In the liberal blogsophere, it is often said, "What Digby sez..." And she even put that into the title of her blog in the last year, as she is often wise. However, this post is one which is emblematic of where I disagree with Digby's worldview. It is her commentary about the barber in New York State who re-opened, against the government's shut down order, and ironically, but not surprisingly, tested positive thereafter for the virus, and likely spread it.
Digby is wrong in her headline in terms of priority and she is wrong when she says it is "daft" for the barber to blame politicians for what is happening to his business.
First, the headline. She is right "a haircut is not essential." However, what the barber is yelling about is his right to earn a living. He is not longing to give someone a haircut. He is longing to be paid for doing a service so he can pay other bills.
Second, Digby's argument that the barbar is "daft" to blame politicians. This is Digby at her comfortable Santa Monica culturally liberal worst. It is actually proper to blame Establishment Washington, from Trump to McConnell, from Pelosi to Schumer, for not doing what other nations, whether it is Canada, New Zealand, or much of Europe, which is the paycheck guarantee program, and a robust small business bailout. I really wonder, Digby, who do you blame for his loss of income in his business when the government told him to shut down his business?
Oh well. It is why Digby was never a Bernie fan, and voted Warren this time. It is a limitation that, frankly, in this moment, is really disappointing. I get the guy is probably an asshole at one level or another. But to deny his pain and essentially erase his best argument is, well, worse than daft. For it is an argument that erases the suffering of so many workers, whether non-essential or essential, and it is precisely where the small businessperson's interests and the workers' interests combine. Digby, however, is content to just demonize the guy and obscure the point I just made here.
