4 ms·

I am a US citizen and believe that I am rightly suspicious of our current government. It's also my opinion that, since the number of questionable situations ha

by smoyer 7y ago

I am a US citizen and believe that I am rightly suspicious of our current government. It's also my opinion that, since the number of questionable situations has continued to rise for the last three years, there is no road to the administration recovering their credibility.

rconti 7y ago
Let's put it this way: If the administration had come out with strong actions and warnings about covid-19, those who still trust the administration would be better-informed, the messaging would be more consistent, and those who are inclined to think the president lies about everything would, for the most part, not be saying "it must be a hoax". So we would, in fact, be better off, even if it didn't restore their credibility.
- smoyer 7y ago
  That's true ... my in-laws believe everything he says (or that's reported on Fox News) and they truly believe it's just the flu. They're 78 and 80 so they're in the high-mortality population - the logical reaction would be to take steps that might lead to self-preservation.
- derision 7y ago
  Trump closed the borders at the end of January when we first got word of the virus. That's a pretty strong action imo
  - ygjb 7y ago
    China, Iran, and South Korea don't stamp passports. If a traveler from one of those countries wants to bypass a "closed border" they can simply connect through an unblocked country. An interview might reveal that the traveler came from an affected region, but someone working to bypass border restrictions is probably less inclined to answer those questions honestly. Couple that with the fact that traveling to a country with far fewer cases and is not under quarantine related lock-downs, and being sick in another country but getting treatment, even if it's expensive, might be a compelling option when people in your home country are dying because there aren't enough facilities to care for them. It's a pretty shitty moral perspective, but it is a perfectly valid individual perspective. This is one of the reasons why the WHO pointed out early on that increased screening at borders was more effective, and why closing borders may actually accelerate the spread of the disease. Closing the borders wasn't a strong action, it was a misguided action intended to look strong and play well with the Republican base, and was the first in a string of shitty mistakes that the US Government, and other organizations within the US have made in handling this crisis.
    - derision 7y ago
      There's no interview necessary. If the plane comes from an country of interest it doesn't matter if it's connecting or not. I disagree that it's not a strong action

by smoyer 7y ago

rconti 7y ago

Let's put it this way: If the administration had come out with strong actions and warnings about covid-19, those who still trust the administration would be better-informed, the messaging would be more consistent, and those who are inclined to think the president lies about everything would, for the most part, not be saying "it must be a hoax". So we would, in fact, be better off, even if it didn't restore their credibility.

smoyer 7y ago
That's true ... my in-laws believe everything he says (or that's reported on Fox News) and they truly believe it's just the flu. They're 78 and 80 so they're in the high-mortality population - the logical reaction would be to take steps that might lead to self-preservation.
derision 7y ago
Trump closed the borders at the end of January when we first got word of the virus. That's a pretty strong action imo
- ygjb 7y ago
  China, Iran, and South Korea don't stamp passports. If a traveler from one of those countries wants to bypass a "closed border" they can simply connect through an unblocked country. An interview might reveal that the traveler came from an affected region, but someone working to bypass border restrictions is probably less inclined to answer those questions honestly. Couple that with the fact that traveling to a country with far fewer cases and is not under quarantine related lock-downs, and being sick in another country but getting treatment, even if it's expensive, might be a compelling option when people in your home country are dying because there aren't enough facilities to care for them. It's a pretty shitty moral perspective, but it is a perfectly valid individual perspective. This is one of the reasons why the WHO pointed out early on that increased screening at borders was more effective, and why closing borders may actually accelerate the spread of the disease. Closing the borders wasn't a strong action, it was a misguided action intended to look strong and play well with the Republican base, and was the first in a string of shitty mistakes that the US Government, and other organizations within the US have made in handling this crisis.
  - derision 7y ago
    There's no interview necessary. If the plane comes from an country of interest it doesn't matter if it's connecting or not. I disagree that it's not a strong action