5 ms·

Trump announced the China travel ban on Jan 31 - effective Feb 2nd - which was over 6 weeks ago. Even then he was called names and the "it's just the flu" mantr

Trump announced the China travel ban on Jan 31 - effective Feb 2nd - which was over 6 weeks ago. Even then he was called names and the "it's just the flu" mantra started. Huge segments of the world saw what was coming and started moving, most didn't move far enough fast enough. Ref: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/31/21117403/trump-coronavirus-ban-travel-non-us-citizens-china https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/31/21117403/trump-coronaviru...

wbl 7y ago
Trump had no backup plan for when, not if, a case went undetected in the US. He didn't start stockpiling masks and ventilators until much later.
- caseysoftware 7y ago
  I agree. He didn't move far enough fast enough. The public's awareness and preparation was slowed by the media (NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, others) screaming "it's just the flu!" until just a couple weeks ago so most weren't prepared. :( My comment was in response to people not realizing this was a thing a month ago.
  - martinpw 7y ago
    I think it was other news organizations than the ones you listed that were the primary culprits in screaming "it's just the flu"
    - caseysoftware 7y ago
      Read https://twitter.com/balajis https://twitter.com/balajis starting early February and documented many of the posts. He was one of the earliest to call out their BS and anti-scientific agenda. And then the House tried to remove Trump's travel ban: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/house-committee-votes-to-rescind-trump-travel-ban-114649 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/house-committee-vot... You can play politics or you can look at reality.
      - gurumeditations 7y ago
        That Politico article is about the travel ban involving Muslim countries, not China or any Asian country. Do you read your own sources?
        caseysoftware 7y ago
        Look at the date of the article very closely and realize that it covered all travel bans as noted in the subhead: "The legislation would void all of Trump's executive actions establishing travel restrictions."
        cmurf 7y ago
        No, it's very narrow in what bans it would void; and even those can be reinstituted as soon as the President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Homeland Security comply with the requirement that they address specific acts implicating a compelling government interest. Because the entire dispute is about Trump applying his decades long racial and religious animus to government policy, rather than the policy addressing a compelling state interest. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2214?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22National+Origin-Based+Antidiscrimination+for+Nonimmigrants%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2214...
      - cmurf 7y ago
        https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/fcdckgt368/econTabReport.pdf https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/fcdckgt368/econTabReport.pdf page 9 Do you think the coronavirus epidemic is a national emergency? yes, democrats 81%; no, republicans 53% page 18 Which cable news network do you watch the most? Democrats, 42% CNN, 48% MSNBC; Republicans, 89% Fox News Trump himself has been downplaying it this whole time. https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/trumps-statements-about-the-coronavirus/ https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/trumps-statements-about-th...

wbl 7y ago

Trump had no backup plan for when, not if, a case went undetected in the US. He didn't start stockpiling masks and ventilators until much later.

caseysoftware 7y ago
I agree. He didn't move far enough fast enough. The public's awareness and preparation was slowed by the media (NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, others) screaming "it's just the flu!" until just a couple weeks ago so most weren't prepared. :( My comment was in response to people not realizing this was a thing a month ago.
- martinpw 7y ago
  I think it was other news organizations than the ones you listed that were the primary culprits in screaming "it's just the flu"
  - caseysoftware 7y ago
    Read https://twitter.com/balajis https://twitter.com/balajis starting early February and documented many of the posts. He was one of the earliest to call out their BS and anti-scientific agenda. And then the House tried to remove Trump's travel ban: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/house-committee-votes-to-rescind-trump-travel-ban-114649 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/house-committee-vot... You can play politics or you can look at reality.
    - gurumeditations 7y ago
      That Politico article is about the travel ban involving Muslim countries, not China or any Asian country. Do you read your own sources?
      - caseysoftware 7y ago
        Look at the date of the article very closely and realize that it covered all travel bans as noted in the subhead: "The legislation would void all of Trump's executive actions establishing travel restrictions."
        cmurf 7y ago
        No, it's very narrow in what bans it would void; and even those can be reinstituted as soon as the President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Homeland Security comply with the requirement that they address specific acts implicating a compelling government interest. Because the entire dispute is about Trump applying his decades long racial and religious animus to government policy, rather than the policy addressing a compelling state interest. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2214?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22National+Origin-Based+Antidiscrimination+for+Nonimmigrants%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2214...
    - cmurf 7y ago
      https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/fcdckgt368/econTabReport.pdf https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/fcdckgt368/econTabReport.pdf page 9 Do you think the coronavirus epidemic is a national emergency? yes, democrats 81%; no, republicans 53% page 18 Which cable news network do you watch the most? Democrats, 42% CNN, 48% MSNBC; Republicans, 89% Fox News Trump himself has been downplaying it this whole time. https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/trumps-statements-about-the-coronavirus/ https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/trumps-statements-about-th...