Spoiler alert! After reading all the buzz about the recent Netflix movie hit, “Don’t Look Up,” I convinced friends to watch it. With an all-star cast, the movie is about an Earth-killing comet headed right for our planet, and when discovered, the world has six months to figure out what to do. It’s a beautifully written satire where real people inspired the characters. Some of us had a few tequila shots in preparation for the realistic comedy. Appropriately, the movie is described as “based on real events that haven’t happened yet.” But I’m left with the question, are we sure they aren’t happening now?
As we kick off 2022, we find ourselves in another tidal wave of COVID-19, a climate crisis that we’ve been unable to agree on how to handle, and a government that looks like kids fighting in a sandbox. Meryl Streep played the character of President Orlean, a Trump-like leader that was more focused on profits and approval ratings over the safety of the planet. Even though she surrounded herself with scientists, like Dr. Mindy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, her tune changed when she was met with competing business interests. President Orlean aborted the mission to nuke the comet when an Elon Musk-type tech tycoon discovered that the meteor carried trillions of dollars in rare Earth metals.
Corporate profits and the stock market took priority as the world’s fate waned as every day passed. At one point, the comet could be seen by the naked eye, and to deny the reality headed straight for Earth, President Orlean and her political cronies started the “Don’t Look Up” campaign. As thousands chanted, hats reminiscent of MAGA read, “Don’t Look Up” in true Trumpian fashion. The comet was in their face, yet they chose to keep their eyes turned from impending doom.
Sadly, it wasn’t until it was too late that the Don’t-Look-Uppers realized they were being defrauded and hurled trash at the president. But it was too late. The meteor struck planet Earth exactly where scientists had calculated. Our beautiful blue planet turned into a ball of fire.
So how is this any different from what we’re seeing today? We are literally witnessing the comet coming straight toward us, and we can’t seem to get our act together, whether at the national or local levels. Look at what’s happening in cities across San Mateo County — city councils presenting urgent ordinances to swerve around new laws meant to create new homes when people are sleeping on the streets and in cars. There aren’t enough homes! We also have cities trying to circumvent the state-mandated housing numbers when studies show we’re millions of homes short in our state.
In Washington, D.C., we couldn’t get a bill passed that would have changed America for the better. It included billions to end homelessness, repairing roads and bridges, expanding broadband internet, modernizing the electric grid, incentivizing pollution-free technology, and the list goes on and on. It was a modern-day New Deal.
Recommended for you
2020 and 2021 have clearly laid out the inequities toward low-income, working-class and people of color. They were always there, but now they’re in our face. And, one of the reasons why we are where we are is because we do not have enough representation of the interests of said groups at all levels of government. Our government is reactionary at best, but only after entering into crisis. Handing out food is helpful to families in need in the short term, but what about after the volunteers have gone home?
2022 is an opportunity for us to elect people that represent the folks most affected by the pandemic, whether it’s for city council, school board, County Supervisor or Congress. We need to address climate change, housing and mental and public health. I urge readers out there to look up and ask themselves, “am I really voting in the interest of my neighbors or just my self-interest?”
It’s 2022, and I’m asking you, please, look up.
Rudy Espinoza Murray is a father, husband, Redwood City resident, and community organizer on housing, gun violence prevention, LGBTQ+ and LatinX issues. He is a co-founder and lead of the San Mateo County Farmworker Affairs Coalition and Director on the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District Board.
Well Rudy - aren't we lucky to have Biden come to our rescue? Of course with him all we can do is look down. With him in charge we now see more Corona deaths than under your reviled Trump. But, that is OK because Biden is a liberal. BTW, it was Trump and his cronies who made the vaccines available to the world. What has the current administration accomplished so far? In addition to the attributes that you laud yourself with perhaps add that objectivity and balanced observation are not your forte.
Well, Dirk, yes we are fortunate we have Biden come to our rescue. It is very lucky indeed when 62% of our population has seen its responsibility to get vaccinated, for free no less. How stupid is it to laud Trump for making vaccines available to the world and then refuse to take them?
Just for the record, Biden has accomplished more in his first year than Trump in four. First, the $1200 stimulus for all which gave our economy a boost and has since seen record levels in the Dow and record lows in seekers of unemployment benefits. Second, the America Rescue Plan which has lifted millions of children out of poverty. Third, ending the 20 year Afghanistan war. Fourth, having the first half of the infrastructure plan passed whereby decades of presidents before him failed. There are more to list, but suffice it to say 2022 has more to come with voting rights and infrastructure at the forefront. All this without the daily chaos in the WH and no daily tweets to demoralize people. We can indeed look up.
Dear Rel - your reply is a poster child for the old adage, there are lies, darn lies and statistics. The stimulus was already authorized (by mistake however) by Trump, there is no evidence that millions are lifted out of poverty but the recipients are now refusing to go back to work. If you believe we are in good shape, go outside and talk to folks who own businesses that cannot attract personnel, in the grocery stores and at the gas stations where prices have gone through the roof. That is where the rubber meets the road. Let's not even talk about the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, I think my 4 year old granddaughter would have done a better job. Oh well, you probably have unlimited access to rose-colored glasses.
