ERICOPOLY

In what manner was Obama divisive? What identity politics? Race baiting? Come on, you don't believe that. Was he speaking out against immigration? Travel bans on muslims? Come on. He went out of his way to be politically correct (he's a Liberal). Trump is like the complete opposite and runs his mouth against the other half of the country that identifies as Liberal on an almost daily basis. There is nothing coming to light about abuses of power under Obama; Trump was impeached because of his abuse of power and this rubbish about Obama is his political response

Ignored? More like couldn't find any. Nobody from Obama's inner circle went to prison. None were even indicted.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks "If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with COVID-19. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing." -WHO still has this on their website. Not my opinion to be clear. Yeah, that was a lie (likely with the good intention of stopping a run on scarce PPE in the early days). Now do Trump’s lies instead of cherry picking. He’s in charge in the US, not the WHO. No other competent countries have been stopped by this.. because they’re trying to defeat the virus rather than look for others to blame. Did you forget the Surgeon Generals tweet "Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!'. That is actually surgeon general of USA, not WHO. Even as recent as April 2nd Dr. Fauci was struggling to support using masks. (Dr. Fauci also works for US govt, not WHO) https://www.facebook.com/cnn/videos/213806963020721/ But Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese...etc started using masks from January. I can understand if many people who were told for several months to not wear a mask and put in lockdown and suddenly told all you had to do is wear a mask might be little bit not convinced. Yeah, you're making my point. The US response has been incompetent, in good part because of the war on experts from the Trump admin and putting cronies in charge based on loyalty rather than competence, and not listening to the competent people or allowing them to run things (Fauci, etc) because the honcho can't share the spotlight or be contradicted or stay focused on anything long enough to understand it and follow through with a plan. And everybody made early mistakes, the point is to correct them fast and copy from those that are doing well and have a plan that makes sense based on the best science and data, to use all tools at your disposal, to communicate clearly to the population with a unified message and not to politicize a health issue, etc. It's worth throwing the kitchen sink at it because the cost of he pandemic is so high that anything that shortens it or reduces intensity pays for itself a million times over, as Taiwan and South Kore and New Zealand and Honk Kong are finding out. The US has been doing the opposite of all this, which is why 4% of world population had 30%+ of deaths and the curve hasn't been crushed, but rather is just slowly melting (and could restart after a few weeks of re-opening). Both Dr. Fauci and Dr. Brix are not Trump appointments. Dr. Fauci says he advised all presidents since Reagan. Dr. Brix had also served under Obama administration and had many prior appointments. More likely he meant: 1. Removing the head of vaccine development 2. Soon afterwards appointed Kushner in charge of fast-tracking vaccine development.

No doubt - and to think these clowns had 4 years to put up a reasonable candidate out of millions of democrats. They come up with a string of losers while dividing the country. Nothing like handing the election to Trump again - only this time - they will have to blame themselves, not the god awful, despicable Hillary Clinton or the Russians. This is by and large why you saw so many(not coincidentally) liberals get so excited about the coronavirus. It was their next and probably last big chance to blame everything on Trump and try to bring him down. Heck, you even had headlines claiming Trump was responsible for crashing the economy... it was all pretty amusing but also sad they sought to take tragedy and hardship and use it to make yet another attempt at bringing him down. As the Liberals respond to the virus in the manner that most other Western nations have done, the Trumpers falsely claim it's a plot to politicize the response; in this manner the Trumpers are politicizing the crisis by playing the victim to yet another politically motivated conspiracy theory.

"He's talked about pulling out of NAFTA -- Reagan had the idea for NAFTA," says Irwin, the former Reagan staffer. https://money.cnn.com/2016/07/27/news/economy/donald-trump-ronald-reagan-trade-japan/index.html "The NAFTA win is a great victory for free trade conservatives. It was they who first championed the notion of free trade with Mexico. " https://www.heritage.org/trade/report/the-north-american-free-trade-agreement-ronald-reagans-vision-realized President Bush: Higher? Or cut further? You didn't mention Reagan's 100% tariff on Japanese computers. What the heck does low interest rates have to do with Microsoft, Facebook, and Google? They don't borrow a low of money. I would think rust-belt high-capital industries would be benefitted by low interest rates. And I would think the home building and remodeling boom gave jobs to the blue collar guys in the construction industry. Anyways, look at the tech expansion in Texas and N.C. The deficit helps the red states collect their entitlements. Legislators and regulators of Wall Street were to blame, not Wall Street. Barney Frank, for example, is to blame (among others). The ones pointing the fingers are not blameless..

