I have given up holding political opinions.
The politics of it were bizarre.
One can never tell what political actors actually think or believe, if anything. They just say and do what they calculate might benefit them.
The politics of it specifically were, we have two-party system here, and in this state, the left are in power.
They faced constant attack from the right wing media, simultaneously for being too heavy handed (“Dictator Dan”) and for being too weak and for refusing the offers of assistance from the feds by way of the Army.
It’s all too perplexing for me to invest any angst in, any more!
On a technical front, yes, at the time the only people who had enforcement power were the authorised officers of the state Department of Health. The Army were only there for support and perhaps for PR.
I also don’t really understand the US context of simultaneous patriotism and individualist libertarianism. As in I support the military 100% but I will shoot them if they come knocking at my door in the service of the public interest. I don’t say that in order to imply I have a side. I just don’t get it.
I hunt, so I listen to hunting podcasts. This week the Meat Eater podcast had Tucker Carlson as a guest (even though they are regularly labelled as "green decoys!) When asked if he was a political activist, he pushed back hard and said with a laugh, “I like to watch!”
I suppose I’m just a bit further down that way of thinking, in that, I prefer to look away!