MAGAThread XIX: Hambergers, Noble Prizes, & Disinfectant

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Wait, does that mean for the first time ever he actually accurately labelled fake news?

I think someone wrote it in one of the many books that have been written about this administration, but the first I heard about it was Trump denying it.

Maybe if I get on Twitter and make up some conspiracy theory about Trump, he'll make me famous too!

[No State Here]

Feel like this is relevant

Get A Load Of This Ignorant Moron Who Doesn't Follow Politics And Is Also Really Happy With His Life

[Valrifell]

Well, first of all I don't think the CDC can, exactly, do that. The law mentioned gives the CDC power to take actions to prevent the spread of disease but preventing tenet eviction doesn't immediately seem relevant to that goal. Nevertheless, it's a good outcome done by the wrong people. Take what you can get, I guess.

I am genuinely curious how much Trump knew about this decision, given that Trump isn't fond of the CDC of late.

People who are evicted from their homes are unable to isolate in their homes. They must travel to somewhere else and begin living there, thus increasing infection vectors. In a worst case scenario they end up living in a homeless camp because they have nowhere else to live, making the chance of spreading an illness even greater due to close, unsanitary conditions in such a camp.

Yeah, that does make a lot of sense. It still kind of rubs me the wrong way that it's not being executed by a agency with direct authority over housing, since mission creep can get dangerous. Still a very necessary decision in the end.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

People who are evicted from their homes are unable to isolate in their homes. They must travel to somewhere else and begin living there, thus increasing infection vectors. In a worst case scenario they end up living in a homeless camp because they have nowhere else to live, making the chance of spreading an illness even greater due to close, unsanitary conditions in such a camp.

Yeah, that does make a lot of sense. It still kind of rubs me the wrong way that it's not being executed by a agency with direct authority over housing, since mission creep can get dangerous. Still a very necessary decision in the end.

I'm not reluctant to give Trump the credit. When any branch of the Executive does something wrong, I blame him, so it's only fair.

Doing it through the CDC could be insurance against blowback from landlords (and over-$198K joint filers who aren't eligible), but I'll give Trump credit on this too: tenants are more likely to sign the contracts and send them to their landlords, if the offer seems to come from CDC rather than the White House (or HHS, CDC's parent department, or HUD). Either way, it's just a branding thing.

Trump can claim credit if it's received well, or he can partially deflect onto the CDC if it isn't.

How many days before he denounces it I wonder?

[Zurkerx]

Internal tensions and a resignation to virus' spread govern President Trump's pandemic response.

Trump has been reportedly relying on Dr. Scott Atlas, whose expertise lies in free-market health care and economic policy rather than epidemiology. Atlas has some controversial takes on how to deal with COVID, including his promotion of "herd immunity" to this:

Atlas has rejected the need for widespread community testing, arguing that the administration should focus almost exclusively on protecting and testing elderly populations while pushing for the rest of the economy to return to normal, this official said.

His inclusion seems to be a move to hope that since he is a "doctor", the conspiracy theories to downright rejection of science-based methods lend more credibility to the American People:

But while Atlas has no expertise in epidemiology or infectious disease, his presence -- and the M.D. behind his name -- is an attempt to lend more credibility to ideas that are overwhelmingly opposed by the public health community.

This has caused Fauci and Birx (who fell out of favor after she praised Nancy Pelosi) to lose influence because, well, it's exactly what the President wants to hear so, we're in safe hands apparently...

[Glorious Hong Kong]

Crossposting this to the corona thread.

Who?

This guy

Just as well you linked to him or I would never have discovered this tweet.

I get this woman's an idiot for being opposed to a lockdown and all that, but come on! Arresting her and seizing all the electronic devices in the house over a Facebook post is something I would expect to see happen in CCP-governed Hong Kong or even here in conservative Malaysia, but Australia? And all this a mere hour before she's due for an ultrasound? That is fucked up beyond belief. Absolutely horrifying to watch.

People should be allowed to organize and attend public demonstrations provided they observe social distancing, wear a mask at all times, and get tested immediately afterward whether the theme of the protest is something as trivial and ridiculous as opposing essential lockdown measures or BlAcK LiVeS MaTtEr or something as necessary as standing up to a totalitarian communist or fascist dictatorship such as the CCP, Alexander Lukashenko, or the Thai military junta and the King of Thailand. As a compromise, all protests must be held outdoors at all times. Although it seems the Australian (Victorian?) government has also effectively banned BLM protests and perhaps all other protests as well, which is also wrong. Freedom of expression should never, ever be abridged under ANY circumstances.

BLM demonstrations across the United States have not led to a significant spike in cases. There is no reason anti-lockdown protests shouldn't be given the go-ahead social distancing rules permitting.

In Malaysia, every little activity comes with a legally-sanctioned standard operating procedure (SOP) that must be adhered to at all times. If the government has not (yet) approved an SOP for a particular activity, venue, occupation, or industry, that activity remains prohibited. Why not have an SOP for socially-distanced, outdoor, public protests? This applies to both Malaysia and Australia. Better yet, why not legislate a U.S.-style Bill of Rights to prevent such abuses from occurring and enshrine it into the national constitution?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Feel like this is relevant

Get A Load Of This Ignorant Moron Who Doesn't Follow Politics And Is Also Really Happy With His Life

White privilege, an explanation.

[Andsed]

Feel like this is relevant

Get A Load Of This Ignorant Moron Who Doesn't Follow Politics And Is Also Really Happy With His Life

I do not get this article at all. Because it is clearly satire but it seems to be making fun of those following politics. Which is either some brilliant layered attack on those who do think like that, or actually trying to suggest we just ignore politics. In which case the author is privileged as fuck.

