Virus thread, the political one.

[HorsCat]

"Bligh navigated a 7-meter boat to safety over a distance of 5800 kilometers in 42 days. Captain Trump would have sailed in the wrong direction, sulked in the stern, eaten all the rations himself, then sunk the boat, glug-glugging to the end about what a nobody Mr. Christian was."

- David Frum

[mzilliox]

a small umbrella in a shit storm: we should still be mail in voting right now
Republicans Tried to Use the Coronavirus to Steal a Wisconsin Supreme Court Election. The Liberal Challenger Just Won Anyway. – Mother Jones

[j44ke]

It seems there are 100 other letters penned by the same guy: Tommy Lee’s ‘letter to Donald Trump’ goes viral – but the Motley Crue star didn’t pen it | London Evening Standard

A+ on the fact check, Chik.

[lumpy]

From the linked article: "I simply don't measure up to Tommy Lee." Hur hur hur.

[theflashunc]

"Bligh navigated a 7-meter boat to safety over a distance of 5800 kilometers in 42 days. Captain Trump would have sailed in the wrong direction, sulked in the stern, eaten all the rations himself, then sunk the boat, glug-glugging to the end about what a nobody Mr. Christian was."

- David Frum

That's rich coming from David Frum. In any just society he'd be shamed from the town square never to be heard from again. Yet here we are.

[HorsCat]

That's rich coming from David Frum. In any just society he'd be shamed from the town square never to be heard from again. Yet here we are.

I hear ya. I have softened on him. Same with Kristol. And Lance Armstrong. (Still, I thought the Frum quote was at least funny.)

[zachateseverything]

It seems there are 100 other letters penned by the same guy: Tommy Lee’s ‘letter to Donald Trump’ goes viral – but the Motley Crue star didn’t pen it | London Evening Standard

It's also much too eloquent to be written by Tommy Lee. When I was a freshman in college my older brother gave me a copy of "the Dirt," the Motely Crue autobiography. Most of it is general 80's rockstar debauchery which is not something I wanted to emulate but is certainly interesting to read about. One of the latter chapters was written by Tommy about the time he spent in the county jail for his domestic abuse of Pamela Anderson. It was pretty earnest stuff about how bad he screwed up and how he was using this as inspiration to refocus on his new and very serious solo musical project. Initially, I thought "cool" then I had a realization.

His next musical project was Methods of Mayhem. Their single was "Get Naked."

[theflashunc]

I hear ya. I have softened on him. Same with Kristol. And Lance Armstrong. (Still, I thought the Frum quote was at least funny.)

I can't. Too much of what plowed the field for someone like Trump to blossom in the GOP was the poisonous policies guys like Kristol and Frum advocated for decades.

Trump is the end result of everything they have stumped for, and now that Frankenstein's monster is on the loose saying the quiet part loud they can't find the fainting couches fast enough.

[HorsCat]

I can't. Too much of what plowed the field for someone like Trump to blossom in the GOP was the poisonous policies guys like Kristol and Frum advocated for decades.

Trump is the end result of everything they have stumped for, and now that Frankenstein's monster is on the loose saying the quiet part loud they can't find the fainting couches fast enough.

I agree with this, except maybe the last clause. They have been consistent in their opposition since he rode down that elevator.

[theflashunc]

I agree with this, except maybe the last clause. They have been consistent in their opposition since he rode down that elevator.

Sure, but what they fundamentally misunderstand and try to position him as is someone outside the GOP norm. His policies, positions and public statements are all more or less in line with standard GOP dogma for the last 40 years. Demonizing the poor and immigrants, rewarding the capital class and the wealthy, stripping down any sense that the government should perform functions based on science and expertise, an expanded view of the executive branch, the works. His statement yesterday, for example, about executive power is no different than what his Attorney General Bill Barr has been advocating for years now, and he's been a part of administrations dating back to HW Bush.

Trump's just finally saying the quiet part loud. Until Kristol and Frum reckon with what they did to contribute to this problem, I've got no time for their alligator tears.

