Pandemic Panic Has Magnified The Worst Impulses Of The Power-Hungry Elite - Opinion article
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
For all the American people’s common efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, we keep seeing a lot of reckless responses from politicians and propagandists. They continue to shamelessly exploit a national crisis to pursue their own political and personal agendas. Obama-era health care adviser Zeke Emanuel and others are calling for an 18-month shutdown, which is obviously not survivable for America economically or socially.
Media pundits, impervious to the suffering this crisis is causing Americans, persist in trying to use the pandemic to trap President Trump and instill panic . “How many deaths are acceptable, Mr. President?” “Why don’t you shut down the grocery stores, Mr. President?” The list goes on.
What Is the Media’s Megalomania Mindset?
First, we are witnessing an attitude that hopes for failure. Trump critics seem to hope for high death counts in America to score political points against the president. This mindset shamelessly manipulates people’s worst fears, such as CBS News using a video from a crowded Italian hospital dealing with coronavirus patients and reporting that it was in New York. CBS pulled that stunt not once, but twice .
The media go ballistic when audiences are exposed to any views that do not coincide with their agenda to accrue and maintain their power and status — hence, mainstream media cries to stop airing Trump’s press briefings on the virus, and now their attempts to get him to stop appearing at them.
Astonishingly, they also want to ban hydroxychloroquine because it could prove to be an effective treatment for Wuhan virus symptoms as we wait for a vaccine. It’s an outlook that also hopes for a stock market crash , ruining the retirement plans of millions of Americans. Many of these folks also run cover for the totalitarian regime of communist China, which suppressed critical information about the outbreak in Wuhan, unleashing the virus on the world.
The governor of Indiana purports to tell Christians whether they may take communion and, if so, how they may take it. The mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, forbade people to attend drive-in church services on Easter morning, even asking congregants to inform on pastors who held services by calling 311. The last thing America needs is a shameful profusion of communist China-styled meddlers and snitches.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, D.C., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff are using the crisis to try to devise another destructive impeachment attempt , sowing yet more chaos into a nation where people are reeling from imposed isolation, economic ruin, and fear of a plague for which there is no cure. What kind of people do such things?
Megalomaniacs Are Always Looking for ‘Awesome Power’
This scenario does not reflect politics as usual at all. It reflects something much darker: a stark naked megalomania intent on controlling the lives of others. These folks feel entitled to play god. This is no overstatement.
Consider, for example, the 1,400-page socialist-saturated wish list that Pelosi tried to substitute for the Senate relief bill in March. She caused unconscionable delays and disruptions to the lives of millions of Americans.
Pelosi revealed the reason for her self-centered behavior in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone in which she discussed the prospect of Democrats regaining the House. She could not contain herself as she cried out that it was all about “awesome power.” She excitedly added, “The speaker has awesome power.” Indeed, that is the raison d’etre of all so-called progressives. This is perfectly in line with the structure of socialism , which is always based upon putting too much power in the hands of too few people.
When Majority Whip James Clyburn reportedly told the Democrat caucus that the coronavirus relief bill was “a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” he was simply echoing Rahm Emanuel’s mindset that a crisis should never “go to waste.”
Those who perpetuate this vision have never made a secret of the fact that they wish to perpetuate their power in the form of a permanent majority. This is nascent communism in a nutshell — or, in today’s parlance, progressivism.
Leftism Is Undeniably Linked to Megalomania
Pelosi’s wish list included several aspects of the Green New Deal, such as demands that airlines “fully offset the annual carbon emissions … for domestic flights beginning in 2025.” She also attempted to put abortion funding into the bill. (Some deny this, but abortion funding tends to be a staple of all Democrat bills and amendments.)
Pelosi included a heavy dose of identity politics, with requirements for “corporate board diversity.” To top it all off, she included enhancements for vote harvesting, such as grants for conducting election audits, as well as same-day voter registration, obvious ingredients for election fraud. That’s just a short list.
It’s no secret that Democrats have worked overtime to destroy policies that promote self-reliance, free speech, choice in education, family cohesion, and religious devotion. But let’s ponder more closely what the sampling of policy prescriptions noted above have in common: They are always about a power elite controlling you.
The Green New Deal, with its focus on tracking every industry and person’s “carbon footprint,” is the perfect vehicle for a power elite to control the masses from the top down. It would cut back severely on people’s mobility and cause greater scarcity of resources, opening the door for nationalizing whole industries. It provides excuses to punish any hint of nonconformity, and it depends on fearmongering — “the burning planet!” — to coerce compliance.
Next, consider the constant push for taxpayer-funded abortion, which has now entered the infanticide phase. What’s that about? It’s an open door to eugenics and further top-down control of the population by elites drunk on power.
The bait for unrestricted abortion has always been sex without any balance of responsibility. But the switch comes in the abortion culture’s dire effects on society: broken homes, broken families, broken relationships, which all fuel an unprecedented loneliness epidemic. Such brokenness further cultivates people’s vulnerability to government dependency and social control by self-supremacists .
Power-hungry elites use identity politics, or the constant push for “diversity,” to divide us by causing tension, discord, and hatred — all of which require government power to address. No more “hate speech,” such as voicing support for traditional marriage or sex distinctions. Under the anti-discrimination coating, identity politics is a poison pill for the First Amendment.
Consider the laser-focus on policing speech by forcing pronoun protocols into our laws. A prime example is a 2015 New York City law that calls for a fine of $250,000 for misgendering someone. Should you be accused, you will likely be at the mercy of an activist judge. The virus of identity politics — along with its twin virus, political correctness — is all about shutting people up and separating them, empowering elites to do more social engineering.
