This race is not "over" by any stretch of the imagination. Once all the votes get counted in California, Bernie will likely come out to near a tie in delegates yesterday, and basically a tie over all. It's knotted-up at half-time.
I don't disagree with your current assessment. That being said, Biden and Sanders will wander in to Milwaukee, no one will have a majority, the pledged delegates will vote the way they are required to, then when no one secures the nomination on the first ballot all delegates become unpledged, the superdelegates become active, and Biden wins the nomination on the second ballot. Remember that episdoe of ST:TNG where that "chess master" beat Data, then later Data changed his strategy from "win" to "don't let the opponent win"? That is Biden's strategy now--don't let Sanders have a majority, which is different than "winning". Once that happens, Biden wins in Milwaukee and that is the only election which matters (until November).
Actually, I *do* typically refer to Cruz as "Rafael". In my opinion he should drop "Ted" and use his given name instead. Will he follow my advice? *shrug* Probably not...but he should.
What is happening now in Europe happened at the US border. The Turkish government is taking a page out of the Venezuelan governments play book. This is the new face of war, using the desperate and hungry for political gain and extortion. Now, not all are desperate and hungry when countries open their borders to a forced migrant exodus. Most are criminals and unwanted Males of fighting age, most are from prison and forced to the borders to become others problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shHM1RqJfI
These types of attacks will be the norm now as we have all been desensitized by the media for years now. Mixed in with the good will always be the bad and this is why the US and Europe now are taking a strong stance at their borders. Does it always work out for the innocent? Can we see one day a world with open borders and no wars? Until that glorious day countries and humanity must protect their sovereignty and the right for cultures to live as they wish, not how some UN official wants them too.
What is happening now in Europe happened at the US border. The Turkish government is taking a page out of the Venezuelan governments play book. This is the new face of war, using the desperate and hungry for political gain and extortion. Now, not all are desperate and hungry when countries open their borders to a forced migrant exodus. Most are criminals and unwanted Males of fighting age, most are from prison and forced to the borders to become others problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shHM1RqJfI
These types of attacks will be the norm now as we have all been desensitized by the media for years now. Mixed in with the good will always be the bad and this is why the US and Europe now are taking a strong stance at their borders. Does it always work out for the innocent? Can we see one day a world with open borders and no wars? Until that glorious day countries and humanity must protect their sovereignty and the right for cultures to live as they wish, not how some UN official wants them too.
Fear mongering tactics. If a person has a criminal record asylum will not be granted and these individuals will be sent back to their home country.
And just because a person claims asylum, it does not mean it is automatically granted. If governments actually put the proper resources into handling these cases, the turn around would be quick.
Also asylum or refugee status can be taken away if an individual starts committing crimes in the adopted country.
What is happening now in Europe happened at the US border. The Turkish government is taking a page out of the Venezuelan governments play book. This is the new face of war, using the desperate and hungry for political gain and extortion. Now, not all are desperate and hungry when countries open their borders to a forced migrant exodus. Most are criminals and unwanted Males of fighting age, most are from prison and forced to the borders to become others problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shHM1RqJfI
These types of attacks will be the norm now as we have all been desensitized by the media for years now. Mixed in with the good will always be the bad and this is why the US and Europe now are taking a strong stance at their borders. Does it always work out for the innocent? Can we see one day a world with open borders and no wars? Until that glorious day countries and humanity must protect their sovereignty and the right for cultures to live as they wish, not how some UN official wants them too.
Fear mongering tactics. If a person has a criminal record asylum will not be granted and these individuals will be sent back to their home country.
And just because a person claims asylum, it does not mean it is automatically granted. If governments actually put the proper resources into handling these cases, the turn around would be quick.
Also asylum or refugee status can be taken away if an individual starts committing crimes in the adopted country.
These people have had their passports and identity documents taken from them by the Turkish government. There is no way to properly document or vet them. This burden should not be placed on the receiving countries. Saying that these are fear mongering tactics is not accurate. Any country has the right to deny someone entry when they see certain criteria, governments also have to protect their citizens. You cannot compare what is happening right now in Europe with a normal Asylum applicant. The video shows that the person is from Afghanistan. Only Syrians are allowed into Europe right now under political asylum.
This race is not "over" by any stretch of the imagination. Once all the votes get counted in California, Bernie will likely come out to near a tie in delegates yesterday, and basically a tie over all. It's knotted-up at half-time.
