This wonderful image comes from Mick on X.
Who doesn’t like guys named Mick? “Mick sounds like your buddy, he sounds like your pal.” (paraphrased from the movie A Sure Thing “Nick instead of Mick.”
Mick is not your pal.
These are the Micks I know.
Back in 2016 I joined a couple of different writing critique groups. I did this after my fiftieth birthday because I was feeling a big sad case of the “lonelies.” Maybe it was a midlife crisis, but I remember just feeling waves of pain. And I decided instead of joining the pity party and really grinding my gears, to get out into the world and do something about it. I picked out a couple of interests that have a social aspect to them like karaoke, and writing critique groups, and decided to pursue them.
Mick was part of the first critique group I attended every other Thursday. He tried to pass himself off in one of my writing critique groups as a “moderate” but from a couple of things he said, I already knew he was very much an adherent of leftist ideology. Just little things he said. DEI talking points. And he had a sense of style that shouted “reasonable progressive liberal”
I think Bradley Whitford is from ”Central Casting” of a progressive.
I liked Mick though. Despite all the craptastic horrible ideology, I liked the guy. It was because of him I went to a third critique group for awhile that took place at a public library. Believe it or not, you can like people in spite of their politics. I doubt he knew he was in the presence of a “libertarian.” However, it didn’t take long before he found out.
If you are going to talk politics on social media and I disagree/agree/or have questions, I will voice those questions (imagine that, engaging someone on social media!)
I knew writing critique groups were stuffed with this type of ideology. At one point one of the groups I attended ground to a halt when a discussion erupted over how differences in women’s/men’s wages might not be entirely based on systemic sexism. The person in question made some very valid points with statistics which echoed some of the sentiments I heard talked about by Jordan Peterson. Please comment below on your thoughts on Jordan Peterson, or Jordan Almonds. I don’t play “hero ball,” and I am willing to throw anyone under the bus, including myself.
Mick was a poet mainly, he also wrote a children’s book to which I contributed one illustration. Mick thought that crowdsourcing illustration was a good idea. So the character on each page was about as similar looking as an AI rendering.
(Incidentally, Mick must be having an out-of-body experience with AI-generated art.)
Mick also helped organize a writing Event every couple of months at a local eatery where the proceeds of it went to the food bank. It was a fun experience. We had live readings and book giveaways. He had the look and demeanor of someone as I said, central casting of a “reasonable progressive liberal.”
And then Covid hit.
Mick swallowed the narrative. Many of us did. I don’t think any of us are unscathed. But most of us went only as far as putting nice little badges around our names as being part of the stay home/stay safe crowd, or proud to wear the mask. But Mick, as I said, was progressive, and part of it is you have to progressively insert yourself into other people’s business.
Let me stop here and say that I did not fall for the narrative, but I say “us” because I don’t like the game of “othering” people. I like Mick, I love my close family members who bought into the narrative and who have not talked to me in months or years.
Back to Mick.
At one point Mick was telling all of us “Grandma Killers” to “wear the damn mask” on Facebook, and I had to question him as to why. I think he also stated that we all should keep our damn asses at home.
He posted, I commented.
At one point he told me that if the government told him to wear green underwear on his head to stop Covid, he would do it. Then he (and his wife also in the comments) tried to sway me with their personal story about the vulnerable people in their lives they were “masking for” and my response was to share the vulnerable people in my life who the last thing they demanded was accommodation.
Also, how I did not mask for them or any other “vulnerable person” to memory over the last 53 years of my life (this was back in 2020) I think I also asked where this “accommodation slope” would end. He ended up blocking and unfollowing me on Facebook.
Mick is not your buddy. I think I am being “Mickist” here. I have a feeling I would love to hang out with Mick Fleewood, Mickey Dolans, and who doesn’t like a McChicken?
Smash cut to the present.
On Twitter, this “Mick” is in the UK. He has a sea of ad hominem attacks for dissenters and “freedom lovers” like me. Another post of his was how a pro freedom guy made a comment about how women should be arrested for getting short haircuts.
Apparently Mick thinks those of us who like freedom want to limit other’s haircuts.
What I find interesting is somehow he is of the opinion that those of us who love freedom, don’t have opinions, or might say things that are full of hyperbole. You know, the same people no doubt he wants to censor for disseminating dangerous misinformation.
What Mick either forgot or somehow misplaced the context for is this was a big joke for a number of decades, that people would say that for whatever ridiculous fashion violation there is, someone should be arrested.
”That guy with a mullet should be sentenced to 1980’s jail.”
”He should be arrested for wearing white socks with sandals.”
”Jenna should be arrested for wearing white after Labor Day.”
"Teresa should be flogged with a scarf for the ridiculous amount of turquoise she is wearing.”
The reason why those of us who like freedom is precisely to fight not only for people to have the right to do things we don’t like, but also to have the ability to voice those opinions of things we ourselves don’t like. The way society is supposed to work is you are acting on a choice, other people shit on it, and then you do whatever you want anyhow. Or you may decide not to engage in the same behavior you did before you were ridiculed for it.
Like—while I support fat people wearing tank tops, I also support people making fun of fat people (like me) wearing tank tops. Just in case anyone is thinking that I would wear a tank top. The answer is no.
Anyhow, this “Mick” the latest “Mick” keeps asking me to show him the data on how vaccines aren’t as effective as he says they are. Meanwhile, the vaccine never did as it was originally advertised to do, was mandated ostensibly then because it was to “lessen the severity” of recipient’s illness” and yet those who did not vaccinate do not appear to be having any serious illness.
Mick calls me a cult.
I don’t traffic in fear. If you mention “long Covid” that under the rules of engagement allows me to ask legitimate questions about Long Covid origins. Pre-existing conditions, new emergent conditions, and the vaccine are legitimate questions. I will be honest with you and tell you, that I knew of two people in 2020 who died apparently with symptoms synonymous “with Covid” I will also tell you there are a few people I know post-vaccination who had issues with blood pressure, reinfection, and other issues…like cancer.
I don’t know anyone personally who has died from the Covid injection. I also don’t know anyone healthy who died from Covid infection. In a subsequent post following this, I will also state something that will make it appear as if the wheels have come off the wagon. Although those who I deal with on Twitter think this of me already.
Isn’t one of the things that cults do is psychological coercion you saw to try to coerce and manipulate you into doing things that don’t make sense? They use fear and other emotions to make you do things you would not otherwise do…or be hesitant to do. Maybe they would find ways to get you to eject “ideological bs” and do what you are told.
I do belong to a cult. The cult of “It Doesn’t Make Sense.” Like, why is a vaccine mandated that it only boasts that it relieves the risk of severe sickness in the recipient? It does not prevent infection, it does not prevent transmission.
The Ninth Circuit Court apparently believes like I do, that forcing someone to take a vaccine that only benefits them is unconstitutional. And I only mention this because remarkably, it also makes sense.
Because the court is wisely thinking. "If this precedent passes, then what will stop the government from mandating universal bans and interventions based on if it only benefits the recipient? This is in essence…mandating for all what may only benefit or accommodate one. does it make sense that gluten should be banned for everyone if it only benefits those who have an allergy to gluten? Should all Thai restaurants be shut down to accommodate those with peanut allergies?
The Micks of the world I think might say they do.
Can I join your cult? It never made any sense to me although malfeasance makes much of it add up.
FYI The male/female wage gap is a motherhood gap. Women who do not have children earn as much as men in comparable roles. However when women have children they tend to change jobs/roles to reduce working hours. This seems to be entirely voluntary and applies in every developed country where there are statistics. If you search for motherhood gap using your search engine of choice you'll find a lot of stuff about it