Same-day voter registration and universal mail-in voting is an obvious invitation to election fraud. Normal people know that voting every couple of years is not a hard thing to do. So the point of this election tampering is to bring about a permanent Democrat majority that doesn’t have to bother with real elections anymore.
The Political Left Has a God Complex
This pandemic has laid bare the intentions of our self-appointed betters in Washington, the media, and beyond. They have shown no desire for national unity, pushing policies to empower only themselves. They manipulate people’s worst fears, knowing that’s the surest way to get them to lay down their liberties.
We should be able to see a God-complex at work in all this control-freak behavior, and we should not fear calling out that behavior for what it is. If this seems over-the-top to American readers, that’s because we aren’t used to living under totalitarian rule.
As we just emerged from Holy Week, we would do well to recognize that this is man’s natural, sinful state. After all, the sin of pride, or the conceit of playing god, is the original sin from which all other sins emanate.
Consider that the 1.4 billion people of communist China are at the mercy of this mindset every day, an atheistic mentality hostile to religion and intent on destroying churches and any assembly that does not put the state first. People intent on playing god do not want to compete with the one living God as they try to control the lives of others.
That mindset brought on the miseries of human history. Our founders recognized it because they saw that failing in human nature, and therefore in themselves. There was a time when Americans were taught that the central purpose of the Constitution was to keep that impulse in check so we could have individual liberties. When we refuse to see the urge in ourselves, we are far less able to keep it in check.
We should call out this mindset wherever we see it, and that means questioning the motives of anyone who continuously pushes for policies that undermine individual liberties and build a mass state with a tiny elite controlling us all. No more should Americans simply attribute the totalitarian impulse to good intentions gone astray — certainly not while our economy is on its knees and the nation has undergone the trauma of the media’s fearmongering. The stakes are just too high.
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This pandemic has laid bare the intentions of our self-appointed betters in Washington, the media, and beyond. They have shown no desire for national unity, pushing policies to empower only themselves. They manipulate people’s worst fears, knowing that’s the surest way to get them to lay down their liberties.
Let them eat ice cream.
That is such a total BS chant. I don't like Pelosi, but maybe you should check out Trump's small fridge:
According to CNN, Trump never lived in that NYC penthouse apartment and sold it in 2015.
Sorry, but I couldn't find any articles, photos, or interviews of him bragging about his stash of gourmet ice cream the way that Pelosi did.
CNN is wrong. He did but sold it recently. There are family photos in there. But he still lives in the golden mansion in NY, where the fridge is even bigger and has multiple ones. Btw, here is a listing of his current houses in NY and other locations:
And since when is bragging about ice cream a terrible thing. I mean Trump brags about everything. You don't see me complaining about that.
Btw, my husband who is an ice cream junkie, makes sure we have at least 6 flavors in our freezer, never mind chocolate syrups and whip cream. My only complaint is that I have to pretend that it is not there or I would look like a blimp.
Trump's gold themed apartment in Trump Tower seems to be based on appearing like an old school European palace.
Still money could not hide his trashy past.
CNN is wrong? I suppose the realtor that handled the transaction, Haute Residence, is wrong, too!
Business Insider is subscription only; I cannot read your link. Thanks anyway.
No it's not. It's slow to load. If you like I can download the photos here.
My mistake. It doesn't allow ad blockers, and I do not remove mine. Have a good day.
Don't think Trump went on TV to advertise his "privilege" as Nancy has. Instead the photos of Trump are of him meeting/in meetings/talking dignitaries/reporters/staff - but not in his kitchen with a stash of ice cream in a $24,000 refrigerator.
No, it's not a BS chant, and you're right, I don't like Nancy or Trump but I like her even less.
Perrie, on another seed, you posted similar pictures of Trump's kitchen with similar comment. I asked you where in the picture is Trump posing in front of her refrigerator holding his 13 dollar pints of ice cream.
You never responded (maybe didn't see it) but you posted essentially the same nonsense here.
Why is that?
John and Perrie - don't make this a "whataboutTrump" conversation. All of the properties listed on that "Realtor's" sheet are properties purchased WAY before he began working for the government as the President. However, Pelosi has been in government for 34 years and has learned how to twist the buck to fit her pocket.
You have got to be kidding 1st. Going after Pelosi for ice cream has to be one of the most petty things I have seen in a long time. It doesn't matter how long Pelosi has been in Gov., it has to do with Trump deflecting to anyone else and using dog-whistle terms like "elitist" when Trump himself is one of the biggest. That puts him on the radar. But hey, if you want an echo chamber article, I will follow the rules.
Do you think "let them eat cake" was an effective talking point against the Monarchy?
A multi millionare (government employee no less) showing off her luxury fridge and stock of designer icecream at the same time she's stopping small business relief designed to keep people employed is insanely bad messaging. It's indefensibly clueless.
This
Unless she gets them a better deal with oversight so the money doesn't disappear into hedge funds and new start ups like some of the first bucket a'cash.
I know of companies that have applied in spite of not being shut down in the least.
The give away is/was being abused.
Sounds like somebody is very jealous!
OMG Trump. Hasn't he gotten poorer since he became president? Hopefully he doesn't leave the White House dead broke like previous occupants.
Wanna follow the rules? OK, let's discuss the thread instead of jumping on me and others for saying something "negative" 'bout Pelosi.
Consider, for example, the 1,400-page socialist-saturated wish list that Pelosi tried to substitute for the Senate relief bill in March. She caused unconscionable delays and disruptions to the lives of millions of Americans.