I don't disagree with your current assessment. That being said, Biden and Sanders will wander in to Milwaukee, no one will have a majority, the pledged delegates will vote the way they are required to, then when no one secures the nomination on the first ballot all delegates become unpledged, the superdelegates become active, and Biden wins the nomination on the second ballot. Remember that episdoe of ST:TNG where that "chess master" beat Data, then later Data changed his strategy from "win" to "don't let the opponent win"? That is Biden's strategy now--don't let Sanders have a majority, which is different than "winning". Once that happens, Biden wins in Milwaukee and that is the only election which matters (until November).
Actually, I *do* typically refer to Cruz as "Rafael". In my opinion he should drop "Ted" and use his given name instead. Will he follow my advice? *shrug* Probably not...but he should.
This sounds to me like their plan and that's almost definitely what's going to happen.
A wrinkle might happen if Biden shoots himself in the foot (literally or metaphorically) and if Trump gets antsy as he is wont to do and successfully meddles in the primary by announcing super serious Burisma investigation found evidence of, wait for it, wait, I'm serious this time guys, corruption! or something and that actually works.
Biden is a little prone to gaffes these days--in my opinion they aren't gaffes but signs that he should not be campaigning for public office...but I cannot tell him what he can or cannot do--and Trump needs to quit blabbing nonsense on Twitter. I would advise him never to utter the word "hunter" again but, being stubborn, he wouldn't listen to my advice.
That is what we will have for a few months now--two stubborn old men harrumphing at each other.
Biden is a little prone to gaffes these days--in my opinion they aren't gaffes but signs that he should not be campaigning for public office...but I cannot tell him what he can or cannot do--and Trump needs to quit blabbing nonsense on Twitter. I would advise him never to utter the word "hunter" again but, being stubborn, he wouldn't listen to my advice.
That is what we will have for a few months now--two stubborn old men harrumphing at each other.
Again Bernie's not dead, the decks stacked but it ain't over about 50/50.
If he gets totally eliminated then yeah we can marvel as Trump and Joe Biden threaten each other in old timey language dripping with references to Gone With The Wind, fisticuffs and what have you.
What is happening now in Europe happened at the US border. The Turkish government is taking a page out of the Venezuelan governments play book. This is the new face of war, using the desperate and hungry for political gain and extortion. Now, not all are desperate and hungry when countries open their borders to a forced migrant exodus. Most are criminals and unwanted Males of fighting age, most are from prison and forced to the borders to become others problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shHM1RqJfI
These types of attacks will be the norm now as we have all been desensitized by the media for years now. Mixed in with the good will always be the bad and this is why the US and Europe now are taking a strong stance at their borders. Does it always work out for the innocent? Can we see one day a world with open borders and no wars? Until that glorious day countries and humanity must protect their sovereignty and the right for cultures to live as they wish, not how some UN official wants them too.
Fear mongering tactics. If a person has a criminal record asylum will not be granted and these individuals will be sent back to their home country.
And just because a person claims asylum, it does not mean it is automatically granted. If governments actually put the proper resources into handling these cases, the turn around would be quick.
Also asylum or refugee status can be taken away if an individual starts committing crimes in the adopted country.
It's not fear-mongering. Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to use migrants against Europe as a way to make them comply with his demands. This is a deliberate tactic to destabilize European countries as a retaliatory measure.
Yes saying that able bodied young men who are hiding amongst fleeing refugees are criminals and terrorist so we shouldn't let a single person in is fear mongering. Especially if you are the country that is indirectly responsible for the current state of Syria (looking at you Trump).
I am not disputing what Erdogan is doing is wrong; however the numbers speak for themselves:
3.6 million. 8 billion.
That is how many Syrian refugees are currently in Turkey and how much Turkey has spent on them. They have taken the brunt of this and are pretty much in crisis mode as well. Comparison, Germany has taken in 770,000.
The EU would not of had a crisis if it wasn't for the Dublin Regulation and their slow response to revoke it and with Erdogan given the green light by Trump to start hostilities in Syria, the EU may not have a choice as many are going to flee Turkey if it itself becomes a hot spot.
This would be the time to get their act together and figure out a working solution for this, or any upcoming humanitarian crisis that may come forward. Countries such as Greece and Hungary shouldn't be taking the brunt of this, and if they are, other EU countries should be helping them out financially. The tactic of "we're sending you all the refugees" would be less of a threat if countries actually have the proper resources in place.
