Arnold Schwarzenegger was once a popular figure in the Republican Party, and he definitely helped the GOP retain their idiotic “we’re big strong men” branding. But then something weird happened – the Republican Party went off the f–king deep end with racism, white supremacy, terrorism, lies and anti-science. Modern Republicans are truly a death cult. And Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t want any part of it. He’s been consistently critical of Republicans for their white supremacy and terrorism, and he’s been appalled by their death-cult attitude to the pandemic. Schwarzenegger gave an interview this week to support Alex Vindman’s new book. You can see the full video here (Vindman is on the link-up), but Arnold went off in a great way about vaccines and masks:
“A year and a half later, we are still in a mess and there are still people living in denial, there are still people that don’t believe in masks, there are still people out there who say, ‘Well, we don’t have to do social distancing,‘ and all this kind of stuff. And I just think that people ought to be reminded over and over that the experts are saying that we have to wear masks, especially when you go indoors, the experts are saying that you should still wash your hands regularly, you should still do social distancing, especially now with this new comeback of the virus, which is the fourth round now, that we have to really go and work together.”
“Look, I am an expert on how to build a bicep…there’s no one who knows more about a bicep than I do because I studied this issue for 50 years. And the same is also with the virus. There are people out there who are experts that studied this year after year after year…Dr. [Anthony] Fauci [has studied viruses] for his entire life, why would you not believe someone like that?”
“I think people should know there is a virus here, it kills people. And the only way we prevent it is we get vaccinated, we wear masks, we do social distancing, washing your hands all of the time, and not just to think about, ‘Well, my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.’ No, screw your freedom. Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities. You cannot just say, ‘I have the right to do x, y, and z,’ when you affect other people. That is when it gets serious. It’s like, no different than a traffic light. They put the traffic light in the intersection so someone doesn’t kill someone else by accident. You cannot say, ‘No one is going to tell me that I’m going to stop here, I’m going to go right through it.’ Yeah, then you kill someone else. It is the same thing with the virus.”
“You cannot go and not put the mask on because when you breathe you can infect someone else, and you can infect someone that then gets sick and may die. So this is why I think we all have to work together on this.… We have to come together rather than fighting and always just saying, ‘According to my principles this is a free country and I have the freedom to wear no mask.’ Yeah, you have the freedom to wear no mask, but you know something? You’re a schmuck for not wearing a mask.”
Yeah. Exactly. I’m tired of playing patty-cake with these a–holes. It’s been 18 months of this sh-t. Get a vaccine. Don’t be a schmuck. Wear a mask. Stop whining about “muh freedums.” It might sound like jeez, of course, all of this is perfectly obvious. Did you know that here in America, there are people PROTESTING outside of hospitals? Protesting masks. Protesting the vaccine. Protesting the delta variant. They’re screaming at overworked healthcare workers for doing their jobs. Yes, we need more high-profile people like Arnold and like Republican g–damn leadership telling people to get f–king vaccinated. Enough of this bullsh-t.
The parking lot after a school board meeting last night in Franklin, the wealthiest place in Tennessee. Parents harassed medical professionals who had spoken in favor of masks in schools. “We know who you are. You can leave freely, but we will find you.” pic.twitter.com/SzR0uvMeE7
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) August 11, 2021
Yesterday while I was talking with @AVindman and @biannagolodryga about Alex’s new book, I was asked about my comment about COVID misinformation that all of you are sharing. Here was my answer: pic.twitter.com/8LKhPIJ1Eu
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) August 11, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I think these jacks want civil war.
They’ll be dead or debilitated before they can even start one.
Here’s hoping
The longer this goes on, the angrier I become. If people want to go live alone in the woods, fine, don’t get vaccinated. If you want to be a functioning member of society, though? Do your duty and take some freaking responsibility. This is exhausting. Our individualistic obsession in this country will be its downfall.
Wow…a celebrity that actually makes sense!!! Hopefully these a**hats will listen.
Sigh. Good, Arnold, but they will turn on him like they turn on everyone else. Be on his side when it benefits them but now it will be, he’s become a liberal, he’s not even from here, etc etc. I can hear it already. Perhaps I’ve lost hope but I think it’s down to natural selection now and we just have to work toward getting vaccinations for under 12 and try to save the next generation.
Yeah, I have had it with the crap from the antivaxxers, trumpets, and other idiots. It isn’t about their “freedums,” it is about being socially responsible citizens who do the right thing.
Screw their freedom indeed. Get the freaking vaccine. At least wear a freaking mask.
