PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[JoeKitchen]

That's very very unlikely to be true.

I really looked hard and deep into this, watched hundreds of videos, read a lot about Trump.

And the only possible conclusion is that he is really an idiot with a huge ego who managed to escape upwards from his previous failures through intimidation.

Cheers,
Bernard

And Biden isn't? 

Biden cant string together two sentences; now his wife is speaking for him in campaign commercial while he just smiles and nods.  On top of that, he built his career on lying, constantly.  That is why his previous campaigns failed.

Not to mention, if we were to believe that the Blasey Ford allegation was credible (like Biden was saying), then Sleep Joe belongs in jail since Reade's allegation is significantly stronger.

There's plenty more.  Really, the Dems picked a whopper who appears to be a real Manchurian candidate being controlled by the progressives.   As chez says, twiddle dum vs twiddle dee. 

[elliot_n]

The choice is Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum.

Or Tweedle dead?

Given the circumstances, is it really sensible to elect a 70+ male as president?

[William Walker]

How does it affect you?

Alan, in a previous post about 100 pages ago I explained how "if America farts we all get the smell" - that is why in other countries America's behaviour is important.

Please read this article to understand what China is doing in places like Africa (and the rest of the world) and it's negative implications for the USA.

The Chinese are all over the place in Africa, I have seen it with my own eyes in Maputo in Mozambique and Lesotho - "shithole countries" I know. They are building roads and bridges and hotels in exchange for resources and they are raping the continent. In Angola they built a road from the north to the south with Chinese prison labour and then released them into Angola when the road was completed! That was for oil...

At a time like this the world needs leadership, and we would certainly prefer it from the West than the East. Unfortunately you guys, at this point, couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery with your current administration and you are losing valuable ground around the world.

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/28/21234598/coronavirus-china-xi-jinping-foreign-policy

[JoeKitchen]

Or Tweedle dead?

Given the circumstances, is it really sensible to elect a 70+ male anyone as president?

Probably not.  However, when I am in my mid-70s, I really hope I have the stamina of Trump or Bernie, because Biden ... well.  There was a good video contrasting him from 2012 to now, and it is quite the stark difference. 

However, this is the choice we are given.  There were plenty of young picks in the primary but for some reason they went with Sleepy Joe in a panic to stop Bernie. 

[BernardLanguillier]

As I said Bernard, he is the only leader in the world that you, without being questioned on, come on here to critique and you're not even an American.  You are obsessed with him, just face it. 

Perhaps because he is an order of magnitude worse than anybody else while governing the most powerful country in the world? And for the many detailed reasons I have already provided?

I can understand why he got elected. Mostly because many people didn’t want Hilary in office.

And that’s exactly why Biden will be elected. Because many people don’t want more of the Trump show.

Cheers,
Bernard

[JoeKitchen]

Alan, in a previous post about 100 pages ago I explained how "if America farts we all get the smell" - that is why in other countries America's behaviour is important.

Please read this article to understand what China is doing in places like Africa (and the rest of the world) and it's negative implications for the USA.

The Chinese are all over the place in Africa, I have seen it with my own eyes in Maputo in Mozambique and Lesotho - "shithole countries" I know. They are building roads and bridges and hotels in exchange for resources and they are raping the continent. In Angola they built a road from the north to the south with Chinese prison labour and then released them into Angola when the road was completed! That was for oil...

At a time like this the world needs leadership, and we would certainly prefer it from the West than the East. Unfortunately you guys, at this point, couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery with your current administration and you are losing valuable ground around the world.

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/28/21234598/coronavirus-china-xi-jinping-foreign-policy

Are you suggesting we become Imperialistic?  That is not such a great idea. 

China has been doing this for ages and no one bothered to challenge them.  It was obvious to all, but every past administration let them slide thinking they would eventually just play nice if we let them play at all.  Same thing with all other major powers; the world got complacent.  The problem though, this is not how it works; adversaries don't respect you if you appease them.  And appeasement seems to be the blinded strategy of the UN, who are thinking about appointing a Chinese leader to lead the human right abuse council.  Oh the irony of China that jails non-ethically Chinese and relocates them leading the human rights abuse council. 

Trump may be brash, but he was the one who started talking about China as a foe and he was the one with the balls to implement tariffs when no one would even say that word.  Tariffs, BTW, are the only tool you have in a situation like this, especially when past talks failed repeatably. That is, unless you want to go to war. 

So now Trump is challenging China, like you are suggesting.  Only the left in this country keeps on insisting China holds no blame for anything, nothing but a knee-jerk reaction to do the opposite of what Trump does.

Personally I'll pass on going back to the feckless Obama years where the speeches sound nice but nothing actually got done. 

[JoeKitchen]

Perhaps because he is an order of magnitude worse than anybody else while governing the most powerful country in the world? And for the many detailed reasons I have already provided?

Cheers,
Bernard

So you know you're obsessed with him.  That is a good start. 

[Alan Klein]

That's very very unlikely to be true.

I really looked hard and deep into this, watched hundreds of videos, read a lot about Trump.

And the only possible conclusion is that he is really an idiot with a huge ego who managed to escape upwards from his previous failures through intimidation.