It hasn't been getting nearly the play it should because of Super Tuesday, but the Administration response to Coronavirus continues to be abysmal at best. States and hospitals don't have testing kits. People who are exhibiting symptoms are being given an endless runaround about what to do. The fatality rate is now apparently 3.5%. This remains a slow-rolling disaster in real-time. A reminder that ONE person died from Ebola in the US, which was essentially the "patient zero" as far as this country was concerned. And guess what law mandates that any future vaccine MUST be covered for free by your insurance company?? That's right, the ACA. The one Republicans are still in court trying to kill. We won't even get into the nursing home regulations the Administration recently gutted that make the spread far more likely in care facilities (like what is happening right now in Washington). Meanwhile, head to social media and read the countless anecdotal accounts people have of their elderly relatives ignoring the seriousness because FOX News says it is overhyped. It's getting worse, and it's not going to get better anytime soon.
It hasn't been getting nearly the play it should because of Super Tuesday, but the Administration response to Coronavirus continues to be abysmal at best. States and hospitals don't have testing kits. People who are exhibiting symptoms are being given an endless runaround about what to do. The fatality rate is now apparently 3.5%. This remains a slow-rolling disaster in real-time. A reminder that ONE person died from Ebola in the US, which was essentially the "patient zero" as far as this country was concerned. And guess what law mandates that any future vaccine MUST be covered for free by your insurance company?? That's right, the ACA. The one Republicans are still in court trying to kill. We won't even get into the nursing home regulations the Administration recently gutted that make the spread far more likely in care facilities (like what is happening right now in Washington). Meanwhile, head to social media and read the countless anecdotal accounts people have of their elderly relatives ignoring the seriousness because FOX News says it is overhyped. It's getting worse, and it's not going to get better anytime soon.
Say what you want about China's lying government but at least when it's time to act, they act decisively. And about 95% of the population has at least basic health insurance coverage. We have a lying government that cares more about "the economy" and keeping people working to make money for oligarchs even if those people are sick or anything else. The cash must flow.
Minutes after I typed my last post, Trump went on FOX News and said that the 3.4% from the WHO is a "false number" and that he believes it's less than 1%. And this, no matter how shitty Joe Biden may be, is the reason he still gets a vote from me. Because the guy currently in the White House is purposefully spreading disinformation about a pandemic because he knows how badly he fucked this up. Again, absolutely unconscionable, especially when you consider the age of your average FOX News viewer. Liberals have contempt for them?? Trump is literally going on the channel they watch and lying about something that could kill them. He either actually believes it's a hoax meant to hurt him (in which case he's a lunatic) or he knows the truth and is lying about it to benefit himself (which makes him evil). There is no other way to view it:
So there you have it folks. Trump has a "hunch" it's way under 1%. Forget about the people who deal with this shit for a living, Donald Trump's gut is on the case. This is Scopes Monkey Trial-level shit. Anyone who thinks this is ok is out of their minds.
Minutes after I typed my last post, Trump went on FOX News and said that the 3.4% from the WHO is a "false number" and that he believes it's less than 1%. And this, no matter how shitty Joe Biden may be, is the reason he still gets a vote from me. Because the guy currently in the White House is purposefully spreading disinformation about a pandemic because he knows how badly he fucked this up. Again, absolutely unconscionable, especially when you consider the age of your average FOX News viewer. Liberals have contempt for them?? Trump is literally going on the channel they watch and lying about something that could kill them. He either actually believes it's a hoax meant to hurt him (in which case he's a lunatic) or he knows the truth and is lying about it to benefit himself (which makes him evil). There is no other way to view it:
So there you have it folks. Trump has a "hunch" it's way under 1%. Forget about the people who deal with this shit for a living, Donald Trump's gut is on the case. This is Scopes Monkey Trial-level shit. Anyone who thinks this is ok is out of their minds.
Most of the information Trump gave in that clip is accurate, even if the spin he put on it is concerning. I suspect the WHO published their figure to try and shock countries into a greater level of response, but I don't think that overplaying the threat is any more helpful than underplaying it. The 3.4% represents the reported deaths as a proportion of reported cases, but you've posted before about some of the reasons why the real level of cases is certainly far higher than the reported figure in the US (cost of tests, lack of test kits, lack of lab facilities, technical failures in testing etc). Those are all important, but the point Trump was making is even more so - the disease is often mild enough that people will either ignore it or not even know they had it (China have categorized about 80% of their diagnosed cases as "mild").
