https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1556032741568909313

It seems to me that we are still living in a functioning democracy, with a democratically elected government.

But there are more and more disturbing signs that we are losing our freedoms, and that our institutions do not serve the people who they ought to serve.

I see the word fascism more and more. I'd like to know what DUers think about the current state of democracy in the US.

Snyder is a Yale professor who wrote the book On Tyranny. There are 16 tweets in the full conversation.

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326437742198784

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326439306584064

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326440833392640

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326442573991939

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326444218204164

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326445656834054

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326447250571266

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326448756334593

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326450064973825

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326451692253185

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326453332312064

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326454896906241

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326456574509062

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326458407436289

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326459950948352

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1543326461737803776

What kind of woman joins in an attack on women's rights?

You are despicable.

that everything is going to be ok.

He's so calm, so confident, so measured, so intelligent.

I did not grow up in the age of the internet.

I did not grow up in the age of social media.

In high school one of my teachers spent a whole semester showing us how to do research for a paper. But the topic was nothing so important as getting vaccinated.

We live in an age where there is a huge amount of readily accessible information. But a lot of people don't know how to use it. Just as you can make an argument for just about anything from the Bible, you can find any opinion you want on the internet.

Facebook is not research. You can find any opinion you want on Facebook.

Twitter is not research. You can find any opinion you want on Twitter.

Listening to Joe Rogan is not research.

In this age, people consider all sources of information to be equal. They are not.

This is a second argument that anti-vaxxers commonly make.

As far as I know, all Covid vaccines in the US have been free to anybody that wants one. As far as I know, Anthony Fauci is a salaried employee and his income is not affected by vaccine production.

But people don't trust Big Pharma, in part due to the Oxycontin/Perdue fiasco.

The response to my first thread was great. Can you help me out with responding to this argument too?

This is one of the more common arguments I've heard from those who are unvaccinated.

First of all, I am grateful that so many pharmaceutical companies stepped up and started working on vaccine development and came up with a vaccine as quickly as possible.

Second, I am glad that our technology was at a point where quick, safe vaccine development is possible.

Third, how many people are really in a position to evaluate how fast is too fast? How many people have the slightest idea how a vaccine is developed or how long it should take? Not that many.

Fourth, it is not the case that the vaccine was untested. Adverse events occur with any pharmaceutical, and some adverse effects to the vaccines have been reported. And these occur in a relatively small number of people.

Fifth, an expedited vaccine is not less safe and effective because it was expedited.

Finally, its a fucking pandemic. Why wouldn't you want to get a safe vaccine out that as quickly as possible. Would these idiots feel better if it was held back for 6 more months for no reason?

i.e., if you were angry about something could you have gone to school with a gun?

They seem to get "credit" for a lot of things other people do.