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I took advantage of the sunny day today to go out and shop for a pair of tennies and a Blizzard at DQ. Whether shoe shopping or snagging ice cream, I saw the same disregard for covid suggestions. Probably only 60% of people were wearing masks, only a smattering wearing gloves, and less than half practicing social distancing. I also observed that several people apparently believe that fist bumping is a “safe” alternative to handshakes.
So what do I think of all this? Not quite sure. Reinforces my opinion that a large segment of the population are cranial flat liners, and now demonstrating the potential for being terminally brain dead. It's Darwinism happening before my eyes. I think I’ll withdraw for a few weeks more as the new covid cases will invariably ramp up.
All of this made me contemplate the actions of the administration. The OPEN NOW!!!! philosophy of the administration is an economic decision not a health decision. Trump sees, probably correctly, that a robust economy is his only path to re-election, given the sheer magnitude of his incompetence in all other aspects of his administration. And since only a few months are left before the election, only the abatement of the pandemic can reasonably provide that path.
A vaccine is still months and months away. Two clinical studies showed positive leaning results in their Phase I trials. The stock market jumped. But Phase I tells us only if the test vaccine is applicable to humans – does it damage or kill patients. It does not measure effectiveness of the vaccine. That’s Phase II. Nonetheless, this is good news – and FOMO sufferers use it to justify irrational financial exuberance.
If the vaccine is still months away from development, (how much time will it take for distribution?), then so-called herd immunity is the next quickest option against future infection (and help re-election in Trump-think). This is why the administration is posting all the nonsensical tweets, encouraging civil disobedience, green lighting dangerous behavior (go to church, no gathering limits, promoting quack cures).
Imagine that in July 2021 that covid (to use a Trumpism) “just goes away”. Maybe by vaccine, maybe by herd immunity, maybe by magic. But its gone.
However, the election is only six months away. Here’s the choice. Wait for the vaccine. Wait for herd immunity. But Trump will not wait. He can not do anything that will speed development of the vaccine. But he can speed herd immunity. If he lets the covid run its course with lock down restrictions, say 150k die. But if he declares the pandemic to be ‘fake news’ and does everything he possibly can to get people infected, then perhaps the economy will recover sooner and the election could possibly be salvaged.
So what does Trump do, without a vaccine break through? Does he listen to the medical and research community by following their instructions, have a 150k die and lose the election? Or does he make statements, issue instructions and make policy that will kill a million people and possibly shorten the economic recovery time, hoping for something to campaign on?
We wouldn’t find ourselves in this position if IN JANUARY we started taking steps instead of labeling the disease a partisan “hoax” that his “dear friend” Xi is “taking care of” that will “just go away”. We wouldn’t find ourselves in this position if we had a real President in the first place.
So what do I think of all this? Not quite sure. Reinforces my opinion that a large segment of the population are cranial flat liners, and now demonstrating the potential for being terminally brain dead. It's Darwinism happening before my eyes. I think I’ll withdraw for a few weeks more as the new covid cases will invariably ramp up.
All of this made me contemplate the actions of the administration. The OPEN NOW!!!! philosophy of the administration is an economic decision not a health decision. Trump sees, probably correctly, that a robust economy is his only path to re-election, given the sheer magnitude of his incompetence in all other aspects of his administration. And since only a few months are left before the election, only the abatement of the pandemic can reasonably provide that path.
A vaccine is still months and months away. Two clinical studies showed positive leaning results in their Phase I trials. The stock market jumped. But Phase I tells us only if the test vaccine is applicable to humans – does it damage or kill patients. It does not measure effectiveness of the vaccine. That’s Phase II. Nonetheless, this is good news – and FOMO sufferers use it to justify irrational financial exuberance.
If the vaccine is still months away from development, (how much time will it take for distribution?), then so-called herd immunity is the next quickest option against future infection (and help re-election in Trump-think). This is why the administration is posting all the nonsensical tweets, encouraging civil disobedience, green lighting dangerous behavior (go to church, no gathering limits, promoting quack cures).
Imagine that in July 2021 that covid (to use a Trumpism) “just goes away”. Maybe by vaccine, maybe by herd immunity, maybe by magic. But its gone.
However, the election is only six months away. Here’s the choice. Wait for the vaccine. Wait for herd immunity. But Trump will not wait. He can not do anything that will speed development of the vaccine. But he can speed herd immunity. If he lets the covid run its course with lock down restrictions, say 150k die. But if he declares the pandemic to be ‘fake news’ and does everything he possibly can to get people infected, then perhaps the economy will recover sooner and the election could possibly be salvaged.
So what does Trump do, without a vaccine break through? Does he listen to the medical and research community by following their instructions, have a 150k die and lose the election? Or does he make statements, issue instructions and make policy that will kill a million people and possibly shorten the economic recovery time, hoping for something to campaign on?
We wouldn’t find ourselves in this position if IN JANUARY we started taking steps instead of labeling the disease a partisan “hoax” that his “dear friend” Xi is “taking care of” that will “just go away”. We wouldn’t find ourselves in this position if we had a real President in the first place.
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