Having said that, if the true death rate is 1%, that's still extremely high for what is a pretty contagious disease. Flu would typically have a death rate of something like 0.1% and still kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide (tens of thousands just in the US). It may well be the case that Covid-19 will end up as an established disease worldwide, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. Public health measures will have a major effect on outcomes in the shorter term, as will providing accurate information. In the longer term it may be that the research on anti-viral drugs and vaccines will bear fruit.
Trump is making the point that people who don't even know that have it is a GOOD thing, and that is 1000% the opposite of the truth. People who don't know they have it are incubators and carriers. The US is doing, essentially, NO testing whatsoever compared to other countries. Whether it is intentional or simply incompetence is beside the point. Yeah, his "spin" on it is certainly concerning, because he is essentially telling millions of people that it is perfectly fine if you get it, it's perfectly fine if you go to work if you get it, because, hey, odds are YOU will be fine. I don't know how many times I have to say this. People with compromised immune systems and the elderly with underlying health issues are NOT going to be fine, at least not anywhere NEAR the rate of relatively healthy people. So making this about whether or not the 97% of people who will shrug it off are ok doesn't do fuck all for the people they end up infecting who AREN'T so lucky, because health care facilities are receiving essentially no direction and have no ability to test for it even if they were. Maybe some of us who know people with compromised immune systems can post their obituaries when they die and people will give shit then, but probably not.
Trump is making the point that people who don't even know that have it is a GOOD thing, and that is 1000% the opposite of the truth. People who don't know they have it are incubators and carriers. The US is doing, essentially, NO testing whatsoever compared to other countries. Whether it is intentional or simply incompetence is beside the point. Yeah, his "spin" on it is certainly concerning, because he is essentially telling millions of people that it is perfectly fine if you get it, it's perfectly fine if you go to work if you get it, because, hey, odds are YOU will be fine. I don't know how many times I have to say this. People with compromised immune systems and the elderly with underlying health issues are NOT going to be fine, at least not anywhere NEAR the rate of relatively healthy people. So making this about whether or not the 97% of people who will shrug it off are ok doesn't do fuck all for the people they end up infecting who AREN'T so lucky, because health care facilities are receiving essentially no direction and have no ability to test for it even if they were. Maybe some of us who know people with compromised immune systems can post their obituaries when they die and people will give shit then, but probably not.
He was saying that the 3.4% figure is much too high as a result of the virus having minimal effects on many people - and that's true. I agree that is one of the factors that allows the virus to spread more easily and that issue is not being addressed in the government response, but that wasn't the point you were making originally.
The differential effects on the elderly and vulnerable is part of the need for accurate information I was talking about. For younger people in good health, Covid-19 probably is pretty comparable to flu, but it is far more deadly for the elderly and those with other conditions and that message absolutely needs to be put out.
I'm certainly not suggesting Trump has been handling this situation well and I agree that the 'business as usual' line is particularly stupid. However, overplaying the dangers creates its own problems - I'm sure you would be concerned for instance about some of the racist attacks that have been seen in response to hyped messaging.
I suspect the WHO published their figure to try and shock countries into a greater level of response, but I don't think that overplaying the threat is any more helpful than underplaying it.
Just re-reading my post after having had a good look at the information the WHO is putting out, I was being unfair to them. They've been doing their best to provide balanced information and their general position is actually relatively upbeat about the chances of a containment strategy being successful. The 3.4% figure being highlighted was purely down to the media reporting taking a bit of information out of context to make their story more newsworthy ...
Trump is making the point that people who don't even know that have it is a GOOD thing, and that is 1000% the opposite of the truth. People who don't know they have it are incubators and carriers. The US is doing, essentially, NO testing whatsoever compared to other countries. Whether it is intentional or simply incompetence is beside the point. Yeah, his "spin" on it is certainly concerning, because he is essentially telling millions of people that it is perfectly fine if you get it, it's perfectly fine if you go to work if you get it, because, hey, odds are YOU will be fine.
This is, again, a core philosophy for people that tend to be conservative according to studies, that attitude of nothing matters until it affects me personally. It's the same old story of the anti-gay crusader who changed her mind after her kid comes out as gay, death penalty for drug addicts until they have a drug addicted relative, etc
Also, you get that 'I don't care about other people' thing from billionaires and CEO business criminal types. You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way. I
Roughly 4% to as high as 12% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, according to some expert estimates, many times more than the 1% rate found in the general population and more in line with the 15% rate found in prisons.
