Political Roundtable Part XXVIII

[dobrojim]

David Brooks words still ring in my ears

This is why you don’t elect a sociopath

PS - heard more details on the warnings given the the PDB (daily brief)...
The reports indicate he didn't read the daily briefs! Every couple days
or so a staff person would orally deliver a summary.

I'm dumbfounded how any one could defend this conduct.
I seriously doubt we've ever previously had a Pres who
would blow off reading this information. Stunning.

[dckingsfan]

It’s a national disgrace that farmers are having to destroy so much food. They are going broke, and food banks are running low.
Finally, last week the US Department of Agriculture announced a $19 billion plan to buy up the food for distribution to food banks and other programs. But a great amount of unnecessary damage has been done. And it will still be a month until deliveries start.

USDA knew this was going to happen at least a month before the program was announced, but did nothing. It was obvious that the commercial food market was drying up. It's their job to know this and there's a 100% chance they were aware of the situation. There were already existing programs for USDA to buy up excess food for distribution to food banks, so it is not something new for them.
All the bad publicity finally spurred action, but the situation was entirely avoidable. The only question is where to place the blame. Was it entirely USDA, or did they make the White House aware and it was a WH decision to do nothing.

Hmmm, I wouldn't want to venture a guess...

[dckingsfan]

David Brooks words still ring in my ears

This is why you don’t elect a sociopath

PS - heard more details on the warnings given the the PDB (daily brief)… The reports indicate he didn't read the daily briefs! Every couple days or so a staff person would orally deliver a summary.

I'm dumbfounded how any one could defend this conduct. I seriously doubt we've ever previously had a Pres who
would blow off reading this information. Stunning.

And then the comments on bleach et. al. and the stunning defense of his supporters (of which some have most likely died because of his advice).

Very strange times.

[JWizmentality]

Trump supporters are drinking bleach? Oh no

[montestewart]

As a general rule, jokes about Trump supporters dying from COVID, drinking bleach, etc. gloss over the fact that both Trump supporters and Trump opponents may be drinking bleach, inhaling Lysol, etc. based on Trump's sarcastic...musings, and the pandemic itself doesn't check on your ideology before it kills you.

Disturbing times, but characterizing certain swaths of people as undeserving to live, even jokingly, gets into disturbing new territory. Trump has ushered in next generation dehumanization: bitter ideological hatred, concentration camps at the border, condemnation based on race, and his incompetence may the only reason it is not even worse.

OK, that said

Trump supporters are drinking bleach? Oh no

Just add Kool-Aid and stir.

(Sorry, it just wrote itself)

[dobrojim]

Yes. Disturbing times.

I like to think of myself as a reasonably decent person but in the dark
recesses of my mind and even though I know it's not right, I can't
help but wonder if some people who contract COVID19 _by behaving
recklessly_ don't deserve the consequences. Not nice, and I prefer
to be nice.

The bad thing about it is obviously their disregard for the safety
and welfare of others they come in contact with and for expecting
to be 'rescued' by medical people who are overburdened with people
who caught it without the irresponsible behavior.

[JWizmentality]

As a general rule, jokes about Trump supporters dying from COVID, drinking bleach, etc. gloss over the fact that both Trump supporters and Trump opponents may be drinking bleach, inhaling Lysol, etc. based on Trump's sarcastic...musings, and the pandemic itself doesn't check on your ideology before it kills you.

Disturbing times, but characterizing certain swaths of people as undeserving to live, even jokingly, gets into disturbing new territory. Trump has ushered in next generation dehumanization: bitter ideological hatred, concentration camps at the border, condemnation based on race, and his incompetence may the only reason it is not even worse.

OK, that said

Trump supporters are drinking bleach? Oh no

Just add Kool-Aid and stir.

(Sorry, it just wrote itself)

Not wishing death on anyone. But can't say I'm surprised.

[montestewart]

As a general rule, jokes about Trump supporters dying from COVID, drinking bleach, etc. gloss over the fact that both Trump supporters and Trump opponents may be drinking bleach, inhaling Lysol, etc. based on Trump's sarcastic...musings, and the pandemic itself doesn't check on your ideology before it kills you.

Disturbing times, but characterizing certain swaths of people as undeserving to live, even jokingly, gets into disturbing new territory. Trump has ushered in next generation dehumanization: bitter ideological hatred, concentration camps at the border, condemnation based on race, and his incompetence may the only reason it is not even worse.

OK, that said

Trump supporters are drinking bleach? Oh no

Just add Kool-Aid and stir.

(Sorry, it just wrote itself)

Not wishing death on anyone. But can't say I'm surprised.

Yep. Juxtapose his foolish comments with denial of any blame when people acted on them, definitely a campaign ad there.

[pancakes3]

Yes. Disturbing times.

I like to think of myself as a reasonably decent person but in the dark
recesses of my mind and even though I know it's not right, I can't
help but wonder if some people who contract COVID19 _by behaving
recklessly_ don't deserve the consequences. Not nice, and I prefer
to be nice.

