What's the pay-off?

Over seven decades observing my fellow humans, I know one thing that seems to hold true for almost everyone: no matter how we try to avoid saying it directly, we do what is in our best interests.

This may be simple logic. This may be due to evolutionary factors, like those who take care of themselves and seek what benefits them tend to have larger families, more offspring, etc. This may be due to our species being inherently selfish. Maybe the advice we get on airplanes applies: put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.

Even people who are clearly quite charitable and who volunteer lots of time and money and expertise tend to get something they value from all that giving. That doesn't strike me as a problem. It's a win-win for society and for the individuals.

That's why the increasing divergence between areas of the country that voted for Trump in 2020 or for Biden in terms of vaccination rates and death rates puzzles me. Check out this post from the New York Times Morning Report to see much more on the actual statistics.

From my perspective, it seems that a lot of Republicans (and I know vaccine denial is not limited to Rs) have made a conscious choice to risk death rather than risk the supposed negatives of vaccines. 

As for Republican politicians, it appears that they are OK with at least some number of their voters dying prematurely (I also realize that ALL voters and politicians eventually will die... though not Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, evidently, who just announced running for reelection at age 88).

I read about a rabidly right-wing minister from the Denver area who died from Covid last week, and who proudly refused the vaccine despite his imminent death. I kind of admire his loyalty to his cause, as he remained bigoted, hateful, and ignorant right to the end. At least he owned it.

All those stories we get about vaccine-deniers who recant on their death beds? I find it much harder to admire them since it took looking death in the face for them to reach the ultimate selfish confession: "I wish I could go on living and I realize now I made the wrong choice."

Those deaths make a mockery of the refrain about "God taking care of us." As my wife often notes: perhaps God IS taking care of us, through doctors and scientists, etc. The ultimate selfishness may lie in people who think they are so important to God that they will receive individual attention, on demand.

But there are counter-forces to self-interest, quite obviously.

I just wish more reasonable people were not being put in danger by hospitals being overburdened and by their neighbors blithely spreading disease.

I just don't see the pay-off.