So what's Trump doing here? He's failing to give a damn about people. 'It doesn't affect me, I don't care'. 'I might get it but I'll probably be fine'.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
I suspect the WHO published their figure to try and shock countries into a greater level of response, but I don't think that overplaying the threat is any more helpful than underplaying it.
Just re-reading my post after having had a good look at the information the WHO is putting out, I was being unfair to them. They've been doing their best to provide balanced information and their general position is actually relatively upbeat about the chances of a containment strategy being successful. The 3.4% figure being highlighted was purely down to the media reporting taking a bit of information out of context to make their story more newsworthy ...
If a citizen were to go by the numbers on the CDC's own website, the rate would be 10%. Now CLEARLY that isn't accurate, but it just shows how woeful the response has been. Because no one knows because the supplies needed to find out aren't available to medical facilities.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
My response to pearl-clutching about Schumer after 4 years of Trump endlessly attacking the judiciary and even citizen jurors on a constant basis can be summed up as "blow me".
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
Except now you got Biden. The super-nice uncle that everyone sniggers about behind his back...
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
Except now you got Biden. The super-nice uncle that everyone sniggers about behind his back...
I think I'm more than on the record as saying that nominating Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. Then again, who the hell understands why Americans vote for who they do at this point??
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
You forgot the snakes...
I (like many people) think strictly on MERITS, no one comes to close to Warren in actually deserving the nomination. But deserves got nothing to do with it. Warren's entire reasoning for her political career is opposition to the bankruptcy bill Biden championed. So her endorsing him would be odd indeed, and that frankly would make her look.......a little craven. However, a Sanders endorsement seems just as unlikely.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
You forgot the snakes...
I (like many people) think strictly on MERITS, no one comes to close to Warren in actually deserving the nomination. But deserves got nothing to do with it. Warren's entire reasoning for her political career is opposition to the bankruptcy bill Biden championed. So her endorsing him would be odd indeed, and that frankly would make her look.......a little craven. However, a Sanders endorsement seems just as unlikely.
Yeah - I basically agree. She’ll end up endorsing the eventual winner, as doing so is expected of the candidates and she has gone on record saying she’ll support the eventual nominee.
I don’t think she’ll rush to endorse Biden due to their policy differences, and I think we all know why she probably won’t rush to endorse Sanders...
It should be stated that just because she might endorse Biden after he’s the clear winner or after the convention it doesn’t mean she isn’t progressive and doesn’t represent hypocrisy - for the same reason it won’t mean that if Bernie endorses him after the convention.
My response to pearl-clutching about Schumer after 4 years of Trump endlessly attacking the judiciary and even citizen jurors on a constant basis can be summed up as "blow me".
Democrats have been employing dirty tactics for years--decades in places like New York City and Chicago. Republicans are just better at playing the Democrats' game than Democrats were.
It is good to know that all wealthy Democrats took their money from people working for them--more proof that they are not the party of "the little guy". Rich Republicans never claimed to be the party of the little guy--we have always known that they are motivated primarily by greed.
Yes, Trump should have been censured on more than one occasion.
Sanders and Warren burned what little remained of the bridge between them. Now that she is out I don't think she cares about either candidate.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
Except now you got Biden. The super-nice uncle that everyone sniggers about behind his back...
Biden's not the super nice uncle. He's the older uncle who isn't as sharp as he used to be. But watch out Jack, he'll engage in fisticuffs faster than Clark Gable will drive a motor coach to the flap house if he gets served cold soup. Then people laugh at him behind his back I guess. Just adding context to the 'nice' part.
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
My response to pearl-clutching about Schumer after 4 years of Trump endlessly attacking the judiciary and even citizen jurors on a constant basis can be summed up as "blow me".
Schumer should be censured by the Senate--one does not threaten Supreme Court Justices.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
You forgot the snakes...
I (like many people) think strictly on MERITS, no one comes to close to Warren in actually deserving the nomination. But deserves got nothing to do with it. Warren's entire reasoning for her political career is opposition to the bankruptcy bill Biden championed. So her endorsing him would be odd indeed, and that frankly would make her look.......a little craven. However, a Sanders endorsement seems just as unlikely.
