'. The French started to care only when their President said ' we are in war'. How sick and sad is that ? We saw what was happening in Italy, how is it possible that people (majority) didn't care before the President took the decision to care. Can we maybe think by ourselves ? Apparently not that much....
I said behavior patterns. Yes. In my home country you never wear shoes at home. In France, always.
In Slovenia, you always wash fruit even if it comes from a farmer's market. In France, rarely.
In Slovenia, you will have to close your bakery if you touch bread and money : one person serves the bread, one deals with the cashing. In France, the same person gives you the bread and takes the money from you (without gloves). It has been changing, slightly, but come on, these are basics!!
Not to mention the 'french croissants' in the bars : the lye for hours on the counter in a bread basket - unprotected. If you order one, they will serve you from that same basket. Not possible in Slovenia, you have to shut down your business if you do this. Besides, you will not have any clients because people will think it's dirty.
In my home country, the life certainly has changed after the outbreak of the virus, but the habits didn't need to adjust that much. The bar was set high from the start.
My conclusion is that a lot depends on the bar. From where do we come, what the level of the basic hygiene was, individually and collectively.
I hope I was not too long...
Please never give up your podcasts they are essential to many of us!
Best,
Mojca Bozic
Paris
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I am on my 20th day of self Isolation in Knivsta Sweden a small city 45 min North of Stockholm. My normal workplace and I am fortunate that the "Show must go on" in my area of entertainment music publishing.
This is in fact a great admin and music listening period as you can focus much greater. As a close to 60 years old and asthmatic I am in the risk zone so I am careful.
It is rare I get political but concerning American politics I have given up on it. But reading some of these peoples answers in your mailbag saying I deleting their subscription, it just makes me laugh and shake my head in astonishment. Freedom of speech I guess is ok as long as you say what people want to hear...
I have dual citizenship Swedish and US and for my duty for America - Bernie will be my only choice come ballot day. He will get my vote as I can not vote for the lesser of two evils.
I must vote for the right person and despite the bullying he received (funny how we teach our kids not to be involved with bullying and our politicians do so and often get away with it under the title of being "Tough leader"). The democrats throw the SOCIALISM word out there and the propaganda of old days came right back...
Do you know how many times when I am telling American friends go WOW when they understand about what I get for my tax money her in Social Democratic Sweden? I don't pay extra funds for Children care, study supplements including university, health care and I am asthmatic and pay only a fraction of what you pay for medicine in America, also women giving birth to kids cost only admin fee and few extras and there is much more I even got to sleep over in a bed when I had one of my kids and it cost me 20 USD with food included. The insurance system actually works here and one time my computer got stolen the insurance company minus the deductible of 1000 SEK appox 80 USD and I had the new computer bought and sorted within a week. Public transport despite the fact it is not like it use to be still works and is pretty inexpensive considering other countries...I go in for a check up and asthma treatment or to have a baby the same fee of 30 to 50 USD I could go on an on and on. Granted it is not perfect but the closest I have experienced and I have traveled previously and lived in many parts of the world. So socialistic democratic system works.
So here you have Bernie, truly trying to make the USA change and both parties bully him and start a propaganda Campaign throwing in the word Socialism which most don't even know what it means. So the best man will be push away but he will get my vote. Joe is the lesser of two evils and I don't want evil anymore… I want change an only Bernie can push it through. I hope that all Bernie Supporters do the same - would that not be a huge kick in the ass to Dems and Reps to have him win anyway because the people showed they want real change and not the lesser of two evils.
So Bob, please continue writing exactly what you think when you want. I will always respect it.
John Jackson Cloud
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"Bob, the truly amazing thing to me is how the response to covid-19 is not only split into partisan levels but at the generational level as well. I am sure by now, everyone has seen the meme "as a millennial, I find myself yelling at my parents about going out." I look at the social media of my generation, and I see a message of unity, one of social distancing and self-isolation, so that we can flatten the curve. At the same time, I am watching as President Trump tweets that the "cure cannot be worse than the illness" and that we need to start the country back up again. I am genuinely astonished that we are looking at this entire episode like a math equation as if we can start the country back up again and deal with the fallout, which by the way, is death. That death is not so isolated either, this disease is impacting a far wider audience than initially anticipated, and we lack the data to suggest specific demographics are in the clear.
Everyone loves to hate on millenials, including millenials, at least we inherited a great sense of self-deprecation! Our response as a generation to covid-19 I think is informed by a good amount of my generation already being fucked; while some older folks are watching as their 401k and portfolios suffer, my friends are still saddled with student loan debt, have barely any savings, and are being laid off or furloughed by the thousands; our response cannot be greedy because the good majority of my generation is not in a position to respond that way. People wonder why progressive ideas are popular with younger folks and populist ideas with the disenfranchised? The divided response and priorities placed accurately portray a picture of people trapped in their information silos. There is a significant lack of empathy from certain places when understanding and relating to each other is going to keep people going.
I don't want the economy to fail; I completely understand why there is a fevered response to save it, but we need to realize that there is a price. You know how certain politicians are anti-LGBT, and then a family member comes out, and they change their tune? Who needs to die before the calls to re-start the economy subside? This issue should be more significant than money, politics, and generational divides. This outbreak ought to bring us together, to understand that we are all the same and that regardless of our circumstance, we could perish if infected.
Enough of the doom and gloom, though, I have seen so many wonderful, uplifting stories each day (look on instagram and twitter) of people helping each other out and making the best of a bad situation. I also believe that people are acting in good faith with good intentions; people are allowed to operate in self-preservation. Right now is about protecting our communities, about fighting and unseen enemy and being resilient. Red-blooded American's love being resilient and fighting enemies, so readjust your focus people! We will make it through this and ideally come out more durable and more united (wishful thinking I know!) as a result. Stay safe, healthy, and sane!"
Thank you,
Justin Altman
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