Pelosi revealed the reason for her self-centered behavior in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone in which she discussed the prospect of Democrats regaining the House. She could not contain herself as she cried out that it was all about “awesome power. ” She excitedly added, “ The speaker has awesome power. ” Indeed, that is the raison d’etre of all so-called progressives. This is perfectly in line with the structure of socialism , which is always based upon putting too much power in the hands of too few people.
we are witnessing an attitude that hopes for failure. Trump critics seem to hope for high death counts in America to score political points against the president. This mindset shamelessly manipulates people’s worst fears, such as CBS News using a video from a crowded Italian hospital dealing with coronavirus patients and reporting that it was in New York. CBS pulled that stunt not once, but twice .
Thus far, I, personally, haven't seen anything positive coming from the Pelosi side of politics, nor from the politics of her followers. They are still in the "Impeach" Trump mode.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, D.C., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff are using the crisis to try to devise another destructive impeachment attempt , sowing yet more chaos into a nation where people are reeling from imposed isolation, economic ruin, and fear of a plague for which there is no cure. What kind of people do such things?
Sean, every bit as indefensible as Trump telling people to take up against their governors in the middle of a pandemic. Wait... no, it actually unconstitutional. But let's go over the pissy things that usual pass for just being stupid.
First of all, don't chastise me for going off topic and then let other people go off topic, just because you don't like what I have to say. We get it, you don't like Pelosi. Maybe if there was more oversight on the first batch of PPP that went to multi-million dollar business we wouldn't be in this place to begin with. Did that cross your mind? So now you want more? That's what the complaining is about? How about being more responsible with our tax dollars, to begin with? Isn't that what being a conservative means? Or does it mean that the rich get richer? So you can be all self-righteous about how foolish Pelosi seemed with her new freezer, but that PPP was not supposed to go small business, and it didn't and in my opinion, that is far worse, then a dumb freezer full of ice cream.
Now let's address your article a fraction of your article
Whoever wrote this should be removed from the staff of this paper. What unbelievable BS. I am terrified next to what Trump will say because it will cost more American lives. What president tells people to defy stay at home orders from their governors? He should be saying, "Calm yourselves and we will get there quicker, but he didn't. He asked for insurrection. The media isn't always kind, but worse is a tweeting President who doesn't know how to act.
Did she lie? I think not. She does have a lot of power. Guess what? So does our President of the United States, and he tells us how amazing he is all the time:
LMAO! How about another view of that video
I'm done now because unlike that article, I am not into being a partisan hack.
And let this sink in on you 1st. When the last election happened I didn't vote for either Hillary or Trump. It has been my dirty little secret till now. So I felt I had no right to complain about Trump. But he IS my president, and in the last 2 months, the man has taken me from just displeasure to disdain. This week alone with allowing coal plants to dump more mercury into our waterways and the call out to his peeps to take on their governors, I am done.
But Trump!!!
Trump defending people standing up for our constitution and the rights it gives us by protesting despotic democrat state regimes is unconstitutional? How exactly?
God forbid that independent businesses that are franchises of a big chain business get any of that money to keep their personal franchise and their employees going. Trump answered that allegation in his briefing today perfectly.
“Trump critics seem to hope for high death counts in America to score political points against the president.” The best and most accurate comment of all the fine comments in the article 1st seeded.
Hey the buck stops with him.
He is talking about overthrowing the governors. The constitution has legitimate ways of doing that. A President shouldn't be calling for it, ever, much less during a national crisis.
These were not franchises. That is why Shake Shack is giving back their money (at least LGP feels shame). That money was for main street USA, not Ruth Chris's Steak House, which is owned by Madison's Dearborn Partners of Chicago. I can list about 6 more, but I think you get the point. I actually know small business, some of them members on this site, who can't make payroll, and are using their savings while these fat companies stole money that was not intended for them.
That is the most insane comment I have read in while. No one wants anymore death. What a horrible thing to say.
Trump didn’t tell people to do anything. He flat out refused to criticize the valid protests or the protesters and said that some governors had gone too far such as black face/klan robes in Virginia and the petty tin horn banana republic established in Michigan and said that the protesters did respect him. Protesting seems to be an all American patriotic act of dissent unless it’s conservatives protesting authoritarian progressivism then it’s deplorable.
I didn’t vote for either Trump or Hillary in 16 either yet I have found myself rallying with America and our President to lead us through this Chinese inflicted pandemic.
He never called for the overthrow of anyone. He urged people to peacefully assemble using proper distance to petition their government to address their grievances. Nothing could be more all American than that.
They also want to keep us locked up and delay the restarting of the economy until its to late to stop a depression so that they can use it to beat Trump and install as socialist medical system and green new deal.
What kind of comparison is that?
Pelosi is showing the nation her refrigerator full of expensive ice cream, while the President is out there fighting the pandemic.
Vic,
It was crass for Pelosi to show her fridge, but it was beyond crass for the President of the United States to tell people to overthrow their governors. That was a bridge too far for me.
No evidence that ending too soon will cost American lives? Have you not been paying attention. We double our mortality rate in a week from 20,000 to 40,000. We did that in 40 days. I would call that a lot of evidence.
Oh, come on Wally. The President is the leader. You guys had no problem pointing that out when you didn't like what Obama did.
And if you have a problem with that, take that up with Truman.
That wasn't what you said in Post # 1.1.
Then stay closed! Each state has that option. My state is closed until May 15, simply because it's part of a gang of blue states that can't do a damned thing without the federal government. The same federal government that had a few faulty test kits when this whole thing was unleashed on us. Instead the left wing media told us, right from the beginning - This will be Trump's Katrina!
AND THAT WAS THE BRIDGE TOO FAR FOR ME!
Vic,
I mean everything I said in this article. I think it is hypocritical and petty to go after Pelosi for a Fridge. I think this article is both decisive and full of half truths. And I think that the buck always stops at the president.