Yeah - I basically agree. She’ll end up endorsing the eventual winner, as doing so is expected of the candidates and she has gone on record saying she’ll support the eventual nominee.
I don’t think she’ll rush to endorse Biden due to their policy differences, and I think we all know why she probably won’t rush to endorse Sanders...
It should be stated that just because she might endorse Biden after he’s the clear winner or after the convention it doesn’t mean she isn’t progressive and doesn’t represent hypocrisy - for the same reason it won’t mean that if Bernie endorses him after the convention.
I'd say Bernie should attempt to court her for VP immediately and announce it post-haste but a.) I don't know if she'll take it at the moment and b.) it may seem like a desperation move (Ted Cruz tried this against Trump and it didn't work, though Carly Fiorina is not exactly Elizabeth Warren). The problem Bernie has is there are no debates between now and Tuesday, and if he loses Michigan then it's mathematically unlikely he can make up even the small delegate gap. He doesn't get Biden one on one til after 7 more states vote. That's too late.
The problem is that Bernie is absolutely crushing youth ENTHUSIASM, but not youth turnout. And I frankly feel horrible for all the young people who are deeply engaged. Because they simply don't have the numbers to make it work. You can't MAKE your apathetic peers give a shit. It's depressing. Always has been.
Comments
I don't disagree with your current assessment. That being said, Biden and Sanders will wander in to Milwaukee, no one will have a majority, the pledged delegates will vote the way they are required to, then when no one secures the nomination on the first ballot all delegates become unpledged, the superdelegates become active, and Biden wins the nomination on the second ballot. Remember that episdoe of ST:TNG where that "chess master" beat Data, then later Data changed his strategy from "win" to "don't let the opponent win"? That is Biden's strategy now--don't let Sanders have a majority, which is different than "winning". Once that happens, Biden wins in Milwaukee and that is the only election which matters (until November).
Actually, I *do* typically refer to Cruz as "Rafael". In my opinion he should drop "Ted" and use his given name instead. Will he follow my advice? *shrug* Probably not...but he should.
These types of attacks will be the norm now as we have all been desensitized by the media for years now. Mixed in with the good will always be the bad and this is why the US and Europe now are taking a strong stance at their borders. Does it always work out for the innocent? Can we see one day a world with open borders and no wars? Until that glorious day countries and humanity must protect their sovereignty and the right for cultures to live as they wish, not how some UN official wants them too.
Fear mongering tactics. If a person has a criminal record asylum will not be granted and these individuals will be sent back to their home country.
And just because a person claims asylum, it does not mean it is automatically granted. If governments actually put the proper resources into handling these cases, the turn around would be quick.
Also asylum or refugee status can be taken away if an individual starts committing crimes in the adopted country.
These people have had their passports and identity documents taken from them by the Turkish government. There is no way to properly document or vet them. This burden should not be placed on the receiving countries. Saying that these are fear mongering tactics is not accurate. Any country has the right to deny someone entry when they see certain criteria, governments also have to protect their citizens. You cannot compare what is happening right now in Europe with a normal Asylum applicant. The video shows that the person is from Afghanistan. Only Syrians are allowed into Europe right now under political asylum.
This sounds to me like their plan and that's almost definitely what's going to happen.
A wrinkle might happen if Biden shoots himself in the foot (literally or metaphorically) and if Trump gets antsy as he is wont to do and successfully meddles in the primary by announcing super serious Burisma investigation found evidence of, wait for it, wait, I'm serious this time guys, corruption! or something and that actually works.
That is what we will have for a few months now--two stubborn old men harrumphing at each other.
Again Bernie's not dead, the decks stacked but it ain't over about 50/50.
If he gets totally eliminated then yeah we can marvel as Trump and Joe Biden threaten each other in old timey language dripping with references to Gone With The Wind, fisticuffs and what have you.
It's not fear-mongering. Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to use migrants against Europe as a way to make them comply with his demands. This is a deliberate tactic to destabilize European countries as a retaliatory measure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/world/europe/turkey-refugees-Geece-erdogan.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/10/turkeys-erdogan-threatens-send-millions-refugees-europe-eu-calls/
I am not disputing what Erdogan is doing is wrong; however the numbers speak for themselves:
3.6 million. 8 billion.
That is how many Syrian refugees are currently in Turkey and how much Turkey has spent on them. They have taken the brunt of this and are pretty much in crisis mode as well. Comparison, Germany has taken in 770,000.
