But Iâve been asked to speak about US-China relations, not self-destructive American protectionism and xenophobia directed at countries other than China.
Obviously, American frustration with China is not new, but the way in which it now expresses itself is unprecedented. It was the United States, not China that launched a trade war and sought to shut down investment and suppress technology exports and exchange. The Trump administration has carried out a vituperative campaign against Huawei and the Belt and Road Initiative. Prominent American politicians have begun a holy war to close Confucius Institutes and to stigmatize Chinese students in American universities as âspies.â Meanwhile, Washington has escalated naval patrols in Chinaâs near seas that Chinese find disrespectful and provocative. Most ominously, the Trump administration has chipped away at the US-China understandings that have kept the peace in the Taiwan Strait. And now China has become the coronavirus scapegoat of choice for the Republican Party in this yearâs election campaigns.
Chinaâs responses to American hostility were initially restrained. But Beijing is now responding in kind. This is very unwise. Chinaâs loss of self-restraint and self-control is costing it both prestige and respect, not just in America but elsewhere. China, like the United States, is in the process of gaining a reputation for infantile name-calling, invective, and preposterous accusations rather than skillful diplomacy, reasonableness, and the dignified conduct of relations with other countries.
President Trumpâs efforts to downplay the pandemic crisis and his failure to take early protective measures like expanded testing have led to huge numbers of deaths and what looks to be a coming depression on the scale of the 1930s. China appears, for now, to have contained the virus.
Rather than look dispassionately at the reasons for each countryâs response, Washington has framed the pandemic as a contest between democracy and authoritarianism. This may be ideologically satisfying to Americans, but it has inadvertently set up a contrast between Americaâs ineptitude in meeting the challenge and Chinaâs relatively effective performance. This comparison misstates the causes of the performance gap and needlessly discredits democracy while exalting âauthoritarianism.â
The contrast is not between ideologies but between state capacity, leadership, and citizen trust in government. The United States now scores poorly on all these factors. Americans have disinvested in government and social capacity even as societies like China, Germany, south Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have built strong human and physical infrastructure. Whether they were democratic or not, all these and some other societies planned ahead and developed surge capacity. They also taught their citizens to value government services and to expect the best of their civil servants. When the time came to do so, their public servants rose to the occasion. (...)
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
WTF kurt? That sort of "is it true..." rhetoric is just a way to throw out some innuendo and pretend it is real.
And the answer to your question is, "no."
I don't think so, to simply say no would be a blanket statement regarding all Democrats and I don't think this is so. I sincerely believe that there are some fierce partisan Democrats who if honest with themselves would realize that they really are rooting for more deaths for political and personal reasons just as there are members of the media who wish the same for purely monetary reasons. And yes there are plenty of right wing Republicans who are just as offensive depending on the circumstances. Sad but true.
The wording "democrats" was with no qualifier and that's why I called it out. Kurt said democrats hope for death and that's bullshit. I am willing to accept that maybe there is some wacko democrat somewhere who might think that. With enough people you are bound to find someone with almost any opinion.
You need to backscroll. It was intentional. It was to make a point about how I feel being on the receiving end of the same kind of statement from your side. And I will continue doing so as long as your side does the same.
I don't disagree, I just think the problem is a bit more systemic than that. It is yet another symptom of the insanity levels the fierce partisan divide have reached. This divide has always been an undercurrent of our political system, but has spun out of control in the past 30 years or so. Trump has ripped the band aid off and poked the stick into the wound, but the hope is that the overwhelming and transcendent nature of a crisis of this proportion will pull enough people's perspective outward to see this, reject and change the way we engage each other politically and most importantly the way that we vote because the 2 party duopoly ain't cuttin' it anymore.
To your point, 36% of people now approve of Trump's handling of the crisis, while he has a ~45% approval rating. Rough math... 20%-25% of his base doesn't like his handling of COVID when asked. Logic tells you it's likely higher than that.
I don't think anyone is happy to see more people die. I do think that there is definitely a sense of "I told you so...." with regard to how high the numbers are, and a certain enjoyment in watching Trump attempt to spin his failure into positive messaging. He is fighting an enemy that keeps score, and for the first time in his life, he can't change the facts with his ever-changing assessment of the situation.
There would be fewer discussions like this if the White House had a plan, communicated it clearly, and was honest about progress.
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
WTF kurt? That sort of "is it true..." rhetoric is just a way to throw out some innuendo and pretend it is real.
And the answer to your question is, "no."
I don't think so, to simply say no would be a blanket statement regarding all Democrats and I don't think this is so. I sincerely believe that there are some fierce partisan Democrats who if honest with themselves would realize that they really are rooting for more deaths for political and personal reasons just as there are members of the media who wish the same for purely monetary reasons. And yes there are plenty of right wing Republicans who are just as offensive depending on the circumstances. Sad but true.
