Study: 250k COVID cases linked to Sturgis

[El Paso Eagle]

7 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

it isn't even so much correlating the events themselves, just the manner in which many have dismissed the severity of the pandemic and it's loss of life b/c it wasn't a dramatic, acute incident like 9/11.

we decided that the loss of 3000 lives was worth 19 years (happy birthday!) of unlimited emotional, financial and human investment...$2-7 trillion, depending on the study...7000-8000 Americans killed in action.

but 190k dead? a $1200 check and maybe some bleach. 

 

again, save the piety and read the above. especially as you go blame now 900k people around the world for their own deaths.

the entire point is that it doesn't have to be a choice between stopping/dramatically slowing covid or 75% unemployment and destitution. had/if we approach the pandemic with the same fervor and investment we do "spreading democracy" we'd be in a far better position...we're a wealthy enough nation to have legitimately paid more people to stay home and slowed mechanism of our economy like mortgages/rent/loan re-payments...propped up small business in a more meaningful way than PPP...increased testing capacity and response...and had leadership that promoted a shared idea of sacrifice similar to what is preached in time of war. 

instead we get months of denial, refusals to do even the smallest of inconveniences and continued efforts to denigrate and I guess blame the dead, all wrapped in a this-is-just-about-trump flavored tortilla. 

I disagree with you on most things, and that's OK. But to be using 9/11, especially at this time, is bottom of the barrel shameful.

[97and03]

7 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

I give up. You win. I’m tired of arguing personal responsibility and probability because it gets nowhere. 

But one last point, if China(the epicenter) had the same infection rate as the US, they would’ve had 28 million cases of Covid with 840k deaths. They only reported 86k cases and 4600 deaths. If we applied those rates to the US, we would’ve only had 20k cases and 1k deaths. It doesn’t make sense that the place where it all originated has some of the lowest infection and death rates in the world. Ad isn’t it strange that the country that has benefitted most from this virus is the same country it originated in? The country with the absurdly low infection rates. The country that allegedly locked down domestic travel but contributed to allow international travel.

 

I think you don’t understand what they did in China to bring it under control in China. They shut down Wuhan completely. 11 million people. No one in or out and the whole city in lockdown. Not our “restaurants are closed” lockdown but communist dictatorship lockdown. I would argue it was obviously a little late to contain the spread but it did end the virus locally eventually. 
I do not trust their numbers at all, especially since it was likely a few weeks before they really understood what they were facing and then they concentrated on stopping doctors from reporting it (you know to not cause panic and keep society calm). 
So if we had taken similar measures maybe it would have been similar here but that was never an option in the United States. But we could have prepared better and tested and quarantined all international arrivals (they did that here for several months) and it would have greatly restricted the spread. 
But countries that successfully contained the virus generally did so with measures that were either authoritarian (PRC, Vietnam, Singapore) or had full citizen buy-in (New Zealand as the top example). Again neither would have worked here very well because of our individualism and divided society. We could have, however, benefited from better preparation and clear messages from our leadership at all levels.

[UNTLifer]

On 9/8/2020 at 9:01 PM, Censored by Laurie said:

for 190,000 Americans, 900,000 people worldwide it was a lot worse than mono or strep. they had a different "personal experience". 

so maybe your colloquial evidence isn't really a great standard?  

Maybe supporting a thread that is based on a "study" utilizing cellphone data to, at best, guestimate cases isn't really a great standard either.

[KRAM1]

11 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

 

2977 people died on 9/11 and we've used those lives to justify 20 years of war and more lives lost. 

6% of 190K is still 11,400 people and it's just shrug shoulder emoji. 

save your piety. 

And, your response to the 9/11 attack would have been?

[greenminer]

We can compare the emotional and psychological reactions of each event without dishonoring the fallen.

I didn’t have a specific person or group to blame, but i saw a biological threat.  I wondered if it was possible for the American people to unite so strongly and act together to be rid of this threat.

Well that didn’t happen. And now we see some trying to normalize an exponential amount of death.

