MAGAThread XX: A Journal of the Plague Year

[Valrifell]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

What? Donald Trump using his authority to be petty, childish, and silence dissenters within his administration? That's so uncharacteristic of him!

[Jerzylvania]

I firmly agree. I still think even without Covid Trump is a dangerous idiot who should never have been put in the most powerful seat in the world, but I can't deny he was going to win without Covid, and would have bodied Biden utterly had Covid happened and he responded competently.

The problem is that Donald Trump was never going to respond to COVID competently, if he did he would basically be an entirely different president than what we've grown accustomed to over the past three years.

I feel that is an accurate assessment, but the key word is was.

Hindsight is 20/20 (no pun intended). A pandemic of this magnitude is a rare event which thereby limits any advance political predictability, even with Trump. This aspect has made the entire event even more frightening in retrospect.

[Jerzylvania]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

Fraudulent election claims, serial firings, ill advised troop reductions, searches for attack options on Iran. He's a madman. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, its time to 25th him out.

[Farnhamia]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

Fraudulent election claims, serial firings, ill advised troop reductions, searches for attack options on Iran. He's a madman. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, its time to 25th him out.

The Senate has no power here. Section 4 of the amendment reads, "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President."

Like Mike Pence and the collection of grifters and sycophants Trump calls his Cabinet are going to do that.

[Jerzylvania]

Fraudulent election claims, serial firings, ill advised troop reductions, searches for attack options on Iran. He's a madman. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, its time to 25th him out.

The Senate has no power here. Section 4 of the amendment reads, "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President."

Like Mike Pence and the collection of grifters and sycophants Trump calls his Cabinet are going to do that.

This isn't news to me. Please.

What we need is some leadership right now on the GOP side. Pence does not offer leadership skills. McConnell could make his argument and be heard out by Pence and the cabinet.

[Farnhamia]

The Senate has no power here. Section 4 of the amendment reads, "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President."

Like Mike Pence and the collection of grifters and sycophants Trump calls his Cabinet are going to do that.

This isn't news to me. Please.

What we need is some leadership right now on the GOP side. Pence does not offer leadership skills. McConnell could make his argument and be heard out by Pence and the cabinet.

Dude, seriously?

[Neanderthaland]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

I'm shocked. Shocked!

[Jerzylvania]

This isn't news to me. Please.

What we need is some leadership right now on the GOP side. Pence does not offer leadership skills. McConnell could make his argument and be heard out by Pence and the cabinet.

Dude, seriously?

Barry Goldwater wasn't in position to take out Nixon either, but he went to the plate. Do you see anybody else with the clout of McConnel? Getting serious is what this is about. It can eventually reach a point of dead seriousness. Why wait until then? McConnell should start making some noises, even if it's only in private. And maybe, just maybe he already has begun. I sure as Hell hope anyway.

[Farnhamia]

Dude, seriously?

Barry Goldwater wasn't in position to take out Nixon either, but he went to the plate. Do you see anybody else with the clout of McConnel? Getting serious is what this is about. It can eventually reach a point of dead seriousness. Why wait until then? McConnell should start making some noises, even if it's only in private. And maybe, just maybe he already has begun. I sure as Hell hope anyway.

In Goldwater's day you could say "liberal Republican" without people laughing at you. Thanks to Reagan and Newt - and Goldwater, too, really - that ain't true anymore.

[Jerzylvania]

Barry Goldwater wasn't in position to take out Nixon either, but he went to the plate. Do you see anybody else with the clout of McConnel? Getting serious is what this is about. It can eventually reach a point of dead seriousness. Why wait until then? McConnell should start making some noises, even if it's only in private. And maybe, just maybe he already has begun. I sure as Hell hope anyway.

In Goldwater's day you could say "liberal Republican" without people laughing at you. Thanks to Reagan and Newt - and Goldwater, too, really - that ain't true anymore.

So what? See here. Looking back all you do is look away. There aren't any other decent options right now. McConnell can't be fired by Trump, plus he was just reelected. He's the one person in DC with the juice. McConnell should at least scare the bully with a stern conversation, which would best be done privately.

[Farnhamia]

In Goldwater's day you could say "liberal Republican" without people laughing at you. Thanks to Reagan and Newt - and Goldwater, too, really - that ain't true anymore.

So what? See here. Looking back all you do is look away. There aren't any other decent options right now. McConnell can't be fired by Trump, plus he was just reelected. He's the one person in DC with the juice. McConnell should at least scare the bully with a stern conversation, which would best be done privately.

Jerzy, he doesn't care. Trump signed everything he wanted, appointed all those conservative judges, McConnell is as happy as a clam.

[Jerzylvania]

So what? See here. Looking back all you do is look away. There aren't any other decent options right now. McConnell can't be fired by Trump, plus he was just reelected. He's the one person in DC with the juice. McConnell should at least scare the bully with a stern conversation, which would best be done privately.

Jerzy, he doesn't care. Trump signed everything he wanted, appointed all those conservative judges, McConnell is as happy as a clam.

You're still looking backwards. McConnell is not happy right now, that's what I am hearing.

But.. whatever, Farn. With all due respect. you do you and I'll do me. McConnell is the only one left in this arena with the skill set.

[Jerzylvania]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

I'm shocked. Shocked!

Trump is still playing shock the monkey with all of us. All of us, except Claude Rains.