Rel-ly? Vaccinated for “free”? Is that why 6 folks associated with Moderna and BioNTech are newly minted billionaires? It sure doesn’t look like these 6 folks shared the jab juice for free, does it? Although the jab was free to some – folks who didn’t pay any taxes. I won’t bother refuting the rest of your cut and pasted fake news and lies regurgitation. We’re still waiting for a valid treasonous Biden accomplishment. For now, your false assertions are too easy to destroy, as Mr. van Ulden and Mr. Fowler have ably shown.
It is a new year. I thought you might have some new material. Foolish of me thinking you may have turned over a new leaf. BTW, how are you doing with your bamboo fibers?
Taffy, it is a new year. I thought you might have some new material – like a Biden accomplishment or something relevant to add. Foolish of me as lo and behold, your tired begging for panda scat gathering continues. Same old, same old. In the spirit of the new year, let me help you out… 4.5 million people quit their jobs due to idiotic Biden jab mandates. COVID cases continue to increase because Biden never had a plan – unless his plan was to continue letting people die. Thanks to bungling Biden’s America Last policies, inflation continues to increase, illegals continue to invade America, and crime rates continue to rise. Your turn.
Being a new year I will give you the info one more time even though you have seen it before and don't believe it. As for your bamboo fibers, you started it and I just keep waiting for the answer. For the 4.5 million that quit their jobs, I won't check your number, it doesn't matter, if they want to take a chance on dying to protest losing their freedom as so many say, let 'em. As you say, their body, their choice.
As for the Covid numbers, I have explained it to you before but being a new year I will give it to you once more. If it was nipped in the bud in the beginning by your golden idol, rather than lying about it, it would not have been as widespread. If your golden idol had followed through with his Warp Speed project, (one of the few things he did a good job on) and promoted the vaccine when it became available, that also would have helped slow the virus down. Lastly, after hiding in the closet to get his vaccination a year ago, he finally told his gullible followers to get the vax and the booster the other day and he was booed. I am sure with your smarts you also understand that the only reason he did that was because someone pulled him aside and pointed out to him that the majority of those dying from Covid were his gullible base. BTW, you are still welcome to leave your fantasy world and join us in the real world. You can even keep your tinfoil hat like a security blanket.
Taffy, being a new year, I gave you another chance to list a bumbling Biden accomplishment. Instead, I see you’re resorting to your fantasy world shtick (I guess I’m lucky to also get your tinfoil hat shtick) because you’re still stuck in the past, bellyaching about our great President Trump instead of providing a bumbling Biden accomplishment. Sorry, but as usual, your fake news and lies don’t hold up. Please, look up and face the present. We’ll all appreciate it.
Even the NYT acknowledged that the Trump administration deserves credit for pushing the development of COVID vaccines. Joe ran on a platform that promised to end the pandemic... we're still waiting. What we have received is an economic disaster. Liberal pundits will point to 2021's 17% increase in Christmas spending as an indicator of economic health. However, they fail to mention that inflation drove prices up... Liberal pundits will point to low unemployment statistics as an indicator of economic health. However, they fail to include workers who are underemployed or who have just stopped looking for work in their numbers.
Mr. Murray, it sounds like regardless of whether people look up, or not, the comet from this fictional tale could not be stopped. Are you sure this movie is an apt basis for your column? It sounds like regardless of all your complaints and budget busting expenditures, the comet is still going to hit. Why waste money on pie-in-the-sky endeavors that likely will not help? Let’s live it up before the comet hits. Let’s let kids, and their kids, pay for the current largesse in case the comet doesn’t hit. BTW, I agree, it’s 2022 and I’m asking you, please, look up. To see the stack of debt rising sky high that you’re saddling the future with – debt they have no control over thanks to an infrastructure bill that would spend roughly 5% on real infrastructure and the other 95% on garbage that has nothing to do with infrastructure.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(10) comments
Well Rudy - aren't we lucky to have Biden come to our rescue? Of course with him all we can do is look down. With him in charge we now see more Corona deaths than under your reviled Trump. But, that is OK because Biden is a liberal. BTW, it was Trump and his cronies who made the vaccines available to the world. What has the current administration accomplished so far? In addition to the attributes that you laud yourself with perhaps add that objectivity and balanced observation are not your forte.
Well, Dirk, yes we are fortunate we have Biden come to our rescue. It is very lucky indeed when 62% of our population has seen its responsibility to get vaccinated, for free no less. How stupid is it to laud Trump for making vaccines available to the world and then refuse to take them?