Edited September 11, 2020 by greenminer

[Censored by Laurie]

2 minutes ago, KRAM1 said:

And, your response to the 9/11 attack would have been?

watching youtube videos on CGI?

contemplating how jet fuel can't melt steel beams?

cashing in on the stocks I shorted on 9/10? 

[Censored by Laurie]

5 minutes ago, greenminer said:

We can compare the emotional and psychological reactions of each event without dishonoring the fallen.

I personally felt similarly charged in March as I did the week of 9/11. I didn’t have a specific person or group to blame, but i saw a biological threat.  I wondered if it was possible for the American people to unite so strongly and act together to be rid of this threat.

Well that didn’t happen. And now we see some trying to normalize an exponential amount of death.

that takes the capacity for non-binary thought...an ability clearly lacking here. 

[KRAM1]

2 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

watching youtube videos on CGI?

contemplating how jet fuel can't melt steel beams?

cashing in on the stocks I shorted on 9/10? 

As expected...no answer. Carry on. You may be the only person I have ever seen that mocks the 9/11 attacks. 

[Cr1028]

12 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

again, save the piety and read the above. especially as you go blame now 900k people around the world for their own deaths.

the entire point is that it doesn't have to be a choice between stopping/dramatically slowing covid or 75% unemployment and destitution. had/if we approach the pandemic with the same fervor and investment we do "spreading democracy" we'd be in a far better position...we're a wealthy enough nation to have legitimately paid more people to stay home and slowed mechanism of our economy like mortgages/rent/loan re-payments...propped up small business in a more meaningful way than PPP...increased testing capacity and response...and had leadership that promoted a shared idea of sacrifice similar to what is preached in time of war. 

instead we get months of denial, refusals to do even the smallest of inconveniences and continued efforts to denigrate and I guess blame the dead, all wrapped in a this-is-just-about-trump flavored tortilla. 

Let me be clear about two things. One, I do not blame every Covid death on the person dying of Covid. The instances like the New York nursing homes and the Detroit bus driver. They had no chance, they had no warning or adequate knowledge of how to be protected. However, today, just about everyone knows the risks, how to reduce them and should be allowed to conduct themselves according to the level of risk they are comfortable with.

Two, don’t get it twisted. I am not pro-war. I’m not pro-nation-building. I’m more of the Ron Paul opinion that we shouldn’t be the world’s police. I never really understood the point of the two wars except to get Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. They’ve both been dead for years so we shouldn’t moved on years ago.
 

As far as the shared sacrifice in wartime, I haven’t experienced what you are referring to. Are you talking about world war 2? Because I was In my early 20s when the towers got hit and nobody asked me to share in any sacrifice. I remember the armed forces tables set up in high school during my time there in the late 90s but nobody called or came to my house asking me to sacrifice anything. I did know guys who went over there and ended up sacrificing a lot but they did that of their own free will. We have an all volunteer military and that was the field they chose to enter.

[Cr1028]

16 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

I think you don’t understand what they did in China to bring it under control in China. They shut down Wuhan completely. 11 million people. No one in or out and the whole city in lockdown. Not our “restaurants are closed” lockdown but communist dictatorship lockdown. I would argue it was obviously a little late to contain the spread but it did end the virus locally eventually. 
I do not trust their numbers at all, especially since it was likely a few weeks before they really understood what they were facing and then they concentrated on stopping doctors from reporting it (you know to not cause panic and keep society calm). 
So if we had taken similar measures maybe it would have been similar here but that was never an option in the United States. But we could have prepared better and tested and quarantined all international arrivals (they did that here for several months) and it would have greatly restricted the spread. 
But countries that successfully contained the virus generally did so with measures that were either authoritarian (PRC, Vietnam, Singapore) or had full citizen buy-in (New Zealand as the top example). Again neither would have worked here very well because of our individualism and divided society. We could have, however, benefited from better preparation and clear messages from our leadership at all levels.

A shockingly reasonable post. Thanks.

