Pandemics is one of the those potential crises that nobody has been listening to the experts on for a long time. We've known something like this was possible for quite a while and anybody of either party who proposed spending more on preventative measures would have been laughed at/ignored at best. It wasn't a priority for anyone, and other countries are in a similar plight who have better leaders.

Trump deserves his share of the blame, and he's certainly been self-serving and incompetent throughout this ordeal, but there's plenty to go around. What we need to learn from this is far bigger than the current POTUS, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

It was more a trite commentary on how questionable the reliability of their cars are

It was the easiest of calls to make. The Gov't invokes and is the only buyer for it against foreign countries. Then the govt distributes it. I can only imagine that business got in his ear and talked him out of it so that there could be a price gouging or super marketplace for them to raise the price 4000% while people died and he couldn't think 3 steps ahead.

He hates his critics; the best way to destroy them is to kill them.

He can point out that blue states couldn't handle the event while stifling supplies and smugly proclaim to his supporters that he "saved" them rather than the libs.

It's all about killing the libs.

The Trump Presidency – 2016
 

Except the populace most vulnerable to the disease is a core contingent of his party


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it's not that deep a thing. He likes those who kiss his ass, he doesn't like those who don't, and he does things in direct correlation to how much people will kiss his ass for it.

And this will play itself out over the next month or two.

Yup

The death numbers are rapidly increasing. Hospitals are overrun. Schools are closed. Millions of Americans can't travel, go to work, or go to their house of worship.


And the President is bragging about his ratings.

I didn't think he was possible to be more disgusted by this dude.

Ya know you could have gotten big ratings during the impeachment trial if you held daily briefings too...

Oh, it reached a new nadir when he suggested that health care workers in New York treating coronoavirus patients are selling masks on the black market.

Daniel Dale on Twitter: "Trump suggests, providing no evidence, that there is something nefarious going on with New York's use of a large number of masks: "Something's going on, and you oughtta look into it. Where are the masks going? Are they going out the back door?""

He suggests things like this because it's what he would do in the same situation.

Here is one with video:

Aaron Rupar on Twitter: ""How do you go from 10 to 20 to 30,000, to 300,000 -- even though this is different. Something is going on. And you ought to look into it as reporters. Where are the masks going?" -- Trump suggests that there is some sort of New York nurse conspiracy to steal masks… https://t.co/Ku1K1H4Mth"

If he was not dependend on voters, he'd not lift a single finger to combat this. Heck, even now i guess he only does because people managed to sell him on this whole "war on virus" metaphor.

that has always been the best way to understand how he thinks...

Is it possible that, by extending the self distancing rules to April 30, the president has given those governors who have been fighting against shelter in place a chance to put one in place without losing face?

I can only image the Orange one after this proclamation squirming angrily like Bob Hoskins at the end of the Long Good Friday.

I don't think so. Once the death tolls start climbing in their states they aren't going to be able to save face, not at least with their residents.

It is mind blowing to me we have people who are supposed to be in charge of the entire state that lack the capacity to grasp the concept that they need to act weeks in advance to prevent the spread that is already likely there.

I'm curious what the red state response to a Dem president ordering social distancing, Stay in place, work shutdowns, ect. would look like.

My guess is they would think it was a conspiracy to get them all to stay in place so the Dems could come and take their guns.

But that is why I think it might be the play. If you are the governor who believed or wanted to support the president, I could see not wanting to be seen as going against him by shutting things down. Now you can shut things down until at least say like 15 April and just say that the change is inline with the President’s new directives.

Probably a lot more outrage about the country moving towards socialism and big government. And they would have blocked the $2 trillion stimulus bill and made it weaker.

except people will start getting sick and dying, then it will become obvious they should have acted sooner.

A week from now Florida will be a horror show.

Latest goalpost-moving: Trump is now saying that millions would have died were it not for his decisive action. This is to cover the fact that hundreds of thousands will die because of his early rhetoric and inaction.

Might be able to find some good properties at auction though.

Trump now saying that China misinformation is no big deal.


It's so difficult to shill for this guy, not knowing when he's going to start saying the exact opposite of this day's message.

He's now back to the '16 playbook, claiming the polls say he's going to win. Except they don't. At all. In any way. Current RCP average has Biden up almost six points. There'll be a lot of changes between now and November, but it's just pure propaganda poppycock.

