The Populists Are Revolting

A king once ruled a land with the aid of a council of the wise.<br><br>In a distant province of this land, a rebel army leader knew that he had done wrong to steal from the poor. But he also knew that he couldn’t win the favor of the wise, for they were too clever for their own good.<br><br>This leader became a great tyrant, convincing the people that the wise were the enemy and that the people could govern themselves.<br><br>Many people believed him.<br><br>After many great battles, the leader ruled over the entire land. He was cruel to the wise and only allowed the voices of fools and stupid people into the council.<br><br>The land was cursed with great famine and disease. Starvation became common. It fell into chaos.<br><br>But the leader continued to deceive the people, telling them that it was the wise who had caused all this.<br><br>The people believed him.<br><br>The land fell further and further into ruin and yet, still, the people believed the leader’s lies.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Although this story is fictional, it is not in any way exaggerated.<br><br>In the United States, Congressmen like Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul, and politicians like Trump, have convinced millions of Americans that the media (consisting of usually college educated journalists), science and academia are not trustworthy, and that they can be trusted to govern the nation more wisely than the experts and intellectuals in these fields.<br><br>Of course, these politicians have nothing but their own power in mind when they do this.<br><br>Now, the United States is the worst in the developed world at dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already killed more than 430,000 people in the country. The nation is in chaos more than ever before.<br><br>And yet, millions still believe these politicians’ words and doubt the media and science.<br><br>And many millions more remain complacent, staying home (or going out into their communities), convincing themselves that the situation will not get any worse and that there’s no need to worry or do anything.<br><br>But the situation is already worse than you think.<br><br>The nation is falling deeper and deeper into ruin by the day. Millions have been infected with COVID-19 and hundreds of thousands have already been murdered. Tens of thousands more die every day and the virus will kill many more unless something is done.<br><br>But what’s worse than all this is that it doesn’t have to be this way. It never had to come to this point.<br><br>All the Populists have to do is listen to the experts and the media: wear a mask, stay home, social distance, and get vaccinated once a vaccine is available.<br><br>But they will not do this.<br><br>For they are too stupid and too brainwashed to listen to anyone other than the stupid politicians who feed their stupidity.<br><br>Hundreds of thousands of Populists have already died in the US, and by the end of the year, there will be millions. No one knows how high the Populist death toll will rise in the end.<br><br>Of course, many Populists will survive the pandemic.<br><br>But nothing can be done to fix their stupidity.<br><br>So, let the idiots die.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>*Edit: I am not conflating populism with conservatism. There is nothing wrong with being conservative.*<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;