Five sailors on the U.S. aircraft carrier sidelined in Guam due to a COVID-19 outbreak have tested positive for the virus for the second time and have been taken off the ship, according to the Navy. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/2020-05-15-coronavirus-news-n1207106/ncrd1208141#liveBlogHeader Then this from an overrated physician turned politician (those who can't do, legislate?): "I have immunity. I've already had the virus, so I can't get it again and I can't give it to anybody," Paul, R-Ky., told reporters, referring to his March diagnosis. "I can't get it again, nor can I transmit. So of all the people you'll meet here, I'm about the only safe person in Washington." https://news.yahoo.com/rand-paul-forgoes-mask-claims-215100615.html

You are entitled to your freedom. You are not entitled to infringe on the freedom of others. Driving a car is a privilege, not a right. A shop owner should be allowed to stay open. The individual will decide whether or not to enter. This isn't difficult. Why is a business license required if it is a right and not a privilege? Can the Health Department suspend a license for business? If so, then it's a flimsy 'right' at best. Covid-19 is a public health risk. Masks are the mitigation; play ball or be shut down. No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service.

The definition of lying to some of the people all of the time. So trashy. Well, they can't fake the all-count deaths, at least (yet). Of which we have ~65,000 excess deaths, broken down by weeks ending: 3/28: +4,300 4/4: +12,900 4/11: +20,000 4/18: +17,500 4/25: +10,900 Trump has always only cared about how things look. That's why he gave gossip to journalists for decades with the only condition that they refer to him as "billionaire Donald Trump" even if he wasn't a billionaire, played a successful businessman on TV even though his businesses were terribly run. He wanted Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden, didn't care too much about the result, talks like a tough guy even though he's always run away from danger and has the thinnest snowflake skin around (remember when he sent photos of his hands to that journalist for years after he mentioned he had small hands?). Wanted photos ops with medical ships and at some Apple factory in Texas, didn't care that the ship wouldn't be used or the factory already existed and he wasn't really opening it, etc. This is more of the same. He figures if he can change the number, that'll be good enough and much easier than changing the actual health crisis, which he doesn't have the intelligence, competence, discipline, follow-through, empathy, team, etc, to affect much in a positive way. I think one of his best was his "Liberate Michigan!" tweet on April 17th, when his own "stay at home" guideline wasn't set to expire until April 30th. On April 1st his Surgeon General told the media that he advised America to think of it as a Federal "order" to stay at home. In other words, he blames the economy on the governor when he did nothing but encourage the entire nation to stay at home.

It's good to be the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee until it isn't :-)

I wear a mask whenever I go out. I don't think people should be required to do so though. We should draft them to do so. Then they can be draft dodgers. This is a straw man argument. Most people argument against the lockdown is about their livelihood. I have heard minimum complaints about masks. No, it's not a straw man argument. It is a joke. The straw man here is bringing up lockdown. Whether people oppose masks or lockdown more is a separate topic. The two are linked anyhow; wear a mask and thereby slowing the spread will likely get us closer to convincing others to agree to lift lockdown. Where I live, the lockdown is unpopular and a minority of people are wearing a mask at the grocery store. I live in Trump land where most do not wear masks, and labeling them 'draft dodgers' would help them realize that they are not answering their country when it calls. I mean, the economy is bleeding money and individual vanity/comfort is still winning the day. Masks is more like requiring the hippies to wear a shirt and shoes into the restaurant (the draft dodgers joke). I live in Ohio and whenever I go out (the state could go either way in the election), the vast majority of people have masks. You live in California (hardcore liberal) and they don't have masks? :o Most people are not wearing masks in Placer County where I live. Hardcore liberal? The density of urban areas explains that perception, but look at this: https://www.ppic.org/content/images/PoliticalGeogFigure-4_web.png

I wear a mask whenever I go out. I don't think people should be required to do so though. We should draft them to do so. Then they can be draft dodgers. This is a straw man argument. Most people argument against the lockdown is about their livelihood. I have heard minimum complaints about masks. No, it's not a straw man argument. It is a joke. The straw man here is bringing up lockdown. Whether people oppose masks or lockdown more is a separate topic. The two are linked anyhow; wear a mask and thereby slowing the spread will likely get us closer to convincing others to agree to lift lockdown. Where I live, the lockdown is unpopular and a minority of people are wearing a mask at the grocery store. I live in Trump land where most do not wear masks, and labeling them 'draft dodgers' would help them realize that they are not answering their country when it calls. I mean, the economy is bleeding money and individual vanity/comfort is still winning the day. Masks is more like requiring the hippies to wear a shirt and shoes into the restaurant (the draft dodgers joke).