[Kowani]

Moderators have been announced.

[Ifreann]

Moderators have been announced.

No confirmation yet on whether moderators will be armed with paintball guns, but we can hope.

[Valrifell]

Moderators have been announced.

No confirmation yet on whether moderators will be armed with paintball guns, but we can hope.

Candidates are given three fair warnings, after which the audience is permitted to pelt them with the paint guns found underneath their seats.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Crossposting this to the corona thread.

This guy

Just as well you linked to him or I would never have discovered this tweet.

I get this woman's an idiot for being opposed to a lockdown and all that, but come on! Arresting her and seizing all the electronic devices in the house over a Facebook post is something I would expect to see happen in CCP-governed Hong Kong or even here in conservative Malaysia, but Australia? And all this a mere hour before she's due for an ultrasound? That is fucked up beyond belief. Absolutely horrifying to watch.

People should be allowed to organize and attend public demonstrations provided they observe social distancing, wear a mask at all times, and get tested immediately afterward whether the theme of the protest is something as trivial and ridiculous as opposing essential lockdown measures or BlAcK LiVeS MaTtEr or something as necessary as standing up to a totalitarian communist or fascist dictatorship such as the CCP, Alexander Lukashenko, or the Thai military junta and the King of Thailand. As a compromise, all protests must be held outdoors at all times. Although it seems the Australian (Victorian?) government has also effectively banned BLM protests and perhaps all other protests as well, which is also wrong. Freedom of expression should never, ever be abridged under ANY circumstances.

BLM demonstrations across the United States have not led to a significant spike in cases. There is no reason anti-lockdown protests shouldn't be given the go-ahead social distancing rules permitting.

In Malaysia, every little activity comes with a legally-sanctioned standard operating procedure (SOP) that must be adhered to at all times. If the government has not (yet) approved an SOP for a particular activity, venue, occupation, or industry, that activity remains prohibited. Why not have an SOP for socially-distanced, outdoor, public protests? This applies to both Malaysia and Australia. Better yet, why not legislate a U.S.-style Bill of Rights to prevent such abuses from occurring and enshrine it into the national constitution?

No. I do not want a "US style" Bill of Rights for Australia.

Not that it's been bad in the US: rather it has been fleshed out by two centuries of "trial and error" tested by courts at every level. Putting the exact same Bill of Rights (even minus the 2nd Amendment) into place now, in any other country but particularly in Australia, would lead to laws being struck down left and right and the most horrendous judicial battle between literalists and constructionists ... which literalists would probably win due to the lack of any construction yet.

This is using a hammer to bang in an egg, then thinking you'll hang something from the egg. The issue of whether protests should be allowed now can be tried in court under the constitution, law and precedent. Or you could just save some time and go with No.

No, you can't protest in a city that is under stage 3 lockdown. Go home and stop being a silly bugger.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

No confirmation yet on whether moderators will be armed with paintball guns, but we can hope.

Candidates are given three fair warnings, after which the audience is permitted to pelt them with the paint guns found underneath their seats.

Red on Biden for "Don't Like". Red on Trump for "Like"
Blue on Biden for "Like". Blue on Trump for "Don't Like"

The result?

[Zurkerx]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

[Farnhamia]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

[Necroghastia]

Suggestions.

I got nothing. Surprisingly Trump hasn't said anything title worthy as of late.

Mini-Stroke Mini-Golf

[Zurkerx]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

I would hope they were. Otherwise, the country's fucked.

[Cannot think of a name]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

That’s what I was thinking. Like, of course he’s on standby. It’s pretty much just that and breaking ties in the senate.

Also, how sad would it be if he really did just let slip unprompted that he had mini strokes? I mean legitimately sad, as in invoking empathy kind of sad, not the pejorative sad that he uses in tweets.

Not enough sympathy to want him to stay in power, but to be that caught up in your image that you’re trying to shrug off strokes and it’s affected you enough that you’re just blurting it out on accident.

[Farnhamia]

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

I would hope they were. Otherwise, the country's fucked.

"OMG, quick, where's Pence?"
"He was just here ... I think he said something about taking a long lunch. Let me call ... straight to voice-mail."

[Dumb Ideologies]

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

I would hope they were. Otherwise, the country's fucked.

For environmental reasons newer models of Vice-President go into hibernate mode if left idle too long.

[Cannot think of a name]

I would hope they were. Otherwise, the country's fucked.

For environmental reasons newer models of Vice-President go into hibernate mode if left idle too long.

Imagining the Windows chime coming out of Pence’s room every morning is surprisingly easy.

[Jedi Council]

Moderators have been announced.

Chris Wallace is the only one I have actually heard of

[Gravlen]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

My immediate thought was that he's saying the quiet part out loud again. He had a series of mini-strokes, but he's so defensive about it he does what Trump usually does: Attempt to get on the offensive by denying what he thought someone would expose.

[Vassenor]

Trump denies 'mini-strokes' sent him to Walter Reed.

This was a response to a book detailing how Pence was on standby while Trump made his unexpected visit last November to the facility, which we still know little about. He also said "Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!", referring to Biden likely. However, what's raising eyebrows (and mine too!) is the fact that the book doesn't even mention mini-strokes or strokes of any kind. So I have no clue why- well, I do, but I won't speculate on that.

I thought the Vice-president was on standby all the time. That's in the job description, I think.

I think in this case it means that they had the declarations written for him to take over under 25A if it became necessary. Happens whenever the President goes in for surgery.

[The Black Forrest]

I would hope they were. Otherwise, the country's fucked.

"OMG, quick, where's Pence?"
"He was just here ... I think he said something about taking a long lunch. Let me call ... straight to voice-mail."

Did a male or female call him?