dailykos--2020-03-13--Let's Talk About Super-Spreaders, and Trump

Super-spreaders are individual people who , during an infectious disease outbreak , disproportionately infect a large number of contacts compared to average .
They played a role in the 2003 SARS outbreak , 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak , and the 2015 MERS outbreak .
Probably the historical example people are most familiar with is the case of “ Typhoid Mary ” And in the current COVID-19 outbreak , it again appears that the phenomenon of “ super-spreaders ” is playing a role in the disease ’ s spread .
But , certain people who become infected are so-called “ super spreaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more rapidly than the average person .
“ This person , who is kind of biologically radioactive , is in a position to actually transmit this virus to a considerable number of people vary readily , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
As the last link says , “ we still don ’ t fully understand why someone may be a ‘ super spreader , ’ and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t find out until the damage is done.
” But with this in mind , let us consider the circumstances surrounding our current President , Donald Trump .
We know that he has been exposed , either directly or indirectly , to several individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the exposure occurred .
• At least one CPAC attendee , a conservative conference that Trump attended .
• A Brazilian official who was with Brazilian President Bolsonaro during a trip to Mar-a-Lago • An Australian official who met with Ivanka Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as far as we know , Trump has not been tested , regardless of whether he is simply refusing to , or for some other reason .
As far as we know , none of the officials around him or his close family members have been tested either .
Testing would at least definitively show whether Trump has been infected or not , so from an objective standpoint , the expectation would be that there is every incentive to get tested .
Even if he has absolutely no disregard for infecting others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be concerned for his own well-being — but apparently even that basic level of vulnerability is unforgivable to this paragon of human excellence .
And despite all this , he seems to not have taken many of the precautions , or significantly altered his behavior — both to prevent being infected himself , but also potentially infecting others .
Trump shakes several guests ' hands at coronavirus press conference , despite repeated advice not to As the examples from the studies on super-spreaders in previous outbreaks , and the case of Typhoid Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of factors that go into whether a person disproportionately infects a large number of contacts .
Whether or not you are actually infected , obviously , plays a big role in becoming one of these so-called super-spreaders .
But once there is a strong possibility that you have been infected , the willingness to continue with your same habits and behaviors , without any attempts at preventing spreading the virus , is just as obvious a serious problem waiting to burst forth .
With the current COVID-19 pandemic threatening the lives and well-being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime ’ s response has been , simply put , a disaster .
But one of the last ways you would expect an actual sitting US President to make a disease outbreak in this country possibly worse , is actually being a willing super-infecting vector for that very disease .
Let ’ s hope Trump is not the only one in that White House with plenty of hand sanitizer .

Super-spreaders are individual people who, during an infectious disease outbreak, disproportionately infect a large number of contacts compared to average. They played a role in the 2003 SARS outbreak, 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, and the 2015 MERS outbreak.
In addition to their significant impact, these outbreaks were all perpetuated by super-spreaders who disproportionately infect a high number of contacts and likely contribute to the speed and degree of the outbreak. As discussed in detail below, these outbreaks can be traced to one or more individuals who largely contributed to subsequent infections.
Probably the historical example people are most familiar with is the case of “Typhoid Mary”
Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), also known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish cook believed to have infected 51 people, three of whom died, with typhoid fever, and the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the disease.
And in the current COVID-19 outbreak, it again appears that the phenomenon of “super-spreaders” is playing a role in the disease’s spread.
But, certain people who become infected are so-called “super spreaders” and tend to spread the virus more rapidly than the average person. “This person, who is kind of biologically radioactive, is in a position to actually transmit this virus to a considerable number of people vary readily,” said Dr. William Schaffner, the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
For example, one patient who wasn’t originally suspected of coronavirus was admitted to the surgical department due to abdominal symptoms. During this time, the patient infected at least 10 healthcare workers and 4 other patients in the surgical ward.
As the last link says, “we still don’t fully understand why someone may be a ‘super spreader,’ and on top of that, we don’t find out until the damage is done.”
But with this in mind, let us consider the circumstances surrounding our current President, Donald Trump.
We know that he has been exposed, either directly or indirectly, to several individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the exposure occurred.
Furthermore, as far as we know, Trump has not been tested, regardless of whether he is simply refusing to, or for some other reason. As far as we know, none of the officials around him or his close family members have been tested either. Testing would at least definitively show whether Trump has been infected or not, so from an objective standpoint, the expectation would be that there is every incentive to get tested. Even if he has absolutely no disregard for infecting others, you would think he would at least be concerned for his own well-being — but apparently even that basic level of vulnerability is unforgivable to this paragon of human excellence.
And despite all this, he seems to not have taken many of the precautions, or significantly altered his behavior — both to prevent being infected himself, but also potentially infecting others.
Trump shakes several guests' hands at coronavirus press conference, despite repeated advice not to
x Everybody should be Ã¢ÂÂsocial distancingÃ¢ÂÂ bit Trump - who has recently met with at least one person who has tested positive for COVID-19 - shakes folks by the hand at the national emergency announcement. pic.twitter.com/pcy1XoC13g — Carlton Reid (@carltonreid) March 13, 2020
As the examples from the studies on super-spreaders in previous outbreaks, and the case of Typhoid Mary show, there are likely a lot of factors that go into whether a person disproportionately infects a large number of contacts. Whether or not you are actually infected, obviously, plays a big role in becoming one of these so-called super-spreaders.
But once there is a strong possibility that you have been infected, the willingness to continue with your same habits and behaviors, without any attempts at preventing spreading the virus, is just as obvious a serious problem waiting to burst forth.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic threatening the lives and well-being of millions of Americans, the Trump regime’s response has been, simply put, a disaster.
But one of the last ways you would expect an actual sitting US President to make a disease outbreak in this country possibly worse, is actually being a willing super-infecting vector for that very disease.
Let’s hope Trump is not the only one in that White House with plenty of hand sanitizer.


dailykos--2020-03-13--Restoration: It Won't Be Easy

Restoration: It Won't Be Easy

If there ’ s one thing Donald Trump does like nobody else , it ’ s dividing public opinion .
Trump has an intuitive grasp of what it takes to simplify the most complex problem and conveying simple , understandable—but completely false—remedies .
He lies , accuses , demeans , and cheats with the absolute abandon of truth and facts and he does it in such a way that his base just laps it up and treats his statements as truth .
Still , his political support is astonishing in these days .
It is mass delusion on a scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , Independents , and moderate Republicans have a big job in front of them in letting the Trump base know the truth of Donald Trump .
Certainly , they have plenty of ammunition but they must use it .
They must have a solid 50-state strategy for winning back the presidency and what ’ s left , if anything , of democratic government in Congress .
The stakes can ’ t be higher : The federal courts , especially the SCOTUS is in play .
A Democratic win will at least hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guarantee a 7-2 majority of highly political , right wing , justices which will persist for decades .
Roe v. Wade and women ’ s rights to their own bodies will be history .
Civil rights progress of the last 50 years will go retrograde .
Voter suppression will be “ normal.
” Immigration reform will devolve to a “ Right Wing Great Wall ” against anyone not white .
The warnings of science on the degradation of the planet ’ s climate will go unheeded .
The inequality of wealth , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as bad , or worse , than ever .
Everything will be in the service of the continued acquisition of power by the 2 or 3 percent of Americans who already have more than half of the national wealth .
Above all , Americans will line up as two warring camps , goaded by cynical plutocrats , unable and unwilling to talk sense to each other ; something our enemies are taking enormous advantage of around the world .
Autocrats in country after country will thrive in a climate in which the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in human history can no longer stand as an example to the rest of the planet .
( Already , the leaders of our two biggest enemies , Xi and Putin , are about to be given life long political power . )
This is what ’ s at stake in this election .
A complete shift back to reality in Congress will teach the Republican Party that it has gone terribly astray and must return to the center if it is to be viable .
Donald Trump will be either the high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government by a thin minority of great wealth and power , or he will be recede to the ash bins of history , another chapter in the short history of this republic—with this election .
Americans have a traditional and healthy fear of autocratic government .
Indeed , the nation was founded on such fear and its founders created , however much flawed , a document in which the governed would govern themselves .
The Constitution created three competing centers of political power , each guarding against the excesses of the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delicate and how ephemeral that healthy distrust can be in times of fear and rapid change—and how both can be used for nefarious purposes by evil people .
Like Donald Trump .

