On Wednesday Bill Cassidy a U.S. Republican senator from Louisiana who is also a medical doctor was asked about him not referring to the coronavirus in the same way that Trump refers to it by calling it the Chinese Virus. Cassidy a Trump supporter did not comment specifically on Trump’s use of that term but instead said that he was interested in not causing any trouble with the Chinese who object to that term being used. He noted that the Chinese scientists and medical profession have been very cooperative with the Americans. He said their cooperating is necessary if America is to win the war against the virus which is a world-wide problem and requires world-wide cooperation.
I can only think of the story of Voltaire who was on his death-bed. A Jesuit priest came in to give him the Last Rites. He asked Voltaire: “Do you denounce the Devil and all his disciples.” Voltaire replied, “Father, now is not the time to make new enemies.”
Someone should tell Trump now is not the time to be a macho man and get China upset no matter what the reason. When Trump was asked about it on Wednesday he doubled down on it. A photograph of his planned speech came out showing he crossed out the word “coronavirus” and wrote above it “Chinese.”
Why it is like this with him to try to retaliate even if it may hurt America down the line? Can’t he let something go? Is this the time to make enemies or to work together?
Trump said he is calling it the Chinese Virus because some Chinese authority said the virus was brought to Wuhan, China by American soldiers. He should have dug a little deeper to learn why that was said. If he did he’d see the guy who may be the source of that official’s statement is his friend Putin. It is reported: “Russian media sources suggest the novel disease, provisionally known as 2019-nCoV, could be an American made bio-weapon designed to sabotage China.The claims have had significant airtime on mainstream Russian media and could be part of Vladimir Putin’s efforts to discredit U.S interests in the region.”
We know that is just another Russian big lie but it is something that could play well in Russia and China. The article mentioned noted: “Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and a popular veteran politician, told Moscow radio that Americans were “surely” behind the outbreak. He suggested pharmacists were gaining billions while the U.S. military reaped an “opportunity to test” weaponizing the virus.”
Now is not the time for America to think it can go at it alone. The conclusion of the medical profession and scientists is that we need all the information we can get about how the virus acts from those who are ahead of us in being affected by it. We need to work with them in developing drugs that work against it. That is the only way we can get in front of it. That was reaffirmed Thursday by the head of the FDA.
I’ve been told I am not lining up behind the president in this time of crisis; I’m told we should all unite together in support of him. Is this to be done when he’s doing things that will set back our efforts? Seriously, we must speak out when things are obviously wrong. Don’t you think? Or do you think it is wise to get the Chinese mad at us during this crises when we need their assistance and knowledge.
How do you line up behind a president who seems more concerned about himself than the people? Remember the cruise ship stranded of the California coast. Was Trump concerned about the American passengers? He told us he’d prefer the ship not dock because it would increase the number of cases in America. He said: “because I like the numbers being where they are.” Is that leadership or just plain dumb? If he knew as he now says that there was a pandemic before everyone else why would he not know there was no way the numbers were not going to skyrocket.
I voted for Obama twice and frequently criticized his leadership especially in Syria and Ukraine. Just because I liked the guy didn’t mean I should refrain from calling out what I believed were his mistakes. Somehow the Trump Team wants to silence criticism of Trump as unpatriotic when it is the most patriotic duty of an American.
Let’s work with the Chinese. We are all allies in this war.
I miss Nazi Tad. His spleen must have blown.
Dealing with a country that does not respect contracts, violates any agreement they choose, and whose reports and statistics cannot be relied upon, was doomed not to end well. Surprise, surprise.
Wa-llahi! It’ll be third world out in the streets. Lucky, we have all those guns floating around. Everybody will have a practical, rather, than, invented, reason, to carry a weapon. When the cops can’t answer a call, because, they’re too sick, every man/woman/shim, will have to make and be their own law. Family will become necessary to survive.
From a Marxist/Leninist perspective, turbulent political conditions could give rise to parallel institutions, opportunistically, filling the social voids left by the decaying power of the afflicted security apparatuses (Bernard Fall). The bourgeois security state will lose it’s monopoly over deadly violence. Nationalist garrison neighborhoods in the Six Counties are an example of parallel institutions. Folks in the hood don’t call the PSNI when there’s a problem.
I figure the social fabric will start to wear through in a couple of weeks. The money flow will have, completely, broken down, by then. Soon, as, food, and, rent, become an issue, the streets will become, steadily, more restive. Alternatives to bourgeois capitalism will be seriously entertained.
All praise to the 2020 Comintern. All power to the dialectic.
You’re, the, best, troll, in, the, world.
Hi Matt:
Calling coronavirus the China virus is racist. Trump is trying to rebrand the disease for political gain with his base. Obviously, it’s not working with Democrats, independents and some Republicans. You won’t hear any medical expert call it a Chinese virus either.
Dan:
It’s a typical Trump move. He always likes to point to someone thing ekse to take people’s eyes off of him.
