Virus thread, the political one.

[theflashunc]

The worst president. Ever. | Max Boot | Washington Post

"Until now, I have generally been reluctant to label Donald Trump the worst president in U.S. history. As a historian, I know how important it is to allow the passage of time to gain a sense of perspective. Some presidents who seemed awful to contemporaries (Harry S. Truman) or simply lackluster (Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush) look much better in retrospect. Others, such as Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson, don’t look as good as they once did.

So I have written, as I did on March 12, that Trump is the worst president in modern times — not of all time. That left open the possibility that James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, Warren Harding or some other nonentity would be judged more harshly. But in the past month, we have seen enough to take away the qualifier “in modern times.” With his catastrophic mishandling of the coronavirus, Trump has established himself as the worst president in U.S. history."

Considering Max Boot has been part of the problem with the GOP for nigh on 20 years now, this reads like so much crocodile tears from him. We may have not Trump if we didn't have people like Max Boot running around espousing toxic ideas for decades.

He should get a hearty handshake and then led out of the public square forever, shamed for a lifetime of deplorable positions. He acts as if Trump is some aberration, rather than the logical end result of Southern Strategy/Reagan Revolution conservatism.

[vertical_doug]

Trump is now prescribing Erythromycin for Corvid 19. Erythromycin is in a class of medications called macrolide antibiotics. ... Antibiotics such as erythromycin will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Why is the Surgeon General , FDA, Dr. .Fauci and Dr. Birx even humoring this idiot? -Mike G

Trump has repeatedly said his Vietnam was STD in NY in the 70's.

Erythromycin can treat Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea.

[Sbti]

Well, sure we know what drugs Trump thinks will work.
"But I’ve seen things that I sort of like, so what do I know? I’m not a doctor, I’m not a doctor, but I have common sense."

But what about MyPillow guy? I think the nation needs to get his take on the situation.

[Too Tall]

Hi kids. Seeing as how you have all made the bad decision to allow me to run this joint you have to listen to my hand waving as well.

Civil discourse never went out the window at Vsalon. This thread was created to allow political discussions to exist on a forum which generally eschews such. Consider trust in our collective sensibilities, history on record and in many cases we know each other personally.

I will ask one time >> is what you are about to say worth losing a friend over?

Smell yer self, check yourself. Give others a chance to cool off.

In the words of the great Michael Buffer > Let's get ready to rumble...but keep it in check uh kay?

[Chik]

Can we talk about Pat Robertson’s sex life?

[Too Tall]

Can we talk about Pat Robertson’s sex life?

I just threw up a little.

[guido]

I just threw up a little.

Only a little? You are made of sterner stuff than I...

[lumpy]

Can we talk about Pat Robertson’s sex life?

Is that the show with the tigers?

[vertical_doug]

Hi kids. Seeing as how you have all made the bad decision to allow me to run this joint you have to listen to my hand waving as well.

Civil discourse never went out the window at Vsalon. This thread was created to allow political discussions to exist on a forum which generally eschews such. Consider trust in our collective sensibilities, history on record and in many cases we know each other personally.

I will ask one time >> is what you are about to say worth losing a friend over?

Smell yer self, check yourself. Give others a chance to cool off.

In the words of the great Michael Buffer > Let's get ready to rumble...but keep it in check uh kay?

I don't know if this is directed at my post above, but in defense of that, this quote is directly attributable to Donald Trump on the Howard Stern show.
The conclusion, although gross, is directly inferable.

This is the same President who during the Pandemic Task Force Press conference was able to joke about models.

So, if the above is a worthy of a ban, then ban me now for the real problem is a President who repeatedly demonstrates behavior considered unworthy of civil discourse. Try to wrap your head around this

How far down the rabbit hole is America?

[Too Tall]

I don't know if this is directed at my post above, but in defense of that, this quote is directly attributable to Donald Trump on the Howard Stern show.
The conclusion, although gross, is directly inferable.

This is the same President who during the Pandemic Task Force Press conference was able to joke about models.

So, if the above is a worthy of a ban, then ban me now for the real problem is a President who repeatedly demonstrates behavior considered unworthy of civil discourse. Try to wrap your head around this

How far down the rabbit hole is America?

OMG no Doug no. I barely scanned this thread. I'm reacting to a slew of reported posts. Keep on keepin' on.

