Reading Twitter: Some tragedies are easily predictable

Wherein I spare you the mental anguish of reading Twitter:

I relate to this.

Sports Fan Has Opinion https://t.co/Vy3HS6aR97 pic.twitter.com/Q4uttsPoAI

— The Onion (@TheOnion) June 24, 2018

This genre of story annoyed me until James Fallows made this point.

Frequent “Trump supporters still support Trump” stories can seem strange if you ask why we don’t see “Jerry Brown supporters still support Brown,” “Chuck Schumer supporters” etc
They make more sense to me when I remember similar stories on steadfast Marion Barry supporters in DC. https://t.co/gl04CfkLbi

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) June 24, 2018

Trade-offs are a constant, even with the massive resources of the federal government.

People should really pay attention to this story, which is the evidence that Trump's zero-tolerance and family separation border policy is happening INSTEAD OF what should be higher priority investigations, prosecutions, and removals. https://t.co/J5yXbyNrxK

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) June 23, 2018

What's weird about this media-saturated age is that the oncoming tragedies are quite predictable, if one has the stomach to look.

Trump's cramming 1,000 immigrants into an overcrowded #Victorville prison in California's Mojave Desert. Staff say it's unsafe and 'detainee deaths' will occur. Reporter: @LaurenWeberHP of @HuffPost. https://t.co/luYZ2JvgFe pic.twitter.com/LkDKXxYN2w

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) June 24, 2018

Speaking on easily predictable oncoming tragedies, on that's right up there on the list is the slow death of safety-net hospitals because we, as a society, insist on shortchanging paying for health care for the neediest. "GOP state legislatures refusing to accept the Medicaid expansion" sounds sort of bloodless. The consequences are easier to understand if you rephrase it to: "GOP rejects federal money because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, kills off hospitals of last resort and, by extension, people."

Lack of expansion had a huge negative impact on our General Hospital. Without expansion lots of Nashville residents can't access a continuum of care unless they go there.
Without a hospital more Nashville residents will die. https://t.co/qoBb6YvASA

— Fabian Bedne (@bedne) June 24, 2018

It is good to know some things will never change.

They try like hell to kill it but New York is still there. https://t.co/4NBUMyxVTc

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) June 24, 2018