Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[digitaldog]

Plus, someone's got to pay for my Social Security. 

Indeed. Many here are aware of your personal government payout. 
Now what about the US Gov, that can spend billions on a single aircraft carrier*, (cause we might go go war with a country), spend that on supporting Americans during a lockdown to reduce the massive spread of the Virus; the war we are currently fighting? We can print money as you like to suggest. Yeah, the deficient will go up; let's deal with that issue when we've won the actual and current war (on Covid-19). 

*Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier: Program cost: US$37.30 billion (FY2018) Unit cost: US$12.998 billion (FY2018).

[Alan Klein]

The CDC is meeting on Tuesday to determine its recommendations.

What did you think about my suggestion?  Shouldn't we vaccinate those first who don't follow the rules?  Like Trump, they won't be able to spread it once they're inoculated.

[digitaldog]

Can't we get past the election?  It's over.

You'll be the 'adult' in the room and promise not to bring up Trump and the election from now on? Just say the word. And stick to it.

[faberryman]

Can't we get past the election?  It's over.

Perhaps for everyone but Trump and the Republican party. I saw where he has invited Pennsylvania legislators to the White House this coming week to discuss the massive voter fraud that allegedly occurred.

Trump Allies Call for Nixing Certification, Picking Electors After 'Compromised' Pennsylvania Election

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-allies-call-for-nixing-certification-picking-electors-after-compromised-pennsylvania-election/ar-BB1brNbw

[digitaldog]

What did you think about my suggestion?  Shouldn't we vaccinate those first who don't follow the rules?

One massive group that needs it first, heath care professionals and first responders wear masks and don't find them, have never found them to be a political statement. We should (and I believe will) vaccinate them first.
Now, do tell us what team, their numbers, and funded by whom will go out and examine who and when a group didn't follow the rules so they are told, no matter their conditions, they should not be vaccinated? We can't even handle contact tracing but you believe we should handle people who 'don't follow the rules' and stop them from vaccination? Herd mentality indeed. 

[faberryman]

What did you think about my suggestion?  Shouldn't we vaccinate those first who don't follow the rules?  Like Trump, they won't be able to spread it once they're inoculated.

I'll wait for the CDC recommendations. I am sure they will be well thought out.

[Alan Klein]

You'll be the 'adult' in the room and promise not to bring up Trump and the election from now on? Just say the word. And stick to it.

It's not about talking about Trump.  It's about making arguments as if the election isn't over.  Most of the arguments made over the last year had to do with the election. everyone was jockeying for a political position.  Well, it's over.  He lost.  Now let's look at issues on their own.  How best to deal with them from a national and personal standpoint.  I am willing to do that.  Are you?

[faberryman]

It's not about talking about Trump.  It's about making arguments as if the election isn't over.  Most of the arguments made over the last year had to do with the election. everyone was jockeying for a political position.  Well, it's over.  He lost.  Now let's look at issues on their own.  How best to deal with them from a national and personal standpoint.  I am willing to do that.  Are you?

You haven't for the past nine months or so. I don't expect you to change now.

[Alan Klein]

You haven't for the past nine months or so. I don't expect you to change now.

I have since the election.  Maybe you haven't noticed.

[TechTalk]

China throws people in jail for not following rules.

What a shock! Then again, don't most countries do that? Which country does that most frequently?

Incarceration rate per 100,000 population

https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_population_rate per 100,000

Prison population - total

https://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total-country-rank

The answer is the United States. The U.S. incarceration rate is more than five-times greater than in China. That's partially due to harsh prison sentences for nonviolent drug possession offenders. The U.S. has chosen prison over medical treatment for drug addiction in a great many cases.

The large prison population in the U.S. is also partially due to the criminalization of mental illness. The U.S. has chosen prison over medical treatment for mental illness in a great many cases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentally_ill_people_in_United_States_jails_and_prisons

It seems there is a portion of the citizens of the U.S. that are opposed to tax dollars being used for medical treatment, but not opposed to tax payer funded prisons. Given the fact that there are also citizens in the U.S. who are only capable of black and white thinking regarding government and private enterprise solutions to problems, some prisons in the U.S. are run by corporations for profit. The for profit prison businesses naturally engage in a good deal of political spending and lobbying in order to maintain and increase business and profits. But hey, in the U.S. money and free speech are now considered synonymous and "free market enterprise" is considered the preferred solution to every need by many.

https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/capitalizing-on-mass-incarceration-u-s-growth-in-private-prisons

[faberryman]

I have since the election.  Maybe you haven't noticed.

