I think you're both right. I do think he is not forgotten among the professional political actors in the evangelical community, who have long memories. But I also think the whole "plandemic" plot to make Trump lose narrative has currency. And just the fact that a pandemic by definition upsets philosophical priors. Like global warming, a pandemic undermines the individualist narrative that we control our own fate. We are confronted by the reality (though they try to deny it) that no individual, no family, no community, exists apart from society, with no bond other than common defense. We are part of an overall society that has to depend upon each other with common fates based upon common action. The opposite of the whole Margaret Thatcher "there is no society" argument. That is a core philosophical cleavage that remains in existence, although the new Trumpian Right has some different twists on it. There is also the fact that Fauci was part of the international community for virology research. Rand Paul still wants to stick him with lying to Congress on the gain of function research funding issue. Fauci is right, of course, but it is something you can create a lot of mischief on because it's confusing, and because of the undeniable fact that the international community at least used to collaborate on virus issues. One can question some of their judgments in giving scientists unregulated research autonomy. I think there is validity in those criticisms, to a degree. But that's not really where people like Rand Paul are coming from. One is just being petty and partisan, and two there's the whole sovereignty issue. They don't believe the world should ever have common interests where nations work together through elite expertise. This stuff usually happens under the radar but is brought to light when things like the pandemic occur. Much of the public instinctively doesn't understand the benefits of elite scientific collaboration and doesn't like it, even if it makes sense from a policy level. That's another area where pandemics really disturb the worldview of the Right. Not only is it a societal issue where an individual cannot master their own fate (which really doesn't exist in any arena, but it's not quite as indisputable), it's also a hazard that is not specific to nations and does not recognize borders. Fauci symbolizes all that.
Yeah, he's been talking about retiring for a while now. But the Trumper take on this is something like Fauci is fleeing to Argentina because he knows when Trump gets reinstated in 2023 he'll be charged in the micro-chipping scandal by FBI director Giuliani...
Speaking only for myself I knew who he was back in the early '80s when he played a key role in identifying the virus that causes HIV/AIDS. Interestingly, Fauci was attacked in the mid-'80s by ACTUP, an organization whose membership largely consisted of gay men for insufficiently responding to the AIDS epidemic much the same way he has been attacked by the right for the government's response to the Covid pandemic albeit for different reasons.
Not a lot of people have 50 years of government service. Clearly not doing it for the money since he maxed out his pension years ago
An American hero despised only by the ignorant or, worse, by the politically motivated....or, in one case, the irrationally obsessed.
If you reply and say that you’re joking, I won’t block you. Otherwise, although I hate to do it, I am blocking you because I just don’t want to read this garbage anymore.
Learn to spell before you call other people incomeptent (sic). He actually did a damn good job considering that the entire world was in unknown territory. If he had been listened to by Trump and the other so-called Republicans, it might have saved 900,000 people.
If you are one that cannot recognize basic science and the reality fauci not only changed his tune to fit the narrative but also pushed one of the most damaging public health policies in history (certainly of this era)… I can’t help you. I sure hope you did not have kids or grandkids living in states that followed this tyrant. Granted they probably have the means to avoid the damage this man inflicted on so many.
Science does not start with the answers. That's religion. Science sometimes makes you change direction as you learn more. Fauci was doing the best he could with the information he had. Trump would've done better to listen to Fauci, or Birx. Instead, Trump threw the pandemic playbook in the garbage, and the US had some of the worst COVID numbers in the world. That's not Fauci's fault. Fauci has decades of public service as a leading doctor in infectious diseases. A distinguished career. Too bad, during the most important moments of Fauci's career, he worked for a guy who suggested shoving UV light up the backside.
