For his Friday "reality check" on CNN's New Day, John Avlon claimed that the Canadian trucker protests constitute a "right-wing Trucker tantrum" supported by Americans who hypocritically call themselves pro-life.
Avlon's plea to "Call it what it is: A right-wing trucker tantrum" was preceded by a worry that the protests could move to the U.S. and "screw up the Super Bowl," Avlon declared. "Look, truckers are in many ways the lifeblood of our economy, they deserve respect and appreciation, but not special exemption from public health laws."
Not taking time to consider that maybe public health laws need to change or that one-size-fits-all rules are not necessary, Avlon added, "The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that almost 90 percent of Canada's truckers are vaccinated, as a new law for cross border travel requires and that suggests once again we are seeing a loud minority screw things up for the rest of us. But that's in some ways the story of our times."
Meanwhile, CNN has actually spoken to vaccinated Canadians who support the unvaccinated truckers.
Transitioning to the situation in the U.S., Avlon proclaimed: "We’ve seen more than 915,000 of our fellow Americans die. And yet the partisan outrage is often directed at public health policies that have strived to stop the spread while the staggering loss of life is almost ignored, by people who in other contexts proudly call themselves pro-life."
Attempting to portray himself as man of science and nuance, Avlon declared that:
As the data changes we can and should adjust our tactics, mask mandates make less sense in places where [the] virus is subsiding and transmission risk is low, but few states currently hit the threshold. News flash though, right? Nobody likes wearing masks. It’s something we do to protect other people, particularly the most vulnerable during a pandemic and that's what's getting lost in translation here. Everyone likes to think they're fighting for freedom. But as common sense and common decency shows, my right to swing my fist ends at your nose. Trying to hold society hostage to your demands isn't consistent with the common good. Because liberty implies civic responsibility in a democracy.
Earlier in his diatribe, Avlon pointed to how 75 percent of American adults are vaccinated. He was attempting to portray the truckers' supporters as being on the fringe, but it actually sabotages his own point. With so many vaccinated, there is no justifiable reason to keep emergency measures in place.
This segment was sponsored by AARP.
Here is a transcript of the February 11 show:
CNN's New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar
2/11/2022
8:29 AM ETJOHN AVLON: Now there’s even talk of bringing trucker protests south of the Canadian border, just in time to screw up the Super Bowl. With a DHS bulletin warning it could “severely disrupt transportation, federal government operations, commercial facilities, and emergency services through gridlock and potential counter-protests.” Look, truckers are in many ways the life blood of our economy, they deserve respect and appreciation, but not special exemption from public health laws. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that almost 90% of Canada's truckers are vaccinated, as a new law for cross border travel requires and that suggests once again we are seeing a loud minority screw things up for the rest of us. But that's in some ways the story of our times. In the USA around, 75% of adults are vaccinated and vast, vast majority of recent pandemic deaths are among the unvaccinated. It’s the deadliest form of tribal virtue signaling imaginable, but it also has an impact on everyone else. Look, it has been over two years since the first cases of COVID reached the United States. We’ve seen more than 915,000 of our fellow Americans die.
And yet the partisan outrage is often directed at public health policies that have strived to stop the spread while the staggering loss of life is almost ignored, by people who in other contexts proudly call themselves pro-life. Look, feelings of frustration are totally understandable. As the data changes we can and should adjust our tactics, mask mandates make less sense in places where virus is subsiding and transmission risk is low, but few states currently hit the threshold. News flash though, right? Nobody likes wearing masks. It’s something we do to protect other people, particularly the most vulnerable during a pandemic and that's what's getting lost in translation here. Everyone likes to think they're fighting for freedom. But as common sense and common decency shows, my right to swing my fist ends at your nose. Trying to hold society hostage to your demands isn't consistent with the common good. Because liberty implies civic responsibility in a democracy. So don't call it a freedom convoy as the organizers like to
claim. Call it what it is. A right-wing trucker tantrum. And that's your reality check.
