The Politics of a Health Crisis
 

Firstly, the Republicans have talked themselves into a corner, by calling every Democrat a “Socialist” for the last 20 years. I understand why they do it—because decrying “big government” puts money in their pocket*. But, really, the mis-labelling is gratuitous at this point—they already got their huge tax cuts**

What would they do if a guy who literally calls himself a Socialist***—were running for President. No need to do anything—the Democrats (or, Republican Lite™) did everything in their collective power to stop that from happening—to the point of coronating an un-electable buffoon that Trump will absolutely CRUSH in the general.

Then, the system is stressed. And it turns out that EVERYBODY wants to do Socialism now! Pump money into this! Hand out money for that! Give people UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME. Give people FREE HEALTHCARE. Turns out, Progressives were right all along, and Socialist government programs really are the solution we need. The Free Market™ has NOT stepped up to tackle this issue, because THEY NEVER GAVE A SHIT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

So how could the “Liberal Media” have conspired to create a panic to hurt Trump, when it is also a crisis that ONLY SOCIALISM CAN SOLVE? And at the same time, conspire to CRUSH Socialism?? And at the same time, BE Socialists???

Conclusion: People want Socialism, people NEED socialism, but they’ll only admit it on their literal DEATHBED. Society deserves to be destroyed, we’re too ƒucking stupid to live.

*and only hurts people that they don’t care about
**which they didn’t even need. they’re doing so well since Reagan they were able to BUY politics—the whole thing!
***Democratic Socialist, but this is a distinction that only people under 45 are able to grasp

Everybody doesn't want Socialism.*

Everybody wants a Make Everything Okay Again Immediately button.

But only markets can reach that. It was the incredible power of markets that created the new economic power of China which allowed them to build hospitals in days. If this happened 30 years ago, before they changed their economic system and markets arrived, they would all be dead now.




*The World is not your social media

Also, black people

That's a little drastic. How about a good old fashioned military coup. Take the Oath and you'll be issued everything you need...even a comfort woman (I call dibs on Ivanka). Everyone will be looking good - Dress right, DRESS. Society will be marching in step. Stupid will be assimilated and redirected. Don't worry, be happy! What say you, Captain Flint?

The market can't do that.

Oh god, you're right! I accidentally wrote this post after getting clonked on the head by a 2x4.
Thank you for telling me big Wise Person Things!


unless ... I meant the other thing ... that there was a whole paragraph about ? ? ?

I was attacking your premise. I didn't actually mean to attack you, that was an accident sorry

How might this have been done better? The soundbite has been successful for decades. But, like any soundbite, it must change with age. How might that soundbite have changed to keep ahead of the times? Obviously, the change would (must) be subtle. Or was a change attempted?

good sir, your kind words have assuaged my botheration, and I am no longer Big Mad at your face

Not exactly on point

http://cellar.org/img/effinmillenials.jpg

I LOLd

Also, I endeavor to do better in future. I promise

The disease is the cure.

UBI?

Universal Basic Income

I'm wondering if people get it now that Yang is out of the race and we're social distancing?

So Pete is starting to worry that Trump could pull a Natanyahu using the health / economic crisis to save his own political ass...

Corona King says: We need those disease ridden airplanes to crash and burn, maybe taking out some disease ridden dense population centers in the process, and sink those disease ridden cruise ships. Notice there never seems to be any terrorists around when you need them.

How might this have been done better? The soundbite has been successful for decades. But, like any soundbite, it must change with age. How might that soundbite have changed to keep ahead of the times?

Nag, nag, nag.

Only an extremist has opinions and cannot even say why.

Meanwhile, the original statement were interesting. But only if we know why.

It was a self-explanatory observation.
The Republicans have overused a catchphrase and consequently robbed it of any substantive meaning, while desensitizing their target audience to the claim itself.

I don't care how they could have improved on it, I'm not a political strategist or a Republican.

It seems like you have something else you'd like to add, so go ahead, I'm not stopping you.

It sufficed to say why not.

During the Spanish Flu they mobilized, partly because we had a large standing army, but they knew a hundred years later we'd have flying cars.