If there’s one thing Donald Trump does like nobody else, it’s dividing public opinion. Trump has an intuitive grasp of what it takes to simplify the most complex problem and conveying simple, understandable—but completely false—remedies. He lies, accuses, demeans, and cheats with the absolute abandon of truth and facts and he does it in such a way that his base just laps it up and treats his statements as truth. Still, his political support is astonishing in these days. It is mass delusion on a scale not ever seen in recent history.
Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans have a big job in front of them in letting the Trump base know the truth of Donald Trump. Certainly, they have plenty of ammunition but they must use it. They must have a solid 50-state strategy for winning back the presidency and what’s left, if anything, of democratic government in Congress.
The stakes can’t be higher: The federal courts, especially the SCOTUS is in play. A Democratic win will at least hold the 5-4 balance. A loss will guarantee a 7-2 majority of highly political, right wing, justices which will persist for decades. Roe v. Wade and women’s rights to their own bodies will be history. Civil rights progress of the last 50 years will go retrograde. Voter suppression will be “normal.” Immigration reform will devolve to a “Right Wing Great Wall” against anyone not white. The warnings of science on the degradation of the planet’s climate will go unheeded. The inequality of wealth, in medical care, in taxation—all will be as bad, or worse, than ever. Everything will be in the service of the continued acquisition of power by the 2 or 3 percent of Americans who already have more than half of the national wealth.
Above all, Americans will line up as two warring camps, goaded by cynical plutocrats, unable and unwilling to talk sense to each other; something our enemies are taking enormous advantage of around the world. Autocrats in country after country will thrive in a climate in which the nation with the longest history of constitutional self-government in human history can no longer stand as an example to the rest of the planet. (Already, the leaders of our two biggest enemies, Xi and Putin, are about to be given life long political power.) This is what’s at stake in this election.
A complete shift back to reality in Congress will teach the Republican Party that it has gone terribly astray and must return to the center if it is to be viable. Donald Trump will be either the high point of a total takeover of our federal government by a thin minority of great wealth and power, or he will be recede to the ash bins of history, another chapter in the short history of this republic—with this election.
Americans have a traditional and healthy fear of autocratic government. Indeed, the nation was founded on such fear and its founders created, however much flawed, a document in which the governed would govern themselves. The Constitution created three competing centers of political power, each guarding against the excesses of the other. Yet, we see now how delicate and how ephemeral that healthy distrust can be in times of fear and rapid change—and how both can be used for nefarious purposes by evil people. Like Donald Trump.
The stakes can’t be higher. Period.


Long-term Impacts?

In the midst of this crisis I am finding myself trying to find ways to think about the future .
Here are just a few thoughts on what we may be looking at as a result of this catastrophe .
These are just hastily scribbled initial notes .
Please add your own and your thoughts on these .
• An understanding , finally , that politics , public policy , leadership is a serious thing , not just a media spectacle .
• Death of the “ walls will protect us ” mentality that formed the core of the Trumpian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the GOP doctrine of radical selfishness and the desire to “ drown the government in a bathtub ” • Radically increased demands for complete overhaul of the US healthcare system , including investment in research , capacity , access .
• A return to respect for facts , science , experts , non-political professionals within our government .
• A hastened generational shift .
Not to be morbid here , but a not-insignificant number of the most conservative and pro-Trump voters in this country will not be able to vote for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this experience will be a wakeup call to younger citizens that they need to get involved ( starting with voting ) to take their futures away from the crazy and incompetent people we have allowed to be in charge .
• A newfound appreciation for the right and the freedom and the unique value of sharing physical space with others .
After the crisis has abated and we are finally allowed again to occupy public space with others , without ( as much ) fear , will we appreciate the unique opportunity or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damn screens , totally ignoring the other beings around us ?
For example , students who are being forced to go into online learning mode -— will this experience hasten the move to online learning or produce a backlash , an appreciation for the unique experience of groups of learners gathered together in a classroom ?
• None Also , this postmodern condition of multiple , `` personalized '' worlds driven by niche-media , where we are all free to create our own set of priorities based on personal preferences .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the kind of people who consume no news but sports news , now have no sports news to consume .
All the of attention and time taken up by infantile bullshit , controversies that exist only to keep us `` engaged '' on facebook , etc .
etc .
This will be disrupted , at least temporarily and some of the most bewitched among us will be forced to face a common reality governed by forces that can not be denied or manipulated digitally .
In short , all those personalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common , horrifying reality that we can not escape from digitally .

In the midst of this crisis I am finding myself trying to find ways to think about the future. Here are just a few thoughts on what we may be looking at as a result of this catastrophe.
These are just hastily scribbled initial notes. Please add your own and your thoughts on these.
An understanding, finally, that politics, public policy, leadership is a serious thing, not just a media spectacle.
Death of the “walls will protect us” mentality that formed the core of the Trumpian message
Expose of the suicidal absurdity of the GOP doctrine of radical selfishness and the desire to “drown the government in a bathtub”
Radically increased demands for complete overhaul of the US healthcare system, including investment in research, capacity, access.
A return to respect for facts, science, experts, non-political professionals within our government.
A hastened generational shift. Not to be morbid here, but a not-insignificant number of the most conservative and pro-Trump voters in this country will not be able to vote for him again in November. Correspondingly, perhaps this experience will be a wakeup call to younger citizens that they need to get involved (starting with voting) to take their futures away from the crazy and incompetent people we have allowed to be in charge.
A newfound appreciation for the right and the freedom and the unique value of sharing physical space with others. After the crisis has abated and we are finally allowed again to occupy public space with others, without (as much) fear, will we appreciate the unique opportunity or we will still be glued to our damn screens, totally ignoring the other beings around us? For example, students who are being forced to go into online learning mode -— will this experience hasten the move to online learning or produce a backlash, an appreciation for the unique experience of groups of learners gathered together in a classroom?


dailykos--2020-03-13--Political Moments that Inspired You

Political Moments that Inspired You

Has a political moment ever truly inspired you ?
Perhaps helped to form your political beliefs , principles or ideology .
Do you remember that first time when politics was elevated to art ?
In these times , its good to remember these moments .
So many of us are tired of feeling as if America stands at the edge of the cliff in the gathering dusk .
I have never been particularly susceptible to political oratory and I have rarely selected my heroes from the world of electoral politics .
There are exceptions .
I was fifteen in 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics .
Being contrarian by nature , and finding myself a citizen of Reagan ’ s America , I naturally leaned towards the Democrats .
Walter Mondale , a fine man and public servant , was not exactly inspirational .
Not as a speaker .
Then , at the 1984 Democratic Convention , New York Governor Mario Cuomo gave what would become known as The Tale of Two Cities speech .
It was a masterclass in political rhetoric .
Even this fifteen year-old sat up and took notice .
I recently re-watched this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the finest pieces of political oratory in our modern history .
Alas , many of the issues addressed are still unsolved and still relevant today .
Although I have never supported Senator Sanders , his 2016 ‘ America ’ television ad was brilliant , sent a chill up my cynical spine and may be the finest political ad I have ever seen .
Full stop .
Was there a moment in politics that inspired you for the first time in your life ?
PS You can find Cuomo ’ s speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unable to embed any of he video .
Check it out if you have never seen the speech .
He was a truly gifted speaker .

Has a political moment ever truly inspired you? Perhaps helped to form your political beliefs, principles or ideology. Do you remember that first time when politics was elevated to art? In these times, its good to remember these moments. So many of us are tired of feeling as if America stands at the edge of the cliff in the gathering dusk.
I have never been particularly susceptible to political oratory and I have rarely selected my heroes from the world of electoral politics. There are exceptions.
I was fifteen in 1984 and had just started to follow national politics. Being contrarian by nature, and finding myself a citizen of Reagan’s America, I naturally leaned towards the Democrats. Walter Mondale, a fine man and public servant, was not exactly inspirational. Not as a speaker. Then, at the 1984 Democratic Convention, New York Governor Mario Cuomo gave what would become known as The Tale of Two Cities speech. It was a masterclass in political rhetoric. Even this fifteen year-old sat up and took notice.
I recently re-watched this speech and it still holds up as one of the finest pieces of political oratory in our modern history. Alas, many of the issues addressed are still unsolved and still relevant today.
Although I have never supported Senator Sanders, his 2016 ‘America’ television ad was brilliant, sent a chill up my cynical spine and may be the finest political ad I have ever seen. Full stop.
Was there a moment in politics that inspired you for the first time in your life?
PS You can find Cuomo’s speech on YouTube. For some reason I was unable to embed any of he video. Check it out if you have never seen the speech. He was a truly gifted speaker.


dailykos--2020-03-14--The real life impacts of the climate crisis

A year ago today , Governor Kim Reynolds signed an emergency disaster proclamation as a result of the horrific flooding across our state .
With record levels of water due to heavy snow and rainfall , warmer temperatures , frozen soil , and over-saturated grounds , significant damage was caused across our state .
Crops were ruined , soil weakened for future growing seasons , resulting in $ 1.6 billion of damage .
Despite all of these serious impacts , little action has been taken to change course and protect us from future occurrences like this .
We need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate crisis right in front of us .
This is just one of the reasons why I ’ m running to serve Iowa ’ s 4th congressional district .
Congress needs to get to work and make sure we ’ re prepared for climate change-caused natural disasters like this .
After the floods , homes were significantly damaged , and schools , military bases , and farms in the Midwest had to scale back operations .
We need to make sure we ’ re prepared -- because the truth is , flooding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current climate crisis .
More and more scientists are warning us about continued heavy rainfall , rising temperatures , and more drastic swings in weather .
And worst of all -- what we don ’ t fix now will make our children ’ s future bleak .
I am where I am today because my parents and grandparents left me with opportunities .
We must do the same for our children .
I have always believed that we aren ’ t inheriting the land from our parents , we ’ re borrowing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these floods , we need to demand that Congress take steps to protect us from the impact of climate disasters like this flood .
Thank you for taking action -- our lives , economy , livelihoods , and future depend on us .

