The world is in a fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The United States had lost that fight and has moved on to figure out what to do with our own homemade Trumpandemic. Say it isn’t so that this country with all its technical, scientific and medical expertise has given up and pretty much is following the Swedish model where we see how many can die off quickly, especially those elderly who believe they have a claim on the public treasury through Social Security and Medicare.
Here is something to think about. There are 24 million people in Taiwan. It’s has about 1/13th of our population. Using our figures it should have 254,000 cases and 10,400 deaths. It actually has 451 cases and 7 deaths. Why the difference. One Writer had it: “Taiwan now also is known for its technocratic competence in protecting its own people. Taiwan is led by competent and trusted leaders who use science to inform their decisions.”
Now we return to the United States. The attitude here is who needs science to inform their decisions. We’re all great experts ourselves. Trump has an uncle that worked at MIT so he thinks he is some kind of expert. That pretty much sums up the thinking of a large number of Americans who believe the experts are out to trick us. They say “Global Warming is a joke, a conspiracy?” You reply, “The scientist say . . . ” and before you can go on they say: “what do the scientists know?” Or better yet, “Scientists are part of the Deep State.”
You ask where do they get their knowledge. They tell you they just know. Unfortunately many of them are led on by their religions. You do recall in America we had the “Scopes Monkey Trial.” The great dispute between evolution and creationism. There couldn’t be Global Warming they tell you because the world is less than ten thousand, or is it six thousand, years old. How do they know? Well as the song goes, “the Bible tells me so.”
Which makes me wonder what does the Bible say about Trumpandemics?
Remember when the United States was the world leader in positive matters not like today the leader in negative things. How do we think this is the greatest nation in the world when we look at how poorly we are doing when it comes to protecting our people during the Pandemic?
You must remember the Vietnam war. Sixty thousand Americans died. Half as many as have died in the Trumpandemic. Those deaths were over a span of ten or more years. We’ve doubled it in less than a half a year.
We were there to stop the Communists from taking over the country. We cut and ran after having asked men and women to give the ultimate sacrifice. It used to be a low point until now.
I bring up Vietnam because it is right next to China. I wondered how it was getting on through the epidemic. It has close to a hundred million people, about one third of our total. It has 372 cases and no deaths. Hard to believe, I know. But apparently some people tell how it was able to do it.
It is reported that “By early January, before it had any confirmed cases, Vietnam’s government was initiating “drastic action” to prepare for this mysterious new pneumonia which had at that point killed two people in Wuhan.”
Our government’s failure to act – which is the responsibility of the president. His defenders point to others but they are not in charge. He produced the Trumpandemic death march. It did not have to be that way. We need not have lost all our dignity and become the world’s laughingstock.
Matt writes, “The attitude here is who needs science to inform their decisions.”
No one I have heard in the Trump Administration has said that or acted like that was their attitude. Matt is not a scientist. Early on, many, including scientists Doctor Fauci, Doctor Birz, and politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Di Blasio and governor Cuomo underestimated this virus and described the risk as “low”. Same with European leaders.
Mattt, Hutch, Abe and others have some blind, deep seated, hatred of President Trump and cannot refrain from blaming him with vile epithets not only for Cornovirus, but for many other problems. I disagreed politically with Obama and Clinton, but did not attack them personally. In fact, I liked them personally, although I am a conservative. Not so with many liberals today who have a visceral hatred of President Trump. I wish they would cease the invectives, vile ad hominem attacks, and put principles over personalities, and tell us what policies and decisions they oppose, rather than how much they hate the “orange man.” I admit that two or three times on this site I have called Pelosi the mad ripper upper and said both she and Joe are suffering from cognitive decline, Pelosi due to Botox Intoxication, but it is not visceral hatred and it is not constant.
Matt blames Trump for the pandemic. Why not blame Wilson for Swine flu, or Roosevelt for World War II, or Ike for polio or Obama for the 2018 Flu that took up to 100,00 lives?
Matt, again sets up straw men, signaling out some who deny climate change, failing to point out scientists debate the extent of global warming, what remedial measures are warranted and when. Scientists even debate when the next Ice Age will come. cientists say if we cut off all fossil fuels today or too precipitously, we may jeopardize our ability to heat homes, drive cars, manufacture medicines, cultivate foods, distribute foods, feed the world. Pie in the sky programs sound good until scrutinized by multi-factorial analyses. Costs, benefits, adverse effects.