[Cr1028]

12 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

watching youtube videos on CGI?

contemplating how jet fuel can't melt steel beams?

cashing in on the stocks I shorted on 9/10? 

Please tell me you are just trolling.

[97and03]

1 minute ago, Cr1028 said:

A shockingly reasonable post. Thanks.

I have tried to provide objective information as much as I can. I have admittedly, however, gotten frustrated at times and resorted to sole name calling. It happens.

[Cr1028]

2 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

I have tried to provide objective information as much as I can. I have admittedly, however, gotten frustrated at times and resorted to sole name calling. It happens.

I’m with you man. It can get heated at times. I appreciate the discourse.

[Censored by Laurie]

24 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

Please tell me you are just trolling.

obviously...but also pointedly. there are people who believe those things I posted...the same way there are people who believe covid is a political hit job perpetrated by the Chinese and spread by 5G towers. 

[Censored by Laurie]

41 minutes ago, KRAM1 said:

As expected...no answer. Carry on. You may be the only person I have ever seen that mocks the 9/11 attacks. 

you're free to read that response as mocking 9/11 rather than mocking your really provocative question of what would a college freshman have done if leader of the free world in wartime. 

greenminer put it better than I can: "We can compare the emotional and psychological reactions of each event without dishonoring the fallen." to point out the massive gulf and disparity in response to two significant events and loss of lives is hardly denigrating to either. 

[Cr1028]

27 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

obviously...but also pointedly. there are people who believe those things I posted...the same way there are people who believe covid is a political hit job perpetrated by the Chinese and spread by 5G towers. 

Haha, you make a fair point there.

I wouldn’t count myself amongst the political hit job or 5G folks but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t suspect that China had done their best to manipulate this into a positive situation for themselves.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, KRAM1 said:

As expected...no answer. Carry on. You may be the only person I have ever seen that mocks the 9/11 attacks. 

Any endeavor to be better, in this case learn and be a better citizen/American, needs historical study.

We should be able to look at how we reacted to these historical moments: 9/11, Pearl Harbor, pandemics, etc, and say:

- This is what we did right
- This is what we can do better

...But for some reason, for some people, when we try to study and compare, asking that 2nd question comes across as disparaging the fallen or dishonoring the military.  It's frustrating.   No one has teased or mocked 9/11 here.  @Censored by Laurie's snark is not helpful, I get it, but he is not trying to dishonor the fallen.

A better, more appropriate question might be: why can't we get as emotionally charged for a biological threat  that costs exponentially more lives, as we did against a terrorist threat?  Why does having someone or some group to blame make us more emotionally unified, but a virus that is exponentially more deadly does not?

There is a ton to unpack here.  I like to listen to Noam Chomsky sometimes, and he is pretty ruthless when it comes to our military endeavors - both against the Right and Left.  The military role we play on a global level is astronomical in size, terrorist by definition (according to Noam) and can be rooted going (at least) back to WWII.  Why did we adopt this role of global police force? Why do threats against democracy charge us, but threats against human lives - that lack political motivation - divide us?

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by greenminer

[KRAM1]

57 minutes ago, greenminer said:

.@Censored by Laurie's snark is not helpful

 

It IS that very “snark” as you call it (I call it mocking”) to which I was referring. Call it what you wish...I call it most disrespectful. 

[TheTastyGreek]

HANDLING 9/11: THE COVID RESPONSE PLAN

First, I'd pretend it's not even really a problem. It's four planes today, and within a few days that four planes is going to be down to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done! 

If people want to nitpick over loss of life, well... We need to wait and see how many of them actually died OF the terrorist attack, not just AFTER it. How many dead? And how many of those actually died when a plane hit a building? Because a lot of those people died from fire and smoke. Buildings burn down all the time, and we don't blame it on terrorism. Some of them may have been lifelong smokers, so how much of that is even to blame? How many died when the buildings collapsed? That's GRAVITY, not terrorism. 