A year ago today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed an emergency disaster proclamation as a result of the horrific flooding across our state.
With record levels of water due to heavy snow and rainfall, warmer temperatures, frozen soil, and over-saturated grounds, significant damage was caused across our state. Crops were ruined, soil weakened for future growing seasons, resulting in $1.6 billion of damage.
Despite all of these serious impacts, little action has been taken to change course and protect us from future occurrences like this. We need to be taking steps in Congress to address the climate crisis right in front of us. This is just one of the reasons why I’m running to serve Iowa’s 4th congressional district.
Congress needs to get to work and make sure we’re prepared for climate change-caused natural disasters like this.
After the floods, homes were significantly damaged, and schools, military bases, and farms in the Midwest had to scale back operations.
We need to make sure we’re prepared -- because the truth is, flooding is not going to stop given our current climate crisis. More and more scientists are warning us about continued heavy rainfall, rising temperatures, and more drastic swings in weather.
And worst of all -- what we don’t fix now will make our children’s future bleak.
I am where I am today because my parents and grandparents left me with opportunities. We must do the same for our children. I have always believed that we aren’t inheriting the land from our parents, we’re borrowing it from our children.
On the anniversary of these floods, we need to demand that Congress take steps to protect us from the impact of climate disasters like this flood.
Thank you for taking action -- our lives, economy, livelihoods, and future depend on us.
— J.D. Scholten


dailykos--2020-03-15--The Vindication of CNN And The “Fake News” Media.

Two years ago Trump disbanded the pandemic preparedness and response team on the National Security Council .
At the time Jeremy Konyndyk , a health official during the Obama administration , presciently stated : The nation now suffers the consequences of not heeding Mr. Konyndyk ’ s warning from two years ago .
Mr. Konyndyk was not the only one who saw the health risks of an anti-science President .
In October 2017 I wrote an article entitled “ Ebola and Donald Trump ’ s Attempted Murder.
” The article focused on Trump ’ s unscientific , hysteria-inducing response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 Trump advocated that an American physician and nurse ( Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol ) , who were infected with Ebola , be barred from receiving care in United States .
Had Trump the power then that he has now , doing that would have killed them .
Fortunately for Brantly and Writebol , Trump had no power then , they received the life saving care in America they needed , they recovered and they infected no one .
An unnecessary tragedy was prevented because we had a different President then .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , I wrote : That day is upon us and , just as predicted , the President ’ s contempt for science is killing people — and it will kill more .
As the Coronavirus exploded , Trump treated it as a “ foreign virus ” and therefore a foreign problem .
He believed he could solve the problem in the manner he believes all foreign problems can be solved , by keeping the foreigners out .
He restricted , but did not ban ( as he and others in his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To be sure , those restrictions likely bought the United States some precious time to prepare .
We could have prepared by stocking up on testing kits , and preparing the American people with science-based Presidential candor as to the risks the nation faced .
The opposite happened .
Trump rejected the diagnostic tests offered by the World Health Organization in favor of developing homegrown versions .
Why , when the WHO tests worked fine ?
Well , because America First , MAGA , and all that drivel , or maybe so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the American kits rolled out , they suffered a bit of a problem .
They didn ’ t work .
By the time that problem was fixed , and it is still being fixed right now , the disease had exploded across America .
There is no getting those three weeks back .
The ability to quickly identify those with the disease , and the sources they got it from , evaporated .
As serious and deadly as this failing was , it may not have been the most damaging .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump defied the science , believing or hoping that his travel restrictions would be a “ wall ” against a virus .
For weeks , Trump minimized the risks to the American people , assuring us it was “ totally under control , ” “ pretty much shut down , ” and “ a problem that ’ s going away.
” He continued this denial even as the first cases and fatalities appeared on our shores .
He declared the first cases were “ going down to close to zero ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , not up.
” His anti-science thinking was reflected in literal reliance on “ a miracle ” as he said “ one day it ’ s like a miracle , it will disappear.
” He sought to deflate the numbers by keeping a cruise ship with some cases from coming to port saying , “ I don ’ t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn ’ t our fault.
” As the testing failure accelerated the disease by preventing the isolation of those infected , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump declared “ the tests are beautiful , like the letter was perfect , ” bizarrely comparing it to his Ukrainian transcript .
Here ’ s a timeline of the denial before Trump ’ s forced admission of a serious problem when he finally declared “ a national emergency , ” and a panicked sounding all caps tweet urging “ SOCIAL DISTANCING !
” Of course , we do have other sources of information than the bungling mere President of the United States .
We have the press and the media to inform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message was sometimes couched in frenetic terms , it was with the exception perhaps of Fox News ) generally scientifically founded .
The press passed on the guidance of medical experts that what the President was telling you was not true , the press fact checked and showed cases were not going “ substantially down , ” they were , and would continue for sometime , to go up .
The press warned the American public of all that has transpired in terms of potential disruptions in our ordinary lives , and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far better than the President did his .
In response to this accurate reporting , Trump attacked the press .
CNN in particular was slammed .
A recurring theme attempted to make Trump the victim , claiming the media reporting was a ploy by democrats to undermine him .
At a rally Trump compared the media coronavirus coverage to the Russia investigation declaring “ this is their new hoax.
” Look at that timeline above , and read those tweets , think of travel bans not just from China but now all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and the administration itself who are in self-quarantine , and the President himself compelled to be tested because of his contacts with some who have tested positive .
Who was more right about this , CNN , the media , and yes the democrats , or the President of the United States ?
The media has been vindicated , as now Trump declares a state of emergency and tweets breathlessly .
.
.
Suddenly , after weeks of accusing the media of hype , “ no resource will be spared.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ” must be “ unleashed.
” And with his declaration of a national day of prayer , he ’ s still looking for that miracle .
So there ’ s always that .