Cheers,
Bernard

Well, that's what makes a horse race.

[elliot_n]

A third of hospitalised Covid patients die.

Similar fatality rate to Ebola.

"People need to hear this... this is an incredibly dangerous disease."


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-52466471?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5ea977ce5c8cf7066bdf942f%26Third%20of%20hospitalised%20Covid-19%20patients%20in%20UK%20have%20died%2C%20study%20finds%262020-04-29T12%3A57%3A44.650Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:b72c9f95-a816-42fb-aa44-8f2e3588921a&pinned_post_asset_id=5ea977ce5c8cf7066bdf942f&pinned_post_type=share

[William Walker]

Are you suggesting we become Imperialistic?  That is not such a great idea. 

China has been doing this for ages and no one bothered to challenge them.  It was obvious to all, but every past administration let them slide thinking they would eventually just play nice if we let them play at all.  Same thing with all other major powers; the world got complacent.  The problem though, this is not how it works; adversaries don't respect you if you appease them.  And appeasement seems to be the blinded strategy of the UN, who are thinking about appointing a Chinese leader to lead the human right abuse council.  Oh the irony of China that jails non-ethically Chinese and relocates them leading the human rights abuse council. 

Trump may be brash, but he was the one who started talking about China as a foe and he was the one with the balls to implement tariffs when no one would even say that word.  Tariffs, BTW, are the only tool you have in a situation like this, especially when past talks failed repeatably. That is, unless you want to go to war. 

So now Trump is challenging China, like you are suggesting.  Only the left in this country keeps on insisting China holds no blame for anything, nothing but a knee-jerk reaction to do the opposite of what Trump does.

Personally I'll pass on going back to the feckless Obama years where the speeches sound nice but nothing actually got done.

Jeez Joe!

You have a head so full of preconceived ideas and knee-jerk reactions that you no longer make any sense! Who said anything about "imperialism"? I'm talking about leadership and influence - are those concepts so foreign to you because you no longer know what they are?

Are you aware of how silly you sound when try to turn everything into a an "us and them" thing? The Democrats, the Chinese and anyone else who Trump has a problem with does not have to be the enemy with war or appeasement as the only two options, for crying in a bucket!

For 70 years the post war Western democracies - with America at the forefront have, to a large degree, been the most positive force (not perfect) the world has known. Your current government is allowing that to erode to it's own eventual detriment. What I posted here was evidence of that happening before your eyes and you are too blinded by some strange loyalty to defend a politician who would throw you under a bus in a heartbeat!

As for China and it's part in the current crisis, I have no doubt that, once this whole thing is over (now is not the time), there will be a reckoning of sorts where they certainly have some explaining to do.

[Alan Klein]

Alan, in a previous post about 100 pages ago I explained how "if America farts we all get the smell" - that is why in other countries America's behaviour is important.

Please read this article to understand what China is doing in places like Africa (and the rest of the world) and it's negative implications for the USA.

The Chinese are all over the place in Africa, I have seen it with my own eyes in Maputo in Mozambique and Lesotho - "shithole countries" I know. They are building roads and bridges and hotels in exchange for resources and they are raping the continent. In Angola they built a road from the north to the south with Chinese prison labour and then released them into Angola when the road was completed! That was for oil...

At a time like this the world needs leadership, and we would certainly prefer it from the West than the East. Unfortunately you guys, at this point, couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery with your current administration and you are losing valuable ground around the world.

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/28/21234598/coronavirus-china-xi-jinping-foreign-policy

Obama let China get away with murder.  He stopped American Navy cruises through the South China Sea for the last three years of his presidency.  The vacuum that created gave China the go ahead to build up those islands.  They created military installations on them. When Trump became president, he started to rebuild the Navy and sent our fleet through there again.  China is always complaining.  But countries like Australia and Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, etc who have claims on those islands appreciate what America is doing.  Trump's tariffs and trade deals with China have also helped.

I agree with you that Africa is being bought up by China.  I suspect they're  bribing the leaders who are selling their countries out to the Chinese for a song.  I don't know what you want America to do about it?  We have limited resources and Americans are not interested in getting into another war.  Africa has little interest to us other than a place where some terrorists are camped.  So we are going after them where possible with special ops forces and a missile or two.  America doesn't have the money any longer to be everywhere's.  What is South Africa and other richer African countries doing about China?  That's your backyard.  You have more to lose with China there. 

[Alan Klein]

Probably not.  However, when I am in my mid-70s, I really hope I have the stamina of Trump or Bernie, because Biden ... well.  There was a good video contrasting him from 2012 to now, and it is quite the stark difference. 

However, this is the choice we are given.  There were plenty of young picks in the primary but for some reason they went with Sleepy Joe in a panic to stop Bernie. 

Which is why the Dems want to make this about Trump.  It worked in the 2018 election for congressmen and Senators.  Trump bad.  Bad Trump.  Never mind who's running against the Republican.  That's what they're doing for 2020.  Making it a vote about Trump especially when they have such a weak candidate in Biden. 