The important thing is: we DO NOT shut down air travel. Not at all. We're not going to let any economic harm come because of this. People know what the risks are: If you don't want to die in a terrorist suicide plane attack, stay off the planes. If you don't want to die WITH a terrorist attack on a building (not OF a terrorist attack on a building, because that is a critical distinction we must never ever ever lose sight of), stay out of buildings. You can stay home if you want. But businesses are open, period. If you want to live in fear, that's your choice. The rest of us red blooded Americans are going business as usual, thank you very much. 

If anyone wants to complain about how I'm handling things... They're just partisan jerks, brainwashed by the media, suffering from Tasty Derangement Syndrome. It's not MY fault those planes crashed. Those guys were from Saudi Arabia! That's why we call it the "Saudi Arabian Plane Crash". This is their fault, really, and none of the choices and decisions I made in the aftermath are really to blame. If Saudi Arabia could manage their own people, their own aspiring pilots, this would never have happened. It's the SAUDI ARABIAN PLANE CRASH, not "Islamic Terrorism". Anyone who calls it "Islamic Terrorism" is a pawn of the media, head in the sand, idiot. 

And frankly, the more I hear about this Osama Bin Laden guy... Gotta respect how he runs his organization. No criticism, no second guessing... When he says go, people go. When he says jump, his people immediately say "into which airplane, and what building should I crash it into?" That's leadership. Hell of a lot better than the way we run things over here. What we need to do is arrange a summit. Talk to this Osama guy. Work out a trade deal. Figure out a peace solution. Not one where he has to surrender any weapons or in any way stop the imminent threat he poses to Americans... Just something where we can snap some photos, shake some hands, and show people I'm on top of this whole Osama Bin Laden situation. 

Back at home... We're not shutting down airports. Not for a week, not for a day. Keep them open, keep them working. That's my federal guideline. And if some governor or administrative flunky at an airport wants to try and shut one down on their own for a few weeks to try and calm the situation? Well, strap on your long guns, camo pants, and hawaiian shirts, gang. LIBERATE DFW AIRPORT! LIBERATE LAGUARDIA! LIBERATE LAX! Get out there and show them we mean business, and the best of the American people won't be treaded on. If people want to fly, let them fly. Let the brave live their lives, let the cowards quiver in their houses. Hopefully, one-story houses. 

Back in New York, they've got a disaster and a medical crisis... But that's their problem. They want donated blood? They want medical supplies? From the federal stockpile? No way. Your problem is YOUR problem. Maybe the mayor shouldn't have said mean things about me. Maybe the governor shouldn't have criticized how I'm handling the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash. In fact, if they're so sure this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash situation is a potential ongoing crisis... Maybe we ought to commandeer and reallocate some of the blood and medical supplies they've already arranged for on their own. That's just smart long-term planning, frankly. Incoherent thoughts and upside down prayers with YOUR problems, New York. Not MY problems. Not America's problems. YOU figure it out. Maybe I'll send a boat up there in a month or two. But you can't put anyone injured in the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash on it. 

If planes keep getting hijacked and crashed? Well, none of this would have started in the first place if Saudi Arabia could handle their internal problems. And really, it's not like planes don't crash for other reasons. We need to wait a year or two, see if there's any statistically significant increase over plane crashes and fatalities compared to most years. Because what does it matter if someone hijacked and crashed the plane, or if the engine fell off and it crashed on its own? Because that sort of stuff does happen, you know. Am I supposed to magically stop mechanical failures, pilot error, bad weather too? NO. That's ridiculous. We keep flying airplanes despite all those threats, why would we stop now just because of this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash stuff? 

And as for the people in the buildings that actually did die because of the crash, and not smoke, fire, gravity, jumping out the window, or who knows what else? Some of them were probably old. Some of them may have had diabetes or heart disease or cancer or who knows what other health problems. And for anyone who was otherwise young and healthy, however vanishingly small we can convince ourselves that number was? Well... Suckers and losers, I'd say. We say they're heroes... They're not heroes. They were heroes because they got hit by a plane? I like people who WEREN'T hit by a plane. 