The EU would not of had a crisis if it wasn't for the Dublin Regulation and their slow response to revoke it and with Erdogan given the green light by Trump to start hostilities in Syria, the EU may not have a choice as many are going to flee Turkey if it itself becomes a hot spot.
This would be the time to get their act together and figure out a working solution for this, or any upcoming humanitarian crisis that may come forward. Countries such as Greece and Hungary shouldn't be taking the brunt of this, and if they are, other EU countries should be helping them out financially. The tactic of "we're sending you all the refugees" would be less of a threat if countries actually have the proper resources in place.
Say what you want about China's lying government but at least when it's time to act, they act decisively. And about 95% of the population has at least basic health insurance coverage. We have a lying government that cares more about "the economy" and keeping people working to make money for oligarchs even if those people are sick or anything else. The cash must flow.
So there you have it folks. Trump has a "hunch" it's way under 1%. Forget about the people who deal with this shit for a living, Donald Trump's gut is on the case. This is Scopes Monkey Trial-level shit. Anyone who thinks this is ok is out of their minds.
Apparently, this teeth grinding thing is either hard drugs or withdrawal from hard drugs.
Most of the information Trump gave in that clip is accurate, even if the spin he put on it is concerning. I suspect the WHO published their figure to try and shock countries into a greater level of response, but I don't think that overplaying the threat is any more helpful than underplaying it. The 3.4% represents the reported deaths as a proportion of reported cases, but you've posted before about some of the reasons why the real level of cases is certainly far higher than the reported figure in the US (cost of tests, lack of test kits, lack of lab facilities, technical failures in testing etc). Those are all important, but the point Trump was making is even more so - the disease is often mild enough that people will either ignore it or not even know they had it (China have categorized about 80% of their diagnosed cases as "mild").
Having said that, if the true death rate is 1%, that's still extremely high for what is a pretty contagious disease. Flu would typically have a death rate of something like 0.1% and still kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide (tens of thousands just in the US). It may well be the case that Covid-19 will end up as an established disease worldwide, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. Public health measures will have a major effect on outcomes in the shorter term, as will providing accurate information. In the longer term it may be that the research on anti-viral drugs and vaccines will bear fruit.
He was saying that the 3.4% figure is much too high as a result of the virus having minimal effects on many people - and that's true. I agree that is one of the factors that allows the virus to spread more easily and that issue is not being addressed in the government response, but that wasn't the point you were making originally.
The differential effects on the elderly and vulnerable is part of the need for accurate information I was talking about. For younger people in good health, Covid-19 probably is pretty comparable to flu, but it is far more deadly for the elderly and those with other conditions and that message absolutely needs to be put out.
I'm certainly not suggesting Trump has been handling this situation well and I agree that the 'business as usual' line is particularly stupid. However, overplaying the dangers creates its own problems - I'm sure you would be concerned for instance about some of the racist attacks that have been seen in response to hyped messaging.
Just re-reading my post after having had a good look at the information the WHO is putting out, I was being unfair to them. They've been doing their best to provide balanced information and their general position is actually relatively upbeat about the chances of a containment strategy being successful. The 3.4% figure being highlighted was purely down to the media reporting taking a bit of information out of context to make their story more newsworthy ...
This is, again, a core philosophy for people that tend to be conservative according to studies, that attitude of nothing matters until it affects me personally. It's the same old story of the anti-gay crusader who changed her mind after her kid comes out as gay, death penalty for drug addicts until they have a drug addicted relative, etc
Also, you get that 'I don't care about other people' thing from billionaires and CEO business criminal types. You don't get a billion dollars by being nice to people, you get it by taking advantage of others and squeezing them for everything they got. A conscience gets in the way. I
Roughly 4% to as high as 12% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, according to some expert estimates, many times more than the 1% rate found in the general population and more in line with the 15% rate found in prisons.
So what's Trump doing here? He's failing to give a damn about people. 'It doesn't affect me, I don't care'. 'I might get it but I'll probably be fine'.
edit/update: Warren is quitting, which isn't surprising--she finished third in her home State. Oh, and thumbs up to Tulsi Gabbard, who is still running because someone ripped the "Q" section out of her dictionary.
Does that apply only to billionaires or does it apply to millionaires, as well? If so, why the arbitrary cuttoff? At what threshold does someone's level of wealth go from "okay, that's fine" to "you heartless monster"?