[William Walker]

Obama let China get away with murder.  He stopped American Navy cruises through the South China Sea for the last three years of his presidency.  The vacuum that created gave China the go ahead to build up those islands.  They created military installations on them. When Trump became president, he started to rebuild the Navy and sent our fleet through there again.  China is always complaining.  But countries like Australia and Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, etc who have claims on those islands appreciate what America is doing.  Trump's tariffs and trade deals with China have also helped.

I agree with you that Africa is being bought up by China.  I suspect they're  bribing the leaders who are selling their countries out to the Chinese for a song.  I don't know what you want America to do about it?  We have limited resources and Americans are not interested in getting into another war.  Africa has little interest to us other than a place where some terrorists are camped.  So we are going after them where possible with special ops forces and a missile or two.  America doesn't have the money any longer to be everywhere's.  What is South Africa and other richer African countries doing about China?  That's your backyard.  You have more to lose with China there.

Will you and Joe just look at yourselves! You are unreal! Both of you blame Obama - first thing! Your first instinct is to lash out...come on man! You are better than that!

We don't want your money. We simply think the world would be a better place if you encouraged democracy, good governance and led by example... The USA has been extremely generous to many African nations and I sometimes worry that they might take that for granted, however, that should not deter you. The calmer the world is the better for all those who live in it.

Read the article and then tell me how America benefits from the situation!

[JoeKitchen]

A third of hospitalised Covid patients die.

Similar hospitalized fatality rate to Ebola.

"People need to hear this... this is an incredibly dangerous disease."


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-52466471?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5ea977ce5c8cf7066bdf942f%26Third%20of%20hospitalised%20Covid-19%20patients%20in%20UK%20have%20died%2C%20study%20finds%262020-04-29T12%3A57%3A44.650Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:b72c9f95-a816-42fb-aa44-8f2e3588921a&pinned_post_asset_id=5ea977ce5c8cf7066bdf942f&pinned_post_type=share

So? 

What is the percentage of Ebola victims who need to be hospitalized vs the percentage of those that catch C-19? 

We know only a small percentage of C-19 people actually need to be hospitalized.  Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't nearly all of those who catch Ebola hospitalized? 

If so, it is not really a good comparison. 

[Alan Klein]

Will you and Joe just look at yourselves! You are unreal! Both of you blame Obama - first thing! Your first instinct is to lash out...come on man! You are better than that!

We don't want your money. We simply think the world would be a better place if you encouraged democracy, good governance and led by example... The USA has been extremely generous to many African nations and I sometimes worry that they might take that for granted, however, that should not deter you. The calmer the world is the better for all those who live in it.

Read the article and then tell me how America benefits from the situation!

You're an African.  What are you doing about it?  You seem to place the responsibility on America without once mentioning what South Africa , your country should do. Africa is not a security interest to us.  We do give aid including a lot of medical aid.  However, America is not going to be a policeman for the world any longer.  We can't afford it.  If you don't want our money or troops, what do you want us to do?  What are you going to do? You fought the British.  Maybe you have to fight the Chinese. 

[faberryman]

Obama let China get away with murder.  He stopped American Navy cruises through the South China Sea for the last three years of his presidency.  The vacuum that created gave China the go ahead to build up those islands.  They created military installations on them. When Trump became president, he started to rebuild the Navy and sent our fleet through there again.  China is always complaining.  But countries like Australia and Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, etc who have claims on those islands appreciate what America is doing.  Trump's tariffs and trade deals with China have also helped.

However, America is not going to be a policeman for the world any longer.  We can't afford it.

Except when we want to, apparently.

[elliot_n]

So? 

“So what?” Jair Bolsonaro told reporters when asked about the record 474 deaths that day. “I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/so-what-bolsonaro-shrugs-off-brazil-rising-coronavirus-death-toll

[faberryman]

“So what?” Jair Bolsonaro told reporters when asked about the record 474 deaths that day. “I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/so-what-bolsonaro-shrugs-off-brazil-rising-coronavirus-death-toll

If COVID-19 isn't a problem, why are those gravediggers wearing protective suits?

[Alan Klein]

Except when we want to, apparently.

Of course when we want too.  American forces and money belong to Americans, not foreigners.  Why would you want foreigners to make decisions where we spend our money and shed our blood?  You would want some African leader tell some American mother that she should send her son to die in their country?   Unfortunately, the rest of the world has gotten too dependent on America to do what they want.  Those days are over.  Sorry.  Of course, that's why foreigners here are opposed to Trump.  They like the old days when we defended them at our costs.   We're broke.  Because of the virus, we're even more broke. 

[William Walker]

You're an African.  What are you doing about it?  You seem to place the responsibility on America without once mentioning what South Africa , your country should do. Africa is not a security interest to us.  We do give aid including a lot of medical aid.  However, America is not going to be a policeman for the world any longer.  We can't afford it.  If you don't want our money or troops, what do you want us to do?  What are you going to do? You fought the British.  Maybe you have to fight the Chinese.

Alan, you seem to be continually missing my point - do you not think it is in YOUR best interest to have the rest  (or as much) of the world "on your side"? Buying your goods, having common interests reinforced?
Friends? You know, like in 1976 when you guys asked us to fight the Cubans and the Russians in Angola?