December 9, 2021: Release 4

[Z6IIAB]

Hey, Tat?

Do you know what's killing America this year and it's killing a lot of people worldwide? COVID!!

Do you know what's actually gonna save those people and lower the number of casualities and severe cases of the disease? THE VACCINES.

It doesn't get simpler than that.

[Gandalf]

I have to admit I'm baffled by today's too. How did we get here - unless this is satire?

[Z6IIAB]

I have to admit I'm baffled by today's too. How did we get here - unless this is satire?

Idk. Something about big pharma getting so untrusted due to shit they ACTUALLY did to harm people, the antiscientific sentiment of the latest decade and the grownth in the antivaxx movement and fake news... but yeah, I don't even know where to start with this... is not exactly untrue, there have been cases of that, but it's either stastically low, very especific situations and predispositions or correlation =/= causation, blaming the vaccine for something the vaccine did not cause. It's resumed by this: scientific illiteracy.

[Tanagra]

5,307,637 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of December 10, 2021, 16:16 GMT.

In Russia, more than 1,200 people with COVID-19 died every day for most of November and on several days in December, and the daily death toll remains over 1,100. Ukraine, which is recording hundreds of virus deaths a day, is emerging from its deadliest period of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate in Poland, while lower than it was than in the spring, recently climbed to more than 500 deaths per day and still has not peaked. On Wednesday, the country reported 592 more virus deaths, the highest number of its current wave and bringing the pandemic death toll to nearly 87,000 in the nation of 38 million.

Intensive care units are full, and doctors report that more and more children require hospitalization, including some who went through COVID-19 without symptoms but then suffered strokes.

But never mind all of them.

[Tanagra]

Though I supposed it might be for the hits.

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

Okay, so this is the Sinfest world which parallels our world, but is not exactly our world.

Has there ever been a Sinfest where a character (no main, just any character) displayed Covid symptoms or has there even been a report of deaths from Covid in the Sinfest world?

I cannot remember such an incident but perhaps someone else can.

That being said there is a bunch of 'government' pressure to get vaccines against the supposed 'threat' - so in the Sinfest world it may all just be a threat and another way for the government to gain control over people.

I am not saying that Tat is not 'anti-vax' - I am just saying that Sinfest is a comic world.

[Gandalf]

Oh, I see - so in the real world millions are dead from COVID with a tiny number being harmed by the vaccines, while in Sinfest world there are no COVID deaths just a malicious pharma industry pushing a useless and dangerous vaccine. And the two worlds are so different in this respect that there's no point trying to draw parallels I guess?

[Z6IIAB]

I've read every single strip at least once. I've been a reader since 2007. Almost never skipped a day. And maybe I've forgotten one thing or another due to the massive amount of arcs in this comic but I dont think it was ever supposed to not reflect real huge worldwide events. Hell, USA events. What's happening is that Tat is definetly antivax, like so so many Americans of all types might I add, not only that stereotype, so that's how he's approaching covid. I don't think that's fine, but one cant be right about every subject. At least he did admit he wanna keep dividing audiences and generating discussion. Well, good job then, mission accomplished. Let's see where this goes.

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

What I am saying is that Sinfest reflects only the parts of our world that Tat wants to reflect.

If we are carrying out a true 'anti-vax' fantasy world then it really helps that there are no Covid illnesses or deaths.

That is the one thing I find impossible to understand when I talk to the 'Covid is a hoax' people. How do they explain the excessive deaths? They can only use the 'vaccine is deadly' explanation since after the vaccines started.

I mean, other than to deny Covid deaths - which is a view I have heard stated. Usually though, they just say the numbers are conflated and the rates of death are just the same as any other flu year. All the excess are due to 'other' reasons. This of course means they have to completely avoid looking at the total number of deaths having increased.

It must be very hard to keep such a belief system running.

[RKA]

What I am saying is that Sinfest reflects only the parts of our world that Tat wants to reflect.

If we are carrying out a true 'anti-vax' fantasy world then it really helps that there are no Covid illnesses or deaths.

That is the one thing I find impossible to understand when I talk to the 'Covid is a hoax' people. How do they explain the excessive deaths? They can only use the 'vaccine is deadly' explanation since after the vaccines started.

I mean, other than to deny Covid deaths - which is a view I have heard stated. Usually though, they just say the numbers are conflated and the rates of death are just the same as any other flu year. All the excess are due to 'other' reasons. This of course means they have to completely avoid looking at the total number of deaths having increased.

It must be very hard to keep such a belief system running.

Cognitive Dissonance is a terrifyingly powerful force in the human mind. For many of these people the belief that COVID is a hoax and/or the Vaccine is more dangerous are tied into the tribalism of modern US-politics (ie the conservative political leaders or media outlets told them these things were true and it fits with the narrative they WANT to believe), so challenging it threatens elements of their personal identity and of their core beliefs. It's almost impossible to break someone out of that kind of mindset with actual evidence, the confrontation in fact only deepens their conviction

[Solid-Glitter]

I’ve been lurking for some time now, but wanted to state I think russley is right as long as Uncle Sam lives the comic continues. I think tat might just be done though. But who knows he might just start picking on people with mental health issues, developmental disabilities or any other group he can punch down at.