Two years ago Trump disbanded the pandemic preparedness and response team on the National Security Council. At the time Jeremy Konyndyk, a health official during the Obama administration, presciently stated:
“this all adds up to a potentially really concerning rollback of progress on U.S. health security preparedness. It seems to actively unlearn the lessons we learned through very hard experience over the last 15 years. These moves make us materially less safe. It’s inexplicable.”
The nation now suffers the consequences of not heeding Mr. Konyndyk’s warning from two years ago.
Mr. Konyndyk was not the only one who saw the health risks of an anti-science President. In October 2017 I wrote an article entitled “Ebola and Donald Trump’s Attempted Murder.” The article focused on Trump’s unscientific, hysteria-inducing response to Ebola. The article discussed how in 2014 Trump advocated that an American physician and nurse (Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol), who were infected with Ebola, be barred from receiving care in United States. Had Trump the power then that he has now, doing that would have killed them. Fortunately for Brantly and Writebol, Trump had no power then, they received the life saving care in America they needed, they recovered and they infected no one. An unnecessary tragedy was prevented because we had a different President then.
At that time, almost two years ago, I wrote:
Someday there will be more people like Brantly and Writebol. It may not be Ebola, but it will be people who need a level headed President who will not succumb to decision making rooted in ignorance, irrational conspiracy theories, and prejudice. If this President acts as he has said he would, his ignorance and general looniness will kill people as surely as it would have killed Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol.
That day is upon us and, just as predicted, the President’s contempt for science is killing people — and it will kill more. As the Coronavirus exploded, Trump treated it as a “foreign virus” and therefore a foreign problem. He believed he could solve the problem in the manner he believes all foreign problems can be solved, by keeping the foreigners out. He restricted, but did not ban (as he and others in his administration have falsely claimed) travel from China.
To be sure, those restrictions likely bought the United States some precious time to prepare. We could have prepared by stocking up on testing kits, and preparing the American people with science-based Presidential candor as to the risks the nation faced. The opposite happened.
Trump rejected the diagnostic tests offered by the World Health Organization in favor of developing homegrown versions. Why, when the WHO tests worked fine? Well, because America First, MAGA, and all that drivel, or maybe so members of the Kushner family could profit. When the American kits rolled out, they suffered a bit of a problem. They didn’t work. By the time that problem was fixed, and it is still being fixed right now, the disease had exploded across America. There is no getting those three weeks back. The ability to quickly identify those with the disease, and the sources they got it from, evaporated.
As serious and deadly as this failing was, it may not have been the most damaging. Rather than prepare the American people, Trump defied the science, believing or hoping that his travel restrictions would be a “wall” against a virus. For weeks, Trump minimized the risks to the American people, assuring us it was “totally under control,” “pretty much shut down,” and “a problem that’s going away.”
He continued this denial even as the first cases and fatalities appeared on our shores. He declared the first cases were “going down to close to zero” and that “we’re going very substantially down, not up.” His anti-science thinking was reflected in literal reliance on “a miracle” as he said “one day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” He sought to deflate the numbers by keeping a cruise ship with some cases from coming to port saying, “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”
As the testing failure accelerated the disease by preventing the isolation of those infected, and identification of the sources of infection, Trump declared “the tests are beautiful, like the letter was perfect,” bizarrely comparing it to his Ukrainian transcript.
Here’s a timeline of the denial before Trump’s forced admission of a serious problem when he finally declared “a national emergency,” and a panicked sounding all caps tweet urging “SOCIAL DISTANCING!”
Of course, we do have other sources of information than the bungling mere President of the United States. We have the press and the media to inform us. It did. While that message was sometimes couched in frenetic terms, it was with the exception perhaps of Fox News) generally scientifically founded.
The press passed on the guidance of medical experts that what the President was telling you was not true, the press fact checked and showed cases were not going “substantially down,” they were, and would continue for sometime, to go up. The press warned the American public of all that has transpired in terms of potential disruptions in our ordinary lives, and economic processes. The press did its job far better than the President did his.
In response to this accurate reporting, Trump attacked the press. CNN in particular was slammed.
x Ã¢ÂÂAnti-Trump Network @CNN doing whatever it can to stoke a national Coronavirus panic. The far left Network pretty much ignoring anyone who they interview who doesnÃ¢ÂÂt blame President Trump.Ã¢ÂÂ @trish_regan @FoxNews Media refuses to discuss the great job our professionals are doing! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2020
A recurring theme attempted to make Trump the victim, claiming the media reporting was a ploy by democrats to undermine him.
x The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, Ã¢ÂÂThe risk is low to the average American.Ã¢ÂÂ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
x We have a perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan at the White House for our attack on CoronaVirus. We moved VERY early to close borders to certain areas, which was a Godsend. V.P. is doing a great job. The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to make us look bad. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2020
At a rally Trump compared the media coronavirus coverage to the Russia investigation declaring “this is their new hoax.”
Look at that timeline above, and read those tweets, think of travel bans not just from China but now all of Europe, think of all those in Congress and the administration itself who are in self-quarantine, and the President himself compelled to be tested because of his contacts with some who have tested positive. Who was more right about this, CNN, the media, and yes the democrats, or the President of the United States?
The media has been vindicated, as now Trump declares a state of emergency and tweets breathlessly . . .
x SOCIAL DISTANCING! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2020
Suddenly, after weeks of accusing the media of hype, “no resource will be spared.”
x Americans are the strongest and most resilient people on earth...We will remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need, and that they are entitled to. No resource will be spared. pic.twitter.com/gySUqewd4u — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020
And “the full power of the federal government” must be “unleashed.”
x To unleash the full power of the Federal Government in this effort, today I am officially declaring a National Emergency. pic.twitter.com/yu2GBcxWD6 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020
And with his declaration of a national day of prayer, he’s still looking for that miracle.
x TODAY IS A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER. GOD BLESS EVERYONE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2020
So there’s always that.


dailykos--2020-03-15--Dems Need to Make the Case that a Liberal Fiscal Policy is Best Response to COVID-19

As the United States ramps up its efforts to respond to COVID-19 , trying to avoid the country going down the road of Italy and Iran , it is still a question just how many Americans will be infected before the outbreak is contained .
But where there is no doubt , is that nearly every American is going to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic economically : • small businesses like restaurants and coffee shops that rely on a lot of foot traffic losing business • low-wage workers who are going to miss work and may or may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 globally pushing the world into recession • retail and service workers who normally have a lot of human interaction , having their employment disrupted • schools closing and people having to scramble for child care • major events like SXSW and professional sports being canceled , and all the lost revenue to local businesses that goes along with that • people who are actually infected , which will likely incur huge hospital and medical bills even if they survive While the Democratic Party like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and aid to Americans , such as the $ 8.3 billion emergency aid bill they managed to get signed by Trump , and the most recent bill that is currently awaiting passage in Mitch McConnell ’ s Senate — a lot of the most impactful economic relief faces direct Republican opposition .
The solution that really needs to start being discussed in the public sphere , that mainstream American punditry seems to treat as if does not even exist , is a massive Keynesian fiscal stimulus , similar to Franklin Roosevelt ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Great Depression .
The fallout of COVID-19 and the global recession that it is fueling will likely require a similar focus .
A massive borrowing program would be capable of preventing the most extreme of bad ends for the vast majority of Americans .
It could provide relief for people who lose their jobs , fall behind on paying debts , and rack up huge medical bills .
It could help keep businesses afloat as they wait for the threat of COVID-19 to die down .
People could afford to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have under the current for-profit US healthcare system .
For people facing quarantine and isolation and the economic turmoil that may bring on them , having government financial support would likely make that more sustainable , and considering the threat of COVID-19 is currently very real , may help accelerate a nation-wide push of containment via closures and quarantine .
While enacting massive fiscal stimulus through national debt imposes a future financial burden on the country , it is something that the country is fully capable of handling .
And if that financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst economic hardships , then just as with FDR ’ s New Deal , it is an investment worth making .
The obvious criticism of this plan , is purely that Republicans oppose it .
Regardless on if it is based on principle or not , such a plan will face Republicans that will block and vote it down at every opportunity .
Because it is not based on principle , after all .
The so-called Party of fiscal responsibility have not cared in the slightest that the national debt has increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office , Donald Trump .
With literally no end in sight .
And even if Republicans do everything they can to block fiscal stimulus , let us not forget that this is an election year .
If the Democratic Party were to publicly announce now that they will advance major economic stimulus , even via borrowing , to best respond to COVID-19 , Republicans like Trump , many facing re-election this year , would then be on the record as having stood in the way of the largest response that the strength of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of the very real threat of COVID-19 .
The Republican Party would have stood directly in the realm of sacrificing American lives at the altar of fiscal responsibility , that they don ’ t even follow when they are in control .
If the effects of COVID-19 in the next few months includes major economic pain to millions of Americans , including many needless death , the idea that this would not weigh on Republican re-election efforts in November is highly unlikely .
They would have to make the case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the COVID-19 outbreak , that they are the Party that Americans would want in charge during the next pandemic .
I think that what the next few months will show , is that most Americans will be less inclined to agree .
Of course the following predictable criticism would be that the Democratic Party should not be politicizing a crisis like COVID-19 .
But it takes all of two seconds to find multiple examples of the Republican Party and Trump and their supporters already doing this at this very moment , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if that were not the case , that does not change the fact that it is in any case worthy of the Democratic Party making the case that a Democratic response like this to the COVID-19 crisis , is the best chance at both saving Americans ’ lives , and saving Americans from economic ruin .
If the Democratic Party ’ s proposals to combat COVID-19 can be seen as politicizing the crisis against Republicans in any way , that just further implies that Republican ideology only prevents a more comprehensive response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and at worst , actually makes things worse .
So in my mind , the Democratic Party needs to make this message now and soon — whether it be through Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden via their respective Presidential campaigns , through current leaders like Pelosi or Schumer , or even in every avenue currently at our disposal .
Because it might be our best chance to save as many American lives , and many Americans from financial ruin , as possible .

