Summary

The article highlights a series of bizarre and controversial decisions and beliefs in American politics and culture, from legislative actions to personal opinions of lawmakers.

Abstract

The United States is portrayed as a nation where certain legislative and personal actions of its citizens and lawmakers defy logic and scientific consensus. Examples include North Carolina's ban on using climate change predictions for coastal development, West Virginia politicians getting sick from drinking raw milk after advocating for its benefits, attempts to legalize gay conversion therapy despite its discredit by health organizations, the late repeal of a New Mexico law banning "idiots" from voting, the significantly higher cost of medical procedures like hip replacements in the U.S. compared to other countries, the support for conspiracy theories and opposition to climate change initiatives by some politicians like Lauren Boebert, the complexity of sales tax application across different states, the criminalization of public profanity in Rockville, Maryland, and the quirky campaign promises of political satirist Vermin Love Supreme.

Opinions

The author expresses bewilderment at some Americans' disregard for science, as seen in the rejection of climate change predictions and the promotion of raw milk consumption despite health risks.
There is a critical view of the persistence of conversion therapy in certain states, despite it being widely discredited and harmful.
The author points out the irony in the delayed repeal of an archaic New Mexico law against voting by "idiots," suggesting a connection to the election of Donald Trump.
The cost of healthcare in the U.S. is presented as excessively high, with an example showing it's cheaper to have medical procedures done abroad.
The author condemns the spread of conspiracy theories and the obstruction of climate change initiatives by some politicians, implying these actions are not in the public's interest.
The varying sales tax rates across U.S. states are seen as an unnecessary complication that could be resolved by including tax in the listed price of goods.
The author finds the prohibition of swearing in public to be an absurd law, highlighting the overreach of legislative control over language.
Vermin Love Supreme's candidacy is used to illustrate both the eccentricities of American politics and a longing for more lighthearted and fantastical political promises, such as time travel research and free ponies.

It’s Whackadoodle Over There— This is the Most American Shit Ever

The United States is like my youngest child, there’s lots of love — but sometimes he makes me say WTF?

I know!

We let self-serving, money-grabbing, buffoons run the United Kingdom — then I read what Americans did, and our moronic bunch don’t seem so bad.

Please, this isn’t about the UK being better. This isn’t about America being worse. It isn’t reflective of every American. There are dumb people here too.

It’s just the things that made me raise an eyebrow and waggle my eyes from side to side to see if anyone else is also thinking, “This can’t be true.”

This is the most American shit ever.

The King Cnut Lawmakers

Scientists at Climate Central did a vulnerability assessment for sea-level rises and coastal flooding.

Climate Central is not an advocacy organization. They do not lobby or support any specific legislation, policy or bill.

Their scientists publish peer-reviewed research on climate science and energy impacts, such as sea-level rise. Their 2012 study predicted a 39-inch rise in sea level along the North Carolina coast over the next century.

The state of North Carolina is low-lying and takes the brunt of hurricanes coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.

What did their lawmakers do?

They reached new heights of denial.

They passed a law banning the use of scientific climate change predictions when considering new developments along the coast.

Hello irony my old friend

Raw milk advocates argue it’s a natural food and contains more amino acids, antimicrobials, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids than pasteurised milk.

“Pasteurisation no longer serves a purpose,” they say. “It reduces the overall nutrition and health benefits of milk.”

Science does not back up these claims.

Pasteurisation was introduced in response to an epidemic of tuberculosis in the early 1900s after contaminated dairy killed about 65,000 people.

To celebrate new legislation which lifted a ban on raw milk, politicians in West Virginia poured themselves glasses of raw milk and guess what — they got sick.

Who’d have thought? Science is actually a thing.

Really! In this day and age?

Let’s get one thing straight about being gay. It’s not a choice.

Conversion therapy is a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

For decades, every mainstream medical and mental health organisation has rejected conversion therapy.

Garrard Conley’s story is worth reading if you have any doubts that conversion therapy isn’t a breach of basic human rights.

It’s a scientific fact, conversion therapy does not work and can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide.

Yet, as recently as 2020, Florida republicans filed a bill to legalise gay conversion therapy.

And making the Florida Republicans seem a little less Methuselah, is Gordon Klingenschmitt member of the Colorado House of Representatives 2015–2017.

He’s a former Navy chaplain who has repeatedly bragged about performing a gay exorcism to rid a woman of her “foul spirit of lesbianism.”

He also believes Obamacare “causes cancer.”

This might explain it

In New Mexico, there was a law that stood for 100 hundred years, making it illegal for “idiots” to vote.

They were, of course, referring to people suffering from mental illness. They did not repeal the law and its obvious use of discriminatory language until 2016. What year was Trump voted in?

Coincidence?

Hip replacement

A hip replacement in the United States costs $40,363. The same operation in Poland costs $5,500.

That means an American citizen could fly to Warsaw, receive their hip replacement, and find a nice place to recuperate for a month.

Then, hire a car, travel the country for another two or three months, stay in the best hotels, eat in the best restaurants and enjoy delicious wine.

After that, they could get their other hip replaced and fly home for less than the cost of a single hip replacement in the US.

Facepalm central

Congressional representative Lauren Boebert — need I say more?

This is a woman who still supports Trump’s false claims of election fraud and, more worryingly, has voiced support for the right-wing conspiracy group QAnon.

She introduced a bill to block President Biden from rejoining the Paris agreement and tweeted:

‘I work for the people of Pueblo, not the people of Paris,’

The Paris climate agreement is so named because they signed it in the French capital. Lauren, it is not an accord to benefit the people of Paris.

Is this the best thing she can do for the people of Pueblo? The answer is a categorical no. It is not in their interests or their children’s interests.

One of President Biden’s first acts in office was signing an executive order to recommit the US to the global climate pact, to cut the greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet.

Boebert tried to block funding for the executive order.

It’s quite taxing

You know, sales tax. Everywhere you go shopping in the USA the goods have a price tag and when you get to the checkout, they add on the sales tax.

They have to add it on at some stage. Why not do it before you put the goods on the shelves, like every other civilised nation in the world?

Oh, and it’s not the same percentage tax across the nation — it varies from state to state.

W.T.F.

Have Americans never heard of the enduring power of a good f**k? Particularly useful if you stub your toe or an idiot cuts you off in traffic.

In 2017, legislators in Rockville, Maryland, made it a misdemeanour to swear in public.

Watch your tongue.

And finally, a man we can all get behind

Vermin Love Supreme is an aspiring politician. He’s run as a candidate in various local, state, and national elections in the United States.

Vermin is a member of the Libertarian Party, a political party that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, and laissez-faire capitalism.

Vermin is known for wearing a boot for a hat and for carrying a large toothbrush. If elected President of the United States, he will pass a law requiring people to brush their teeth.

He has campaigned on raising awareness of a zombie apocalypse, wants to fund time travel research, and has promised a free pony for every American.

Yay! A free pony — I might just move to America if you vote him in.

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