The Politics of a Health Crisis

[Griff]

A raw look at my state government;

[BigV]

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

[Griff]

Just after I watched this I saw a picture my state rep at a meeting actually voting for what's might be a good piece of health legislation, the only one with her mask off.

[Flint]

Should be Attempted Murder, same as the charge in HIV-transmission cases.

[DanaC]

Wow. That was something else.

[sexobon]

I bet kidney donations go down after that.

[Griff]

It can't help.

[Griff]

So now masks are political/religious. Apparently Jesus is the only protection we need.

I was hoping folks would be sensible about the opening but now it's looking wide open.

[Luce]

Originally Posted by Griff

So now masks are political/religious. Apparently Jesus is the only protection we need.

I was hoping folks would be sensible about the opening but now it's looking wide open.

During the Spanish Flu epidemic, people were attacked for wearing masks, for the exact same reasons.

It will happen now, too.

Also, yes, there's this public attitude that the worst is behind us. It's not accurate.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Luce

snip--
Also, yes, there's this public attitude that the worst is behind us. It's not accurate.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Hey!

[tw]

One wears a mask to protect the Constitutional rights of others.

[tw]

From The Economist of 20 Jun 2020:
[quote}On March 12th .... Boris Johnson ... turned serious: families are going to lose loved ones before the time." But the restrictions he announced were light: those with symptoms were told to stay at home for a week; those older than 70 instructed to avoid cruise ships. Meanwhile, continental Europe was already beginning lock down. ...

... the government should have questioned the experts more closely. But it "was getting advice that it wanted to hear"[/quote]

Somehow that was a response to pandemic that was already all over the world? He acted serious. And mocked it with no actions. Somehow he only heard what he wanted to hear? When it that called responsible? It does sound like a 30 second attention span.

Someone with a business school attitude sees current 'spread sheet' numbers. They says everything will be OK. Numbers that matter were the infections today that would affect numbers weeks from now. But this is Boris Johnson who, like Trump, only sees the numbers he wanted to see.

Death rates were shooting up exponentially in Italy in early February. Exponentially in Spain in mid-February. Exponentially in France at the end of February. No problem. By ignoring what the professionals needed, Britain could only trace five Covid-19 infections a week in mid-February. And only had a few hundred tracers in March as things exponentially got bad. Therefore Boris Johnson again had the fact he wanted. Numbers said it was not really serious.

Johnson finally admitted that school must close in 23 March after he had contracted the disease. And still he refused to require people to wear masks until Mayor Sadiq Khan of London finally made a big stink about inaction on 14 April. People on British mass transient were not required to wear masks until 4 June. Johnson still does not require masks in shops. That is a responsible leader?

British government finally start expediting testing on 14 April by letting other professionals do testing. Testing suddenly increased from 1 in 5000 people to 1 in 1000 on 1 May. But again, too little too late.

Boris Johnson wanted to protect his economy - citizens be damned. Numbers are now in. Britain's GDP has suffered the worst downturn for all European countries. Which makes sense when one was listening to professionals. Britain has a worst decline at almost 12% followed by less downturns in France, Italy, and Spain. Germany, that took actions based in science, has only suffered a 7% downturn. Other nations that made decisions from facts also suffered much less economic harm include Portugal and Norway, Countries that suffered the most Covid-19 deaths, due to inaction, are now suffering the greatest economic downturns.

Grumbling is all across the Tory party. This Boris Johnson government has gone from incompetent decision to denial. Boris Johnson is now considered equal to Theresa May's competence. Boris Johnson's handling of Covid-19 had an approval rating of 70% in early March when things were clearly starting to get bad. Finally the people have realized reality. Approval has dropped to about 35%. Making his approval rating for this crisis the worst of any European nation.

It should continue to drop now that Johnson keeps promoting his "It is over" denials. They were not wearing masks until June? They still do not require masks in shops?

Amazing how people get their power by only insulting others; not be doing what is competent.

[Griff]

Pennsyltucky putting up idiot numbers. Put on your fucking masks. I can see a situation where I won't be allowed to go to work in NYS because my neighbors are fucking assholes.

https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-su...QoKimpNfzTqXEQ

[tw]

Originally Posted by tw

Britain's GDP has suffered the worst downturn for all European countries. Which makes sense when one was listening to professionals. Britain has a worst decline at almost 12% followed by less downturns in France, Italy, and Spain. Germany, that took actions based in science, has only suffered a 7% downturn. Other nations that made decisions from facts also suffered much less economic harm include Portugal and Norway, Countries that suffered the most Covid-19 deaths, due to inaction, are now suffering the greatest economic downturns.

Trump repeatedly denied Covid-19. Did everything he could to avoid a shutdown (necessary to stop Covid-19 spreading). Obstructed even testing. Encouraged Americans to spread the virus by not wearing masks. Since he only wants to be reelected - and has a 30 second attention span.

Results of his lying arrived today in economic data. American economy has never suffered a worse economic downturn - ever. A -9.5% GDP downturn this quarter (April to June). Even after May and June saw a strong upturn. An annual rate of -32.9%. Three times larger than any other American economic downturn. A downturn that appears in most every economic sector - also unpresidented. A number that is expected to become worse in a third quarter as a second wave of this Trump virus gets worse.

Economies that do shutdown, to stop a spreading virus, suffer least economic harm. But that is too hard for someone whose attention span is only 30 seconds, is openly supported by people who only want to 'wreck shit', and whose only purpose in life is to advance himself at the expense of all others (also called a narcissistic personality disorder).

From the NY Times: [quote}The collapse was unprecedented in its speed and breathtaking in its severity. The only possible comparisons in modern American history came during the Great Depression and the demobilization after World War II, both of which occurred before the advent of modern economic statistics. ...

It was the 19th straight week that the tally exceeded one million, an unheard-of figure before the coronavirus pandemic. And it was the second weekly increase in a row after nearly four months of declines, a sign of how the rebound in cases has undercut the economy’s nascent recovery. Claims for the previous week totaled 1.42 million. ...

What’s more, fears are growing that after rebounding strongly in May and June, the economy has run out of steam, with many states reversing the reopening of businesses.[/quote]
Nations that address the problem up front when it was obvious (January, February, March) do not have such massive economic damage and job losses.

Originally Posted by tw

Early science suggest it will still be problem into August.

That number then was shocking and widely denied. Today, consider a problem continuing until January 2021.

Trump will do anything to promote himself. He now want to suspend November elections using the excuse that election fraud is now widespread. Lying. Calling it

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???.

[BigV]

I heard that Trump "is all for masks". He loves them, it "makes him look like The Lone Ranger."

That's just fucking perfect, cover your brow and your cheekbones, leave your eyes, mouth and nose exposed.

Here is the PPE he really needs.

First though...

NOT SAFE FOR WORK