But more so, I mean what I said here:
You guys who love Trump don't seem to get it. There are a lot of indies like me, who voted like me, and this election could have gone either way. But he does not behave presidential in any way shape or form, and so we get deflection articles about Pelosi. Now I dislike the woman, but I will not have to vote for her in Nov. and he has been proving almost every day, why he should not be president. The civil unrest he created was just the icing on the cake for me. No other president in the history of these United States has ever done that before, and it is especially bad during a time of crisis.
I want to also say, that I hope the economy recovers quickly, but not at the cost of human life. And I don't wish for more dead so that Trump loses. I would like to see him amend what he said about the governors, but I truly doubt that he will.
Vic,
Don't give me it was a gang of blue states. Trump picked on these blue states because they are battleground states with a solid Trump base and that's why he said what he said. Encouraging insurrection instead of unity is unheard of in a time of crisis.
And I don't know what news you are watching but I have not heard that This will be Trump's Katrina! But I don't know how you can say that was a bridge too far for you, while not recognizing that tweeting an uprising against the governors is OK. The press is not the President of the United States.
Pierrie,
Petty to go after Pelosi for a fridge? Yes but I think it more illustrates the divide between normal people and the rich and/or Washington elite, and Pelosi just happens to be both. Pelosi was incredibly tone deaf to what regular people are going thru while she talked about her ice cream. And it is very true that the media would not let Trump or the Republican leadership get away with this. Yes the buck stops with the president, it also stops with all the political leaders in Washington.
Yes, thanks to the political divide we are going to hear a lot of stories this year pointing out all the things the other side did wrong. I don't think these types of articles are about Trump not behaving like a president (hell, everybody who voted for him knew he could not act like a traditional president, IMO that's part of why they voted for him) but more to do with just how broken the political partisanship has gotten.
I hope the loss of life remains as low as possible, and I hope the economy recovers quickly also. There are a lot of people who are hurt by the current lockdown and worried about the basics of just putting food on the table or a roof over their heads, I feel deeply for them. The only way to fix those immediate problems is to put people back to work in as careful approach as can be worked with. Some people will understand and work hard to maintain the social distancing and others will not. But there are plenty of the others who are not following the current social distancing guidelines now.
Loki,
You should take the time to read your own links.
Op/Eds are NOT actual reporting. There are plenty of Op/Eds in more conservative papers placing blame on anyone but Trump. Btw, I tend NOT to read op/eds since it's just someone else's opinion, by definition.
You obviously meant divisive. Then you are tone def to the division created by the democratic party and their allies in the media!
And I think that the buck always stops at the president.
It does and this one has followed the advice of those experts you have put so much trust in.
You guys who love Trump don't seem to get it.
We get it all too well - You are against a drug he recommends - because you claim that a drug that has been around since 1946 hasn't been tested enough? You are against reopening the country - because you think the experts are suddenly wrong? The left criticized the President for not having enough test kits or masks or ventilators - even though those were obvious failures of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration? Your Governor complained that he needed 40,000 ventilators at a time when there was no such numbers were available. The President correctly told him that he didn't need that many and the state of New York had already received 4,000 and NYC got 400 from FEMA. Now NY is giving them away! Meanwhile, blue state governors around the country keep the lid on activity, demand that small businesses remain shuttered, and enforce the general misery, all in the name of keeping us “safe.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose popularity with the left rises and falls depending on how much he can be manpulated into a contradiction of anything Trump says, recently countered the democrats’ testing narrative, saying “The emphasis that we’ve been hearing is essentially ‘testing is everything’ and it isn’t.”
Who the hell is kidding who?
I want to also say, that I hope the economy recovers quickly, but not at the cost of human life. And I don't wish for more dead so that Trump loses. I would like to see him amend what he said about the governors, but I truly doubt that he will.
I believe you Perrie, but there are those on the left who obviously are hoping for death and a derailing of the US economy - simply to defeat the President in November. And that becomes more obvious by the day!
Snuffy,
Again, I am not a Pelosi fan, but let's make something clear. Your President is part of the elite. We here in NY, know how he chose people for his golf clubs and his buildings. The average guy would have never made the cut. So really the only difference between the two of them, is that Trump was not stupid enough to show his great wealth. And while I agree that there is enough blame to go around in Washington, the last batch of PPP was totally mishandled and given to companies who were not a small business, so personally, for me, this next batch needs better oversight. Doesn't the President pick that individual?
While I agree with the bulk of what you said here, I do feel that Trump crossed the line with telling people to protest their governors. There are other ways he could have chosen to handle the situation if he felt there was overreach, but he decided to make this political.
I totally agree with you there. Thank you for the thoughtful post.
That was my Newt Gingrich article about the ice cream princess imitating Marie Antoinette.
Perrie, I'm talking about the pact the Governors of northeastern states have formed:
The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island said Monday they were forming a “regional advisory council” to guide the gradual reopening of those states’ economies — after the worst of the pandemic has passed.
Trump picked on these blue states because they are battleground states
No Perrie, Trump defended the people who are fed up with being under lockdown. How long do you think people are going sit back while everything is shut down?
Encouraging insurrection instead of unity is unheard of in a time of crisis.
Yes Perrie, as is evidenced every day on CNN, MSNBC, NBC and the two newspapers which can no longer be trusted with a single sentence.
And I don't know what news you are watching but I have not heard that This will be Trump's Katrina!
Well, I'm going to have to ask you the same question.
Here is the first time it was used - back in February:
"I think this a huge, huge, deal because this is like George W. Bush with the hurricane and flooding down in New Orleans " .....Tom Steyer
Immediately it became the mantra of the dishonest, corrupt msm!
