Posted in: Comics | Tagged: buddy saunders, coronavirus, covid-19, lone star comics, my comic shop, texas, trump

MyComicShop Shares Coronavirus Fringe Science On Its Mailing List

Earlier today, Bleeding Cool reported that legendary comics retailer Buddy Saunders of MyComicShop in Texas revealed a little of what went down between DC Comics and Midtown Comics/UCS Comic Distributors. In the same e-mail, sent to the mailing list of the biggest comic book sellers in the world, he also talked about his political inclinations. Especially in this fractious electoral time in the USA. Buddy Saunders wrote;

Unless you are slow on the draw, you know by now who I early voted for. I'll not go into the many reasons why, beyond saying that, while Donald Trump may be an imperfect vessel (we all are), that imperfect vessel overflows with things I and a lot of others see as good for our free market capitalistic democratic republic. I liked what Donald Trump promised to do. He delivered, despite incredible opposition. He will continue to deliver in a second term, and I predict he will win.

He also shared a conversation with another working big business owner.

I just had a great conversation with a freight forwarder we use to move mid-sized collections (too small for an 18-wheeler) from buying partner locations to our warehouses. Tony, the owner of the company, immigrated here 17 years ago with nothing but a good brain, the willingness to work very hard, and a desire to live the American dream. The company he started is now nationwide. After we finished our business, I told Tony I had voted for Trump, and asked if he didn't mind telling me who he voted for.  He exploded with enthusiasm, saying "Trump, Trump, Trump, I tell all my friends it's gotta be Trump. Man! He is so good for business." I then went on to tell Tony that since the 2016 election, Lone Star Comics had added 20 new jobs. The pre-Covid job market under Trump was phenomenal. I voted for Trump because I want that trend continued.

And, as one who earlier chose to shut down his online business during the initial shutdowns, he seems to have a change of heart.

Last week I mentioned that the U.N.'s World Health Organization (WHO) has come out urging the world's nations to avoid shutdowns if at all possible, citing the harm shutdowns do to the most economically vulnerable. In response, I got an email from a reader saying the WHO had said no such thing. I went back and looked over what the WHO said and find myself sticking with what I originally reported.  Yes, the WHO didn't say absolutely that there should never be a lockdown, but the folks at WHO came pretty close. In fact, a lot of people besides lowly comic book sellers like me have been saying the same thing all along. It is easy for those safe and cozy in guaranteed jobs to have no problem with the young and less well-off having no jobs or, in the case of business people, our businesses being closed forever due to lockdowns. But, sorry, guys, we don't like being unemployed and losing our businesses.

Now comes this from The Epoch Times: "More than 34,000 medical doctors and health scientists from around the world have signed a declaration against lockdowns put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, saying the measures are causing "irreparable damage," according to an online petition initially created by three epidemiologists from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford."

Although courtesy of Wikipedia, The Epoch Times is an international multi-language newspaper and media company affiliated with the Falun Gong new religious movement. The Epoch Times opposes the Chinese Communist Party. It is also known to promote far-right politicians in Europe and backs President Donald Trump in the U.S. A 2019 report by NBC News showed it to be the second-largest funder of pro-Trump Facebook advertising after the Trump campaign. The Epoch Media Group's news sites and YouTube channels have spread conspiracy theories such as QAnon and anti-vaccination propaganda.

NBC also reported that "Facebook took down more than 600 accounts tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy website The Epoch Times for using identities created by artificial intelligence to push stories about a variety of topics including impeachment and elections." And now being shared with MyComicShop customers. And as for that specific report that he shares?

The petition that Buddy cites is called The Great Barrington Declaration, which calls for an end to shutdowns, for the general population to develop "herd immunity," and for the more vulnerable to enter isolation. Many medical experts have declared this to be fringe science. The evidence or experience does not back it. The signing website – which does not name signees, nor require accreditation for any declared medical practitioner, is linked to a libertarian thinktank. Last week, respected medical journal The Lancet posted a retort signed by 80 named medical experts, stating that this approach was a "dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence." But as Buddy puts it,

If you disagree and think lockdowns are great and necessary, that's just fine. I'll not call you a liar or an idiot just because your opinion differs from mine. And I hope you'll extend me the same courtesy.

Will do. It's always good to look at what actual evidence backs up your opinions though, you never know, it might change them. Because, I don't know anyone who thinks lockdowns are great… just that sometimes with great power, there must come great responsibility. And that counts for mailing lists too.

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