Freedom comes with responsibility. Being a decent human being is the least anyone can do.
Arnold is right & let’s not forget he is from Austria that was under fascist rule during WW2. So he knows how freedom works. There are obligations & responsibilities.
His comment summarize my feelings so well. Not only for Americans everybody around the world, screw your freedom and get vaccinated.
I’m glad that he’s speaking out so loudly about this. Good.
My county Board of Ed met last night. They decided NOT to mandate masks. We’re one of the only counties in my state not requiring masks in schools and the only county in my area. There some comments in a moms group I’m in on FB about “FREEDOM!” and “we won!” and “if you’re scared wear a mask and you should be fine.” I cannot believe we are 18 months in and I still have to explain to people how masks work. My mask protects you, yours protects me. That said I’m absolutely having my kids wear masks in school, and I know a lot of other parents who are as well, but even so – the school board didn’t even care about the science or the recommendations from groups like the AAP. It’s so disheartening.
Some of these women screaming “we won!” are going to end up with really sick or even dead kids because of their stupidity, which is probably going to feel a lot less victorious.
The ultimate and unreversable self own.
Their kid is dead but they sure owned the Libs! Cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I have tried to explain the “freedom” aspect to my relatives abroad. They don’t understand the concept – just like the gun issue. While I appreciate what our forefathers tried to put in place, I don’t think they really had the understanding that some people are idiots, are selfish and care more themselves than the greater good. That said, then there are some who just want to be belligerent. I laugh at those who tell me it’s due to religious reasons they aren’t getting vaccinated – yet I have not seen them in church in AGES.
This issue with vacination & mask wearing is each to their own for me. I honestly will not be worrying about strangers not talking care of themselves. It’s energy draining & I am not the nanny’s people. Each person makes & lives by their own choices .
But it isn’t just that. This isn’t only a personal choice. I highly doubt that if you had a family member or friend killed by a drunk driver, you would simply say, “to each their own.” The people not getting vaccinated and not wearing masks are impacting the well-being of everyone else. The longer they behave in such a way, the more regulations for the rest of us, and the greater chance that a new variant emerges that current vaccines provide no protection from. I agree that it’s energy draining, but also pretty important.
Except when their choices can harm others. Just like Arnold said, we have all collectively agreed to obey traffic laws. We’ve all collectively agreed to abide by lots of rules, regulations and laws because allowing everyone to make their own choice would be deadly. If your refusal to contain your viral particles causes my too-young-for-the-vaccine child to get sick or die, you’re a horrible person and should not be part of civilized society. You (collective) should be ashamed to place a higher premium on your individual “rights” than on your responsibility to protect those smaller, weaker, or sicker than you. It’s disgusting. Rights come with responsibilities. You can’t have one without the other.
Schools have required vaccinations for generations. Mass vaccination was how we eradicated polio. Nobody in that generation was screaming about their “rights” or their “freedom”, they all rolled up their sleeves and believed in science. Caring about the greater good is part of being a truly evolved, mature person. My 13 year-old (vaccinated the day after the EAU was issued) said the other day, “these people all agree to wear pants, and nobody is protesting the oppression of pants, why are they flipping out about masks? It’s just dumb.” He’s a wise child.
That’s just not how pandemics work.
So the un-vaccinated should not be showing up at hospitals, since they want to “live by their choices.
Though he’s had personal messiness and he’s a Republican, I really like what Arnold has said now and before about the vaccines/virus/etc. Also back in November he used his own money to pay to keep polls open that we’re closing—I loved that. He’s one of the Republicans that we can keep.
The current state of the Republican party is so extreme, it is unrecognizable.
I definitely have developed a new respect for Arnold. He was VERY vocal about comparing 1/6 to Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany, and tRump’s assent to Hitler’s, both VERY apt comparisons.
Happily surprised by him in this. Yes to all that.
I agree with Arnold.
I have a relative who works in the office of a large local medical clinic, the clinic has set policy get the vaccine, mask, etc. or your employment will be terminated.
She has until 8/20/21 to comply.
She actually spoke to me about “Can you help me financially? Because I refuse to get the shots, and I might really lose my job.”
My response “No. Do not ask me again. Get your 2X shots as soon as you can. I am fed up hearing your BS.”
Actually, I have been fed up and disgusted by the entire non vax BS, ever since the vax became available.
My God people.
If there was a vax to cure cancer these a*holes would refuse that also.
Are we China yet?
Good for him! Glad that he is being sensible. And resisting the modern-day Republican party rhetoric – he knows about extremism coming from Austria.