Coronavirus COVID-19

  On 4/12/2020 at 1:54 AM, Nebraska said:

 

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WTF is he trying to communicate here.

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:11 AM, Brisbot said:

WTF is he trying to communicate here.

"Donald Trump is best ever. Drink my piss kool-aid"

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:11 AM, Brisbot said:

WTF is he trying to communicate here.

That he will deliberately the economy. Unlike Dubya who accidentally'd it in 2008.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-ask-why-government-let-coronavirus-wash-over-country

  Quote

 

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that during a Situation Room meeting on the pandemic in March, Trump asked White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci, “Why don’t we let this wash over the country?”

Two unnamed sources told the Post that Fauci was stunned by the question.

“Mr. President, many people would die,” the doctor reportedly told Trump.

Other unnamed officials said that Trump has “repeatedly” (in the Post’s words) asked the same question in the Oval Office.

Trump reportedly began mulling over the idea after hearing about the United Kingdom’s now-abandoned “mitigation” strategy that would let COVID-19 spread throughout the country with few movement restrictions imposed on the population in the hopes of building a “herd immunity” against the virus.

However, a study by medical advisers to the British government found in mid-March that the strategy would “likely result in hundreds of thousands of deaths,” prompting the U.K. to drop the plan.

The same study also predicted that 1.1 to 1.2 million Americans would die if the strategy were adopted in the U.S.

 

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The whole "start the economy back up even if a fuckton more people die" continues to be a really popular idea among the religious right. I still can't tell if they are all, no shit, just dumb as fucking bricks, or if this is actually part of some horrible dystopian master plan. I just really don't get it. Maybe it has to do with rapture or end time prophecies or something... but even then why give a solitary fuck about the economy if Scottie is just gonna beam up all the good guys?

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:04 AM, caze said:

The fact that the country has managed to hold itself together to the degree it has, despite being led by possibly the stupidest and most ridiculous world leader of a major nation in the history of humanity, is a credit to the overall structure of the place, the checks and balances have worked to a surprising degree, not sure how well they'll hold up to a further 4 years of his nonsense, but even then I doubt it'll leave the place in a irredeemable mess.

possibly, but what about the messes everything else in the world that it causes?

  On 4/12/2020 at 9:33 AM, sweepstakes said:

The whole "start the economy back up even if a fuckton more people die" continues to be a really popular idea among the religious right. I still can't tell if they are all, no shit, just dumb as fucking bricks, or if this is actually part of some horrible dystopian master plan. I just really don't get it. Maybe it has to do with rapture or end time prophecies or something... but even then why give a solitary fuck about the economy if Scottie is just gonna beam up all the good guys?

i think it's a low intelligence and awareness induced lack of empathy

WE are one of those countries, which are starting up after easter..april 14th..about 80% of shops will open again..mandatory masks (sfm, diy, scarfs..)..just shops, no malls, no restaurants/bars/coveves/.. and no events of any kind...closed down since march 15..very strict..no gathering, no sports..just walks..basic infrastructure..really kind of a guinea pig thingy..big players will be watching..°loads flare gun°

Feeling stuck at home and want to travel sonically? Here's a map of the world with a shitton of local radio stations that you can listen to: http://radio.garden

Listening to some electronic music from Namibia now.

  On 4/12/2020 at 9:33 AM, sweepstakes said:

The whole "start the economy back up even if a fuckton more people die" continues to be a really popular idea among the religious right. I still can't tell if they are all, no shit, just dumb as fucking bricks, or if this is actually part of some horrible dystopian master plan. I just really don't get it. Maybe it has to do with rapture or end time prophecies or something... but even then why give a solitary fuck about the economy if Scottie is just gonna beam up all the good guys?

Religion and far right have a lot in common. The right sticks to their ideas like religious fanatics do. The same 'brain' centers don't allow them to stand back and review their beliefs from a self-critical distance.

 Presenting them any view-altering facts will only solidify their religion.

  On 4/12/2020 at 12:47 PM, cichlisuite said:

Religion and far right have a lot in common. The right sticks to their ideas like religious fanatics do. The same 'brain' centers don't allow them to stand back and review their beliefs from a self-critical distance.

 Presenting them any view-altering facts will only solidify their religion.

That would be the backfire effect ... in effect. Cognitive biases are all fun and games.

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:04 AM, caze said:

The fact that the country has managed to hold itself together to the degree it has, despite being led by possibly the stupidest and most ridiculous world leader of a major nation in the history of humanity, is a credit to the overall structure of the place, the checks and balances have worked to a surprising degree, not sure how well they'll hold up to a further 4 years of his nonsense, but even then I doubt it'll leave the place in a irredeemable mess.

It's the best country in the world after all

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:11 AM, Brisbot said:

WTF is he trying to communicate here.