Just a suggestion to all the rad fems out there, if you want transgender people out of your spaces maybe working with us to get Trans safe spaces and bathrooms would be more productive. I don’t use women’s spaces unless invited by women in those spaces. mostly I shit outside unless im home. (I think all of us should do a shit out until transgender people get restrooms) but for real isn’t feminist theory to make all genders equal. I bet you don’t even know the pay gap between women and trans women. Cause you don’t care about it. It doesn’t affect you so you care about as much as men care about the pay gap. Cool I get it.

probably banned now because of the cancel culture that has been created around criticisms here. I’ve been reading this comic 2005 was a huge fan and hope tat pulls himself together until then

Love, peace, an chicken grease, I’m out

Solid Glitter

[Gandalf]

It must be very hard to keep such a belief system running.

Cognitive Dissonance is a terrifyingly powerful force in the human mind.

Yes and no to both the above, I think.

Have you encountered the Duhem-Quine thesis? It's basically the idea that none of our beliefs can be assessed in isolation, you always have to look at the whole belief system (or at least a big chunk of it). Some beliefs - like "I am typing English" - are pretty central and hard to shake, but others - like "it's raining" - less so and more readily discarded in the face of new information coming in.

Which beliefs we hold on to hardest varies from person to person, and also how we deal with inconsistencies (aka cognitive dissonance as RKA says). Ultimately you can hold on to any belief you like, as long as you're able to fit your other beliefs around it. Conspiracy theories are one form of that, and consist of explaining away any new information that conflicts, but we all do it in one way or another.

There's no way to *prove* that one version or another is right, or to *prove* a conspiracy theory (or religion, or superstition, or basic scientific belief) is wrong - but it can be worthwhile trying to understand someone else's belief system when it seems to come to a radically different conclusion to your own based on mostly the same information.

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

Just a suggestion to all the rad fems out there, if you want transgender people out of your spaces maybe working with us to get Trans safe spaces and bathrooms would be more productive.

What organization is working on creating the separate trans spaces? I am totally on board with that.
I am a big supporter of transgender people having safe spaces and public restrooms as well as safe spaces within the prison systems.

It is not the 'rad fem' women who are needing to 'work on getting the Trans safe spaces and bathrooms'.

From the start it seems that the major thrust of the TRA movement has been to NOT make Trans safe spaces and instead to move into the previously women only spaces.

By doing this and requiring only 'self identification' as authenticity we now have a situation where no one is safe because the predators know good and well they cannot be kept out of these spaces. All they have to do is 'identify' and they are allowed access. So there is no women's space that is safe - neither for adult human females nor for transwomen.

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

Yes and no to both the above, I think.

Have you encountered the Duhem-Quine thesis? It's basically the idea that none of our beliefs can be assessed in isolation, you always have to look at the whole belief system (or at least a big chunk of it). Some beliefs - like "I am typing English" - are pretty central and hard to shake, but others - like "it's raining" - less so and more readily discarded in the face of new information coming in.

Which beliefs we hold on to hardest varies from person to person, and also how we deal with inconsistencies (aka cognitive dissonance as RKA says). Ultimately you can hold on to any belief you like, as long as you're able to fit your other beliefs around it. Conspiracy theories are one form of that, and consist of explaining away any new information that conflicts, but we all do it in one way or another.

There's no way to *prove* that one version or another is right, or to *prove* a conspiracy theory (or religion, or superstition, or basic scientific belief) is wrong - but it can be worthwhile trying to understand someone else's belief system when it seems to come to a radically different conclusion to your own based on mostly the same information.

I always try to keep the perspective that everyone is just doing the best they can with a whole bunch of troubling belief systems gunking up their clear thinking.

[Solid-Glitter]

Unfortunately no organization that I know is trying to do that. The debate and inn fighting is too profitable.

(See boondocks s-word episode. Ain’t going to lie they offensive and display toxic masculinity and have a tendency to depict women poorly. But the narrative is spot on for the current political climate.)

I’m working on a lawsuit under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. I know that women need space as do I.

When I was arrested in Madison they put me (obviously a trans person), butt naked in men’s holding tank my breasts and everything just there nothing to cover up with. I was arrested for resisting arrest and nothing else. City prosecutors declined to uphold the charges against me. This is my experience as a transgender person in lock up. I’m just going to say I’m still a little fucked up over it.

I’d just like you to know that a good chunk of trans folks are not represented by the movement. Dems don’t represent us but they sure think they can talk for us. They want money and power.

The statement Lesbians need to sleep with transgender people, Is crazy rape culture shit. If someone doesn’t want to sleep with someone that is their choose.(this statement gets quoted a lot in arguments I have never heard a trans person utter it but…)

I guess I’m saying

women are people and deserve to be treated with respect and be able to hold space.

Transgender people are people and deserve spaces and equal protection.

So next time you run into a bathroom bill, jail or school policy instead of stating fuck those men in dresses go back to the men’s room (it’s really just not an option) ask where these institutions are going to create separate space for trans folks because the ladies room and the men’s rooms are not appropriate. I bet you’ll be met with more cooperation And have more of a say in the process.

Don’t listen to the news they are playing divide and conquer, and it seems to be working,

Solid Glitter