Will the truth come out how this administration made blunder after blunder?

[S209]

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/01/825179922/fighting-covid-19-is-like-whack-a-mole-says-writer-who-warned-of-pandemic

COVID-19 was taking off in China for at least a month before it first reached U.S. shores. And during that month, not much actually happened [in the U.S.]. A lot of preparedness measures could have been launched. The country could have sprung into action, ready for this, for the virus to eventually reach it. But if anything, America more or less sat idle. It was sluggish. And I do wonder if that propensity to think of itself as being truly exceptional, that slight hubris, left it more unprepared than it needed to be. And I think that even though many people had warned about this for a long time, the underwhelming nature of America's response to this threat has really surprised even people who had been warning, who had been issuing alarms.

There is a thing called the Global Health Security Index, which ranks different countries according to their levels of preparedness for pandemics, according to 140 different criteria, based on regulations from the World Health Organization. And out of all the countries that were assessed, the United States has the highest score — 83.5, a solid B. But if you look at how the country has actually reacted to the pandemic, I think we probably get something like an F. This nation that was meant to be the most prepared of all has really flubbed its response, and I think, to a degree, that has shocked even the most alarmed or pessimistic people who I'd spoken to before, in my earlier reporting.

Do you think the constant lying from the WHO and China might have had something to do with it? Or are those just Republican talking points so we can’t admit they’re actually true?

[CountValentine]

Do you think the constant lying from the WHO and China might have had something to do with it? Or are those just Republican talking points so we can’t admit they’re actually true?

Of course China lied. Always has and always will. They might be Trumps friend but they are not USA friend!!!

Do you think Trump not taking this serious from the beginning just made things worse and in the end will cost more lives has anything to do with it? Or are those just anyone with a brain talking points so we can't admit they're actually true?

[yuneeq]

I find it funny that some people in my circles were claiming for weeks that the coronavirus is all being hyped up by the media to make Trump look bad, and are now claiming the media was downplaying it during that same time period and obviously Trump shouldn’t be any smarter than them.

In reality the media was downplaying it, but Trump is the decision maker and ultimately the most responsible for this mess. Whataboutism won’t change anything for me.

[S209]

Of course China lied. Always has and always will. They might be Trumps friend but they are not USA friend!!!

Do you think Trump not taking this serious from the beginning just made things worse and in the end will cost more lives has anything to do with it? Or are those just anyone with a brain talking points so we can't admit they're actually true?

I find it funny that some people in my circles were claiming for weeks that the coronavirus is all being hyped up by the media to make Trump look bad, and are now claiming the media was downplaying it during that same time period and obviously Trump shouldn’t be any smarter than them.

In reality the media was downplaying it, but Trump is the decision maker and ultimately the most responsible for this mess. Whataboutism won’t change anything for me.

Republicans and Dems alike downplayed it for all it was worth. Most countries are getting crushed by it, it came out of left field, and China is more to blame than anyone else.

Still, Trump definitely made a royal mess of things and looks like a fool too. Would Biden, Clinton, or Sanders have handled it differently? That’s the question you need to ask yourself.

Reminder: Obama allowed 60 million Americans to get infected with Swine Flu. Ultimately it didn’t turn out to be too deadly thank G-d but IIRC the fatality rate was extremely uncertain in the early days and we still all got infected. Obama gets no credit for the lower death rate, that’s just the way it was. Just food for thought.

I’m not blaming Obama either. In a country that promotes individual freedom and choice above all else the government is very limited in what it can do to contain a virus when the public is not cooperating or aware of the extent of the devastation.

[aygart]

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/01/825179922/fighting-covid-19-is-like-whack-a-mole-says-writer-who-warned-of-pandemic

COVID-19 was taking off in China for at least a month before it first reached U.S. shores. And during that month, not much actually happened [in the U.S.]. A lot of preparedness measures could have been launched. The country could have sprung into action, ready for this, for the virus to eventually reach it. But if anything, America more or less sat idle. It was sluggish. And I do wonder if that propensity to think of itself as being truly exceptional, that slight hubris, left it more unprepared than it needed to be. And I think that even though many people had warned about this for a long time, the underwhelming nature of America's response to this threat has really surprised even people who had been warning, who had been issuing alarms.

This is the real point. The time was available. We even got some extra time through the travel ban, which was a great move. They then went ahead and squadered it. Is some of that because the impeachment process was a distraction? Most definitely, but that is not an excuse. At the end of the day the POTUS is still responsible.

Republicans and Dems alike downplayed it for all it was worth. Most countries are getting crushed by it, it came out of left field, and China is more to blame than anyone else.

Still, Trump definitely made a royal mess of things and looks like a fool too. Would Biden, Clinton, or Sanders have handled it differently? That’s the question you need to ask yourself.

Reminder: Obama allowed 60 million Americans to get infected with Swine Flu. Ultimately it didn’t turn out to be too deadly thank G-d but IIRC the fatality rate was extremely uncertain in the early days and we still all got infected. Obama gets no credit for the lower death rate, that’s just the way it was. Just food for thought.

I’m not blaming Obama either. In a country that promotes individual freedom and choice above all else the government is very limited in what it can do to contain a virus when the public is not cooperating or aware of the extent of the devastation.

Clinton is irrelevant. She is old news. Sanders has shown how horrible he would be in a crisis. Even today, he and his ilk like AOC, Warren, Omar, etc., have nothing more than class warfare and socialized medicine to discuss.

Biden has one thing going for him, which is that he would be more inclined to listen to experts. The concern of course is that he is showing very clear signs of dementia.

