Tease. Prick.

Depending on which source you distrust least, right now anywhere between 13% (Kaiser Family Foundation) and 22% (CBS News Poll) of US adults are “no, never” on getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Based on the epidemiologists’ estimate that we need between 75% and 85% of our neighbors inoculated to achieve community immunity, we’re either right on the bubble of beating this thing, or entirely screwed for another winter surge cycle.

So much for de Tocqueville’s observation that America’s strength is rooted in “self-interest, rightly perceived.”

This emphatically does not bring a smile to The Reductionist’s lips. While simplicity may be the ultimately clarity cocktail recipe—more than a molecule of vermouth in a perfectly chilled martini is a sin against humankind and nature—a permanent reduction in the quality of life is definitely not on order.

With that in mind, and opting for Hamlet’s alternative to suffering slings and arrows, we decided to round up some like-minded co-conspirators to put together our own version of a “why you should” advertising.  The plan is to run them as a series on LinkedIn and Facebook next week in the hopes that some gentle and discerning souls will like them enough to share the messages and give them wider distribution.

All of which makes this post something of a tease for coming attractions. You can predict the intent from the headline above.