The use and abuse of the “essential” category during the pandemic is an orgy of cynicism in which the media and Hollywood are labeled as essential, politically essential at least, while countless small businesses are labeled as non-essential because they don’t matter to the politicians.

The essential category is being used to blatantly pursue economic and political interests. And sometimes the cynicism is just too much.

Earlier this week, a consortium of powerful unions representing teachers (UTLA), nurses (California Nurses Association), healthcare (National Union of Healthcare Workers), grocery (UFCW 770) and hotel employees called for something similar. Specifically, the unions asked the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to “enact stay at home orders that are strict enough to truly suppress the virus by closing all non-essential businesses and activities in the County, for the first four weeks of January.

The unionized supermarkets would be able to stay open, while plenty of small businesses would be shut down. That would protect the big chains and the unions they’re in bed with, while conveniently wiping out non-unionized small businesses. And while lefties keep claiming that they’re fighting big business, as usual they’re actually crushing small business and building up the power of the mega-corps that they have leverage over.