As the United States ramps up its efforts to respond to COVID-19, trying to avoid the country going down the road of Italy and Iran, it is still a question just how many Americans will be infected before the outbreak is contained.
But where there is no doubt, is that nearly every American is going to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic economically:
small businesses like restaurants and coffee shops that rely on a lot of foot traffic losing business
low-wage workers who are going to miss work and may or may not get paid sick leave
the impacts of COVID-19 globally pushing the world into recession
the airlines, travel and tourism industries
retail and service workers who normally have a lot of human interaction, having their employment disrupted
schools closing and people having to scramble for child care
major events like SXSW and professional sports being canceled, and all the lost revenue to local businesses that goes along with that
people who are actually infected, which will likely incur huge hospital and medical bills even if they survive
While the Democratic Party like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are working hard to find ways to provide relief and aid to Americans, such as the $8.3 billion emergency aid bill they managed to get signed by Trump, and the most recent bill that is currently awaiting passage in Mitch McConnell’s Senate — a lot of the most impactful economic relief faces direct Republican opposition.
The solution that really needs to start being discussed in the public sphere, that mainstream American punditry seems to treat as if does not even exist, is a massive Keynesian fiscal stimulus, similar to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal that helped through the crisis of the Great Depression.
The programs focused on what historians refer to as the "3 Rs": relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy back to normal levels, and reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression.
The fallout of COVID-19 and the global recession that it is fueling will likely require a similar focus.
A massive borrowing program would be capable of preventing the most extreme of bad ends for the vast majority of Americans. It could provide relief for people who lose their jobs, fall behind on paying debts, and rack up huge medical bills. It could help keep businesses afloat as they wait for the threat of COVID-19 to die down. People could afford to seek medical care that they otherwise would not have under the current for-profit US healthcare system. For people facing quarantine and isolation and the economic turmoil that may bring on them, having government financial support would likely make that more sustainable, and considering the threat of COVID-19 is currently very real, may help accelerate a nation-wide push of containment via closures and quarantine.
While enacting massive fiscal stimulus through national debt imposes a future financial burden on the country, it is something that the country is fully capable of handling. And if that financial burden saves several lives and staves off the worst economic hardships, then just as with FDR’s New Deal, it is an investment worth making.
The obvious criticism of this plan, is purely that Republicans oppose it. Regardless on if it is based on principle or not, such a plan will face Republicans that will block and vote it down at every opportunity.
Because it is not based on principle, after all. The so-called Party of fiscal responsibility have not cared in the slightest that the national debt has increased under the Republican currently occupying the Oval Office, Donald Trump. With literally no end in sight.
And even if Republicans do everything they can to block fiscal stimulus, let us not forget that this is an election year. If the Democratic Party were to publicly announce now that they will advance major economic stimulus, even via borrowing, to best respond to COVID-19, Republicans like Trump, many facing re-election this year, would then be on the record as having stood in the way of the largest response that the strength of the United States is capable of in the face of the very real threat of COVID-19. The Republican Party would have stood directly in the realm of sacrificing American lives at the altar of fiscal responsibility, that they don’t even follow when they are in control. If the effects of COVID-19 in the next few months includes major economic pain to millions of Americans, including many needless death, the idea that this would not weigh on Republican re-election efforts in November is highly unlikely. They would have to make the case, to an American public that just got through the COVID-19 outbreak, that they are the Party that Americans would want in charge during the next pandemic. I think that what the next few months will show, is that most Americans will be less inclined to agree.
Of course the following predictable criticism would be that the Democratic Party should not be politicizing a crisis like COVID-19. But it takes all of two seconds to find multiple examples of the Republican Party and Trump and their supporters already doing this at this very moment, so such criticism rings hollow. And even if that were not the case, that does not change the fact that it is in any case worthy of the Democratic Party making the case that a Democratic response like this to the COVID-19 crisis, is the best chance at both saving Americans’ lives, and saving Americans from economic ruin. If the Democratic Party’s proposals to combat COVID-19 can be seen as politicizing the crisis against Republicans in any way, that just further implies that Republican ideology only prevents a more comprehensive response to a disease outbreak like COVID-19 at best; and at worst, actually makes things worse.
So in my mind, the Democratic Party needs to make this message now and soon — whether it be through Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden via their respective Presidential campaigns, through current leaders like Pelosi or Schumer, or even in every avenue currently at our disposal.
Because it might be our best chance to save as many American lives, and many Americans from financial ruin, as possible.


dailykos--2020-03-16--Political Philosophy and the Coronavirus

Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state , government , politics , liberty , justice and the enforcement of a legal code by authority .
It is Ethics applied to a group of people , and discusses how a society should be set up and how one should act within a society .
Individual rights ( such as the right to life , liberty , property , the pursuit of happiness , free speech , self-defense , etc ) state explicitly the requirements for a person to benefit rather than suffer from living in a society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` What is a government ?
`` , `` Why are governments needed ?
`` , `` What makes a government legitimate ?
`` , `` What rights and freedoms should a government protect ?
`` , `` What duties do citizens owe to a legitimate government , if any ? ''
and `` When may a government be legitimately overthrown , if ever ? ''
So , in the beginning , political philosophy was not so much a matter of contemplation or discussion .
This was the first sort of political organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or obey Og Magog , he would pound you into dust .
This same sort of politics can be seen in chimpanzee tribes where the alpha male gets to do anything he wants and gets to f # ck anyone he wants .
Until he gets too old .
Despite the stone age origin of this level of political organization , it persists to this day .
Only now Og Magog has functionaries that perform the necessary enforcement measures .
In this form of political organization , decisions are made by popular agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and everybody is equal .
Something like this system has been rumored to have been in place in the city-states of Greece in classical times .
I am sure that women and slaves and poor people never got to vote but nevertheless democracy has persisted as an ideal if not in practice .
There might be a natural analogue of democracy , but if so , I ’ m not aware of it .
Libertarianism is the idea that government that governs least governs best and that individuals ( especially rich individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices , now matter how selfish and deviant they become .
Most Libertarians are college sophomores who were required to read Ayn Rand ’ s Atlas Shrugged in some literature class .
Most people get over it when they realize that their peers shun assholes .
I was actually a Libertarian for a couple of weeks after I read Fountainhead in high school .
But then I went back to smoking dope and forgot all about it .
Male gorillas are good libertarians , living alone most of the time , except once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communism is the idea that everyone should give what they are able and receive what they need .
Workers should own the means of production .
The Soviet Union , North Korea , Cuba , and China claim to be communist .
But , as Yogi Berra said , in theory , things should work out in practice the way they do in theory , but in practice , they don ’ t , Workers owning the means of production devolved into the State owning the means of production , which meant that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only experience I have with Communism is a paper I wrote about Marx for an economics class .
I got a pretty bad grade on it , so I requested a meeting with the TA who had graded it .
He claimed that it was a made-over paper from a philosophy class ( I have never taken a philosophy class ) .
This was the seventies , where somehow Marx was a philosopher .
If you have ever tried to read Das Kapital , you will realize very soon that it is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I could tell the TA was gay , so I borrowed some low cut , tight corduroy pants from my wife ( back in the day , I would do this sort of shit without even thinking about it ) .
Sure enough , he commented positively on the pants , and raised my grade .
The best example of communism in the natural world is a beehive , a hive mind where no-one is in control .
It may seem that it all revolves around the queen , but it reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine .
She only gets to leave the hive once , in order to get impregnated , and spends the rest of her life popping out eggs .
Fascism , briefly defined , is the fusion of the state with business .
In practice , it includes a lot of nationalistic and racist trappings .
These seem to be necessary to get the populace to go along Fascist regimes include most notably Hitler ’ s Germany , but also Mussolini ’ s Italy , Franco ’ s Spain , and one could argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s USA is about half-way there .
Trump merely took advantage of conditions already present .
Fascism started here when Dwight Eisenhower died .
Although a Republican , he famously warned about the dangers of the military-industrial complex .
It ’ s hard to find a natural correlate to fascism , but I ’ m going to offer the naked mole rat .
It ’ s a mammal where only the upper crust gets to do nice things , like breed .
Socialism is , in some ways , the hardest to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But let ’ s go with this : some societal functions are not well provided by organizations with a profit motive .
In those cases , the state must step in to provide them .
In this country , we have public roads , public fire-fighting , public schools , public policing , public defense , Social Security .
Other countries have gone further , notably and most importantly , public medical systems .
Are there socialist systems in the natural world ?
The best analogy I can think of is the leaf-cutter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Costa Rica .
They cut leaves and then bear them back to their nest .
One ant can carry many times it ’ s own weight .
They don ’ t actually eat the leaves , but wait until they become infected with fungus .
Special workers feed the fungus to their young .
So what does all this have to do with the Coronavirus First let ’ s look at China .
It is nominally a communist society .
They developed the first epicenter in Wuhan .
Their first instinct was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state look bad .
The first guy to warn about it was an opthmalogist , who later died .
Some of the things China did after that , though , were really impressive .
They put up purpose-built hospitals in ten days or so to harbor the afflicted .
They shut movement and manufacturing all over the country .
Their numbers seemed to have leveled off .
Still I don ’ t trust their numbers .
Hubai ’ s numbers were messed with early on .
And epicenters in other provinces somehow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus ’ s spread subsequently in other countiries , this is hard to believe .
The next country up is Korea .
It is a capitalistic , somewhat democratic , very plutocratic society .
One third of the population is named Kim , so you know they ’ re all closely related .
They started testing immediately and comprehensively .
They have bent the curve down .
Their numbers are inherently more believable than China ’ s .
Russia seems to have few cases at all .
Of course , nobody believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether oligarchia is considered a political philosophy .
I personally think that Putin is the new Og Magog .
Iran .
It doesn ’ t seem to have a political philosophy that is recognizable in the 21st century .
The mullahs are in charge , though many of them are surely dying .
The numbers we are getting from Iran are probably understated , not so much because they are lying , but because they can ’ t keep up .
Italy is the western somewhat socialist-democracy now most afflicted by the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are quite upfront about what they are experiencing .
“ Hellscape ” is a commonly used term .
The USA now has over 3000 known cases , although we don ’ t really know because we don ’ t have enough test kits available .
Why is that ?
Because the FDA wouldn ’ t approve the WHO test that everybody else uses , apparently because there was no U.S. manufacturer .
This sounds like a fascist government to me .
Who cares about the people ?
It ’ s the businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest coronavirus update from the White House .
Trump talked for about five minutes , seemed to be out of breath .
Looked pretty sick to me .
His main message seemed to me that the Federal Reserve had cut the interest rate by 1 percent , to close to zero .
He seems to think that this will amp the stock market tomorrow .
And maybe it will .
But as a biologist I can tell him that viruses don ’ t care about no steenkin ’ itnterest rates , nor about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news , don ’ t know if this is reliable , but the U.K. ( now part of the travel ban ) has apparently decided just to let eveyrbody get sick , rather than undergo all the cancellations that everybody else is doing .
The idea is that they ’ ll get through this faster , with only 3-4 % dead .
That seems to be the ultimate Libertarian move .
Thank you , Boris .

Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice and the enforcement of a legal code by authority. It is Ethics applied to a group of people, and discusses how a society should be set up and how one should act within a society. Individual rights (such as the right to life, liberty, property, the pursuit of happiness, free speech, self-defense, etc) state explicitly the requirements for a person to benefit rather than suffer from living in a society. Political philosophy asks questions like: "What is a government?", "Why are governments needed?", "What makes a government legitimate?", "What rights and freedoms should a government protect?", "What duties do citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any?" and "When may a government be legitimately overthrown, if ever?"
So, in the beginning, political philosophy was not so much a matter of contemplation or discussion.
Demagoguerie
This was the first sort of political organization. If you did not agree with or obey Og Magog, he would pound you into dust. This same sort of politics can be seen in chimpanzee tribes where the alpha male gets to do anything he wants and gets to f#ck anyone he wants. Until he gets too old. Despite the stone age origin of this level of political organization, it persists to this day. Only now Og Magog has functionaries that perform the necessary enforcement measures.
Democracy
In this form of political organization, decisions are made by popular agreement, wherein one man has one vote, and everybody is equal. Something like this system has been rumored to have been in place in the city-states of Greece in classical times. I am sure that women and slaves and poor people never got to vote but nevertheless democracy has persisted as an ideal if not in practice. There might be a natural analogue of democracy, but if so, I’m not aware of it.
Libertarianism
Libertarianism is the idea that government that governs least governs best and that individuals (especially rich individuals) should be left to their own devices, now matter how selfish and deviant they become. Most Libertarians are college sophomores who were required to read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged in some literature class. Most people get over it when they realize that their peers shun assholes. I was actually a Libertarian for a couple of weeks after I read Fountainhead in high school. But then I went back to smoking dope and forgot all about it. Male gorillas are good libertarians, living alone most of the time, except once a year when they get horny.
Communism
Communism is the idea that everyone should give what they are able and receive what they need. Workers should own the means of production. The Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, and China claim to be communist. But, as Yogi Berra said, in theory, things should work out in practice the way they do in theory, but in practice, they don’t, Workers owning the means of production devolved into the State owning the means of production, which meant that Communist party leaders owned everything.
My only experience I have with Communism is a paper I wrote about Marx for an economics class. I got a pretty bad grade on it, so I requested a meeting with the TA who had graded it. He claimed that it was a made-over paper from a philosophy class (I have never taken a philosophy class). This was the seventies, where somehow Marx was a philosopher. If you have ever tried to read Das Kapital, you will realize very soon that it is a badly translated, very boring economics textbook.
I could tell the TA was gay, so I borrowed some low cut, tight corduroy pants from my wife (back in the day, I would do this sort of shit without even thinking about it). Sure enough, he commented positively on the pants, and raised my grade.
The best example of communism in the natural world is a beehive, a hive mind where no-one is in control. It may seem that it all revolves around the queen, but it reality she is just another cog in the machine. She only gets to leave the hive once, in order to get impregnated, and spends the rest of her life popping out eggs.
Fascism
Fascism, briefly defined, is the fusion of the state with business. In practice, it includes a lot of nationalistic and racist trappings. These seem to be necessary to get the populace to go along Fascist regimes include most notably Hitler’s Germany, but also Mussolini’s Italy, Franco’s Spain, and one could argue, Putin’s Russia. Trump’s USA is about half-way there.
Trump merely took advantage of conditions already present. Fascism started here when Dwight Eisenhower died. Although a Republican, he famously warned about the dangers of the military-industrial complex.
It’s hard to find a natural correlate to fascism, but I’m going to offer the naked mole rat. It’s a mammal where only the upper crust gets to do nice things, like breed.
Socialism
Socialism is, in some ways, the hardest to define in a sentence or two. But let’s go with this: some societal functions are not well provided by organizations with a profit motive. In those cases, the state must step in to provide them.
In this country, we have public roads, public fire-fighting, public schools, public policing, public defense, Social Security. Other countries have gone further, notably and most importantly, public medical systems.
Are there socialist systems in the natural world? The best analogy I can think of is the leaf-cutter ants, which I have seen in Costa Rica. They cut leaves and then bear them back to their nest. One ant can carry many times it’s own weight. They don’t actually eat the leaves, but wait until they become infected with fungus. Special workers feed the fungus to their young.
So what does all this have to do with the Coronavirus ?
First let’s look at China. It is nominally a communist society. They developed the first epicenter in Wuhan. Their first instinct was to lie about it. Must not make the state look bad. The first guy to warn about it was an opthmalogist, who later died. Some of the things China did after that, though, were really impressive. They put up purpose-built hospitals in ten days or so to harbor the afflicted. They shut movement and manufacturing all over the country. Their numbers seemed to have leveled off.
Still I don’t trust their numbers. Hubai’s numbers were messed with early on. And epicenters in other provinces somehow seemed to just fizzle out. Given the virus’s spread subsequently in other countiries, this is hard to believe.
The next country up is Korea. It is a capitalistic, somewhat democratic, very plutocratic society. One third of the population is named Kim, so you know they’re all closely related. They started testing immediately and comprehensively. They have bent the curve down. Their numbers are inherently more believable than China’s.
Russia seems to have few cases at all. Of course , nobody believes them. I’m not sure whether oligarchia is considered a political philosophy. I personally think that Putin is the new Og Magog.
Iran. It doesn’t seem to have a political philosophy that is recognizable in the 21st century. The mullahs are in charge, though many of them are surely dying. The numbers we are getting from Iran are probably understated, not so much because they are lying, but because they can’t keep up.
Italy is the western somewhat socialist-democracy now most afflicted by the virus. They are closing down everything. They are quite upfront about what they are experiencing. “Hellscape” is a commonly used term.
The USA now has over 3000 known cases, although we don’t really know because we don’t have enough test kits available. Why is that? Because the FDA wouldn’t approve the WHO test that everybody else uses, apparently because there was no U.S. manufacturer. This sounds like a fascist government to me. Who cares about the people? It’s the businesses we must protect.
I watched the latest coronavirus update from the White House. Trump talked for about five minutes, seemed to be out of breath. Looked pretty sick to me. His main message seemed to me that the Federal Reserve had cut the interest rate by 1 percent, to close to zero. He seems to think that this will amp the stock market tomorrow. And maybe it will. But as a biologist I can tell him that viruses don’t care about no steenkin’ itnterest rates, nor about the stock market.
I heard on the news, don’t know if this is reliable, but the U.K. (now part of the travel ban) has apparently decided just to let eveyrbody get sick, rather than undergo all the cancellations that everybody else is doing. The idea is that they’ll get through this faster, with only 3-4% dead. That seems to be the ultimate Libertarian move. Thank you, Boris.


dailykos--2020-03-16--First, do no harm.

First, do no harm.

Yeah I know it is strange to hear that from me .
But this isn ’ t about me .
I ’ m fairly certain that everyone here at the very least knows of , is friends with , is related to , or has as a significant other a healthcare professional , or first responder on the front line of this pandemic .
This is about them .
They are entering into a battle with a deadly opponent that has already and will continue to kill people .
They are at the tip of the spear .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good thoughts about them and their families .
We will lose some of them to this .
It is inevitable .
The numbers don ’ t give a fuck .
And those people at the tip of spear know it .
Possibly for six to eighteen months .
We are just starting and no one really knows for sure how long this will last .
They have some ideas but nothing certain .
So no matter what happens remember them .
And make sure they get the help they will need after this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us in the position we are in because it ’ s cheaper to dump your insurance ( CDC emergency response team ) and give the “ windfall ” to people who don ’ t fucking need it .
Remember that these fuck ups and thieves “ will take no responsibility ” for anything that goes wrong with their plans , policies , procedures , and the execution thereof .
So when we get through this and we will , remember those at the tip of the spear .
And remember those who made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Remember what they did and more importantly why they did it .
So if you are lucky enough to be with , know of , are related to one of these people support them .
As best you can .
They are going into the breach to show us why America is great .
Remember that when you vote .

