Like, for a party that is full of anti-mask sentiment, they sure do love to wear metaphorical masks. One thing I said at the exit interview for a job I worked is, “When are you going to admit that you don’t really see me or any of the guys on the shop floor as ‘people’?”

And I’d like to put it forward to Republicans. What’s it going to take to get you to take your mask off? What’s it going to take to get you to admit you see everyone who isn’t you as livestock? You know you’re full of shit, we know you’re full of shit, and you know that we know, and we know that you know that we know. Can we just drop the pretense and be honest with each other for a little bit?

It’s like, when two people are in a romantic relationship, and that relationship enters a rough patch, but instead of fighting, moving on, and healing, both sides just have some unspoken agreement to keep pretending that everything is fine. The more I think about it, I kinda realize that it’s like a game of chicken. First to drop the charade loses. And neither side wants to lose.