Post inauguration Trump:

[David]

Before anyone gets too smug about accusations of racism, there’s plenty of evidence that national prejudices have, in fact, played a role in exacerbating this problem. Check out this timeline from the US:

31 January: Bans travel from China
29 February: Bans travel from Iran
11 March: Bans travel from Schengen Area in Europe, including Italy

The travel ban on China at the end of January may, in hindsight, have been the right call. But if you look at the timeline of how the virus has spread through other countries, it’s clear that the same sense of urgency was lacking when it came to European countries (one of which, Italy, was getting out of control before Iran). It seems like a similar story here in Australia, where there was a reluctance to slap travel bans on friendly nations. Those few days’ delay could have made a huge difference.

[Pies4shaw]

^ Trump acted belatedly...

Trump was banning flights from China while Italy was having "Hug a Chinaman" event to combat racism. He acted in JANUARY. All the armchair pandemic experts around here are hilarious. You were all saying it's not even as bad as the flu a month ago so get out of here with this shit.

You should be embarrassed about the degree of intellectual dishonesty manifested in your post. Trump plainly acted belatedly and - after briefly flirting with acting on scientific advice -continues to do so. My post was not about China. Presumably you understood that and decided to quote a fragment from it out of context.

[swoop42]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-26/ ... s/12088076

Most Americans, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican, genuinely believe they live in the greatest country on Earth, one capable of meeting any moment, leading the world and overcoming the longest odds.

It's a patriotic message they pick up from some of their earliest days at school.

But the coronavirus pandemic is now seriously testing American society.
The initial response here was slow, cases are rising so rapidly there are warnings the USA could soon become the new global epicentre of the outbreak and hundreds of thousands could die.

Like elsewhere in the world, health officials believe strict social distancing measures are the only chance of averting a catastrophe. But in a country where individual rights, freedom and self-responsibility are valued highly, how much and for how long is everyone willing to suffer to protect the most vulnerable?

[pietillidie]

Precisely, David. The ban on China was the usual racist pandering not reasoned coordinated policy, and it merely served to distract from serious action. And distract it did.

The last thing you want is a duplicitous, self-serving, pathological liar leading anything more serious than a church luncheon. It's not that hard to work out why, although for some it's apparently string theory.

[pietillidie]

What disease is this? Scurvy? White eye ringworm? Orange peelitis?

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/03 ... erAt3x.jpg

Amphibian envy?

https://www.nps.gov/chat/learn/nature/i ... icanus.jpg

[think positive]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-26/how-coronavirus-spread-across-the-united-states/12088076

Most Americans, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican, genuinely believe they live in the greatest country on Earth, one capable of meeting any moment, leading the world and overcoming the longest odds.

It's a patriotic message they pick up from some of their earliest days at school.

But the coronavirus pandemic is now seriously testing American society.
The initial response here was slow, cases are rising so rapidly there are warnings the USA could soon become the new global epicentre of the outbreak and hundreds of thousands could die.

Like elsewhere in the world, health officials believe strict social distancing measures are the only chance of averting a catastrophe. But in a country where individual rights, freedom and self-responsibility are valued highly, how much and for how long is everyone willing to suffer to protect the most vulnerable?

This is all spot on, and it terrifies me.

I don’t get the glee people are getting from this. I say the shit said here about the US, about China, (who I might add, caused the problem) I’m racist, but feel free to gloat at the suffering and dead bodies in the US,

I’m not convinced Trump is doing a good job, but then again we can still get a haircut here.

I’m terrified for us, I’m terrified for the US, and for countries like Africa, who don’t stand a chance, I’m terrified for my family in Europe, I’m terrified forthe whole damn world.

There are plenty of Asian countries who have proven there is a way out, as for China I don’t believe a bloody word they say, one day mass graves will be found and then maybe a more educated honest guess can be made. Both my dad and my hubby have warned of letting China control so much of our lives. No wonder the people of Hong Kong are willing to die rather than be controlled by them.

I hope we all make it through this. And I hope we can find a kinder place.

Not convinced either will happen.

[David]

I don’t get the glee people are getting from this. I say the shit said here about the US, about China, (who I might add, caused the problem) I’m racist, but feel free to gloat at the suffering and dead bodies in the US,

Am I missing something? Who here has expressed glee at the prospect of mass deaths and suffering in the US?

[Pies4shaw]

^ To the contrary, it is devastating and appalling. It is all the more so because, despite the access to technology and medical resources, deliberate policy actions in the US are favouring “economic health” over actual health. It is tolerably clear those policy actions are exacerbating their crisis. Even today, the Clown in Chief is insisting that 30,000 ventilators are unnecessary. Plainly, anyone with a basic grasp of arithmetic can tell that is nonsense. Deaths are presently doubling in the US every 3 days - and accelerating towards doubling every 2 days.

By contrast, it seems that there are stupid decisions being taken here, at Commonwealth and State levels, but it seems to me that they’re being taken in good faith - by both political persuasions. I don’t get the sense that Australian authorities couldn’t care less if I live or die - but it’s difficult not to reach the conclusion that, in the US, the “if you’re going to make an omelette you have to break a lot of eggs” mentality is at full throttle.

[roar]

Survival of the fittest?

There is an argument that this pain is greater short-term but will mean a brighter mid-to-long term. i.e. Trying to save the old and ill will only cause many more issues of depression and other illnesses later on. It's a harsh view but not without some merit.

[Pies4shaw]

Yes, there is that argument. It’s baseless and wrong - for reasons that have been traversed already - but it has gained traction in some quarters. It seems that the argument started in the US with an opinion piece written by a dietician. It’s amazing how ignorance masquerading as “opinion” continues to fly, even after viral epidemiologists say “No, no, no” with a thousand different supporting rationales.

[roar]

But it's not dieticians or epidemiologists that can tell us what the outcome of many thousands of people losing everything and having no way of coming back.

[Pies4shaw]

^ That isn’t the equation, though. It isn’t “let people die or ruin the economy“. It’s “let people die and ruin the economy”, just differently. It’s the dichotomy that’s the problem.

[pietillidie]

I’m terrified for us, I’m terrified for the US, and for countries like Africa, who don’t stand a chance, I’m terrified for my family in Europe, I’m terrified forthe whole $$%^%%$ world.

I too worry, from my mum and the elderly, to the queues of unemployed, all the business people who will be wrecked, to Africa and poor countries. Imagine if you'd just invested your life savings in a cafe or restaurant? Spain and Italy are horror shows, while the US is set to join them.

BUT, try not to be terrified, which I know is easier said than done. Keep away from panickers on FB and the like. Some people by personality dump stress on others to relieve it on themselves; too much of them will wear you down very quickly. This is actually a good time for proper defensive denial for like half a day everyday, i.e., purposely shut the whole thing out of your mind so your body can relax.

On a lighter note, we had business drinks via Zoom last night, and it worked a treat.

[Jezza]

^ Good advice, PTID.

[Wokko]

Trump's greatest hits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zfzgef ... qr_Dc5Ul9A