Yeah I know it is strange to hear that from me. But this isn’t about me. I’m fairly certain that everyone here at the very least knows of, is friends with, is related to, or has as a significant other a healthcare professional, or first responder on the front line of this pandemic. This is about them. They are entering into a battle with a deadly opponent that has already and will continue to kill people. They are at the tip of the spear. They are stepping into the breach.
So think good thoughts about them and their families. We will lose some of them to this. It is inevitable. The numbers don’t give a fuck. And those people at the tip of spear know it. Possibly for six to eighteen months. We are just starting and no one really knows for sure how long this will last. They have some ideas but nothing certain.
So no matter what happens remember them. And make sure they get the help they will need after this is over. And remember who left us in the position we are in because it’s cheaper to dump your insurance (CDC emergency response team) and give the “windfall” to people who don’t fucking need it. Remember that these fuck ups and thieves “will take no responsibility” for anything that goes wrong with their plans, policies, procedures, and the execution thereof.
So when we get through this and we will, remember those at the tip of the spear. And remember those who made what we have to face worse. Remember what they did and more importantly why they did it. So if you are lucky enough to be with, know of, are related to one of these people support them. As best you can. They are going into the breach to show us why America is great. Remember that when you vote.


dailykos--2020-03-16--Do you want the truth? The US economy is now close to worst-performed ever

The US economy has deteriorated over the last year as badly as at any time in recent history outside a global recession .
The fact that so many Americans – possibly a majority – believe the opposite is an intriguing case study in mass hypnosis .
How do we know things are actually bad , when virtually everyone across the political landscape and throughout the media accept the triumphant tweets that it is “ best ever ” or “ best in the world ” ?
We know this from the official data released quarterly , monthly , weekly or , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various statutory authorities .
And we can check progress in the USA on all these measures with what is happening in other countries .
In fact , the economy is performing poorly on 22 of the 26 key variables .
This has nothing to do with the coronavirus .
These outcomes were recorded before that threat emerged .
We can readily assemble the 26 critical variables into four levels : doing very well , about average , below average and tracking disastrously .
This is the category for outcomes showing strong progress relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s best as recorded by Trading Economics or the World Bank or the OECD .
Currently , there are none .
Four variables are now tracking above average : unemployment , youth joblessness , median wealth and personal savings .
We will look at these in detail shortly .
Fourteen variables are now performing below par .
These are interest rates , inflation , wages growth , homelessness , economic growth as measured by annual growth in gross domestic product ( GDP ) , GDP per person PPP , consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing index , industrial production , mining production , tourism , corruption and retail and wholesale trade .
Eight areas of the US economy are now performing at or close to worst – in US history , or relative to other developed countries , or both .
These are manufacturing activity , exports , the trade deficit , federal government spending , government revenue , the budget deficit , federal debt and the interest payable on the debt .
We shall look at all of these in due course and track where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries and where they should be in the USA today .
The decline in the jobless rate in February from 3.79 % a year ago down to the 50-year low of 3.52 % is most welcome .
But it is not great , given the recent global surge in trade , profits and employment .
The US jobless rate today ranks a lowly 49th globally .
Many well-managed economies now enjoy all-time low jobless rates , not just 50-year lows .
As shown in the graph , above , the jobless rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first three years .
This is better than the first terms of Reagan , Obama and the two Bushes , but not as good as the Clinton and Carter first terms nor the Clinton , Reagan and Obama second terms .
Youth unemployment is down to 7.7 % , better than the global average , but behind the leaders .
The Netherlands is at 6.4 % , Germany 5.6 % , Japan 3.6 % and Switzerland 2.3 % .
Median wealth per adult , according to Credit Suisse , increased from $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , a rise of 2.95 % per year .
Not bad .
This ranked a modest 22nd in the world both years .
By the end of 2018 , personal savings by Americans came to 8.8 % of disposable income .
This slipped back to 7.9 % when last reported in January , ranking 24th among the 36 developed economies .
We shall examine the other 22 of these 26 variables in coming days and weeks .
Meanwhile , readers are warmly invited to add to this list of variables , showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on the findings published here .

The US economy has deteriorated over the last year as badly as at any time in recent history outside a global recession. The fact that so many Americans – possibly a majority – believe the opposite is an intriguing case study in mass hypnosis.
How do we know things are actually bad, when virtually everyone across the political landscape and throughout the media accept the triumphant tweets that it is “best ever” or “best in the world”?
We know this from the official data released quarterly, monthly, weekly or, in some cases, daily from the various statutory authorities. And we can check progress in the USA on all these measures with what is happening in other countries.
In fact, the economy is performing poorly on 22 of the 26 key variables. This has nothing to do with the coronavirus. These outcomes were recorded before that threat emerged.
We can readily assemble the 26 critical variables into four levels: doing very well, about average, below average and tracking disastrously.
Sectors performing very well
This is the category for outcomes showing strong progress relative to earlier periods, and ranking among the world’s best as recorded by Trading Economics or the World Bank or the OECD. Currently, there are none.
Sectors showing average or above average outcomes
Four variables are now tracking above average: unemployment, youth joblessness, median wealth and personal savings. We will look at these in detail shortly.
Below average outcomes
Fourteen variables are now performing below par. These are interest rates, inflation, wages growth, homelessness, economic growth as measured by annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per person PPP, consumer spending, underutilization of workers, the housing index, industrial production, mining production, tourism, corruption and retail and wholesale trade.
Disastrous outcomes, close to world’s worst
Eight areas of the US economy are now performing at or close to worst – in US history, or relative to other developed countries, or both. These are manufacturing activity, exports, the trade deficit, federal government spending, government revenue, the budget deficit, federal debt and the interest payable on the debt.
We shall look at all of these in due course and track where they are now, how they compare with other countries and where they should be in the USA today.
(This analysis does not include job participation, consumer confidence, business confidence or stock market values. These are not reliable indicators of the health of the economy.)
Well-performing outcomes in detail
The decline in the jobless rate in February from 3.79% a year ago down to the 50-year low of 3.52% is most welcome. But it is not great, given the recent global surge in trade, profits and employment. The US jobless rate today ranks a lowly 49th globally. Many well-managed economies now enjoy all-time low jobless rates, not just 50-year lows.
As shown in the graph, above, the jobless rate fell 1.20% through President Trump’s first three years. This is better than the first terms of Reagan, Obama and the two Bushes, but not as good as the Clinton and Carter first terms nor the Clinton, Reagan and Obama second terms.
Youth unemployment is down to 7.7%, better than the global average, but behind the leaders. The Netherlands is at 6.4%, Germany 5.6%, Japan 3.6% and Switzerland 2.3%.
Median wealth per adult, according to Credit Suisse, increased from $64,015 in 2018 to $65,904 in 2019, a rise of 2.95% per year. Not bad. This ranked a modest 22nd in the world both years.
By the end of 2018, personal savings by Americans came to 8.8% of disposable income. This slipped back to 7.9% when last reported in January, ranking 24th among the 36 developed economies.
We shall examine the other 22 of these 26 variables in coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, readers are warmly invited to add to this list of variables, showing the data sets over time, and comment on the findings published here.
More soon ...


dailykos--2020-03-17--Is Lying a Political Strategy We should Support?

Given the feelings of fear , disgust & even hatred toward the current president , it ’ s arguable that even a St. Bernard could prevail in November ( if people show up ) , & “ electablity ” ( in other words , guessing how someone else would vote ) should be considered more a sham criteria than not .
Therefore , the real presidential election is now in the primaries .
This opens an important question .
This opens an important question .
Should lying be embraced as an appropriate political strategy ?
Why should we support it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means to an end ?
After “ victory ” , can we then count on the lying to stop ?
Can democracy function without credibility & trust ?
Should we all just lie all the time ?
Can a person who continually lies about his record be immune to the attacks of a totally ruthless liar , whom we shall not name , in the general election ?
Aside from the lies , there are nevertheless honest differences about the direction of our society to choose between in the primary .
If honestly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his record ) that the social means to living — medical care , housing , access to food & education — should be the privileges of those who can afford it , while the other believes that liberty & justice for all is impossible without everyone having rights to these basics .
What do you think about these issues , & what do you think about lying as a strategy ?

