Covid-19

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Ah, a valiant attempt to overcome the flood, somewhat dampened by old thread attracting new comments.

--A

[Gaius Octavius]

Trump has tested positive for COVID-19 just days after the debate, which is notable because Trump's people refused to wear masks when they showed up for the audience, so they likely spread the disease.

This is ironic because this highlights Trump's own failures as president, especially in regards to his handling of the pandemic. He has repeatedly ignored the advice of scientists and physicians that were his advisers. He has held large rallies where supporters were crammed like sardines, without masks. This led to the death of Herman Cain.

If he dies, it is because of his own goddamn stupidity.

[peter]

Problems for the UK Government with mounting evidence that the local restrictions of varying degrees of severity under which a large proportion of the country now lives simply aren't working to slow the transmission of the virus. In only one area where measures have been applied have infection rates actually fallen and when questioned on this the stock answer is that it's down to non-compliance with the rules.

But the truth may be much simpler. Trying to stop the virus transmission by limiting contact might be compared to trying to contain water in a colander with your hands. You need to cover almost all of the holes (as with the case of a full lockdown) for it to be effective. Transmission can be thought of as working like the internet - it's a network, a network of connections between people and partial blockage of one route simply causes the virus to flow around another. Only when the network is destroyed virtually in its entirety can the pockets where it gets through be mopped up. So for lockdown to be an effective means of blocking transmission it is an all or nothing affair. The Government policy (if this is indeed the case - and the evidence is that it is) of partial lockdowns and localised 'wack-a-mole' tactics is doomed to fail.

And meanwhile there is mounting resistance to the policy; the Chancellor himself seems to be distancing himself from it, Tory back-benchers are increasingly frustrated by the total and complete concentration of the Government on the public health aspect of the pandemic as directed by the science advice they are receiving and their seeming failure to recognise the economic and structural damage that even the partial lockdowns and restrictions are doing and that extensions of the same will only make worse. The mayor of Middlesbrough has openly said that he will defy the instructions that his area should impose tighter restrictions than those under which the general population are labouring and has demanded that the Government come to the table to talk about how measures to reduce infections should proceed rather than dictate them from afar.

A dogs dinner to be sure.

[Gaius Octavius]

Trump has probably single handedly incapacitated the whole US government. I heard that Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence were both exposed.

Apparently E-6B Mercury planes have been scattered as a security measure.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2 ... c4cc3158ba

[Gaius Octavius]

This man is a goddamn moron.

[TheFallen]

Well the upside is that this means both the US and the rest of the world are now unlikely to be confronted with either of the two upcoming "shit show" presidential debates...

[Gaius Octavius]

That would be merciful indeed.

[wayfriend]

... and a win for Trump.

[Gaius Octavius]

I believe this will more than likely cripple Trump's campaign, wayfriend.

1) It undermines Trump's messaging regarding COVID.
2) It proves that Trump mishandled COVID.
3) It makes him look like a massive jackass after ridiculing Biden for taking precautions during the debate.
4) He needed those debates in order to articulate his policies before the American public after botching the first debate. He cannot do that now.
5) Any day not spent campaigning is fatal to Trump.

As far as getting a sympathy vote, that won't happen. First of all, the sympathy will come from his own base, not really outside the base. Biden voters sure as hell won't have sympathy for him. Independents will likely be swayed by the messaging that will come out that says "See? Trump has no idea what he's doing. He did not take this seriously, and now the chickens have come home to nest."

Trump is fucked. He's also in a few high-risk categories due to declining general health, obesity, and old age. It is possible that he will die.

There are some other possibilities that I see floating around. One of the possibilities is that he is faking it in order to "miraculously" recover and then claim it was no big deal. Another possibility is that this is some weird excuse to get out of the debates due to his humiliating performance.

Fox news post-debate poll said that 60% thought Biden won, 28% thought Trump won. Very embarrassing for him, especially with the white supremacy scandal.