He's trying to communicate his concern for the only American institution that he really cares about, the NYSE.

There are a lot of buffoons, driving around like its Cannonball Run 2020. Seen so many crazy, dangerous and selfish things lately.

It's really wonderful for cycling at the moment for obvious reasons, but I always a maintain a sharp eye and keep my wits about me at certain times for the odd fucknut who is likely to smash me into a pulp. 

NZ: 1049 total cases, only 4 deaths

As of a few days ago, it only had 1 death (March 29). And (quickly enforced) lockdown restrictions are being tightened and maintained, not lifted. Should be the envy of the western world.

I'm on the inside since I'm a lab rat and we rotate as "COVID point guard" to prepare the swabs for send-out testing. We don't have in-house capability yet. Interestingly, the positive rate has stayed conserved at 4% even as total swab count increases day by day. I had some days off so it will be interesting to see if this changes next week. 

  On 4/12/2020 at 10:13 AM, Zeffolia said:

i think it's a low intelligence and awareness induced lack of empathy

My younger self would have thought so as well, but a lot of the people saying this kind of shit are wealthy and powerful. You can certainly become wealthy and powerful as an asshole, but generally not as a dumbass, unless you inherit your fortune.

  On 4/12/2020 at 12:59 PM, dcom said:

That would be the backfire effect ... in effect. Cognitive biases are all fun and games.

As that first link indicates, though, that cuts both ways, and I am genuinely interested in understanding this perspective to the degree that I can. I find it very hard to believe that none of the people fixated on this strategy (or at least selling it on Fox News) consider the part after we prematurely restart the economy where the curve explodes, tons of people die, and the economy gets rekt much harder than it is now. Surely anyone with successful investments (outside of the very, very lucky) understands exponential growth, right?

  On 4/12/2020 at 9:33 AM, sweepstakes said:

The whole "start the economy back up even if a fuckton more people die" continues to be a really popular idea among the religious right. I still can't tell if they are all, no shit, just dumb as fucking bricks, or if this is actually part of some horrible dystopian master plan. I just really don't get it. Maybe it has to do with rapture or end time prophecies or something... but even then why give a solitary fuck about the economy if Scottie is just gonna beam up all the good guys?

They just think their faith will protect them:

  On 4/12/2020 at 2:25 PM, Roo said:

As of a few days ago, it only had 1 death (March 29). And (quickly enforced) lockdown restrictions are being tightened and maintained, not lifted. Should be the envy of the western world.

It also helps to be a small island nation in the middle of nowhere.

  On 4/12/2020 at 1:56 AM, Braintree said:

My friend's girlfriend is a nurse and she said they had to admit a woman into the ER as a level 1 trauma because she tied a machete to a door and fucked it.

People are starting to lose their damn minds.

Working with local CMHT’s (community mental health teams), a concerted attempt was made during the last fortnight of February & early March to get schizo-affective clients in for inter-muscular, timed release antipsychotic injections. About 15% took the jabs. The rest will continue on with daily pill regimes, except large numbers are too vulnerable to organise repeat prescriptions & are slowly running out.

Last week was distilled chaos. Next week is going to be worse. By May it could be catastrophic.

  On 4/12/2020 at 4:12 PM, caze said:

They just think their faith will protect them:

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That's horrifying, but surely not all these people are so staunchly anti-science? Even their leaders?

I guess I'm in denial... I'm reminded of Philip K. Dick's certainty that Nazis were robots because actual human beings simply could not carry out their atrocities.

  On 4/12/2020 at 3:04 AM, caze said:

The fact that the country has managed to hold itself together to the degree it has, despite being led by possibly the stupidest and most ridiculous world leader of a major nation in the history of humanity, is a credit to the overall structure of the place, the checks and balances have worked to a surprising degree, not sure how well they'll hold up to a further 4 years of his nonsense, but even then I doubt it'll leave the place in a irredeemable mess.

Arguably it's the irredeemable mess that has led to this disaster. It's just a lifting of the veil - emperor now naked in full view. 

Meanwhile in Philadelphia...

A personal Philadelphia highlight

https://www.nj.com/phillies/2010/04/cherry_hill_man_intentionally.html

Doesn't the US already have the most COVID deaths globally? If so,  we obv have a shit-for-brains president and his bat-shit crazy evangelical cult to thank for it.

South Korea and New Zealand really are the exemplars in this whole crisis.

  On 4/12/2020 at 7:32 PM, timbre monke said:

South Korea and New Zealand really are the exemplars in this whole crisis.

I read somewhere there might be a resurgence in SK though.

  On 4/12/2020 at 7:32 PM, timbre monke said:

South Korea and New Zealand really are the exemplars in this whole crisis.

Note one is an actual island nation and the other pretty much is too because it’s sole land border is hermetically sealed.

Not to belittle their efforts, but I’m sure that helps.