You jumped to Trump's defense just twenty minutes ago. Just like always.

Can't we get past the election?  It's over. Trump hasn't made the rules.  Governors have.  Every rule I live under in New Jersey was mandated by NJ Governor Murphy and some modifications by local officials like my mayor. .  Every state has its own governor and mayors making the rules.  The federal government provided additional PPE resources, hospitals, and coordinated vaccine development and distribution.  The CDC came up with their protocols.  But it was left to governors to implement them as they saw fit.  Blaming Trump for the rules is silly.  He was the one who originally said he would do that.  And all the governors told him to butt out.  It's their prerogatives.

Sorry. Your credibility, such as it was, is completely shot as far as I am concerned. Others may or may not feel the same way.

Of course, you are free to hold whatever opinions you wish, and to post them here. People can agree with them or not as they see fit.

[digitaldog]

I have since the election.  Maybe you haven't noticed.

Once again, a failure to read your own writings, then write something pointing to this fact. Maybe you haven't noticed.:

Can't we get past the election?  It's over. Trump hasn't made the rules.  Governors have.  Every rule I live under in New Jersey was mandated by NJ Governor Murphy and some modifications by local officials like my mayor. .  Every state has its own governor and mayors making the rules.  The federal government provided additional PPE resources, hospitals, and coordinated vaccine development and distribution.  The CDC came up with their protocols.  But it was left to governors to implement them as they saw fit.  Blaming Trump for the rules is silly.  He was the one who originally said he would do that.  And all the governors told him to butt out.  It's their prerogatives.

[LesPalenik]

Comparing the West to Asians, especially China which has a dictatorial government, is a fruitless exercise.  China throws people in jail for not following rules. The people have been kowtowing for decades, centuries if you include the Emperors before the Communists.  Other Asian like the Thais and Vietnamese are similar.  They live in very hierarchical societies where the government has a lot of sways. Brits, Americans, Australians, Germans, can only take autocrats so long.  Then they revolt and do their thing.

Alan, if every American behaved like you (I mean wearing the mask, washing your hands and keep the distance from others), you wouldn't need a dictatorial government to keep the virus under control.

[faberryman]

After three weeks of virtual on-air silence, the liar-in-chief was at it again this morning. Just 52 days left.

Fox News' Maria Bartiromo gave Trump his first TV interview since the election. It was filled with lies

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/29/media/bartiromo-trump-interview/index.html

[digitaldog]

Well Al Gore invented the internet or some claim** without evidence and Trump did say this today and it's recorded:

"I came up with vaccines that people didn't think we'd have for five years," Trump said during his phone interview Sunday on Fox News, later adding that people would try to credit President-elect Joe Biden.

** Did Al Gore Say ‘I Invented the Internet’?
Despite decades of media mirth-making about the supposed statement, former vice president Al Gore never claimed he "invented the Internet."
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/internet-of-lies/

[chez]

So now the question is who gets the vaccine first?  I think we should give it to those who refuse to wear a mask since they're the most vulnerable.  What do you think? 

Depends what type of vaccine we are giving these idiots. If it's to make them sterile so they don't spread their genes any further...I'm all for it.

[digitaldog]

Anyone want to critique phone illustrations since every now and then, we should go back to LuLa’s roots involving photography:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-trump-golfs-as-covid-19-claims-thousands-more-american-lives-post-election

[digitaldog]

Will this guy get fired via Tweet next?

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams made clear on Sunday that mask-wearing is personal to him.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Adams cited his hospitalized mother as a reason Americans should start wearing masks to curb coronavirus case counts that have skyrocketed in recent weeks and placed a severe strain on the nation’s hospitals.
“Wearing a mask … will protect my mother and you,” Adams said to Fox News’ Brett Baier. “My mother is in the hospital right now. I want people to understand that if cases and hospitalizations continue to go up, not only will it hurt our ability to care for Covid patients, but if someone is having a baby, they may not be able to get a bed. If someone is having a heart attack or potential stroke like my mother, they may not be able to get a bed.”

[faberryman]

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams made clear on Sunday that mask-wearing is personal to him.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Adams cited his hospitalized mother as a reason Americans should start wearing masks to curb coronavirus case counts that have skyrocketed in recent weeks and placed a severe strain on the nation’s hospitals.

Better late than never I guess.

[digitaldog]

Better late than never I guess.

When someone you care about is hospitalized, bound to happen.
It's another reason Trump doesn't and playing Golf is more important to him.