Thought of the day: we’ve constantly been bombarded by ‘experts’ claiming that vulnerable people should just have the good grace to shut up and lock themselves away, society can open up and everything’ll be normal again. Not only is this a wrong assumption, it’s also a frame >>

>> essentially it places the blame of dying or getting long term damage from COVID-19 squarely on the shoulders of the victims. They should’ve known they were vulnerable, so what were they doing out of their cocoons? It is a deeply conservative stance. >>

>>It basically posits that all misfortune that comes your way is the result of your own failings. This often comes together with the fatalistic ‘let nature take its course’ because that way of thinking also hides a ‘they were too weak to survive, ergo they deserved their fate’ >>

>> If people point at ‘complications’ when discussing COVID-19 fatalities (as in: they died because they were obese, smoking, or any other disease that is commonly seen as caused by an individual themselves...), keep in mind that they are repeating or believe in this frame >>

>>This doesn’t mean they necessarily believe in the implications of this frame, they could still believe in society’s responsibility to take care of each other! And I am not saying this frame is based on falsehoods: if that was the case, it wouldn’t be as effective. >>

>> But when you see this being used in a manner that relieves the government of its responsibility, be aware, because, if you believe we should care for each other and protect each other, that means you do not share common ground with the person arguing this frame. >>

>> That’s my thought of the day.