[fastupslowdown]

I'm one who thinks George W doesn't get enough credit

Seems the stock-pile of drugs, gloves, masks and ventilators was all due to george w championing the need
George W. Bush in 25: '''If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late to prepare''' - ABC News

-Mike G

[ZenNMotion]

You can be right. You can be happy.
Pick one.

When I was a kid in upstate NY and already caught the cycling bug at 12 years old (if anybody has my old Raleigh 3 speed, I want it back-- name your price) there was this nearby dirt road that had a beautiful twisty downhill run, but you had to grind up a pretty tough 12% climb first, and there was a farm at the top of the hill. The farm had a nasty German shepard who was often loose and really, really didn't like bikes, or at least my bike. I hated that dog but it was the price of admission to ride that road, and I did it often. But I sure as hell didn't call out the dog on my way through and most of the time it was fine, but unpredictably, every once in a while it came out, even bit me several times. I eventually learned that the best strategy was to ignore it, not catch its eye, real casual and slow-like. Just after the farm the downhill run was glorious.

Righteous anger is just pissing in the wind unless its channeled toward change. Crackpots exist everywhere in life, some even ride bikes. Right now I'm worried about (among many other things) how the pandemic is going to affect the upcoming election and I'm looking for a way to become part of the new infrastructure that will be needed to get people to the polls, virtually or IRL.

[Too Tall]

Good words Zen.

I've been reading about the USA states where mail in voting has been in existence for quite a while.

What are the challenges for this to be a standard for upcoming elections nationwide?

[guido]

Is that the show with the tigers?

Post of the week this one... I have not laughed that hard in a long time. Perhaps that is a side effect of isolation? Whatever...

[theflashunc]

Good words Zen.

I've been reading about the USA states where mail in voting has been in existence for quite a while.

What are the challenges for this to be a standard for upcoming elections nationwide?

Nothing really. Just print the mailers and get them out the door.

But you've got one party openly saying higher turnout is bad for them politically. The obstacles are not of the logistical variety for getting it done.

[mzilliox]

according to one member here, mail in is apparently the worst thing we could possibly do, because you know, fraud and lies and stuff. and Because one of the senators thought it a good idea to provision it in the covid bill, just in case, so obviously, bad.

Im for it, a few sour mail ballots are the least of my worries, i know who the majority of cheaters are, and i want to be able to vote this guy out

[ZenNMotion]

Nothing really. Just print the mailers and get them out the door.

But you've got one party openly saying higher turnout is bad for them politically. The obstacles are not of the logistical variety for getting it done.

And they're correct in that strategy. But an appeal to what's fair is not going to be a winning response. We have to figure out how to make sure that people perceive value and reason to vote and that the effort to show up and tick the boxes finds a way through despite the barriers. It's going to come down to tactics and messaging and logistics and being smarter and faster than they are. Shock and awe time.

[j44ke]

according to one member here, mail in is apparently the worst thing we could possibly do, because you know, fraud and lies and stuff. and Because one of the senators thought it a good idea to provision it in the covid bill, just in case, so obviously, bad.

Im for it, a few sour mail ballots are the least of my worries, i know who the majority of cheaters are, and i want to be able to vote this guy out

This is the thing that a lot of people never seem to get or accept. Perhaps it flies in the face of their anxiety about ambiguity and their need to believe in absolutes? Absolute safety, absolute control, absolute outcomes, etc. Maybe I am too loosey goosey about the details and like ambiguity too much (I am a poet after all,) but I've always felt that systems that make perfection their goal end up with a selection rubric for inclusion that is way too exclusionary and the sample size dwindles rapidly to non-representational numbers. Whereas a system focused on maximizing inclusion creates a significantly better sample size and a more accurate representation by definition, even with the plus-minus error factor. Everybody is a winner when everyone votes, please get your thumb stamped purple on your way out.

[guido]

Yet another reminder of the dumb bleeping choice the democrats made...

Elizabeth Warren on coronavirus, the presidency, and the economy - Vox

[htwoopup]

I also am troubled by the intersection of these two facts..

1) that we have a President who stared into an eclipse and denies climate science hawking a drug he knows nothing about and there are people who take it as truth and a total solution.

2) according to teachers (in the NYT article) at least 50% of students who are supposed to login for remote learning during the shelter in place don’t even bother to login to class

2a) a scary number of students live in families (primarily with less economic resources) that do not have internet access so can not log in to remote learning

Where will this society be in a few short years? Will we dumb down even further to the point of non-existence and/or will America become a thing of the past?