But I don't know how you can say that was a bridge too far for you
Actually, it came long before then, when the FBI and CIA tried to remove the President of the United States.
This seeded article we are responding to is an opinion article and a very fine one at that.
After reading this I have noticed the blame here for everyone except donald or republicans that some conveniently forget currently run the senate. For some reason he gets a pass even when he says divisive things. It is always to shift blame elsewhere.
Blame the media, Democrat congress people, blame only blue state governors, on and on.
By the way, as much as people try to deny it, fox news is also part of the main stream media.
His defending of the protesters is laughable considering these so called protests were staged and organised by right wing figure heads. Not at all organic. One was even organised by a man on one of donald's advisory boards.
Now getting upset at a group of small states trying to come together for a solution when these states combined are maybe close to the size of Texas.
Correction: Not even the size of Texas.
Oh, now they are somehow fake!
After all we have heard for the past half century about the noble exercise of our right to protest. I'm going to have to disagree quite a bit with you on that claim. In my lifetime, which has been lengthy, the only valid protests were those via the Civil Rights Movement and these by American citizens who are losing everything. The anti - Vietnam War protests, the BLM protests/riots and the Occupy Wall Street protests were all constructs of the left. How's that?
Furthermore, the nation has already been shut down for more than 6 weeks. Many have lost everything and some have hungry children at home. How much do you want them to take? And WHY?
Yes, I did. My autocorrect that I installed does that sometimes. I'm sorry I am not tone deaf. As far as I am concerned both parties snipe at each other. I am listening to the governors since they have to deal with the day to day reality of this pandemic and even some republican govs are upset. They just have to be careful if they want to get reelected.
I have never discussed the drug, so don't put words into my mouth.
The experts say we shouldn't rush into reopening the country.
Your hometown paper covered this.
First of all the CDC and the FDA are under the purview of the President. And may I remind you, he tried to defund the CDC and both the senate and the house stopped that. But the actual department that handles this is FEMA and again, that is under the purview. Only the President can give the yea or nay to that.
You have got to be kidding. My governor was going on the numbers that Dr. Fouci was estimating and from those numbers we needed that number of vents. As it was, we needed those 4000 vents we got for a period. Here are NY's number of hospitalized people, most of who were on vents: 236,000. We are now giving them to states who need them. That is how this was supposed to go.
I am not going to address the rest of that paragraph since it would be a waste of my time. I will say that you have misinterpreted what Dr. Fauci t meant when he said: “The emphasis that we’ve been hearing is essentially ‘testing is everything’ and it isn’t.” And I quote:
I don't know if you are meaning to be misleading or you didn't read the whole statement.
What are you talking about and why are you getting so upset with me? I have not been upset with you.
I doubt anyone wants more death. The derailing the economy you are probably right about some on the far left. But the President was similarly when he encouraged his base to go out against the governors and I am sorry Vic, but that was my bridge too far.
Absolutely true. President Trump is part of the elite and as such should get the blame for being tone-deaf. But it seems to me that MSM gives Pelosi a pass on this. If it had been Trump or any Republican standing in front of their $20k freezer gushing about their $13 a pint ice cream, how do you think they would have been treated? What Pelosi did was incredibly tone deaf and IMO is deserving of being called out. She proves quite frequently that not only is she out of touch with regular people (who by the way she is supposed to represent) but she is dug in deeply into the partisan politics and is just as much a danger to the American public as the Republican side is. Any more it seems it is a very infrequent thing when both sides work together to solve an issue. More often than not it seems like the two parties will just give in on some items to give the appearance of at least passing bills rather than working to insure the bill is the best for the people at the other end. Or do you not believe there was anything in that last stimulus bill that should not have been in there or was not properly set up? Two very easy ones would be the lack of proper oversight and control over the PPP money and the $25 million to the Kennedy Center.
We as the American People have lost control of Washington and there's no easy way to get it back. I believe that is one of the major reasons why Trump won the 2016 election, because people were tired of the same ol' status quo and wanted someone in that office who might kick down a few ant mounts. And TBH I think that's one of the reasons why Trump stands a good chance of winning in 2020. Sorry to the Biden supporters out there but Joe Biden strikes me as a continuation of the old status quo which sure seemed to work only for the betterment of themselves and not the American people.
I didn't say they were fake. I said they were not organic. Then add in the people that joined like the proud boys and anti-vac groups. One of the protests was put together with the help of a group linked to Betsy DeVos.
And what is enough of a cost for opening up early? A resurgence of the virus. The people that some say need the most right now are also in the category of people most vulnerable to complications from infection.
And as we know the virus started more on the coastal regions and spread inwards.
Where coastal cities may be hitting an apex, some of the middle states were/are just starting the rise.
My state just yesterday reported 300 new cases and 7 deaths. Though no where near NYC we are still rising.
The statement in it's entirety only confirms what I emphasized, it does not contradict it. I don't know how you could see it any other way.
Your hometown paper covered this.
My hometown paper is a leftwing rag! BTW my "hometown" has only one thing going for it - it's safer than yours.
My governor was going on the numbers that Dr. Foucii was estimating and from those numbers we needed that number of vents.
In other words Fauci "the expert" was wrong?
Was he?
Was he wrong on other occasions?
One final question - Has the President consistently listened to these experts?
It seems to me that Pelosi did not get a pass as here we are talking about it.
Just like the far left would call some republicans out of touch, the far right is not immune and does exactly the same.
As far as the 'MSM' hell they even have gone after so called celebrities for being out of touch.
