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There is no opportunity. The Trump administration has already decided to surrender to this pandemic. They're just betting that enough voters in key swing state

There is no opportunity. The Trump administration has already decided to surrender to this pandemic. They're just betting that enough voters in key swing states are on board with their alternative reality that they won't notice or care about their grandparents and elderly neighbours dying.

Loughla 6y ago
I'm not sure if this is meant to be snarky, but it's 100% true. >They're just betting that enough voters in key swing states are on board with their alternative reality that they won't notice The propaganda that is digested by Trump supporters solidly claims that: (a) covid isn't that bad, it's just the flu, (b) people who are scared of it are not really Americans, and (c) any noise about it being dangerous is just the liberal left trying to undercut Trump. This is the world we live in. Put on Fox or any AM right wing station - those are the talking points. It's all so disheartening and just, I don't know, depressing maybe is the word?
- TheGrim-888 6y ago
  I know this issue is all political at this point, but if you want an honest answer, I personally believe most of the points you laid out. Here's my rationale for the points you mentioned: 1) All of the actual data and figures I've seen indicate that yes, it's worse than the flu, but that the reaction to it has still been insanely out of proportion. I'm basing that viewpoint on the data I've seen. I'm not basing my viewpoint on an emotional basis. I'm not basing my viewpoint on just whatever people on reddit/twitter/facebook scream at me. If I'm presented with different data (actual factual data, not opinion pieces) I'd be willing to change my viewpoint. But so far I have yet to see anything that would change my position. 2) This is a pretty large strawman/exaggeration and obviously I don't believe in that. 3) It's demonstrably, factual, obvious that the economy was one of Trump's selling points, and if the economy tanks, that removes one of his selling points and hurts him politically. That's undeniable. It's fact that the more chaos and perceived problems there are, the more it hurts him politically. That's undeniable. Where the argument could be is whether the left is intentionally trying to press those buttons or if they're acting in good faith. When I take how I've seen them act over the past few years (one such example being the partisan impeachment fiasco), combined with the fact that their reaction is entirely out of line with the actual data/facts (point 1), it leads me to believe that they are indeed intentionally overplaying it for political gain. Their political party benefits if they overplay it. They have means, motive, and opportunity. I don't watch Fox news. I don't watch CNN. I don't make my viewpoints match what the hive mind screams at me is true. I base my viewpoints on the data I've seen. I'm entirely open to changing my viewpoint if better data comes in.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
isoprophlex 6y ago
Covid has been the ultimate confirmation: we're in the post-truth age. Lets hope we'll be able to look back on this period in history, and evolve to be better than this.
- magicsmoke 6y ago
  The dark side of this is that evolution works by culling the unfit to survive. Might want to choose another term (or maybe that's exactly what you intended)
  - Droobfest 6y ago
    Or the unlucky.
  - technothrasher 6y ago
    evolution works by culling the unfit to survive No it doesn't. Evolution occurs due to change in allele frequency in a population over time. Relative death rate of certain organisms in a given environment is certainly a mechanism for this change in frequency, but it is not necessary for evolution to occur.
    - arcticbull 6y ago
      Either (a) death of the unfit or (b) inability of the unfit to reproduce are the core drivers of evolution. They're the negative feedback. [edit] Rather, not the core drivers but the core direction-setters.
- chadlavi 6y ago
  At this point I just hope we're able to look back on this period in history at all.
meragrin_ 6y ago
The Trump administration was/is in a no win situation. The democrats are intent on getting Trump out of office one way or another. Had he tried more on the national level, they would have fought him tooth and nail until the data indicated they had no choice and we would still be in this situation. When Trump issued the travel ban, the narrative was Trump was using the virus to invoke fear and distract from his impeachment. Well, it looks like they were wrong.
- AnimalMuppet 6y ago
  In fact, when Trump said he was going to take steps nationally, people screamed (correctly) that that was not authority given to the national government, and that Trump was trying to rule as an autocrat. The result was that we got 50 different responses, not coordinated with each other. And to some degree that was appropriate - New York City needs a very different response than Loving County, Texas. That would be better handled at a state level than a national one. The problem is that the state responses were too political and not enough medical. That might lead you back to thinking of a national response. But a national response would likely also be political rather than medical (for which Trump does deserve the blame). Even more, it would be perceived as political rather than medical (for which Trump also deserves some blame).