Now, the airports are staying open. That's a given. And any new security measures are going to be 100% voluntary. You want to scan me? You want to search my bag? NO WAY. I'm an American, and that is a violation of my civil liberties. Mildly inconvenience me just to possibly limit the potentially fatal risk to OTHER PEOPLE? That's not what Ben Franklin fought and died for. No way. You want your head x-rayed and your nuts grabbed by some stranger? Your business, chump. I'm strolling through unencumbered. So is any other freedom loving American. 

And if anyone wants to complain? If anyone wants to say it isn't working? It's all just a bunch of crap, anyway. Everyone is going to magically stop worrying about Saudi Arabian Plane Crash after November of 2004. You'll see. 

And that's how you do it. 

Now, I suspect that more than half of you are going to think this is an outrageous, irresponsible, reckless imitation of a "plan", and that I'm insane or just flat out oblivious to reality and the risk to Americans for going with it. To you, I say: You don't matter. Socialists. 

For the rest of you that appreciate bold, decisive, unorthodox leadership? I have some branded merchandise you can buy to stick it to those other idiots. Hats are $20, Flags are $50. Cash, check, or credit. 

[Censored by Laurie]

25 minutes ago, KRAM1 said:

It IS that very “snark” as you call it (I call it mocking”) to which I was referring. Call it what you wish...I call it most disrespectful. 

hmm...maybe that’s on me and the way I’m communicating.

 

perhaps if I used racist memes to express my views it’d be more to your level?

[KRAM1]

49 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

hmm...maybe that’s on me and the way I’m communicating.

 

perhaps if I used racist memes to express my views it’d be more to your level?

You just can’t help your little woke self can you? The mark of true wokeness...when you have nothing to say ... pull out the racist card. I’ll just consider the source of this ... first you mock the victims of 9/11 (oh, sorry you “snark” the victims of 9/11) and then pull out the racist card. Is there no level you won’t descend to prove your wokeness? 

[Cr1028]

2 hours ago, greenminer said:

A better, more appropriate question might be: why can't we get as emotionally charged for a biological threat  that costs exponentially more lives, as we did against a terrorist threat?  Why does having someone or some group to blame make us more emotionally unified, but a virus that is exponentially more deadly does not?

There is a ton to unpack here.  I like to listen to Noam Chomsky sometimes, and he is pretty ruthless when it comes to our military endeavors - both against the Right and Left.  The military role we play on a global level is astronomical in size, terrorist by definition (according to Noam) and can be rooted going (at least) back to WWII.  Why did we adopt this role of global police force? Why do threats against democracy charge us, but threats against human lives - that lack political motivation - divide us?

What if it was both a biological and terroristic threat? Riddle me that. I mean think about it. What if this is a new way to have biological warfare while having it appear as just the natural spread of an uncommon virus. What if you sent asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers to strategic parts of the country or world while nobody would be able to pinpoint them as carriers of the virus. I know it may seem far fetched but it would be a relatively easy way to harm other nations while not actually invading them with military forces or economic sanctions.

As far as global police force, I don’t know why it happened but I wish we could undo it. Those monies could be better spent fortifying defenses closer to home, mental health services, and caring for destitute Americans.

Where we differ on the virus is the risk involved. We all take measured risks in our daily lives, some take greater risks than others. For this disease, which I see as having about a 1 in 400 chance of killing an average American, the risk is not great enough for me to lockdown my life. I certainly don’t see why we decided that bars needed to be shut down but changing your TABC license from bar to restaurant and requiring food purchases with your adult beverages make you less risky than how you were a few months ago when food wasn’t required. It all seems arbitrary.

Now, if this had a fatality rate of 50% like Ebola, you’re damn right I’d be locked in my house living off Ramen, canned and frozen foods, and MREs.

[El Paso Eagle]

4 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

that takes the capacity for non-binary thought...an ability clearly lacking here. 

