I feel the same pain. Some days I am furious. More often I am disheartened.

Somehow, knowing that there are people like yourself and Jeff out there is of some comfort.

For a while I used to say that "half of the people being assholes - at least now I can identify them by just checking who isn't wearing a mask in shops or public transport". Unfortunately, this is not fun anymore after two years, but rather ominous.

The problem is certainly festering in the US, but I assure you that it is not unknown in supposedly more progressive Europe. The UK's democracy is also under threat by the same irrational, ignorant, cult-followers, as are several others. I would like to leave, go somewhere where I don't feel surrounded by selfish jerks, but there seem to be no safe haven...