COVID-19 Megathread 3: Third time's a charm

[The Dowager Mod]

Mitchell's stupidity is astounding.  Fauci is a Hillary plant?  He's been in his current job (director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) since 1984!

Bold of you to assume the Clinton conspiracy wasn't well underway by 1984.

Obama let them borrow his time machine.

[Person Man]

Mitchell's stupidity is astounding.  Fauci is a Hillary plant?  He's been in his current job (director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) since 1984!

Bold of you to assume the Clinton conspiracy wasn't well underway by 1984.

Obama let them borrow his time machine.

His intelligence made it difficult for him to relate to many voters.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Dr. Fauci on threats to his safety and the need for personal security in light of these threats: "I've chosen this life".

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fauci-threats-his-safety-i-ve-chosen-life-n1174816

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that he remains focused on his work fighting the coronavirus pandemic despite reports of threats to his personal safety.

In an interview on NBC's "TODAY" show, host Savannah Guthrie asked the nation's top infectious disease expert whether he feels personally threatened or whether he and his family feel safe, a reference to reports that he has received a protection from the federal government.

"I've chosen this life. I mean I know what it is," Fauci said. "There are things about it that are sometimes disturbing. But you just focus on the job you have to do, and just put all that stuff aside and try as best as possible not to pay attention to it."

What in the world?! Why are people threatening him? Are they seriously trying to shoot the messenger here?

They're threatening him because the mainstream of the Republican party has abandoned Reason.

I don't mean that as a passing insult. It's an objective description of the modern mainstream Republican mind, as far as I can understand it. (I'm going to drop the qualifiers from the rest of this post. I understand there are still people who, like Mitt Romney, Rick Wilson, and some of our self-identified Republican posters here who are not on board with the rejection of Reason I mentioned above. I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the 90%+ of the GOP who support Donald Trump.) And it's absolutely terrifying.

First, a bit of history. What we think of as "the modern world" came about not just from science, engineering, or medicine. (Although those are very important!) It came about from what's called The Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason.

There are a lot of good things tied into the Enlightenment, but at its core is the idea that there is a singular, objective, factual truth. An objective reality. Humans aren't perfect, and the world is complicated, so sometimes figuring out reality is hard, and we can disagree about it in good faith. But for hundreds of years we've shared the idea that that objective, factual reality exists.

Republicans have given up on that shared idea of an objective reality. They attack Dr. Fauci, support Trump, and reject reality because they don't like the answers it gives them. They don't like real consequences. They would rather have promises of magic solutions that make them feel good than experience any physical or mental unpleasantness. They've chosen to live in a collective delusion, a world where shooting the messenger makes bad news go away, because as long as they don't have to experience cognitive dissonance they can successfully fool themselves that everything is fine.

This mass rejection of reality, of reason, is a huge step backwards for humanity. It's why I'm so vocal about the need to obliterate Republican ideology and influence.

[Torrain]

The world may seem dark, but don't worry, the White House has decided to place America's fate in the hands of one of their most effective agents - Wunderkind Jared Kushner.

What is the poster-boy for nepotism doing to solve this crisis?

What started two-and-a-half weeks ago as an effort to utilize the private sector to fix early testing failures has become an all-encompassing portfolio for Kushner, who, alongside a kitchen cabinet of outside experts including his former roommate and a suite of McKinsey consultants, has taken charge of the most important challenges facing the federal government: Expanding test access, ramping up industry production of needed medical supplies, and figuring out how to get those supplies to key locations.

Don't worry, there's no oversight for the man who now outranks the HHS Secretary!

But the effort’s makeshift nature has unnerved even some recruited to aid Kushner's team, who described it as a process unlike any other traditional disaster response. Kushner’s team has stepped in to coordinate decision-making at agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the scope of his authority now exceeds that of Health Secretary Alex Azar, the one-time leader of Trump’s coronavirus response.

What do his fellow Republicans think of this strategy?

"I don't know how our government operates anymore," said one Republican close to the administration, lamenting that the sudden authority granted to non-governmental actors had left them with their "eyebrow raised unbelievably high."

Could this crisis be used to enrich Kushner? Of course not!