2. Scientists acknowledge the Lockdown has adverse health effects: increased deaths due to social isolation, missed doctor’s visits, missed screenings, increase rates of addictions, anti-social and criminal activity, children isolated from friends and missing school lunches, school nurses.
3. The big Leftist lie is: President Trump does not listen to scientists. His scientists say he does listen and generally follows their advice. Scientists helped formulate and approved the timetable for reopening. Mike Pence’s Task Force is stacked with scientists.
4. Taiwan: The National Geographic consulted world-leading experts who said the primary reason Taiwan and other Asian countries had low infectious rates was they sealed off their borders early on. Simple.
Secondary reasons may be Asians are more resistant, genetically, to this virus. Another reason, because similar viruses have hit Asia, Asians may have built up antibodies or relative immunity over the decades. Another reason: Asian nations are more homogenous ethnically, culturally. Another reason, Asians are more conforming to public health advise, more pliable, more likely to wash hands frequently, keep social distance and wear masks. (Although scientists still debate the extent to which masks are outcome determinative: One study I read on Japan said the primary effect of masks was not to protect the wearer, but that mask wearers are more likely to frequently wash hands and maintain social distances. Scientists tell us masks are useless if worn improperly, and mask wearers who do not maintain social distancing in fact increase the risk of spreading virus. A Harvard Public Health study on actual human beings showed masks were not effective in preventing the transmission of small particles, aerosols, and it was the same study (I recall) that demonstrated small particles packed ten times as many viral particles as large droplets. Small aerosols travel further, too: they are more infectious.
You have no idea how I feel about Bonespurs so keep my name out of your posts, please. You have some deep seated love for POTUS and can’t help but giving him credit for everything your vivid imagination contrives. I do feel deeply sorry for you.
I feel sorry for you.
Disregard the above comment.
I hope you had a pleasant shower.
Bill. Lets stop this now. Ok. I’ll respect your words. We have more in common than either one of us admits. I don’t hate Trump. I too like his pro life stance and other things he has done. He has done things I dislike but that’s life. He’s in the White House, not me. I really don’t want to disrupt Matt’s blog with any more bickering between us. Can we agree to keep it civil between us? I’m sure all on here would be appreciative.
I am reading your Three Billboards…. right now. I would like to discuss it with you when I am done reading.
Peace, Bill from Savin Hill
You conveniently ignore the “good business decisions” that led to multiple bankruptcies and stiffing creditors.
You continue to misrepresent any criticisms as hate. I will continue to refer to him as “Bonespurs” because this fraud had personal consequences for myself and should not be excused.
You seem to recommend mask-wearing when in tight places and in social distancing. Every expert seems to be screaming for it. Yet Trump disses it through ignoring the scientists in the name of personal hubris. What kind of leadership is that? Is his ego more important than adopting measures, while imperfect, that, no doubt, save lives?
ELO had a great song entitled ” I can’t get you out of my head” Seems some folks have that problem with POTUS. No debate over policy? Is his energy, tax, deregulation, economic,military, judicial, foreign or immigration efforts effective or not? Compare those to others. Don’t just make a general lament over the vague concept of leadership. Discuss issues.
Agreed.
What nonsense. Try learning the truth about the misleading reports on Covid-19:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/07/14/coronavirus-death-curve.aspx?cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20200714Z1&mid=healthrtlucm20200714z1&rid=916241557
JPC, thank you for your excellent post, I have saved and will read again in more death your referenced article. I have previously read in depth the Stanford Doctor, Doctor Ionnides (I know I’ve misspelled it) who gave that excellent interview with the Greek Magazine.
Facts matter, and the good doctor, the good world-renowned epidemiologist laid the hard facts on the table as did your referenced article.
Thanks again for quoting from the scientists.
Pretty amazing article. Makes it seem like this whole virus has been put to bed.
I’m still bothered by the fact that it is still around. I don’t recall many flu cases in June or July. And there’s a lot of people in hospital in areas. What do you make of that?