The bad thing about it is obviously their disregard for the safety
and welfare of others they come in contact with and for expecting
to be 'rescued' by medical people who are overburdened with people
who caught it without the irresponsible behavior.

https://www.wfae.org/post/reopen-nc-organizer-had-covid-19-says-she-didnt-attend-rallies#stream/0

[Ruzious]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-administrations-message-reopening-continues-121021598.html The mixed signals are moronic beyond words and will go down in history as such. And apparently Pence is competing with Trump to see who can sound more arrogantly idiotic and just plain stupid. Is he doing this to impress Trump? Probably so - he's trying to re-make himself in Trump's image - like Trump's robot assistant moron. How do some people let Trump and Pence off - not to mention the wart-infested Barr? At some point, they're responsible for letting this unimaginable garbage keep going. Enough is ef'nough.

[Ruzious]

David Brooks words still ring in my ears

This is why you don’t elect a sociopath

PS - heard more details on the warnings given the the PDB (daily brief)...
The reports indicate he didn't read the daily briefs! Every couple days
or so a staff person would orally deliver a summary.

I'm dumbfounded how any one could defend this conduct.
I seriously doubt we've ever previously had a Pres who
would blow off reading this information. Stunning.

Everything he does is based on an abnormal psychology. So many people still somehow don't seem to understand that.

Understanding that and accepting that is worse.

[dobrojim]

My daughter got on a bit of a rant (not unhinged or anything) the
other day in our zoom chat about how certain Pubs are laying
the groundwork for excusing Trump's behavior by saying
he's mentally ill. She feels that's disrespectful to people
who actually are mentally ill. I can see where she's
coming from.

[dckingsfan]

My daughter got on a bit of a rant (not unhinged or anything) the other day in our zoom chat about how certain Pubs are laying the groundwork for excusing Trump's behavior by saying he's mentally ill. She feels that's disrespectful to people who actually are mentally ill. I can see where she's coming from.

I do think he is actually mentally ill... I also think he is suffering from dementia.

So, it is a tough one. Basically, the Rs can argue the point but they are also arguing that he is unfit for the position, no?

[dobrojim]

But most mentally ill people don't consistently act like a sociopath.
It's the seeming pleasure he (and many of his followers) gets from harming others.
The cruelty is the point.

[gtn130]

Trump's robot assistant moron

I approve of this becoming Mike Pence's new official title

[Ruzious]

My daughter got on a bit of a rant (not unhinged or anything) the other day in our zoom chat about how certain Pubs are laying the groundwork for excusing Trump's behavior by saying he's mentally ill. She feels that's disrespectful to people who actually are mentally ill. I can see where she's coming from.

I do think he is actually mentally ill... I also think he is suffering from dementia.

So, it is a tough one. Basically, the Rs can argue the point but they are also arguing that he is unfit for the position, no?

Fwiw, my mother's taught mentally ill people (mostly children) all her adult life, and she feels certain that he has neurological problems. Does that excuse him? I have no idea. I just know he's been almost unimaginably bad for the country in so many ways.

[pancakes3]

it doesn't excuse the millions of ppl who voted for him, and the hundreds of ppl in positions of power that cater to him, or how right wing media is exploiting him.

[Ruzious]

Getting back to the corona virus and trying not to be too political about it, after talking to my microbiologist acquaintance, the key to getting back to work is having lots of testing. We can do it if we have testing once a week, wear masks, have access to hand sanitizer, and do social distancing. But listening to the VP and President, it's clear that they don't understand the math - as to how many tests are needed and how fast those tests need to be processed. I'm trying not to be political, but the political situation is a fact. The scientific community has not been able to get through this basic information to the WH. We need to test millions of people on a regular basis, and those tests have to be turned around quickly. My God, the president and VP are so afraid of how they look with masks that they won't wear them - no matter what the entire scientific community says. These are the level of intellects we have leading us. The VP says he can't look at someone in the eyes if he's wearing a mask. Oh my bleeping God. And he should be exempt from wearing a mask because he was tested a few days ago. Wow, just wow. I mean... wow. WOW. Holy shyt.

[dckingsfan]

Getting back to the corona virus and trying not to be too political about it, after talking to my microbiologist acquaintance, the key to getting back to work is having lots of testing. We can do it if we have testing once a week, wear masks, have access to hand sanitizer, and do social distancing. But listening to the VP and President, it's clear that they don't understand the math - as to how many tests are needed and how fast those tests need to be processed. I'm trying not to be political, but the political situation is a fact. The scientific community has not been able to get through this basic information to the WH. We need to test millions of people on a regular basis, and those tests have to be turned around quickly. My God, the president and VP are so afraid of how they look with masks that they won't wear them - no matter what the entire scientific community says. These are the level of intellects we have leading us. The VP says he can't look at someone in the eyes if he's wearing a mask. Oh my bleeping God. And he should be exempt from wearing a mask because he was tested a few days ago. Wow, just wow. I mean... wow. WOW. Holy shyt.

This! There are approximate 16M healthcare workers alone that need to be tested weekly (at a minimum, my guess is 2x/wk).

They missed the math class. We aren't even close to those numbers now. He wants to get to 35M/wk. But even that doesn't get us there.

[I_Like_Dirt]

This! There are approximate 16M healthcare workers alone that need to be tested weekly (at a minimum, my guess is 2x/wk).

They missed the math class. We aren't even close to those numbers now. He wants to get to 35M/wk. But even that doesn't get us there.

This is both depressing and fascinating in terms of macro economics. It's all about who pays for it, basically, and the fight is on and most people don't seem to be aware of it. Right now the push is on for the costs to be disproportionately borne by the poorer economic demographics, and it sure seems to me like the idea is to honestly increase those costs so long as the poorer economic demographics are the ones paying for them.