The wording "democrats" was with no qualifier and that's why I called it out. Kurt said democrats hope for death and that's bullshit. I am willing to accept that maybe there is some wacko democrat somewhere who might think that. With enough people you are bound to find someone with almost any opinion.
I don't disagree, I just think the problem is a bit more systemic than that. It is yet another symptom of the insanity levels the fierce partisan divide have reached. This divide has always been an undercurrent of our political system, but has spun out of control in the past 30 years or so. Trump has ripped the band aid off and poked the stick into the wound, but the hope is that the overwhelming and transcendent nature of a crisis of this proportion will pull enough people's perspective outward to see this, reject and change the way we engage each other politically and most importantly the way that we vote because the 2 party duopoly ain't cuttin' it anymore.
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
WTF kurt? That sort of "is it true..." rhetoric is just a way to throw out some innuendo and pretend it is real.
And the answer to your question is, "no."
I don't think so, to simply say no would be a blanket statement regarding all Democrats and I don't think this is so. I sincerely believe that there are some fierce partisan Democrats who if honest with themselves would realize that they really are rooting for more deaths for political and personal reasons just as there are members of the media who wish the same for purely monetary reasons. And yes there are plenty of right wing Republicans who are just as offensive depending on the circumstances. Sad but true.
The wording "democrats" was with no qualifier and that's why I called it out. Kurt said democrats hope for death and that's bullshit. I am willing to accept that maybe there is some wacko democrat somewhere who might think that. With enough people you are bound to find someone with almost any opinion.
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
WTF kurt? That sort of "is it true..." rhetoric is just a way to throw out some innuendo and pretend it is real.
And the answer to your question is, "no."
I don't think so, to simply say no would be a blanket statement regarding all Democrats and I don't think this is so. I sincerely believe that there are some fierce partisan Democrats who if honest with themselves would realize that they really are rooting for more deaths for political and personal reasons just as there are members of the media who wish the same for purely monetary reasons. And yes there are plenty of right wing Republicans who are just as offensive depending on the circumstances. Sad but true.
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
WTF kurt? That sort of "is it true..." rhetoric is just a way to throw out some innuendo and pretend it is real.
I'm just popping in and out real quickly because I don't want to waste a rare wake and bake opportunity.
I'm getting real tired of all the talk about how all Trump supporters are stupid and selfish and won't wear masks and gloves and be generally compliant to public health safe practices. I wear masks going out, have no problems with gloves. I will not go to a sit down restaurant just to be cool, I am not hoarding toilet paper. I'm not marching with guns and waving a flag protesting the lockdown. I'm just trying to cope and get by safely like most everyone else.
I am going to start broad brushing all you Trump haters / democrats in reverse fashion until we get some sort of distinction between some and all Trump supporters and you all start calling it out when you see it amongst yourselves. It is up to you all to change your tone or get back what you give. You've been warned.
And I am getting real tired of all the talk that all the critics of Trump are libtards suffering from an acute form of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Tired of hearing that Democrats and liberals are opposed to opening up all parts of the country because they are politically motivated and want to undermine Trump’s reelection chances. Tired of hearing that these Democrats and liberals are Trump haters who are exaggerating the death totals and other statistics regarding Covid-19 to unnecessarily frighten the American people for political and otherwise nefarious purposes. Mostly, I am tired of hearing the refrain that critics of Trump and his administration are elitists who do not listen to or respect the opinions of those who voted for him in 2016 and are likely to vote for him in November. As I have said here on numerous occasions, that listening to and respecting the opinions of others is a 2-way street, not a 1-way.There are just as many — if not more — Trump supporters who paint Trump detractors with a broad brush.Talking by — or down to — someone in these political debates is not the sole province of the liberals and Trump critics. Far from it. The onus of understanding opposing viewpoints is equally upon both sides of this political and cultural divide. The failings in this regard continue to mount, which bodes ill for this country. Seeking to blame one side for that failing underscores the point.
So who else is a Trump supporter around here, that has been here all along ?
I am talking about here, not everywhere else. I have been very careful to say many or some, not all or every when I comment. Those days are coming to an end. It gets me nothing.
It is condoned and approved because y'all agree not to disagree amongst yourselves. Just with the token Trump supporter. And the other two recent arrivals y'all have dubbed Boris and Natasha. Seems like Boris is rising to the challenge y'all have thrown at him though.
So is it true democrats are rooting for more CV 19 deaths to make sure that Trump doesn't get re elected ? I'm sure that I can find something to back that up if I look hard enough. If that's the way y'all want to roll here ...
I'm just popping in and out real quickly because I don't want to waste a rare wake and bake opportunity.