One conspiracy theory floating around is that the Trump team knew they had COVID so they showed up to the debate, refused to wear masks, and were hoping that the virus would spread. Basically the conspiracy theory is that this was an assassination attempt on Biden.

I don't buy into the conspiracy theory, but Trump's team should be held liable for refusing to wear masks at the debate. They exposed Joe Biden to the deadly virus.

[Gaius Octavius]

One thing that goes against the notion that Trump is faking it is the fact that E-6B Mercury planes were scrambled. I don't know if he could fake a diagnosis and have the planes scramble or if it would have to be confirmed first before this protocol was initiated.

[Gaius Octavius]

Republicans better pray that Biden didn't catch it from him, though.

[wayfriend]

You know nothing of Trump if you think this sinks his campaign. "I could stand on 5th Avenue yada yada".

Secondly, the news that this is either a "Dem Plot" or a "Dem Hoax" is due any minute.

Finally, if anyone perceives any voter movement from this, it will only strengthen the movement to enlist faithless electors that is already ongoing.

[Gaius Octavius]

Trump will for sure try to cynically distort this any which way he desires. He is a lying bastard with no shame and no morals.

But there are some things beyond his control, and one of those things would be public sentiment turning against him.

It is time for Biden to strike a killing blow against Trump's campaign. End this clown's reign of terror over the US, then go after his family with fraud and money laundering charges.

[sgt.null]

Ur - did Trump steal your girlfriend?

If anything Trump may get a wave of patriotic sympathy. Especially with the glee thr left is taking in hoping for Trump's death. Compassionate left rears it's ugly head again.

[wayfriend]

I'm not hoping for Trump's death. So I prove your crass generalization wrong, sarge.

However, no one, not even the most obstinate, head-in-the-sand, swivel-eyed Republican can deny the karma here. "Hoisted by his own petard" comes to mind.

What we can hope that true American Patriots do is recognize that Covid-19 is actually a threat and that masks are good and that parties are bad and that Trump was wrong and that he did lie just as everyone says he lied.

Because if Trump, the most protected man in the world, can get coronavirus, everyone can.

Be safe, everyone.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

If parties are a bad idea, then so are mass protests.

Trump could be fucked since he is in a high-risk group. He was going to lose the election, anyway, so its effect on his campaign will be irrelevant.

Trump tested positive on Thursday, so he was potentially infectious at the debate. Will Biden's campaign be truthful about his test results?

Let us be truthful, though--Democrats have been wishing bad things onto Trump for 4 years now, up to and including death. They may now get their wish.

I have always like the phrase "hoisted on one's own petard". I do not know why.

[Gaius Octavius]

Ur - did Trump steal your girlfriend?

If anything Trump may get a wave of patriotic sympathy. Especially with the glee thr left is taking in hoping for Trump's death. Compassionate left rears it's ugly head again.

If he wanted the American people's sympathy, he should have performed his duty.

[Gaius Octavius]

I'm not hoping for Trump's death. So I prove your crass generalization wrong, sarge.

However, no one, not even the most obstinate, head-in-the-sand, swivel-eyed Republican can deny the karma here. "Hoisted by his own petard" comes to mind.

What we can hope that true American Patriots do is recognize that Covid-19 is actually a threat and that masks are good and that parties are bad and that Trump was wrong and that he did lie just as everyone says he lied.

Because if Trump, the most protected man in the world, can get coronavirus, everyone can.

Be safe, everyone.

I agree with what you said.

If people want to play the paranoia game, how do we know this wasn't an assassination attempt on Biden? It appears they showed up to the debate while they had it, and none of them (Trump's people) wore masks.

Of course, we can play the paranoia game, but I don't find it to be particularly productive.

[Gaius Octavius]

If parties are a bad idea, then so are mass protests.

.

Actually I would be inclined to agree with you. Any mass gathering is a bad idea. Of course, the difference is that Americans have a constitutional right to protest, so nothing can really be done about it.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

They have a Constitutional right to party, as well...or at least they used to.