Bipartisanship!

Trump and Cuomo did some good work together this week.

Burr and Feinstein got together and robbed the stock market.

This Twitter thread compiles the media and scientific reaction to Trump's 1/31 announcement announcement barring entry into the U.S. from China.

They were .... against it

Yes even the scientists

Orange man bad so orange man policy restricting travel from China also bad

https://twitter.com/lyndseyfifield/s...61466216734721

The scientists...

The media...

You like big groups, you can not lie.

Orange man *is* bad, on that we agree.

One example. The twitter rollup you cite headlines Trump's actions despite WHO's stance. Then in the same rollup, Trump's action *cites* WHO's stance justifying the policy. This is trying to have your cake and eat it too. In fact, the WHO's stance at the time specifically called for scientific justification for declaring the PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) and for scientific justification of policy actions.

I'm curious, when you use the term "the media", do you include lindseyfifield's twitter?

correction: some media / some scientists

example of what now?

That Lindsay tweet says exactly where her brain in located. In the part that children use.

We know he lies constantly. But then he cannot help himself. As Steve Bannon so clearly stated, Trump has a 30 second attention span. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee noted, the White House was effectively an "adult day care center." He was not wrong. Sec of State Tillerson accurately called him a moron. Using facts that said why.

So why would Lindsay blame everyone else - the educated people? Moderates (people who make decisions from facts; not from emotions) would never be as brainwashed as Lindsay clearly is. She blames others whose attention span far greater than 30 seconds. Who are actually educated. That tweet does not belong in any discussion among adults.

Only a wacko extremist, who automatically believes a man who lies every day, would so insult the intelligent of patriotic Americans. She loves the moron because he insults, demeans, and lies - just like Pol Pot, Milosevic, and any good communist. But then he is educated where business is only about enriching yourself at the expense of all counter parties. Again, communism.

Essential Personnel : Turns out some of our lowest paid citizens are essential. We do have wage issues in this country. Lil' G just got over a 50% wage increase due to the crisis. Maybe management is starting to get it. I'm concerned for her health.

Somebody must keep the sanitary sewer plants working. Since we are all home just shitting in our pants. Oh. Maybe they are not essential workers.

Many of our lowest paid workers are essential. The job is so bad that if it weren't essential, it wouldn't exist. It's also so bad that anyone with options wouldn't do it. So only people with no options do it, and people with no options can be paid very little.

Side note re shitting:

Please don't send the wipes down the toilet to the sanitary sewer. They're not flushable despite what it might say on the label.

Dem Rep. Told Colleagues Coronavirus Bill Is ‘Tremendous Opportunity to Restructure Things to Fit Our Vision’

Do you want to lose elections? Many elections in a row? Because this is how you lose many elections in a row.

http://cellar.org/img/coviddiversity.jpg

From the House D version of the bill. Jesus fucking Christ. This is an emergency.

Carpetbaggers.

Maybe they can strike that in exchange for whatever silly money is going to any entity outside of the American people.

Breaking, that bill is now dead as saner heads have prevailed.

The new bill came through at 1:30 am.

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/25/81888...rescue-package

Seattle NPR Station Says It Will No Longer Carry Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Briefings Live Because Of Misinformation

Free media coverage is his oxygen. I hope this asphyxiates his lies.

Sticking your fingers in your ears while loudly going LA LA LA doesn't help, it just keeps you from hearing what the opposition will assume is gospel. Now you can't argue with them because you don't even know what they believe.

All this does is drive his base away from NPR and the slim chance of jump starting critical thinking in some of the base.

People should be listening to it for Dr. Fauci

is Fauci still in them? he was "missing" right after that interview got into circulation

I dunno, I haven't seen the latest two, I'm supposed to be working :D

He is apparently still on board. I think avoiding the President's bullshit news conferences is important because by being there he either calls him on his shit or is seen as endorsing it. We need him to keep this job. The press needs to turn down the Bad Orange Man's microphone or just report it as jazz vocals.