I'm getting real tired of all the talk about how all Trump supporters are stupid and selfish and won't wear masks and gloves and be generally compliant to public health safe practices. I wear masks going out, have no problems with gloves. I will not go to a sit down restaurant just to be cool, I am not hoarding toilet paper. I'm not marching with guns and waving a flag protesting the lockdown. I'm just trying to cope and get by safely like most everyone else.
I am going to start broad brushing all you Trump haters / democrats in reverse fashion until we get some sort of distinction between some and all Trump supporters and you all start calling it out when you see it amongst yourselves. It is up to you all to change your tone or get back what you give. You've been warned.
And I am getting real tired of all the talk that all the critics of Trump are libtards suffering from an acute form of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Tired of hearing that Democrats and liberals are opposed to opening up all parts of the country because they are politically motivated and want to undermine Trumpâs reelection chances. Tired of hearing that these Democrats and liberals are Trump haters who are exaggerating the death totals and other statistics regarding Covid-19 to unnecessarily frighten the American people for political and otherwise nefarious purposes.
Mostly, I am tired of hearing the refrain that critics of Trump and his administration are elitists who do not listen to or respect the opinions of those who voted for him in 2016 and are likely to vote for him in November. As I have said here on numerous occasions, that listening to and respecting the opinions of others is a 2-way street, not a 1-way. There are just as many â if not more â Trump supporters who paint Trump detractors with a broad brush. Talking by â or down to â someone in these political debates is not the sole province of the liberals and Trump critics. Far from it. The onus of understanding opposing viewpoints is equally upon both sides of this political and cultural divide. The failings in this regard continue to mount, which bodes ill for this country. Seeking to blame one side for that failing underscores the point.
Iâve said before:
If everyone is pointing at you and yelling as you go down a one-way street, perhaps you are indeed going down it the wrong way.
Location: Perched on the precipice of the cauldron of truth
Posted:
May 12, 2020 - 2:38pm
kurtster wrote:
I'm just popping in and out real quickly because I don't want to waste a rare wake and bake opportunity.
I'm getting real tired of all the talk about how all Trump supporters are stupid and selfish and won't wear masks and gloves and be generally compliant to public health safe practices. I wear masks going out, have no problems with gloves. I will not go to a sit down restaurant just to be cool, I am not hoarding toilet paper. I'm not marching with guns and waving a flag protesting the lockdown. I'm just trying to cope and get by safely like most everyone else.
I am going to start broad brushing all you Trump haters / democrats in reverse fashion until we get some sort of distinction between some and all Trump supporters and you all start calling it out when you see it amongst yourselves. It is up to you all to change your tone or get back what you give. You've been warned.
And I am getting real tired of all the talk that all the critics of Trump are libtards suffering from an acute form of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Tired of hearing that Democrats and liberals are opposed to opening up all parts of the country because they are politically motivated and want to undermine Trumpâs reelection chances. Tired of hearing that these Democrats and liberals are Trump haters who are exaggerating the death totals and other statistics regarding Covid-19 to unnecessarily frighten the American people for political and otherwise nefarious purposes.
Mostly, I am tired of hearing the refrain that critics of Trump and his administration are elitists who do not listen to or respect the opinions of those who voted for him in 2016 and are likely to vote for him in November. As I have said here on numerous occasions, that listening to and respecting the opinions of others is a 2-way street, not a 1-way. There are just as many â if not more â Trump supporters who paint Trump detractors with a broad brush. Talking by â or down to â someone in these political debates is not the sole province of the liberals and Trump critics. Far from it. The onus of understanding opposing viewpoints is equally upon both sides of this political and cultural divide. The failings in this regard continue to mount, which bodes ill for this country. Seeking to blame one side for that failing underscores the point.
Dr. Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO) health emergencies program, said the concept of herd immunity is âdangerous.â
âThis
idea that maybe countries that had lax measures and havenât done
anything will all of a sudden magically reach some herd immunity â and
so what if we lose a few old people along the way? This is a really
dangerous, dangerous calculation," Ryan said at a news briefing on
Monday.
The term herd immunity is taken from veterinary epidemiology, where people are âconcerned with the overall health of the herd, and individual animals in that sense, doesnât matter,â Ryan said. âHumans are not herds.â
Ryan said the world needs to be careful using the term, as it âcan lead to a very brutal arithmetic which does not put people and life and suffering at the center of that equation.â
(...)
âWhat is interesting from the studies that are coming out is that many of them, across a number of countries in Europe, the United States and Asia have found a very low proportion of the people that have been tested have evidence of antibodies,â Van Kerkhove said.
The range is between 1% and 10%, she said, and that a large number of people remain âsusceptibleâ to the coronavirus.