Even Rasmussen has Biden beating Trump in their last general election poll.

Im still hearing a TON of this.
Kinda blows my mind.
And everyone here knows Im as Pro 2A as you can get, and mostly R/Conservative (mostly...)

But I had a long conversation this weekend with a friend I usually consider intelligent that was basically

Me: Greater good. Fire in a theater. blah blah blah
Him: But but but mah rights. Right to assemble. Freedom.

Admitedly Im biased here because being forced to stay on my farm, ride my tractor, cut trees and associate only with my animals and my family is kind of my idea of heaven but I am failing to see the outrage.

I just don't understand. Republicans control the Senate, the Presidency, and essentially the judiciary. I really don't get it.

I may have said it upthread, but freedom and sense of entitlement are a toxic mix in a situation like this.

That's my fault for not being clear.
He wasn't actually arguing that Dems were coming for the guns.
HE was specifically arguing that "they" were....and guns were part but also it was more about the "illegal control" and "stripping my freedoms" "death by 1,000 paper cuts" argument.

Which I get like 1% of...the Patriot act being a great example of freedom erosion in "desparate" time that never went away...but this isnt the time.
Just stay home, love on your family, and lets get through this jointly until pharma catches up.

I have a number of people like this, to varying degrees, in my family tree. They're not what a modern Republican has come to be. There's a lot of libertarianism in them. A number haven't voted for a major-party Presidential candidate for years, and some not for congressional ones either. When it comes to stuff like governmental power vis a vis individual rights and responsibilities, they don't see a lot of difference between the two parties and consider both of them way too far to the left.

In Virginia, for example, the fear is at the state level. Dems flipping state Senate and passing gun control legislation has created a clusterfuck of misinformation and accusations along with threats to secede from the state. I've seen articles claiming martial arts will be banned in Virginia as part of their gun control measures and apparently preventing churches from holding services for public safety reasons is communism.

Sense of entitlement yes, not sure about the freedom, but that is diverting a bit.

I have been going round and round with my 18 year old about the importance of staying home, don't go to the soccer fields to practice with a friend. Don't go hang out with the girlfriend.

My wife has had a stuffy nose and a cough, I finally had to completely explain the concept that my wife MIGHT have COVID (probably not) but she has symptoms of some illness. By him leaving the house, he could carry that to others that may serve as a carrier to another more vulnerable person. That was when he gave up arguing it. He was then mad because no one communicated my wife's symptoms, and I had to tell him to be aware of others in the house.

Do I feel that we have blown things out of proportion a bit? Yes. However, outside of talking the dogs for a walk and giving others a wide berth, the only time I have been out has been to pick up groceries. My concern is about the economic slowdown (not for stock pricing or anything along those lines) and how that will affect hourly workers that are living paycheck to paycheck.

You aren't really Pro-2A. You think there's some greater good more important than "the right of the people to keep and bear arms not being infringed". Either you're in favor of everyone owning an road ready M1 Abrams tank or you might as well get on the liberal gayroller.



SI

I'd rather not totally de-rail this thread...
but I think law abiding citizens should be allowed to posses military grade weapons, and its probably best to leave it at that.

'A well armed militia being necessary to protect the freedom of the state'...

I also realize that ship has sailed and its a battle Ill never win.

Fair enough


SI

Id love to own a tank. That would be a dream come true.

I have a fish tank. I can tell you it is not all glory and excitement.

Do you mean,

just be aware the cleaner will NOT cure Covid 19

**glug glug glug** What now?

In the military vehicle world...'tank' is a dirty word.
A good friend of mine owns two armored tracked vehicles. They are a hoot to drive.
Of course no munitions are present on either of them.

Well covid 19 will now be the least of your worries.

The 37 most mind-boggling lines from Donald Trump's Sunday coronavirus briefing - CNNPolitics

If it wasn't so serious ...

Yesterday Trump stated what the GOP doesn't say out loud:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...g-republicans/

My company just took an across the board 25% pay cut. Sucks, but that was the only way to avoid any layoffs or cuts to health benefits.

Edit: put this in the wrong thread, meant it for the general COVID one.

Ouch. That's gonna hurt. Sorry to hear it.

That's funny, because I just had a customer tell me how wonderful that press conference was. He said the President has been so transparent, and the media is just out to get him. He said the President is handling this better than any President ever could.

In other news, I no longer have a tongue.