Calling donald not part of the status quo does not hold water at this point. He will have been in office going on a full four year term. Seems to me he has done nothing to address the problems you see.
They "add in" or other groups show up uninvited? How many American flags were flying?
And what is enough of a cost for opening up early?
That would depend on the state. It is a Governor's decision. What would the risk be for North Dakota?
A resurgence of the virus.
Or starvation or suicide or drug addiction or theft? Think of those 20+ million unemployed with empty refrigerators and pantries and hungry children at home.
There is also that pesky question of motivation from those who want the economy completely shut down for another month/months
What do flags have to do with anything? A racist holding a flag is still a racist. Doesn't make them any better.
If it is up to the governor of a state why is donald calling for insurrection?
So the choice is to send people back to work and have the major possibility of them ending up in hospital? Would it be worth it for someone to go to work and contract the virus, maybe die in hospital or spend months under care? Then the family is even more broken.
So now you are calling them "racist?"
End of conversation.
I would hardly call that a gang. They understand what is going on in their region and they are acting upon the information they are getting.
As far as I can see, there is only one Gov, that has taken questionable actions and that is in Mich. The other governors are trying to make the best decisions so that when they open, they can remain open, as opposed to another outbreak, which would be just as damaging if not worse, since they could go back right to where they started. And a sitting President does not call for protests in the middle of a national crisis. If he feels that the governors are out of line, he talks to them directly.
I already addressed this with Loki. These are op/eds and not reporting. There is a difference. It's like an article, but the other way around.
Vic, that was on Fox, which is the MSM.
I'm sorry Vic, but even though I was against Trump's impeachment, I don't buy into the whole FBI/CIA trying to get rid of Trump. I mean at that rate, we may as well go with the whole grassy knoll thing.
Actually I didn't. I cited an example.
Actually though, the proud boys are a known racist group.
How did the MSM give her a pass? It was the MSM who reported it. It took less than an hour before a conservative pundit tweeted back to her and then it went right to the media. And yes it was tone deaf and yes she is a partisan. I have never argued otherwise. And I wholly agree that the parties keep passing the buck back and forth.
First clarity on this. Both the house and the senate passed that last PPP bill. They both own it. I think that it was handled terribly. There was no oversight and I am not sure how the Kennedy Center got in there, either.
I agree.
Hard to tell.
To be blunt, he might be status quo, but this country will not last another 4 years of Trump, and while Biden would not be my first choice, I feel he is the better choice, especially given what I have seen. We might be having a different conversation if it was Bernie, but it is not.
Let's see 6 democratic Governors and 1 liberal Republican. All pledged to do the same thing - staying closed until, at least May 15.
They understand what is going on
They do? The Governor of MA - the "honorable" Charles Duane Baker IV, closed all the schools (including nursery schools) until the aforementioned May 15. What does that really mean to me, for instance? I was self quarantined and had everything delivered to my door. My car untouched for weeks. All my daughters and their husbands work. That means I am back in the tending grand kids routine. How many other grand parents are in the same situation.
I have to say that Fauci and the so called "experts" came at this backwards. We should be quarantining the infected not everybody, but I get it - we were blindsided by China and had zero to work with in the beginning!
And a sitting President does not call for protests in the middle of a national crisis.
He has every right to support the American people and their right to protest!
I already addressed this with Loki.
I don't think you really settled that. You only need to turn on CNN or MSNBC or NBC to see it and feel it.
Vic, that was on Fox, which is the MSM.
You mean it was accurately reported by Fox. Which, you know, I don't include in my reference to the msm. Please don't tell me you don't know that I am not including responsible News organizations like Fox News or the Wall Street Journal when I use the term the msm.
I don't buy into the whole FBI/CIA trying to get rid of Trump. I mean at that rate, we may as well go with the whole grassy knoll thing.
Then you are in total denial.
Have you seen the pictures of the groups protesting?
I seriously doubt it.
That's not true either. They are self described brawlers!
Please give me the link which proves the "proud boys" are "racist."
You see the old fashioned liberals prided themselves as defenders of civil liberties. Their descendants, the modern day progressives, are clearly not interested in protecting civil liberties. With them the end always justifies the means.
Wow. So you are just going to deny what they are.
This and thinking fox is the only credible news outlet.
Yikes.
Prove your claim - If you can!
I havent really followed this "ice cream-gate" scandal, which apparently erupted because Pelosi has an expensive refrigerator in her home.
I think this "late night" segment was supposed to be fun. Since she comes from a wealthy family, I'm not surprised that she has an expensive refrigerator. What was she supposed to do, deny that she likes ice cream?
OK, I am kind of speechless at your response, but I think this discussion is going nowhere and we have a nice relationship and I don't want it to become adversarial.
OK, now that was a nasty comment and also wrong.
btw, the FBI stats confirm that but I couldn't get it to copy.
Vic, you are going way over the top and I don't like it. I knew that this was going to be a damned if we do and a damned if we don't. Dr. Fauci and the other experts at Johns Hopkins were going on the information from where the pandemic was not quickly contained, like in Italy and Spain, which is where our virus came from. We were lucky. It seems maybe we caught it in time. Even that is up for debate since in one week, we went from 20,000 dead to 40,000 dead in 45 days. Let's see what next week brings. But it seems that we have flattened the curve. It could be very easily reversed if we rush into things.
Who knows? No one does. He changes his mind so much I can't keep up with it.
Yes, You always said that. That, to me, was the President's dilemma!
Who knows?
I do! He could have done what Woodrow Wilson did with the Great Spanish Influenza, but Trump would never have gotten away with it!
Look anywhere you like. Hell look at the Wikipedia page about them. There are plenty of articles.
They are also incels.