I wear a mask whenever I go out. I don't think people should be required to do so though. We should draft them to do so. Then they can be draft dodgers.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Liberty to drive a car, but not when drinking or speeding and endangering the Life of another. Liberty to enter a public space, but not during a period of pandemic without wearing a mask and maintaining the recommended social distance from others. Why is this so hard to accept? I keep seeing tons of people in places such as the grocery store without a mask.

New York City area antibody test results show that crucial frontline workers, such as first responders and health care employees, have lower rates of exposure to the coronavirus than the general population, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/2020-05-13-coronavirus-news-n1205916/ncrd1206251#liveBlogHeader

I am a WFC customer and I don't know how much their tech sucks compared to the others' because I haven't tried the others. I rarely deposit checks and the ATM works just fine and they are located everywhere. What else do I need? I did sit down and speak with a Wells private banker when I needed a Medallion signature for something I was doing and I talked with him for a while about the stock. As for cost cutting opportunities, he laughed and said that they still process all of their payroll manually. He said his morale is much better these days -- he explained that his morale was low before the fake account thing blew up because it was hard for an honest employee like himself to get ahead when peers were rewarded for cheating.

I complete agree. They simply aren't available though and there is no way that Trump is going to order the production of them such that we can all have several when he has not even admitted to a shortage of them for nurses.

What is there to disagree with when there is a shortage for nurses?

Why should she be wearing an N95 mask when there are shortages for "front line" workers? The general public cannot get N95 masks at the store -- Pelosi is showing us what else we can wear. Trump and Pence wear neither.

Nah, we should reopen it! And no testing, tests are overrated! Make the White House Open Again! Drain it.

So this guy who goes around calling other forum members idiots is adding what value here? You just have to remember what it's like being 5 years old. The name calling all makes sense then.

So this guy who goes around calling other forum members idiots is adding what value here? Line caught tuna commands a higher market value. So yes, trolling adds value.

If you have any facts to share on COVID19 or the response to the crisis, go for it. Otherwise, you're the Trump propaganda bot. What is a China propaganda bot? Is this one? “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. “The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!” If you have to ask, you've failed the Turing test. What ever happened to 'infidels'? What's up with the newfangled name calling? Such clever propaganda -- all criticisms are just lies from the infidels. You are falling for it head over heels. Yes, anyone who disagrees with them is a 'bot', 'traitor', 'not a patriot', etc. Yet they're the ones who want to deny states suffering from crisis aid and they're the ones who put a sociopath in office that will "destroy the system". They came over from the politics section section because they can't stand by while their dear leader is criticized for his terrible management of the pandemic! Sunk cost fallacy! Trump bag holders... Taleb on the above victims of TDS: ". . . victims of paranoia can find a narrative that impeccably matches all facts, people collectively fall prey to these shared delusions. 'Intelligent' people can be more vulnerable Remember the Iraq WMDs or IYIs on Trump" I'm not delusional on why Trump won and why he has a fair shot of winning again. I fully understand why his followers will follow him off a cliff. He is quite talented at what he does. Funny that you left out the first part of Taleb's tweet: So basically, the conspiracy theories being peddled by Trump and eaten up by his followers. LOL. ;D How convenient, but not surprised that a Trump supporter would try to mislead by distorting the truth. When I first saw 'TDS' in usage, I honestly believed it was referring to the blind followers of a man who tells them to turn off the news because you get the truth directly from him on Twitter.

Can you imagine if Obama or W. Bush gave this job, during a pandemic with 70k deaths so far, to his cousin or brother-in-law or whatever? Deep state is to blame. It's a witch hunt - nobody wants to work for El Presidente. Only some true patriots like Jared-boy are sacrificing their lives and working 24 hour days covering the holes left by the evil apparatchiks who are gleefully pushing for Trump's downfall! Shame on deep state! Go Jared-o! Make vaccine great again! In my opinion, Trump is just Chavez with a better starting point in terms of institutions and economy. Chavez was roasted early on for running the country “like his hacienda“, that’s exactly what Trump does. Chavez even had his own news show on TV where he would endlessly blabber nonsense without script just like Trump “Coronavirus show”. Both are populists . They are really two sides of the same coin. Given enough time ( which he won’t have because of term limits) we would end up at the same point. Jared&Ivanka ticket is the workaround to the term limits. Trump is putting them into visible positions.

If you have any facts to share on COVID19 or the response to the crisis, go for it. Otherwise, you're the Trump propaganda bot. What is a China propaganda bot? Is this one? “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. “The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!” If you have to ask, you've failed the Turing test. What ever happened to 'infidels'? What's up with the newfangled name calling? Such clever propaganda -- all criticisms are just lies from the infidels. You are falling for it head over heels.

If you have any facts to share on COVID19 or the response to the crisis, go for it. Otherwise, you're the Trump propaganda bot. What is a China propaganda bot? Is this one? “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. “The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”