Loughla 6y ago

I'm not sure if this is meant to be snarky, but it's 100% true. >They're just betting that enough voters in key swing states are on board with their alternative reality that they won't notice The propaganda that is digested by Trump supporters solidly claims that: (a) covid isn't that bad, it's just the flu, (b) people who are scared of it are not really Americans, and (c) any noise about it being dangerous is just the liberal left trying to undercut Trump. This is the world we live in. Put on Fox or any AM right wing station - those are the talking points. It's all so disheartening and just, I don't know, depressing maybe is the word?

TheGrim-888 6y ago
I know this issue is all political at this point, but if you want an honest answer, I personally believe most of the points you laid out. Here's my rationale for the points you mentioned: 1) All of the actual data and figures I've seen indicate that yes, it's worse than the flu, but that the reaction to it has still been insanely out of proportion. I'm basing that viewpoint on the data I've seen. I'm not basing my viewpoint on an emotional basis. I'm not basing my viewpoint on just whatever people on reddit/twitter/facebook scream at me. If I'm presented with different data (actual factual data, not opinion pieces) I'd be willing to change my viewpoint. But so far I have yet to see anything that would change my position. 2) This is a pretty large strawman/exaggeration and obviously I don't believe in that. 3) It's demonstrably, factual, obvious that the economy was one of Trump's selling points, and if the economy tanks, that removes one of his selling points and hurts him politically. That's undeniable. It's fact that the more chaos and perceived problems there are, the more it hurts him politically. That's undeniable. Where the argument could be is whether the left is intentionally trying to press those buttons or if they're acting in good faith. When I take how I've seen them act over the past few years (one such example being the partisan impeachment fiasco), combined with the fact that their reaction is entirely out of line with the actual data/facts (point 1), it leads me to believe that they are indeed intentionally overplaying it for political gain. Their political party benefits if they overplay it. They have means, motive, and opportunity. I don't watch Fox news. I don't watch CNN. I don't make my viewpoints match what the hive mind screams at me is true. I base my viewpoints on the data I've seen. I'm entirely open to changing my viewpoint if better data comes in.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

isoprophlex 6y ago

Covid has been the ultimate confirmation: we're in the post-truth age. Lets hope we'll be able to look back on this period in history, and evolve to be better than this.

magicsmoke 6y ago
The dark side of this is that evolution works by culling the unfit to survive. Might want to choose another term (or maybe that's exactly what you intended)
- Droobfest 6y ago
  Or the unlucky.
- technothrasher 6y ago
  evolution works by culling the unfit to survive No it doesn't. Evolution occurs due to change in allele frequency in a population over time. Relative death rate of certain organisms in a given environment is certainly a mechanism for this change in frequency, but it is not necessary for evolution to occur.
  - arcticbull 6y ago
    Either (a) death of the unfit or (b) inability of the unfit to reproduce are the core drivers of evolution. They're the negative feedback. [edit] Rather, not the core drivers but the core direction-setters.
chadlavi 6y ago
At this point I just hope we're able to look back on this period in history at all.

meragrin_ 6y ago

The Trump administration was/is in a no win situation. The democrats are intent on getting Trump out of office one way or another. Had he tried more on the national level, they would have fought him tooth and nail until the data indicated they had no choice and we would still be in this situation. When Trump issued the travel ban, the narrative was Trump was using the virus to invoke fear and distract from his impeachment. Well, it looks like they were wrong.

AnimalMuppet 6y ago
In fact, when Trump said he was going to take steps nationally, people screamed (correctly) that that was not authority given to the national government, and that Trump was trying to rule as an autocrat. The result was that we got 50 different responses, not coordinated with each other. And to some degree that was appropriate - New York City needs a very different response than Loving County, Texas. That would be better handled at a state level than a national one. The problem is that the state responses were too political and not enough medical. That might lead you back to thinking of a national response. But a national response would likely also be political rather than medical (for which Trump does deserve the blame). Even more, it would be perceived as political rather than medical (for which Trump also deserves some blame).