Yet Kushner’s role in that episode has come under increasing scrutiny, most recently following an Atlantic report that Oscar Health – a health insurer co-founded by Kushner’s brother, Josh – was asked to develop the website that would direct people to the testing sites. Kushner himself also once partially owned or controlled the company. The project, which could have violated federal ethics laws, was ultimately scrapped, and an Oscar spokesperson said the company donated the work for free.

If any of this concerns you, don't worry, this is being done using personal email, so we'll never know how it went down

In addition, the use of so many private sector work-arounds means much of the government’s response to coronavirus is being conducted on unsecured personal cell phones and emails. Officials involved with Kushner’s team bristled at questions about the appropriateness of using personal emails, saying the scrutiny could scare away high-powered executives, analysts and other fixers trying to help the response.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/01/jared-kushner-coronavirus-response-160553

Honestly, I'm so mad right now. America is steaming right towards being the next Lombardy, and Trump is placing his corrupt son-in-law in charge of huge swathes of the government response.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bnodesk/status/1245738049193086978?s=21

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1245722383882899458

[brucejoel99]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bnodesk/status/1245738049193086978?s=21

That's terrifying.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

NYC is hit much harder then than Milano, Paris or Barcelona...

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1245746409946701824

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1245746409946701824

Smart move.

Some organizations are starting to plan for continued distancing in the summer.  My kid just texted that the University of Georgia's summer classes will be all online.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/MargieOmero/status/1245718452884692993

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

Re: EU vs US


https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1245133453751996422

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1245382344934076416

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1245449988186025985

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/SeanMcElwee/status/1243233872869052417

[T'Chenka]

https://twitter.com/SeanMcElwee/status/1243233872869052417

In the middle of a pandemic AND recession (that might become a depression). $2 trillion bailout for big business a couple of weeks ago though. It's like they think despair is a nourishing meal supplement.

[Dr. Arch]

https://twitter.com/SeanMcElwee/status/1243233872869052417

For the love of... @!#$!@#$!

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Per capita heat map, as of April 1 end of day:

Number of cases:
90% Blue: < 10 per 100k
60% Blue: 10 - 15 per 100k
40% Blue: 15 - 20 per 100k
30% Blue: 20 - 30 per 100k
30% Red: 30 - 40 per 100k
40% Red: 40 - 50 per 100k
60% Red: 50 - 100 per 100k
80% Red: 100 - 250 per 100k
90% Red: 250+ per 100k

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1245532659503312896

[GP270watch]

https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1245571199146442754

I don't believe the good doctor will be back on FoxNews ever again.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-million-n95-masks-are-coming-from-chinaon-board-the-new-england-patriots-plane-11585821600
A Million N95 Masks Are Coming From China—on Board the New England Patriots’ Plane
The Massachusetts governor struck a deal for supplies but needed a way to transport them. The result was a tense saga and a shipment on the NFL team’s 767.

[Virginiá]

Let's hope these Chinese masks are more reliable than the ones they sent to Europe.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Dr. Fauci on threats to his safety and the need for personal security in light of these threats: "I've chosen this life".

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fauci-threats-his-safety-i-ve-chosen-life-n1174816

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that he remains focused on his work fighting the coronavirus pandemic despite reports of threats to his personal safety.

In an interview on NBC's "TODAY" show, host Savannah Guthrie asked the nation's top infectious disease expert whether he feels personally threatened or whether he and his family feel safe, a reference to reports that he has received a protection from the federal government.

"I've chosen this life. I mean I know what it is," Fauci said. "There are things about it that are sometimes disturbing. But you just focus on the job you have to do, and just put all that stuff aside and try as best as possible not to pay attention to it."

What in the world?! Why are people threatening him? Are they seriously trying to shoot the messenger here?

The right-wing echo chamber online has decided that this is some kind of conspiracy, that Fauci is worsening as part of some 'left-wing, deep-state cabal'.

It's the same mindset that leads these people to believe that the entire scientific community is lying about global warming for personal gain, but taken to a new extreme.

If Fauci is attacked, blame the Hannity's and Bill Mitchell's who started the narrative of this as a Democratic hoax to drag Trump's poll numbers down.

Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/technology/coronavirus-fauci-trump-conspiracy-target.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/dr-fauci-security-reportedly-expanded-as-infectious-disease-expert-faces-threats
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/hero-or-villain-dr-fauci-symbolizes-everything-about-the-trump-era-media-climate/2020/03/31/54ccc15e-734b-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html

Also, posted by Mitchell within the last hour:
https://twitter.com/mitchellvii/status/1245698456255188995
As much as I want to ignore the guy, he's part of a wider network of bomb-throwers that we need to call out. This is exactly the kind of message that is going to get good people hurt.

These nut jobs care more about the Dow than they do about human life. The alt-right is evil.

[President Johnson]

I actually think neither side of the "health vs. economy" fight is completely right. Both sides are engaged in this discussion with a very limited perspective. It's a (sad) statement of fact this pandemic is unlikely to go away before 60-70% of a population is immune. Even if cases start dropping, once the lockdowns are lifted, it starts all over again because the flattened curve does not give us enough immunity among the general population (in the US, Europe or elsewhere).

So what are we going to do? Keep the lockdown for a few more weeks to buy some time and invent solutions for the months afterwards, before a vaccine is available. That means: Protect the vulnerable (seniors, chronically ill) from human contact. If not possible in their home, the government should rent hotel units or whatsoever. This is the time for creative solutions. Meanwhile, other people should go to business as usual with a certain caution. Nonessential gatherings such as live-concerts or sport events should be avoided/cancelled (at least with an audience that isn't online). Schools need to reopen at some point. A government should work out a sound concept for this period of time. If I was in charge, I'd appoint a commission of experts, consisting virologists, doctors, mathematicians (for statistical stuff), business leaders, union leaders, teachers and from law enforcement. This is a time for coherent and rational pragmatism for the greater good.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

So what are we going to do? Keep the lockdown for a few more weeks to buy some time and invent solutions for the months afterwards, before a vaccine is available. That means: Protect the vulnerable (seniors, chronically ill) from human contact. If not possible in their home, the government should rent hotel units or whatsoever. This is the time for creative solutions. Meanwhile, other people should go to business as usual with a certain caution. Nonessential gatherings such as live-concerts or sport events should be avoided/cancelled (at least with an audience that isn't online). Schools need to reopen at some point. A government should work out a sound concept for this period of time. If I was in charge, I'd appoint a commission of experts, consisting virologists, doctors, mathematicians (for statistical stuff), business leaders, union leaders, teachers and from law enforcement. This is a time for coherent and rational pragmatism for the greater good.

The commission should also have people who are experts on social science, ethics, and constitutional law. The lockdowns are destroying our social institutions - which are necessary parts of society. Before the lockdowns, I saw articles describing how unethical the lockdowns would be, and how they would destroy our institutions. That was only a few weeks ago, and the media today doesn't dare let any opinions like that be expressed now.

It's mostly the media that keeps cheering on these lockdowns. They are selfish gasbags who are only concerned about protecting their goals - at the expense of society.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Here's a really good article about how the lockdowns resemble the extremism and tyranny that followed 9/11...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/23/coronavirus-civil-liberties-authoritarian-measures

[GeorgiaModerate]

So what are we going to do? Keep the lockdown for a few more weeks to buy some time and invent solutions for the months afterwards, before a vaccine is available. That means: Protect the vulnerable (seniors, chronically ill) from human contact. If not possible in their home, the government should rent hotel units or whatsoever. This is the time for creative solutions. Meanwhile, other people should go to business as usual with a certain caution. Nonessential gatherings such as live-concerts or sport events should be avoided/cancelled (at least with an audience that isn't online). Schools need to reopen at some point. A government should work out a sound concept for this period of time. If I was in charge, I'd appoint a commission of experts, consisting virologists, doctors, mathematicians (for statistical stuff), business leaders, union leaders, teachers and from law enforcement. This is a time for coherent and rational pragmatism for the greater good.

The commission should also have people who are experts on social science, ethics, and constitutional law. The lockdowns are destroying our social institutions - which are necessary parts of society. Before the lockdowns, I saw articles describing how unethical the lockdowns would be, and how they would destroy our institutions. That was only a few weeks ago, and the media today doesn't dare let any opinions like that be expressed now.

It's mostly the media that keeps cheering on these lockdowns. They are selfish gasbags who are only concerned about protecting their goals - at the expense of society.

If you're talking about Rush Limbaugh, etc., you're right.  Their concern is to protect their goals at the expense of many lives lost.