Trump can only discuss what it has to do with him. That is very dangerous. He may also be showing some early signs of Alzheimers.

At the end of the day, "pick your poison" is a gross understatement.

[aygart]

This is the real point. The time was available. We even got some extra time through the travel ban, which was a great move. They then went ahead and squadered it. Is some of that because the impeachment process was a distraction? Most definitely, but that is not an excuse. At the end of the day the POTUS is still responsible.
Clinton is irrelevant. She is old news. Sanders has shown how horrible he would be in a crisis. Even today, he and his ilk like AOC, Warren, Omar, etc., have nothing more than class warfare and socialized medicine to discuss.

Biden has one thing going for him, which is that he would be more inclined to listen to experts. The concern of course is that he is showing very clear signs of dementia.

Trump can only discuss what it has to do with him. That is very dangerous. He may also be showing some early signs of Alzheimers.

At the end of the day, "pick your poison" is a gross understatement.

On the other hand, the way it was reported at the time was that all of the experts were playing it down. Maybe he listened to the experts too much?

[Lurker]

On the other hand, the way it was reported at the time was that all of the experts were playing it down. Maybe he listened to the experts too much?

The one thing missing from all these speculations is direct contact. The administration has open lines of communication with China, as well as innumerable back channel connections. Do you really think Trump says the things he says in Dec, Jan, and Feb unless he's getting info from China telling him that it's just a flu, or that they have it under control? To Trump's mind, why would China lie? China is trying to usurp the US as the undisputed leader of the world. Yes, this may kill 1 million Americans and cripple the US economy, but it would also make China the world's most hated country for letting this spread globally and causing tens, if not hundreds, of millions of deaths.

The real question is, why did China lie? What's the benefit? What's the end-game?

[yitzgar]

The one thing missing from all these speculations is direct contact. The administration has open lines of communication with China, as well as innumerable back channel connections. Do you really think Trump says the things he says in Dec, Jan, and Feb unless he's getting info from China telling him that it's just a flu, or that they have it under control? To Trump's mind, why would China lie? China is trying to usurp the US as the undisputed leader of the world. Yes, this may kill 1 million Americans and cripple the US economy, but it would also make China the world's most hated country for letting this spread globally and causing tens, if not hundreds, of millions of deaths.

The real question is, why did China lie? What's the benefit? What's the end-game?

Conspiracy theorist much?

[aygart]

The real question is, why did China lie? What's the benefit? What's the end-game?

At first they were try to prevent it from being another SARS then they were backed into a corner from their lies so they needed to pile more lies on top of it hoping it would pass over and end up like SARS

[Lurker]

Conspiracy theorist much?

Tell me what didn't make sense to you and I'll walk you through it again.

[Lurker]

At first they were try to prevent it from being another SARS then they were backed into a corner from their lies so they needed to pile more lies on top of it hoping it would pass over and end up like SARS

So you think it started off innocent. They thought they had it under control, then had to lie to cover up when they lost control. And then continued to lie, because the world was going to blame them anyway, so they went all in.

Based on this theory, when exactly was our government supposed to have reacted differently? 2019? January, February, March?

[aygart]

So you think it started off innocent. They thought they had it under control, then had to lie to cover up when they lost control. And then continued to lie, because the world was going to blame them anyway, so they went all in.

Based on this theory, when exactly was our government supposed to have reacted differently? 2019? January, February, March?

Which part of what I wrote are you considering innocent?

At the same time that the travel ban was put in place at the middle to end of Jan when it was apparent that this was highly contagious they should have begun preparing for the likelihood of it reaching our shores.

[Lurker]

Which part of what I wrote are you considering innocent?

That they honestly didn't realize the severity and the risk.

At the same time that the travel ban was put in place at the middle to end of Jan when it was apparent that this was highly contagious they should have begun preparing for the likelihood of it reaching our shores.

To play devil's advocate, maybe the travel ban wasn't because we realized it was highly contagious, but just because China told us they had it under control, and it was becoming apparent that they didn't. The travel ban could have been our shot across the bow, tellng China to get their house in order.

[aygart]

That they honestly didn't realize the severity and the risk.

I am sur ethey didn't when the first reports were coming in during December. They thought it was SARS and wanted to cover that up. That isn't too innocent. Had they taken it seriously during those first few weeks it could have possibly stopped the whole thing.

[aygart]

That they honestly didn't realize the severity and the risk.

To play devil's advocate, maybe the travel ban wasn't because we realized it was highly contagious, but just because China told us they had it under control, and it was becoming apparent that they didn't. The travel ban could have been our shot across the bow, tellng China to get their house in order.

We saw that it was contagious. It didn't take much to see that.

[Yehuda57]

We saw that it was contagious. It didn't take much to see that.

Look at the date
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152

[aygart]

Look at the date
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152

No evidence other than what @yuneeq posted here......

[chevron]

We saw that it was contagious. It didn't take much to see that.

Yeah but we were getting news about how China was enacting such severe lockdowns.

I did read articles about how there were people who had left at the beginning.

This is part of the reason I was upset at New York I figured that once it already reached New York, The entire New York New Jersey area would be infected soon.

And I knew that me and Miami would be not far behind.

[aygart]

Yeah but we were getting news about how China was enacting such severe lockdowns.

I did read articles about how there were people who had left at the beginning.

This is part of the reason I was upset at New York I figured that once it already reached New York, The entire New York New Jersey area would be infected soon.

And I knew that me and Miami would be not far behind.

FTR, it is likely that NYC came from MIA

[aygart]

Let's not forget the idiocy of some conservative talking heads.

(Besides his ignorance over the number 19 in COVID-19)