Wow, your on a roll. Does being such an ass make you feel better?

[97and03]

2 hours ago, TheTastyGreek said:

HANDLING 9/11: THE COVID RESPONSE PLAN

First, I'd pretend it's not even really a problem. It's four planes today, and within a few days that four planes is going to be down to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done! 

If people want to nitpick over loss of life, well... We need to wait and see how many of them actually died OF the terrorist attack, not just AFTER it. How many dead? And how many of those actually died when a plane hit a building? Because a lot of those people died from fire and smoke. Buildings burn down all the time, and we don't blame it on terrorism. Some of them may have been lifelong smokers, so how much of that is even to blame? How many died when the buildings collapsed? That's GRAVITY, not terrorism. 

The important thing is: we DO NOT shut down air travel. Not at all. We're not going to let any economic harm come because of this. People know what the risks are: If you don't want to die in a terrorist suicide plane attack, stay off the planes. If you don't want to die WITH a terrorist attack on a building (not OF a terrorist attack on a building, because that is a critical distinction we must never ever ever lose sight of), stay out of buildings. You can stay home if you want. But businesses are open, period. If you want to live in fear, that's your choice. The rest of us red blooded Americans are going business as usual, thank you very much. 

If anyone wants to complain about how I'm handling things... They're just partisan jerks, brainwashed by the media, suffering from Tasty Derangement Syndrome. It's not MY fault those planes crashed. Those guys were from Saudi Arabia! That's why we call it the "Saudi Arabian Plane Crash". This is their fault, really, and none of the choices and decisions I made in the aftermath are really to blame. If Saudi Arabia could manage their own people, their own aspiring pilots, this would never have happened. It's the SAUDI ARABIAN PLANE CRASH, not "Islamic Terrorism". Anyone who calls it "Islamic Terrorism" is a pawn of the media, head in the sand, idiot. 

And frankly, the more I hear about this Osama Bin Laden guy... Gotta respect how he runs his organization. No criticism, no second guessing... When he says go, people go. When he says jump, his people immediately say "into which airplane, and what building should I crash it into?" That's leadership. Hell of a lot better than the way we run things over here. What we need to do is arrange a summit. Talk to this Osama guy. Work out a trade deal. Figure out a peace solution. Not one where he has to surrender any weapons or in any way stop the imminent threat he poses to Americans... Just something where we can snap some photos, shake some hands, and show people I'm on top of this whole Osama Bin Laden situation. 

Back at home... We're not shutting down airports. Not for a week, not for a day. Keep them open, keep them working. That's my federal guideline. And if some governor or administrative flunky at an airport wants to try and shut one down on their own for a few weeks to try and calm the situation? Well, strap on your long guns, camo pants, and hawaiian shirts, gang. LIBERATE DFW AIRPORT! LIBERATE LAGUARDIA! LIBERATE LAX! Get out there and show them we mean business, and the best of the American people won't be treaded on. If people want to fly, let them fly. Let the brave live their lives, let the cowards quiver in their houses. Hopefully, one-story houses. 

Back in New York, they've got a disaster and a medical crisis... But that's their problem. They want donated blood? They want medical supplies? From the federal stockpile? No way. Your problem is YOUR problem. Maybe the mayor shouldn't have said mean things about me. Maybe the governor shouldn't have criticized how I'm handling the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash. In fact, if they're so sure this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash situation is a potential ongoing crisis... Maybe we ought to commandeer and reallocate some of the blood and medical supplies they've already arranged for on their own. That's just smart long-term planning, frankly. Incoherent thoughts and upside down prayers with YOUR problems, New York. Not MY problems. Not America's problems. YOU figure it out. Maybe I'll send a boat up there in a month or two. But you can't put anyone injured in the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash on it. 