And NPR and Spencer McInnes and Vox and Media Matters?
They made that declaration?
HAHAA!
There were people carrying confederate flags. Only bigots do that in nonconfederate states. Your proof is here:
Wrong! The Confederate flag shown in that picture has a gun theme on it. In other words that individual wants to secede from Michigan because gun stores were ordered closed. I saw the films and pictures too. I saw dozens, maybe hundreds of American flags.
I'm shocked that you would post that
I am shocked you are going to deny what is right in front of you.
Deny? I'm calling all of you! Why are you backing this atrocious Governor over the people of Michigan?
Try to have an answer instead of calling decent people racists!
BTW that picture was provided by: "The Michigan Advance"
The Michigan Advance is a new nonprofit outlet featuring hard-hitting reporting on politics and policy and the best progressive commentary in the state.
Smh. When have we discussed one governor? Where have I defended one governor?
It also doesn't matter who took a picture. It doesn't make it go away.
The Michigan protests involve one Governor
And other protests involve others.
Yes it does. That is a progressive group focusing on one flag. There were well over 10,000 protesters there, the vast majority of flags were American flags.
We remember when they claimed they once saw one racist sign at a Tea Party rally. They are scum, especially those mentioned in your Wiki article, starting with the hate filled "Southern Poverty Law Center!"
You may be talking about one thing, but you and I did touch on the Michigan protest and Perrie amplified it right after you injected race into all of this.
How long do you think you can have the economy shut down?
(I'm being kind)
Guns have nothing to do with the Confederate flag so stop making excuses for that bigot who waved that piece of garbage, Vic.
And yes he may be one in a crowd of American flags, but you asked Ender to prove it and I did. I have no idea how many of those flags were there and neither do you.
I am not amplifying anything Vic. You asked to prove something and I did. I didn't say that the protesters as a whole were bigots, did I? No, I didn't.
Neither does bigotry. That has become a modern conception of that flag. Those who fought and died for it had no conception of slavery or racism. They fought for it because they felt the Union was invading their new nation. That's called history. As for that protester, as you said before with the President - who knows? I'm only going by what he added to that flag. "Racism" is one of the worst things you can call a person. In this case it is smearing thousands of people who want their livelihoods back. It is a favorite tactic of the left, isn't it?
And yes he may be one in a crowd of American flags, but you asked Ender to prove it and I did.
No Perrie, I asked Ender to prove that the "proud boys" were a racist group. He came back with a Wiki article ful of hard left organizations declaring the "proud boys" a racist organization. So he failed. Then you posted a picture provided by another leftist organization. I don't know if that individual is truly racist and neither do you. The reason that Michigan Advance provided it was to smear the 10 - 20,000 Americans as racist.
I have no idea how many of those flags were there and neither do you.
I do know how many American flags were there - THEY DOMINATED THE SCENE!
You failed. You gave an opinion, an opinion that I find disturbing.
I didn't say that the protesters as a whole were bigots, did I?
You didn't have to. [Deleted]
Today, it is the flag of every KKK and neo-Nazi group, and we are talking about today, so yes today that is a sign of racism out of the south. And Michigan was not part of the civil war and these are not southerners.
I didn't fail and perhaps it's your denial that I find disturbing.
Now that statement is an utter lie.
Utter nonsense, or more to the point, a falsehood. You must know very little about the slavery and civil war era.
It was the intent of Michigan advance and you posted it here for NT readers to see. It may have not been intentional but that was the effect. I am a member here to make sure that those who read these seeds and articles get to have a fair assessment. That is my purpose.
The people of Michigan and they are "the people" were exercising their civil rights. They are not racists.
I find that very ironic considering the source.
Today - yes! True and it is also being used by the left to smear other people. A trigger mechanism for both sides. The left far worse than the KKK.
I got that from Civil War historian Shelby Foote. He said it was sad how that flag has become so misunderstood!
Thanks for playing who knows what.
Why would someone in Michigan wave a confederate flag? They are either racist themselves or want to appeal to racists.
Again, they are states right next to each other with similar situations going on and they are working together. That is called teamwork, in my world.
As well they should. I realize that it is an inconvenience for you, but the children's welfare matters more than your inconvenience. I'm being inconvenienced, too. I haven't seen my daughters in weeks, since I have to take care of 3 seniors and my daughters work in hospitals volunteering help in their medical fields. I am worried sick that one of them could pick up the virus. We all have to do our part, Vic.
There is a big difference between allowing protesting and calling for more, Vic. This man is out of line and you don't seem to get that. But don't worry, other people do.
I don't care how you classify them, they are the MSM. Who we pick to watch is just the poison we chose.
That was never proven, and a matter of opinion.
I'll leave that for you and those who want to discuss "racism"
The ultra left and the KKK are the same in my books.
Or they got sick of the humidity and "no see ums" of the South Carolina Low Country and moved north where there are four real seasons and took their "heritage" and racism with them.
Shelby Foote was pretty widely criticized for the sympathies he showed to the southern cause in the Ken Burns documentary series The Civil War.
There is no doubt whatsoever that virtually all southerners knew and realized they were fighting for "the peculiar institution" that was the acknowledged southern social system, aka white supremacy.
There is a vast amount of written material that proves this over and over.
I'm absolutely counting on it!
I don't care how you classify them, they are the MSM.
Then why the cause for clarification. It reminds me of yesterday's briefing when the President referred to 40,000 deaths and the CNN reporter felt the need to correct the President of the United States, by pointing out the figure was 41,000 (actually 41,352). The point being made kind of falls flat.
That was never proven
Neither was China's hiding of Coronavirus facts.
Again, they are states right next to each other with similar situations going on and they are working together. That is called teamwork, in my world.