Something I'm finding interesting is that this is right in Cuomo's wheelhouse. He sticks to the facts as known, labels opinion as opinion, focuses on the actual mechanics of supply chains and rational responses. I never really liked the dude but he was built for this. He has an authoritarian streak like Trump but in this case he is guided by reason. He was talking about a "rolling response" yesterday where the equipment gathered in NY gets moved to the next hot spot when the wave crashes. He volunteered to manage that effort.

Pictures of Manilla before and after Kung Flu arrival...

Attachment 70117

Must have shut down the envelope and folder plants.

Which proves it must be an pandemic created by aliens so they can find good landing pads. The invasion is coming. I heard it on Fox News. It must be true.

Trump would say that. But he has already blamed it on Chinese who did it to increase profits of protective masks and suits.

A 30 second attention spam makes it so easy to discover these things.

Australia is also short of masks and other supplies. Guess why oh you'll never guess

Chinese company shipped out millions of Australia’s masks, hand sanitiser, glove supplies

A real estate management company. Three million masks. Seriously.

Happen here as well? How could it not have? I'm not saying it's why there's a shortage. But nobody was watching in January.

Yes: happened around the world as well. NY Times 3/13

The World Needs Masks. China Makes Them — But Has Been Hoarding Them.

China: the toilet paper hoarder of medical supplies. Well, I guess it went OK for them.

Meanwhile, South Korea suffered same infection rates at that same time. South Korea leaders listened to people who come from where the work gets done. Addressed the problem in January. And do not have the problems that now exist in America.

Trump refused to admit the virus was even a threat until about March 15. And only because stock markets were crashing.

Similar pattern of bombastic leadership skills exist in Australia, UK, Italy, and Iran.

85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. 99% if they blame others (ie China).

Boris has got it. Whether he lives or dies will no doubt dramatically affect public sentiment in the UK as to the seriousness of the pandemic. If he recovers quickly, the "it's just like the flu" crowd will be emboldened. If he dies, many who weren't taking it seriously may begin to, but I predict we'll also see a spike in conspiracy theories, a la "it's only killing conservatives," "someone infected him deliberately," "the virus was used to cover his assassination," etc.

Best case scenario, politically, is probably that he gets very, very ill, but recovers. Even in that case, there will be a lot of public resentment if he gets a ventilator when others didn't.

People who come from where the work gets done and were warning about this in the UK, provided numbers from their models.

A UK model assumes a typically infected person will pass this virus on to 2.4 others. Of them, 4.4% will require hospitalization. By doing nothing (until even he was infected), models suggest that the infected would peak in mid-May. With various suppression strategies, that peak may happen in November.

Estimated ICU capacity is about 8 beds per 100,000. Numbers say Boris is unlikely to require hospitalization. But if he does, he will be a 'lucky' one who gets an ICU bed.

Guess what.

Oh you'll never guess. The dude from where the work gets done decided yesterday that his models were wrong.

But isnt that new prediction as a result of social distancing etc?

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article...#ixzz6HwFn6Stx


That isnt saying his model was wrong - it's suggesting reduced social contact and increased hospital capacity among other factors should bring those initial projections down - partly because of when the social controls were implemented

The New Scientist story also says it's new data from Europe that drives the change in the model

We'll see how it goes I guess!

That's a hard sell.

Going from projecting 500K to 20K (UK deaths) is quite a disparity considering there's been no vaccine or treatment, only more pathogen information and social distancing. Something wasn't right with that earlier model even for the prevailing circumstances. Variables used in the equation were probably too low of certainty to yield statistically meaningful results and shouldn't have been employed without a disclaimer.

Those initial projections were based on the information available at the time on rates of infection - and based on what we understand of how infectious the virus is - each person infected 2.5 others leading to exponential growth. We are now seeing the impact of social distancing measures in countries which are further along the path - we are also testing more so getting more data

There are many different statistical models and they are very fluid as the situation develops. One of the key factors was the potential for health systems to become overwhelmed by the speed of the disease. In some places that is happening, but these tend to be at a local rather than national level as yet.

Maybe those figures would not have been so far off the mark had so many places not gone to full or partial lockdown