If planes keep getting hijacked and crashed? Well, none of this would have started in the first place if Saudi Arabia could handle their internal problems. And really, it's not like planes don't crash for other reasons. We need to wait a year or two, see if there's any statistically significant increase over plane crashes and fatalities compared to most years. Because what does it matter if someone hijacked and crashed the plane, or if the engine fell off and it crashed on its own? Because that sort of stuff does happen, you know. Am I supposed to magically stop mechanical failures, pilot error, bad weather too? NO. That's ridiculous. We keep flying airplanes despite all those threats, why would we stop now just because of this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash stuff? 

And as for the people in the buildings that actually did die because of the crash, and not smoke, fire, gravity, jumping out the window, or who knows what else? Some of them were probably old. Some of them may have had diabetes or heart disease or cancer or who knows what other health problems. And for anyone who was otherwise young and healthy, however vanishingly small we can convince ourselves that number was? Well... Suckers and losers, I'd say. We say they're heroes... They're not heroes. They were heroes because they got hit by a plane? I like people who WEREN'T hit by a plane. 

Now, the airports are staying open. That's a given. And any new security measures are going to be 100% voluntary. You want to scan me? You want to search my bag? NO WAY. I'm an American, and that is a violation of my civil liberties. Mildly inconvenience me just to possibly limit the potentially fatal risk to OTHER PEOPLE? That's not what Ben Franklin fought and died for. No way. You want your head x-rayed and your nuts grabbed by some stranger? Your business, chump. I'm strolling through unencumbered. So is any other freedom loving American. 

And if anyone wants to complain? If anyone wants to say it isn't working? It's all just a bunch of crap, anyway. Everyone is going to magically stop worrying about Saudi Arabian Plane Crash after November of 2004. You'll see. 

And that's how you do it. 

Now, I suspect that more than half of you are going to think this is an outrageous, irresponsible, reckless imitation of a "plan", and that I'm insane or just flat out oblivious to reality and the risk to Americans for going with it. To you, I say: You don't matter. Socialists. 

For the rest of you that appreciate bold, decisive, unorthodox leadership? I have some branded merchandise you can buy to stick it to those other idiots. Hats are $20, Flags are $50. Cash, check, or credit. 

[Cr1028]

3 hours ago, TheTastyGreek said:

HANDLING 9/11: THE COVID RESPONSE PLAN

First, I'd pretend it's not even really a problem. It's four planes today, and within a few days that four planes is going to be down to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done! 

If people want to nitpick over loss of life, well... We need to wait and see how many of them actually died OF the terrorist attack, not just AFTER it. How many dead? And how many of those actually died when a plane hit a building? Because a lot of those people died from fire and smoke. Buildings burn down all the time, and we don't blame it on terrorism. Some of them may have been lifelong smokers, so how much of that is even to blame? How many died when the buildings collapsed? That's GRAVITY, not terrorism. 

The important thing is: we DO NOT shut down air travel. Not at all. We're not going to let any economic harm come because of this. People know what the risks are: If you don't want to die in a terrorist suicide plane attack, stay off the planes. If you don't want to die WITH a terrorist attack on a building (not OF a terrorist attack on a building, because that is a critical distinction we must never ever ever lose sight of), stay out of buildings. You can stay home if you want. But businesses are open, period. If you want to live in fear, that's your choice. The rest of us red blooded Americans are going business as usual, thank you very much. 

If anyone wants to complain about how I'm handling things... They're just partisan jerks, brainwashed by the media, suffering from Tasty Derangement Syndrome. It's not MY fault those planes crashed. Those guys were from Saudi Arabia! That's why we call it the "Saudi Arabian Plane Crash". This is their fault, really, and none of the choices and decisions I made in the aftermath are really to blame. If Saudi Arabia could manage their own people, their own aspiring pilots, this would never have happened. It's the SAUDI ARABIAN PLANE CRASH, not "Islamic Terrorism". Anyone who calls it "Islamic Terrorism" is a pawn of the media, head in the sand, idiot. 