[Rusozak]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

If I was in Trump's cabinet I'd make a game of how quickly I can get fired. You're gonna be out of a job soon anyways, why go down as one of Trump's bunker buddies that stuck by until the end?

[Farnhamia]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

If I was in Trump's cabinet I'd make a game of how quickly I can get fired. You're gonna be out of a job soon anyways, why go down as one of Trump's bunker buddies that stuck by until the end?

That might have been amusing in 2017.

[Kowani]

So Trump just fired the DHS guy that said the elections were fair and secure.

Wow, I wonder if anyone saw that coming, lol.

If I was in Trump's cabinet I'd make a game of how quickly I can get fired. You're gonna be out of a job soon anyways, why go down as one of Trump's bunker buddies that stuck by until the end?

Powerful jobs, no job security.

[The Black Forrest]

If I was in Trump's cabinet I'd make a game of how quickly I can get fired. You're gonna be out of a job soon anyways, why go down as one of Trump's bunker buddies that stuck by until the end?

Powerful jobs, no job security.

There is still job security?

[Ranoria]

The shit Trump says is more harmful than anything. He's single-handedly responsible for the partisanization of things like masks. He says things like "the reason our cases are going up is because we're testing" and "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!".

He utters insane nonsense and the base follows him off a cliff. In terms of how he's handled the crisis, he's spun responsibility off to the governors. Your governor is the decision maker here; Trump's up in the peanut gallery.

The only area where the Feds have played a really active role is in supporting vaccine development.

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

[Farnhamia]

The shit Trump says is more harmful than anything. He's single-handedly responsible for the partisanization of things like masks. He says things like "the reason our cases are going up is because we're testing" and "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!".

He utters insane nonsense and the base follows him off a cliff. In terms of how he's handled the crisis, he's spun responsibility off to the governors. Your governor is the decision maker here; Trump's up in the peanut gallery.

The only area where the Feds have played a really active role is in supporting vaccine development.

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

Masks prevent me from spreading corona to you. Masks prevent both of us from catching the flu from random other people. Did you get a flu shot yet? You should.

[Neanderthaland]

The shit Trump says is more harmful than anything. He's single-handedly responsible for the partisanization of things like masks. He says things like "the reason our cases are going up is because we're testing" and "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!".

He utters insane nonsense and the base follows him off a cliff. In terms of how he's handled the crisis, he's spun responsibility off to the governors. Your governor is the decision maker here; Trump's up in the peanut gallery.

The only area where the Feds have played a really active role is in supporting vaccine development.

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

if - hypothetically - 50% of people wear masks, that's like 49.8% more masks than normal. So, if masks are effective at all, the flu will be down from it's normal numbers.

But 50% (or whatever the actual number is) will not be effective enough to completely stop coronavirus, just as it is not enough to completely stop the flu.

This is really obvious when you think about it.

[Omniabstracta]

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

if - hypothetically - 50% of people wear masks, that's like 49.8% more masks than normal. So, if masks are effective at all, the flu will be down from it's normal numbers.

But 50% (or whatever the actual number is) will not be effective enough to completely stop coronavirus, just as it is not enough to completely stop the flu.

This is really obvious when you think about it.

Especially because the flu is evidently less transmissible than covid to begin with, so flu numbers will react more positively to even lower levels of mask wearing than covid numbers will.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

In Goldwater's day you could say "liberal Republican" without people laughing at you. Thanks to Reagan and Newt - and Goldwater, too, really - that ain't true anymore.

So what? See here. Looking back all you do is look away. There aren't any other decent options right now. McConnell can't be fired by Trump, plus he was just reelected. He's the one person in DC with the juice. McConnell should at least scare the bully with a stern conversation, which would best be done privately.

Privately the first time.
"You say you agree now, mr. President, but this the Swamp. There's no such thing as private, y'know."
And show him the camera.

[Ranoria]

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

Masks prevent me from spreading corona to you. Masks prevent both of us from catching the flu from random other people. Did you get a flu shot yet? You should.

Always get my flu shot, yup.

So the COVID is raging because some people aren't wearing masks but the flu is down because everyone is?

Sus.

if - hypothetically - 50% of people wear masks, that's like 49.8% more masks than normal. So, if masks are effective at all, the flu will be down from it's normal numbers.

But 50% (or whatever the actual number is) will not be effective enough to completely stop coronavirus, just as it is not enough to completely stop the flu.

This is really obvious when you think about it.

Flu is down 95%. I'm not so much trying to push the "a ton of COVID cases are the flu" (because while possible that seems dumb) as I am pointing out the contradiction.

[Neanderthaland]

Masks prevent me from spreading corona to you. Masks prevent both of us from catching the flu from random other people. Did you get a flu shot yet? You should.

Always get my flu shot, yup.

if - hypothetically - 50% of people wear masks, that's like 49.8% more masks than normal. So, if masks are effective at all, the flu will be down from it's normal numbers.

But 50% (or whatever the actual number is) will not be effective enough to completely stop coronavirus, just as it is not enough to completely stop the flu.

This is really obvious when you think about it.

Flu is down 95%. I'm not so much trying to push the "a ton of COVID cases are the flu" (because while possible that seems dumb) as I am pointing out the contradiction.

Coronavirus is better at spreading than flu.

Also:
https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/ ... e-numbers/

[Cannot think of a name]

Powerful jobs, no job security.

There is still job security?

Job security is a myth boomers made up.