Given the feelings of fear, disgust & even hatred toward the current president, it’s arguable that even a St. Bernard could prevail in November (if people show up), & “electablity” (in other words, guessing how someone else would vote) should be considered more a sham criteria than not. Therefore, the real presidential election is now in the primaries. This opens an important question.
This opens an important question. Should lying be embraced as an appropriate political strategy? Why should we support it? Is lying a “safe” means to an end? After “victory”, can we then count on the lying to stop? Can democracy function without credibility & trust? Should we all just lie all the time? Can a person who continually lies about his record be immune to the attacks of a totally ruthless liar, whom we shall not name, in the general election?
Aside from the lies, there are nevertheless honest differences about the direction of our society to choose between in the primary. If honestly put, one believes (based on his record) that the social means to living — medical care, housing, access to food & education — should be the privileges of those who can afford it, while the other believes that liberty & justice for all is impossible without everyone having rights to these basics.
What do you think about these issues, & what do you think about lying as a strategy?


Avoiding Unforced Errors

While the condition of the country ( and world ) continues to deteriorate on a seemingly hourly basis , I ’ d like to make a simple request : please check diaries and comments for spelling and grammar errors before posting them .
I ask for the simple reason that failing to do so can invite lengthy , useless arguments in the comments .
Calling out a typographical error often invites personal criticisms : if one misspells a word or fails to use proper punctuation , that person must be `` stupid , '' and thus , anything they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value .
This , in turn , invites the counter-insult , and soon we ’ re off on a line of argument that only works among school kids , and not very often even with them .
I ’ m tired of reading adults scrapping like 7-year-olds , and I bet I ’ m not alone .
I 'd rather read a coherent argument than the name-calling prompted by easily-fixable typos .
Free spelling and grammar checkers are available on the web .
Let ’ s raise our a game a bit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on the mission .
Thanks .

While the condition of the country (and world) continues to deteriorate on a seemingly hourly basis, I’d like to make a simple request: please check diaries and comments for spelling and grammar errors before posting them.
I ask for the simple reason that failing to do so can invite lengthy, useless arguments in the comments. Calling out a typographical error often invites personal criticisms: if one misspells a word or fails to use proper punctuation, that person must be "stupid," and thus, anything they have written must be of little or no value. This, in turn, invites the counter-insult, and soon we’re off on a line of argument that only works among school kids, and not very often even with them. I’m tired of reading adults scrapping like 7-year-olds, and I bet I’m not alone.
I'd rather read a coherent argument than the name-calling prompted by easily-fixable typos. Free spelling and grammar checkers are available on the web. Let’s raise our a game a bit, avoid the unforced errors, and stay focused on the mission. Thanks.


dailykos--2020-03-17--Sound The Horn. Saddle Up. Ride Into Battle.

I seldom do this .
Politizoom , and our sister site Daily Sound And Fury give me a nice little megaphone , and as most of you have noticed , I seldom run out of things to say .
But something has come up , and this time I need your help .
A few days ago , I wrote an article in which I said that once we had this coronacirus licked , and the postmortem on the response began , so would a national discussion on the wisdom of having nationwide mail in voting .
This only makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t just affecting the Democratic primaries , but could yet affect the general election as well .
Well .
Holy shit , and shove me in it , that moment is already freakin ’ here !
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar are about to introduce legislation in the Senate that would free up federal funding to eqiup every state for , and pay for mail in balloting for the 2020 election !
They are using the disruption to the Democratic primaries , as well as President Trump ’ s pwn admission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , as a cause celebre to deal with the issue proactively .
If I heard MSNBC correctly , there are only 15 states that have absolutely no provisions for mail ballot voting , so bringing the majority of the country up to speed should be doable .
I strongly suspect that the majority of those 15 hold oiut states are GOP dominated , and using it as a voter suppression tool .
Ironically , aqs I previously pointed out , this is actually a nightmare scenario for the GOP , since their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , older , scared Americans , the very ones who would be most likely to skip voting in November if it turns out that the coronavirus has staying power .
Obviously there is a narrow window of time in which to get this done , with sufficient time to implement the necessary components to make it happen .
And God knows that Moscow Mitch would love nothing more than to sweep this under the rug , using the coronavirus crisis as a diversion .
So , here ’ s what I need you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blower ASAP to both of your Senators .
If they ’ re Democrats , tell them you expect them to cosponsor the bill .
and you ’ ll be watching .
If they ’ re GOP , tell them you expect them to support the bill , and you ’ ll be watching .
And call more than once , please .
A single phone call can be disregarded , but multiple phone calls means a pain in the ass who ’ s serious .
The Capitol Hill switchboard number is.202 224-3121 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do to help .
One , spread the word to like minded souls that you know , and encourage them to call their Senators as well .
You can refer to my previous article as to why this is such a common sense solution , and give them the Senate phone numbers if they agree .
Second , if you have fundamental typing skills , and can string coherent thoughts together , which you obviously can if you ’ re reading this , please take 10 minutes to write a Letter To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are tons of people out there who would be gung-ho about this , but they simply don ’ t know about it .
A letter to the editor is a quick way to educate people , and most newspapers with online editions have online submissions .
Look , it isn ’ t very often that we the people actually have the chance to fundamentally change the way that our political system works .
And the way to do that is through pressure .
If McConnell ’ s healthcare repeal debacle showed nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP will respond to enough pressure .
If you agree with this , then please like it on FB , or tweet it out so that as many people as possible can see it .
The opportunity is there , but it won ’ t happen without us .
What the hell , at least we can say that we tried .
To know the future , look to the past.before the insanity of the 2020 election , relive the insanity of the 2016 GOP primary campaign , and the general election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are .
Copies of President Evil , and the sequel , President Evil II , A Clodwork Orange are available as e-books on Amazon , at the links above .
Catch up before the upcoming release of the third book in the trilogy , President Evil III : All The Presidents Fen

I seldom do this. Politizoom, and our sister site Daily Sound And Fury give me a nice little megaphone, and as most of you have noticed, I seldom run out of things to say. But something has come up, and this time I need your help.
A few days ago, I wrote an article in which I said that once we had this coronacirus licked, and the postmortem on the response began, so would a national discussion on the wisdom of having nationwide mail in voting. This only makes sense, as the outbreak isn’t just affecting the Democratic primaries, but could yet affect the general election as well. Well. Holy shit, and shove me in it, that moment is already freakin’ here!
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar are about to introduce legislation in the Senate that would free up federal funding to eqiup every state for, and pay for mail in balloting for the 2020 election! They are using the disruption to the Democratic primaries, as well as President Trump’s pwn admission that the crisis could go into the fall, as a cause celebre to deal with the issue proactively.
If I heard MSNBC correctly, there are only 15 states that have absolutely no provisions for mail ballot voting, so bringing the majority of the country up to speed should be doable. I strongly suspect that the majority of those 15 hold oiut states are GOP dominated, and using it as a voter suppression tool. Ironically, aqs I previously pointed out, this is actually a nightmare scenario for the GOP, since their largest core base is comprised of white, older, scared Americans, the very ones who would be most likely to skip voting in November if it turns out that the coronavirus has staying power.
Obviously there is a narrow window of time in which to get this done, with sufficient time to implement the necessary components to make it happen. And God knows that Moscow Mitch would love nothing more than to sweep this under the rug, using the coronavirus crisis as a diversion.
So, here’s what I need you guys to do. Get on the blower ASAP to both of your Senators. If they’re Democrats, tell them you expect them to cosponsor the bill. and you’ll be watching. If they’re GOP, tell them you expect them to support the bill, and you’ll be watching. And call more than once, please. A single phone call can be disregarded, but multiple phone calls means a pain in the ass who’s serious. The Capitol Hill switchboard number is.202 224-3121.
There are two more simple things you can do to help. One, spread the word to like minded souls that you know, and encourage them to call their Senators as well. You can refer to my previous article as to why this is such a common sense solution, and give them the Senate phone numbers if they agree.
Second, if you have fundamental typing skills, and can string coherent thoughts together, which you obviously can if you’re reading this, please take 10 minutes to write a Letter To The Editor to your local newspaper. There are tons of people out there who would be gung-ho about this, but they simply don’t know about it. A letter to the editor is a quick way to educate people, and most newspapers with online editions have online submissions.
Look, it isn’t very often that we the people actually have the chance to fundamentally change the way that our political system works. And the way to do that is through pressure. If McConnell’s healthcare repeal debacle showed nothing else, it showed that even the GOP will respond to enough pressure. If you agree with this, then please like it on FB, or tweet it out so that as many people as possible can see it. The opportunity is there, but it won’t happen without us. What the hell, at least we can say that we tried.
To know the future, look to the past.before the insanity of the 2020 election, relive the insanity of the 2016 GOP primary campaign, and the general election, to see how we got to where we are. Copies of President Evil, and the sequel, President Evil II, A Clodwork Orange are available as e-books on Amazon, at the links above. Catch up before the upcoming release of the third book in the trilogy, President Evil III: All The Presidents Fen
Originally oiated on Politizoom.com