Criticism of any politician even the President is always valid. But the Commies in China who prevented the WHO and U S doctors from helping them in controlling the virus back in January deserve the most. China’s negligence caused the pandemic. Many of the infections could have been prevented if they were forthcoming instead of hiding it. The NYT praised China for it’s efforts. Their man in Russia Walter Duranty told the world that there was no famine in the Ukraine when 7 million were starved. Not an honest organization. Remember the NYT and NBC covered up for Harvey Weinstein, ABC covered up for Jeffrey Epstein.
NC. China notified the World Health Organization on January 2nd of the outbreak. We could have a red upon it then Trump up to the end of February was downplaying it, Two months of inaction by US.
Matt: keep on posting. It gives us something to think about while all of us are socially isolating.
It is true that both Chinese and Russian conspiracy theorists have been accusing the U.S. of starting the coronavirus epidemic. It does not matter who politicized this first. The Russians say “Chinese believe” the Americans started. Chinese themselves point to the Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019, accusing participating American soldiers.
Those politicizing this pandemic should be condemned. There’s nothing wrong with criticizing politicians. I criticize those who’ve tried to add pork to Coronavirus Relief Bills.
In my opinion, it is not politicizing to call it the Chinese Coronavirus or the Wuhan Coronavirus. Past epidemics we’ve aptly labelled Spanish Flu, Russian Flu (1977-78), German Measles, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Hong Kong Flu to indicate places of origin or country that defined it (German scientists) (Spain’s outbreak called the world’s attention to it.)
Some say to stop calling diseases by common names which offend. Should we rename the Black Plague and Yellow Fever lest they offend?
2. FYI: The international community (Geneva Protocol) banned the use of chemical and biological weapons after World War I and reinforced the ban in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons.
3. A big headline in the New York Times of March 13: “China Spins Tale That the U.S. Army Started the Coronavirus Epidemic.” That is what President Trump was responding to.
4. Polygraph.info (one of the sources cited) reported that on January 27 “stories propagated in a large number of Russian domestic news outlets began suggesting the United States might be behind the outbreak. “The Chinese believe the coronavirus is created by the Americans,” the popular Komsomolskaya Pravda reported, citing as proof that the virus was “genetically shaped in the American laboratories,” the claim that “all the infected are Asians!” and there are “no Europeans.”
Polygraph.info reported on January 28; “Leonid Savin . . .speculated that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation may have helped finance creation of the “coronavirus bioweapon.” And “Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, told Moscow radio that Americans were “surely” behind the outbreak. He suggested pharmacists were gaining billions while the U.S. military reaped an “opportunity to test” weaponizing the virus.
So, the psychos say the Gates Foundation, the Pharmacists and the U.S. Military are behind it. Insanity!
Conclusions: (1) There are lunatic, fanatical conspiracy theorists in the world. Their narratives must be denounced. (2) There’s nothing wrong with calling the German Measles the German Measles, or the Spanish Flu the Spanish Flu, or the Wuhan Virus the Chinese Coronavirus.
Recommendations: To end the squabbling, however, henceforth, lets simply call it “The 2020 Coronavirus”.
William:
1. I did think it was a good time to go blogging again given the need for us to keep out of the way of the virus and to set out our differing opinions.
2. My point is simple. China objects to us calling it the Chinese virus. We need to work with China to combat it. Stop making it more difficult by doing what they object to. If Trump is so determined to call it the Chinese Virus he can do it as often as he wishes once it is defeated.
Matt…you are entitled to your opinions. That is all you have expressed. Wish you had some helpful information to offer about these matters or had some minimal expertise in things medical. Petty politics is pitiful under these conditions.
Bill: Sadly you are unaware of my extensive background in medicine. Like Trump had an uncle that taught at MIT which makes him an expert in science, I had an uncle that was in and out of the Carney Hospital many time and I often visited him there sneaking in butts and booze. So don’t underestimate my advise.
Matt Your bias overwhelms your common sense that I always appreciated in your thoughtful approach to life…:How do you line up behind a president who seems more concerned about himself than the people? ” Other inferences about the keeping the numbers down on the cruise ship include limiting the spread of the virus…Mercy Matt…please limit the ‘seems” …we all read minds but keep that gift to ourselves! Heard form Young Brian Hanlon who is a ski instructor at Vale winters…he is well and forever young. I put the Christmas lights back out on my deck…it is to hope!
Best to you and the family. Fitz
Bill:
Long term friendships survive even though some may not be happy about the bias of another person. We sometimes see things very differently. I’m looking at the disaster happening in Italy I’m just hoping it doesn’t replicate itself here. Got a feeling we have to step up the mandatory aspects of our social distancing program. Don’t think Trump’s tweet this morning suggesting there is a miracle drug combination to stop the virus. I’d like to hope it is true but if it isn’t then he should never have done it. No seems there.
….and THAT is the Matt I am used to! Our young Doctor Mark is on the front lines of this one. Jamie reports from Taiwan that they managed this in their typical fashion and all is well there. I look forward to tour posts and expect you, better than most, appreciate the challenge a free society faces during such a clear and present danger. THAT is well within your wheelhouse! Stay well, Matt and thanks for being a long term friend.