[thollandpe]

The appropriate allusion to nautical literature here is not Mutiny on the Bounty anyway, it is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The monster tRump is wearing this albatross around his neck, whether he cares to admit it or not.

[EricKeller]

The map of the states that aren't shutting down fully is making me afraid for the food supply. There was a meat packing plant in Pennsylvania that closed because all the workers have Covid and now there is one in South Dakota that is closed. That one supplies 5% of the nation's meat.

Anyone have any good vegetarian recipes?

[Sbti]

The map of the states that aren't shutting down fully is making me afraid for the food supply. There was a meat packing plant in Pennsylvania that closed because all the workers have Covid and now there is one in South Dakota that is closed. That one supplies 5% of the nation's meat.

Anyone have any good vegetarian recipes?

Yes, in Sioux Falls over 350 workers sent out into the wild with no "stay at home' rule. But the Trumper Governor is all jacked up about their fish tank drug trial.

[mzilliox]

The map of the states that aren't shutting down fully is making me afraid for the food supply. There was a meat packing plant in Pennsylvania that closed because all the workers have Covid and now there is one in South Dakota that is closed. That one supplies 5% of the nation's meat.

Anyone have any good vegetarian recipes?

my homestead, chickens, eggs, kale patch, fruit trees, improving soil, and fish filled river is starting to look more valuable than my 401k every passing day...

[guido]

Opinion | Economists Aren’t the Ones Pushing to Reopen the Economy - The New York Times

"Trying to predict Trump administration actions really is like Kremlinology, updated for the age of social media. There’s clearly no formal policy process; Donald Trump acts on impulse and intuition, often shaped either by whomever he last met or what he last saw on Fox News, making no use of the vast expertise he could call on if he were willing to listen. Those of us on the outside, and from all accounts, even many people within the administration try to infer what’s coming next from tweets and statements by people presumed to be in favor at the moment.

So what does Trumplinology suggest right now? That Trump really, really wants to end the economy’s lockdown very soon. Early Monday Trump tweeted out an assertion that he has the power to overrule state governors who have imposed lockdown orders — which suggests that we may have a constitutional crisis brewing, because as far as anybody knows he has no such power. Meanwhile, in an interview with The New York Times, Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade czar, argued that a weak economy might kill more people than the virus.

The thing is, as far as I can tell epidemiologists are united in the belief that it’s far too soon to be considering any relaxation of social distancing. The lockdowns across America do seem to have flattened the curve, allowing us to — just — avoid completely overwhelming the health care system. New cases may have peaked. But you don’t want to let up until you’re in a position to do so without giving the pandemic a second wave. And we’re nowhere close to that point."

[guido]

Opinion | It’s the Worst Possible Time for Trump to Make False Claims of Authority - The New York Times

"I teach my law students that every so often in the law, the best way to understand the veracity of a claim is just to say it out loud. They got a great example of this on Monday when President Trump made a contribution to the legal lexicon: “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s total.”

In terms that would even have made President Richard Nixon blush, our commander-in-chief sounded more like the leader of some tinpot dictatorship than of the United States.

Our Constitution was designed to reject such arrogation of power. Separation of powers and federalism aren’t fusty concepts designed to please rebellious aristocrats; they are the living embodiment of our founders’ desire to divide and check power — not vest “total” “authority” in one person, no matter how wise that person may be."

[theflashunc]

Great time to halt funding to a global health organization. Staggering the lengths he will go to in finding any scapegoat.

He's a complete failure at even basic leadership.

[mzilliox]

Great time to halt funding to a global health organization. Staggering the lengths he will go to in finding any scapegoat.

He's a complete failure at even basic leadership.

he fails at basic humanship. forget about actually leading, hes not even sure what being human is like it would seem.

[Sbti]

Hey, on the plus side, hurricane season is only 7 weeks away. I'm sure he's well prepared to respond to any state or territory needs. Maybe we could nuke the virus.

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”

[Mabouya]

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”

As life gradually ebbs away from you, due to any number of possible causes induced by crucifixion...