Just for the record, Biden has accomplished more in his first year than Trump in four. First, the $1200 stimulus for all which gave our economy a boost and has since seen record levels in the Dow and record lows in seekers of unemployment benefits. Second, the America Rescue Plan which has lifted millions of children out of poverty. Third, ending the 20 year Afghanistan war. Fourth, having the first half of the infrastructure plan passed whereby decades of presidents before him failed. There are more to list, but suffice it to say 2022 has more to come with voting rights and infrastructure at the forefront. All this without the daily chaos in the WH and no daily tweets to demoralize people. We can indeed look up.
Dear Rel - your reply is a poster child for the old adage, there are lies, darn lies and statistics. The stimulus was already authorized (by mistake however) by Trump, there is no evidence that millions are lifted out of poverty but the recipients are now refusing to go back to work. If you believe we are in good shape, go outside and talk to folks who own businesses that cannot attract personnel, in the grocery stores and at the gas stations where prices have gone through the roof. That is where the rubber meets the road. Let's not even talk about the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, I think my 4 year old granddaughter would have done a better job. Oh well, you probably have unlimited access to rose-colored glasses.
Rel-ly? Vaccinated for “free”? Is that why 6 folks associated with Moderna and BioNTech are newly minted billionaires? It sure doesn’t look like these 6 folks shared the jab juice for free, does it? Although the jab was free to some – folks who didn’t pay any taxes. I won’t bother refuting the rest of your cut and pasted fake news and lies regurgitation. We’re still waiting for a valid treasonous Biden accomplishment. For now, your false assertions are too easy to destroy, as Mr. van Ulden and Mr. Fowler have ably shown.
Terence,
It is a new year. I thought you might have some new material. Foolish of me thinking you may have turned over a new leaf. BTW, how are you doing with your bamboo fibers?
Taffy, it is a new year. I thought you might have some new material – like a Biden accomplishment or something relevant to add. Foolish of me as lo and behold, your tired begging for panda scat gathering continues. Same old, same old. In the spirit of the new year, let me help you out… 4.5 million people quit their jobs due to idiotic Biden jab mandates. COVID cases continue to increase because Biden never had a plan – unless his plan was to continue letting people die. Thanks to bungling Biden’s America Last policies, inflation continues to increase, illegals continue to invade America, and crime rates continue to rise. Your turn.
Terence,
Being a new year I will give you the info one more time even though you have seen it before and don't believe it. As for your bamboo fibers, you started it and I just keep waiting for the answer. For the 4.5 million that quit their jobs, I won't check your number, it doesn't matter, if they want to take a chance on dying to protest losing their freedom as so many say, let 'em. As you say, their body, their choice.
As for the Covid numbers, I have explained it to you before but being a new year I will give it to you once more. If it was nipped in the bud in the beginning by your golden idol, rather than lying about it, it would not have been as widespread. If your golden idol had followed through with his Warp Speed project, (one of the few things he did a good job on) and promoted the vaccine when it became available, that also would have helped slow the virus down. Lastly, after hiding in the closet to get his vaccination a year ago, he finally told his gullible followers to get the vax and the booster the other day and he was booed. I am sure with your smarts you also understand that the only reason he did that was because someone pulled him aside and pointed out to him that the majority of those dying from Covid were his gullible base. BTW, you are still welcome to leave your fantasy world and join us in the real world. You can even keep your tinfoil hat like a security blanket.
Taffy, being a new year, I gave you another chance to list a bumbling Biden accomplishment. Instead, I see you’re resorting to your fantasy world shtick (I guess I’m lucky to also get your tinfoil hat shtick) because you’re still stuck in the past, bellyaching about our great President Trump instead of providing a bumbling Biden accomplishment. Sorry, but as usual, your fake news and lies don’t hold up. Please, look up and face the present. We’ll all appreciate it.
Hello, Dirk
Even the NYT acknowledged that the Trump administration deserves credit for pushing the development of COVID vaccines. Joe ran on a platform that promised to end the pandemic... we're still waiting. What we have received is an economic disaster. Liberal pundits will point to 2021's 17% increase in Christmas spending as an indicator of economic health. However, they fail to mention that inflation drove prices up... Liberal pundits will point to low unemployment statistics as an indicator of economic health. However, they fail to include workers who are underemployed or who have just stopped looking for work in their numbers.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...
Mr. Murray, it sounds like regardless of whether people look up, or not, the comet from this fictional tale could not be stopped. Are you sure this movie is an apt basis for your column? It sounds like regardless of all your complaints and budget busting expenditures, the comet is still going to hit. Why waste money on pie-in-the-sky endeavors that likely will not help? Let’s live it up before the comet hits. Let’s let kids, and their kids, pay for the current largesse in case the comet doesn’t hit. BTW, I agree, it’s 2022 and I’m asking you, please, look up. To see the stack of debt rising sky high that you’re saddling the future with – debt they have no control over thanks to an infrastructure bill that would spend roughly 5% on real infrastructure and the other 95% on garbage that has nothing to do with infrastructure.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.