The Politics of a Health Crisis

[Undertoad]

Why would he do that, while at the same time self-congratulating and congratulating the American people for their social distancing efforts?

because populist movement in critical battleground state

Why would the opposition EVER fight a populist movement in a critical battleground state?

because fighting dear leader is more rewarding to their dopamine levels than winning elections by pretending to be on the side of what used to be their working class voter base

and this is how he wins

[Griff]

smaat. evil but smaat.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Why would he do that, while at the same time self-congratulating and congratulating the American people for their social distancing efforts?

because populist movement in critical battleground state

Why would the opposition EVER fight a populist movement in a critical battleground state?

because fighting dear leader is more rewarding to their dopamine levels than winning elections by pretending to be on the side of what used to be their working class voter base

and this is how he wins

Maura Liasson must read your posts.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Why would he do that, ...

As one commentator noted, he his not a dictator. He only acts like one on TV. His supporters want a fictional world where everything is only good or evil. And everything is understood in tweets.

[Undertoad]

His supporters want a fictional world where everything is only good or evil.

His opponents help frame everything that way -- by simply declaring him evil and saying the negative of him is default good

The stereotyped opponent is saying nothing but "Orange man bad" because the knee-jerk standard complaint is such an utter simplification - and so predictable

[BigV]

You can't have it both ways UT.

You can't on the one hand say that a blanket opposition to him is bad and also say on the other hand to parse his specific words and his particular actions is unfair. He's a shit magnet. He's a political and media katamari.

[Undertoad]

One is a remark on his actions and the other is an explanation of his rhetoric. I never spoke of parsing particular actions. Parsing is what you do with language

[tw]

Originally Posted by tw

He did not address the missing 1 million test kits that are needed. Test kits that remain in short supply because he obstructed the necessary response two months ago.

That was in early March. What did countries like Germany and South Korea do? Expedited test kits. Even anti-body test kits could have been available long ago had some effort been made (at the highest levels of government) to stop obstructing their development - even last month.

As I understand it, the US is now testing 150,000 people daily. That means everyone cannot be tested until 2025. Other medical people have been routinely complaining that, at this pathetically slow rate, it could take until 2027.

Worse, testing by commerical laboratories is slowing due no chemicals necessary to process those tests. All this was discussed in a Pandemic Playbook submitted to The Don in 2018. He trashed it and disbanned that entire group that would respond to a pandemic.

Even a mental midget president would not be as dumb as a scumbag one. But then that other president is not accused, by close personal aides, of having a 30 second attention span. Or that meetings are like baby sitting.

What does he undestand. "You're fired!" He only understands destructiion.

What is THE routine complaint today? Same as was posted on 9 March 2020 when almost no test kits existed. When 3500 people on the Diamond Princess needed testing and only 45 test kits could be found to helicopter out to that ship.

We know why these problems exist. Even then, The Don was calling Covid-19 a hoax invented by his enemies and the press. And Jared Kushner would head a committee that would solve it. He did not have experience. So the VP - also with no experience - was put in charge.

Testing is essential before anyone can even discuss opening the country. But that means every American moderate and even some extremists must learn who keeps obstructing solutions. And then blaming others.

85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. So he is even blaming many past presidents. Only one person is not blamed. The 30 second attention span. Only he is solving it. Extremist believe it. So it must be true. It must be safe to eliminate social distancing and quarantines. A dictator, with a 30 second attention span, said so.

Somehow there are plenty of test kits available.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

One is a remark on his actions and the other is an explanation of his rhetoric.

Only explanation of his rhetoric is what we routinely saw in local NYC news even decades ago. He lies daily.

He could murder someone on Fifth Ave and still get elected president? That was an honest man? Denial and ignorance remains that common among the many hiding under MAGA hats. Facts are glaring.

He even stated why he routinely lies. To make himself look good. And to make others think good of him. At what point is that anything but a despot? He does not fold his arms like Mussolini. Otherwise, what is different?

The explanation of his rhetoric is why he lies ... daily. And then always blames others.

[Undertoad]

Explanation was from many weeks ago, you never read it

[sexobon]

Interesting how the pandemic bowl is bringing people together, like Biden and Obama!

The ball was received by Bush-Cheney:



Bush passed it to Obama-Biden.

They fumbled it, for eight years, with insufficient forward gain in quality of support, quantity in national stockpiles, or strategically decentralized storage locations to make supplies rapidly available where they where projected to be needed most.

Trump-Pence picked up the fumble at the three year line and ran with it.

Meanwhile, Obama sulks on the sideline and reluctantly supports Biden, to protect their legacies, as Biden tries to get back into the game.

Heartbroken' Obama 'eager' to help Biden defeat Trump in election

… Obama insiders reportedly expect the former president to campaign for Biden during the remainder of 2020, though he previously did not have confidence in the former vice president's ability to win the election. …

… Biden reportedly did not inspire confidence in the former president. “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t,” Obama told Biden prior to his campaign launch, according to the New York Times.

However, with Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Obama summoned top Biden aides to his Washington, D.C., office to develop campaign strategy. Obama instructed them that, whether the former vice president were to win or lose the presidential race, they cannot allow Biden to “embarrass himself” or “damage his legacy."

Of course... of course.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Explanation was from many weeks ago, you never read it

Explanation remains today as it did weeks ago and 30 years ago. Only thing that matters is lying to advance himself. Lying is his nature. Only his supporters ignore or forget his daily lies.

[tw]

Originally Posted by sexobon

Bush passed it to Obama-Biden.

They fumbled it, for eight years, with insufficient forward gain in quality of support, quantity in national stockpiles, or strategically decentralized storage locations to make supplies rapidly available where they where projected to be needed most.

That was the Pandemic Playbook. Started in 2015 by Obama's people. Delivered to The Don in 2018. Who then disbanned the entire thing that year.

[Undertoad]

tw, I moved your political post from the COVID thread into this thread.

[sexobon]

Too Little, Too Late Obama had people create a Playbook for what to do; when, he should have already done most of it! Even after being warned by Bush, he fumbled it on his watch and passed those deficiencies on. A playbook on what he should've done doesn't add supplies to the national stockpile; or, strategically place them for rapid access. If the playbook was of any significant value, Biden would be touting it every day; but, perhaps he can't do that without drawing attention to the Playbook's raison d'etre … Obama-Biden failures. That's why Obama will be keeping Biden closer.

Preparations made after previous outbreaks
Reports predicting global pandemics

In the most recent pandemic prior to COVID-19, the 2009 H1N1 swine flu took the lives of more than 12,000 Americans and hospitalized another 200,000. Because of this pandemic and the 2014 Ebola epidemic, which saw only a small number of Americans infected, the Obama Administration increased planning and analysis that focused on deficiencies in the government's response to outbreaks. In 2017, outgoing Obama administration officials briefed incoming Trump administration officials on how to respond to pandemics by using simulated scenarios, although by the time of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., around two-thirds of Trump administration officials at the briefing had left the administration.

[BOLD MINE]