If a citizen were to go by the numbers on the CDC's own website, the rate would be 10%. Now CLEARLY that isn't accurate, but it just shows how woeful the response has been. Because no one knows because the supplies needed to find out aren't available to medical facilities.
There is no cutoff and sure millionaires can be that way too, however to hoard that kind of wealth you don't earn that money you take it from people working for you. Yes it could apply to millionaires as well but it's most obvious in billionaires. The data backs that business criminals are psychopathic at a much higher rate than the general public.
President Trump should be censured by the Senate, one does not threaten Senators and attempt to threaten Supreme Court Justices.
Liz Warren dropping out and endorsing no one is totally on brand. Biden doesn't need her and doesn't want her and she screwed herself by stabbing bernie in the back. He's trying to play nice with her to unite the progressive side but she brought this on herself and hurt him too. He's doing this because he feels she could help him but she doesn't seem to be having it because she's apparently a fake progressive who was only holding Bernie's type of ideals when they were convenient.
Trump sets new paradigm standard for what's acceptable. Democrats play hardball and adapt his rules and tactics, immediately paradigm shifts back to what it was before Trump, right up until Trump does it again, at which point it becomes acceptable again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You wanted an end of civility, decorum, and norms. Now you have it. Spare us the double-standard bullshit. Either the game has changed or it hasn't. I'm personally not interested in playing a game with two different rulebooks for different participants, nor am I interested in having a discussion with people who said jack shit about Trump attacking judges in his own legal case and regular citizens who happened to get called to jury duty. Fuck whataboutism, fuck taking the high road. My stance is "two can play at that game if that's how we're gonna roll".
My response to pearl-clutching about Schumer after 4 years of Trump endlessly attacking the judiciary and even citizen jurors on a constant basis can be summed up as "blow me".
You forgot the snakes...
Except now you got Biden. The super-nice uncle that everyone sniggers about behind his back...
I think I'm more than on the record as saying that nominating Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. Then again, who the hell understands why Americans vote for who they do at this point??
I (like many people) think strictly on MERITS, no one comes to close to Warren in actually deserving the nomination. But deserves got nothing to do with it. Warren's entire reasoning for her political career is opposition to the bankruptcy bill Biden championed. So her endorsing him would be odd indeed, and that frankly would make her look.......a little craven. However, a Sanders endorsement seems just as unlikely.
Yeah - I basically agree. She’ll end up endorsing the eventual winner, as doing so is expected of the candidates and she has gone on record saying she’ll support the eventual nominee.
I don’t think she’ll rush to endorse Biden due to their policy differences, and I think we all know why she probably won’t rush to endorse Sanders...
It should be stated that just because she might endorse Biden after he’s the clear winner or after the convention it doesn’t mean she isn’t progressive and doesn’t represent hypocrisy - for the same reason it won’t mean that if Bernie endorses him after the convention.
Democrats have been employing dirty tactics for years--decades in places like New York City and Chicago. Republicans are just better at playing the Democrats' game than Democrats were.
It is good to know that all wealthy Democrats took their money from people working for them--more proof that they are not the party of "the little guy". Rich Republicans never claimed to be the party of the little guy--we have always known that they are motivated primarily by greed.
Yes, Trump should have been censured on more than one occasion.
Sanders and Warren burned what little remained of the bridge between them. Now that she is out I don't think she cares about either candidate.
Biden's not the super nice uncle. He's the older uncle who isn't as sharp as he used to be. But watch out Jack, he'll engage in fisticuffs faster than Clark Gable will drive a motor coach to the flap house if he gets served cold soup. Then people laugh at him behind his back I guess. Just adding context to the 'nice' part.
Nobody does fake outrage better than Republicans.
I'd say Bernie should attempt to court her for VP immediately and announce it post-haste but a.) I don't know if she'll take it at the moment and b.) it may seem like a desperation move (Ted Cruz tried this against Trump and it didn't work, though Carly Fiorina is not exactly Elizabeth Warren). The problem Bernie has is there are no debates between now and Tuesday, and if he loses Michigan then it's mathematically unlikely he can make up even the small delegate gap. He doesn't get Biden one on one til after 7 more states vote. That's too late.
The problem is that Bernie is absolutely crushing youth ENTHUSIASM, but not youth turnout. And I frankly feel horrible for all the young people who are deeply engaged. Because they simply don't have the numbers to make it work. You can't MAKE your apathetic peers give a shit. It's depressing. Always has been.