And frankly, the more I hear about this Osama Bin Laden guy... Gotta respect how he runs his organization. No criticism, no second guessing... When he says go, people go. When he says jump, his people immediately say "into which airplane, and what building should I crash it into?" That's leadership. Hell of a lot better than the way we run things over here. What we need to do is arrange a summit. Talk to this Osama guy. Work out a trade deal. Figure out a peace solution. Not one where he has to surrender any weapons or in any way stop the imminent threat he poses to Americans... Just something where we can snap some photos, shake some hands, and show people I'm on top of this whole Osama Bin Laden situation. 

Back at home... We're not shutting down airports. Not for a week, not for a day. Keep them open, keep them working. That's my federal guideline. And if some governor or administrative flunky at an airport wants to try and shut one down on their own for a few weeks to try and calm the situation? Well, strap on your long guns, camo pants, and hawaiian shirts, gang. LIBERATE DFW AIRPORT! LIBERATE LAGUARDIA! LIBERATE LAX! Get out there and show them we mean business, and the best of the American people won't be treaded on. If people want to fly, let them fly. Let the brave live their lives, let the cowards quiver in their houses. Hopefully, one-story houses. 

Back in New York, they've got a disaster and a medical crisis... But that's their problem. They want donated blood? They want medical supplies? From the federal stockpile? No way. Your problem is YOUR problem. Maybe the mayor shouldn't have said mean things about me. Maybe the governor shouldn't have criticized how I'm handling the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash. In fact, if they're so sure this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash situation is a potential ongoing crisis... Maybe we ought to commandeer and reallocate some of the blood and medical supplies they've already arranged for on their own. That's just smart long-term planning, frankly. Incoherent thoughts and upside down prayers with YOUR problems, New York. Not MY problems. Not America's problems. YOU figure it out. Maybe I'll send a boat up there in a month or two. But you can't put anyone injured in the Saudi Arabian Plane Crash on it. 

If planes keep getting hijacked and crashed? Well, none of this would have started in the first place if Saudi Arabia could handle their internal problems. And really, it's not like planes don't crash for other reasons. We need to wait a year or two, see if there's any statistically significant increase over plane crashes and fatalities compared to most years. Because what does it matter if someone hijacked and crashed the plane, or if the engine fell off and it crashed on its own? Because that sort of stuff does happen, you know. Am I supposed to magically stop mechanical failures, pilot error, bad weather too? NO. That's ridiculous. We keep flying airplanes despite all those threats, why would we stop now just because of this Saudi Arabian Plane Crash stuff? 

And as for the people in the buildings that actually did die because of the crash, and not smoke, fire, gravity, jumping out the window, or who knows what else? Some of them were probably old. Some of them may have had diabetes or heart disease or cancer or who knows what other health problems. And for anyone who was otherwise young and healthy, however vanishingly small we can convince ourselves that number was? Well... Suckers and losers, I'd say. We say they're heroes... They're not heroes. They were heroes because they got hit by a plane? I like people who WEREN'T hit by a plane. 

Now, the airports are staying open. That's a given. And any new security measures are going to be 100% voluntary. You want to scan me? You want to search my bag? NO WAY. I'm an American, and that is a violation of my civil liberties. Mildly inconvenience me just to possibly limit the potentially fatal risk to OTHER PEOPLE? That's not what Ben Franklin fought and died for. No way. You want your head x-rayed and your nuts grabbed by some stranger? Your business, chump. I'm strolling through unencumbered. So is any other freedom loving American. 

And if anyone wants to complain? If anyone wants to say it isn't working? It's all just a bunch of crap, anyway. Everyone is going to magically stop worrying about Saudi Arabian Plane Crash after November of 2004. You'll see. 

And that's how you do it. 

Now, I suspect that more than half of you are going to think this is an outrageous, irresponsible, reckless imitation of a "plan", and that I'm insane or just flat out oblivious to reality and the risk to Americans for going with it. To you, I say: You don't matter. Socialists. 

For the rest of you that appreciate bold, decisive, unorthodox leadership? I have some branded merchandise you can buy to stick it to those other idiots. Hats are $20, Flags are $50. Cash, check, or credit. 
 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Cr1028