199 Comments

Omicron oh my god. It isn’t liberal writers waking up, it’s leftist writers. I don’t believe there are any liberals left on the left.

And why does having natural immunity from actually having and “gasp” surviving covid not count for anything? Only the shot and the shot and the booster and the booster all in the space of one year which gives great confidence in the efficacy no? NO! We are being played by big pharma and it’s well paid minions in the government.

Expand full comment

** Harry Potter, fans note to each other significantly, ‘was a trust fund jock who became a cop and married his high school sweetheart,’ and moreover his author is transphobic. **

Actually, "Harry Potter fans" don't note any of that garbage. That's what kooks "note." Fans just enjoy a story.

Expand full comment

Virus pandemics follow a normal pattern, and COVID is no different. In the latter stages of their life cycle, the mutations become less virulent. That has contributed to the decrease in COVID deaths more so than has the vaccine.

Expand full comment

Why does Nicole Wallace think she is at extreme risk of catching Covid in all situations except when she's sitting down?

Expand full comment

The quote from Constance Grady of Vox encapsulates why I have changed my political affiliation to independent. The woke are making "forever democrats" like me reassess my politics. Instead of left, I consider myself in the middle.

Expand full comment

“As we recognize that COVID-19 is not a deadly or even severe disease for the vast majority of responsible Americans, we can stop agonizing over ‘cases’ and focus on those who are hospitalized or at risk of dying,” - The Great Pivot.

In 3 months, news broadcasters will claim this was always their position blocked from saying it due to … reasons.

Expand full comment

Of course the Covid hysterics were wrong about everything. But will we ever have an investigation of the folly of the lockdowns and their cost? And how about the malign power that hatched the virus. The chattering class spent all of 2020 blaming Trump when the Chinese communist leadership had cooked up the virus. spread it, lied about it, silenced witnesses and covered up evidence. Sounds like an act of war - or a crime at the very least - to me that merits a full economic boycott of their products. And expulsion of their trade missions and students.

In any event, Happy New Year, Bari. You are a joy.

Expand full comment

“During a Christmas call with President Biden, a prankster said, “Let’s go Brandon,” to which the president calmly replied, “Let’s go Brandon.” Whether he doesn’t know the meme or was playing along, it was a dignified response.”

THIS is hilarious on so many levels. Doctor of edjumacation Jill cringed to hear Joey depends echo it. Dignified? Hah. Demented, diminished, dopey definitely? But dignified? Joey definitely was uo past his bedtime and needed more drugs.

Expand full comment

"But it’s long past time to take life back from the hypochondriacs."

As you note, this is going to be a battle, and a bigger one than a lot of us realize. I've already heard people make the argument we should have been masking during previous flu seasons, airplanes and hospitals and outpatient clinics should always be masking, etc. Some have even said masking in grocery stores, concerts, sporting events should be the new normal.

The hypochondriacs don't want to waste the opportunity this crisis provides.

Expand full comment

I thought the article by Hari Raghavan about why he and his wife were leaving the Bay area was just brilliant. At least until the end when he said they would be a blue dot in red Florida. He should reread what he wrote and ask himself why most of the cities resembling the Bay area in steadily deteriorating quality of life are filled with blue dots.

Expand full comment
Dec 31, 2021·edited Dec 31, 2021

Nellie, to your point on taxes: I live in NJ, have high taxes AND terrible weather, can you please remind me why I still live here ? Signed, hopeless in NJ.

Expand full comment

“If you are vaccinated, healthy, and happy, you are probably already living life like someone sitting in a New York City restaurant (i.e., unmasked but vaguely waving one around as you walk).”

That made me laugh out loud because in New York Covid hypochondria is like a professed religion that no one really practices. They just pretend they do. ‘I’m Catholic but I don’t go to Mass.’

Expand full comment

Bari, I absolutely love your newsletter. I love that we don’t agree on much, while you (and most of your guest authors) manage to find common ground with me on many of the most important issues. Little did I know that this white, cisgendered, 70 year old father of 5, grandfather of 16, orthodox Christian, center-right voter would find a lesbian, Jewish, left-of-center writer so damn entertaining and wise. Happy New Year. Keep up the good work. Let’s bury the lame-stream media.

Expand full comment

It’s been a looong two years but it’s finally coming to an end. Watch out for the Climate fear/hoax to ramp up quickly. Many poor Europeans(and probably some Americans) will freeze to death/die of heat stroke because of a misguided energy policy

What should the Republicans “do” after the Democrats have poured trillions of dollars into the economy??

Harry Reid was a corrupt, evil, moronic politician. RIH

Expand full comment

I’m an ICU doctor and I can tell you it’s not over. Our unit is packed with Covid patients on ventilators and a lot of them are dying. So before you go spouting all this unfounded optimism and cast people who are cautious as hypochondriacs get the facts right. If you’re not in the midst of it, you have no idea what’s going on and no right to comment.

Expand full comment

Love your newsletter. Keep it coming!

Expand full comment