To what ends?
I realize that it is an inconvenience for you
It's not a matter of inconvenience, it's a matter of conflict. You know the rules. Certain people are supposed to be quarantined. So which is it?
We all have to do our part, Vic.
I'm going to leave it right there, Perrie.
Great seed and the whole of it is exactly right on in every way. Your seed is similar to one of mine from yesterday but not the same article or source and it describes the left so perfectly well. Especially the two biggest enemies of the people now, Gov. Witless of Michigan and princess Pelosi the ice cream queen of San Francisco.
NY's governor Cuomo put that into effect in early March, and NYC's mayor De Blasio double-downed at the end of that month. Yesterday, April 19, De Blasio triple-downed.
The irony. On one hand complaining about NYers holding up the reopening, and then complaining when the thing we need to do to reopen (social distancing) is being defied and asking those of us who are obeying the closures not to report idiots who don't. Well, everyone was OK with "See something, say something", when it was Islamic terrorists but not OK with idiots who might inhibit the reopening of NY. We all want to reopen and these morons are slowing that process down. What comes next? Blaming NY for being slow to open while protecting the very ones who caused it. Geeze.
Please stop making this personal by accusing me of things I didn't say. I did not complain or blame New York residents. I have many ... I repeat, many ... family members and close friends who live in New York and NYC, and I have visited them for over 50 years. Also, I have children and relatives who graduated from SUNY schools and private NY colleges/universities.That's why I know so much about the state.
I pointed out the anti-American, Orwellian snitching directives of NY's governor and NYC's mayor. If that offends you, so be it.
Those snitches are average New Yorkers trying to make sure that people are doing what the emergency measures ask them to do. So don't tell me you were not taking a pot shot at us. You are not from this state, and you have not lived through what we have. As for Orwellian? Then don't go to youtube. It's full of Orwellian videos of people catching other people acting bad and being brought to task in the public light.
OK well, have a nice day.
The mayor of Los Angeles is also offering to reward snitches in his city as well. No surprise there either.
Don't you mean people who are breaking a state of emergency decree? That means they are breaking the law. Do you believe in lawlessness?
People broke laws in totalitarian regimes in history where the government in power paid people to snitch on their neighbors too
If you believe that you're living in a totalitarian regime then go out and break the law. Stand up for your beliefs XX. Put on those big boy pants and go for it don't talk, act.
What's the problem with that? You're aware that there is an anonymous tip line for many different violations. In fact, the feds give out rewards for it...Your state more than likely has a tip line.
The only reason for complaining is that one wants to violate the order in NY and not get caught.
Honestly, I don't think there is a law that overrides the Constitution. Peaceful assembly ( no mention of how close to each other) is in the First Amendment.
If officials arrest or give a ticket for any of these activities, they essentially are violating someone's Constitutional rights. It will easily be beat in court.
If a state of emergency is declared it changes the ground rules. NY has declared a SOE.
If there are arrests or tickets given it will set up an interesting court case.
No one is complaining about "peaceful assembly". What they are talking about is people who are breaking stay at home orders in NYC. We have some clowns that think it's OK to do and inhibit the opening of the city. We would like to start phase 1 of the reopening and idiots like these are going to stop that.
Btw, the peaceful assembly does not preclude the 6 foot distancing and face coverings, yet I saw plenty of that at the "peaceful assembly" protests in some states.
OK I will concede that. I forgot about the State of Emergency.
You're right. If anyone gets a ticket in NY for any type of assembly, it certainly will be interesting.
I agree with some of what you said, but you have to agree that if DeBlasio did not go out ionto the city on March 3 and tell the citizens.....and tourists to go out and ride the subway, see the city, etc, NY may not be in the situation they are in now.
To be honest, IMO, NYC is nowhere near ready for phase 1, especially with almost 600 daily hospitalizations from COVID. Maybe some of the rural areas up north, but not NYC.
Bugsy,
I have made it clear many times, that I am not a big fan of DeBlasio. He did what you said and you may be right. That is the thing about this kind of situation. It is hard to find agreement on how much is the right amount and if it works, then you are told you over reacted. I have said from the start of this, that it would always be a lose/lose. But our Gov is a reasonable man, and he is eager to get us back online .
We have major areas upstate that are not in good condition either. It is hard to tell. I would like to see hospitalizations down, since as a Long Islander, we worry about the City bringing more covid out to us.
Thank you for a reasonable response.
eventually in states with viral hot spots that are obviously not ready to go through the 3 stage re opening plan will have their individual counties that are ready begin the process on a county by county basis. Then the test will come if a governor such as the witch of Michigan would try to hold the rest of her state hostage to the conditions in Detroit and surrounding counties or respect the facts and data of the Virus commission specialists. Cuomo might have that decision too if the Feds try to free some of NY’s counties to restart their local economy.
after seeing what the left tried to get in the stimulus packages... there is no doubt about it,
if hillary had won and the left had the senate also we would be so fuked right now.
That’s for sure!
The Political Left Has A God Complex
This pandemic has laid bare the intentions of our self-appointed betters in Washington, the media, and beyond. They have shown no desire for national unity, pushing policies to empower only themselves. They manipulate people’s worst fears, knowing that’s the surest way to get them to lay down their liberties.
We should be able to see a God-complex at work in all this control-freak behavior, and we should not fear calling out that behavior for what it is. If this seems over-the-top to American readers, that’s because we aren’t used to living under totalitarian rule.
As we just emerged from Holy Week, we would do well to recognize that this is man’s natural, sinful state. After all, the sin of pride, or the conceit of playing god, is the original sin from which all other sins emanate.
Consider that the 1.4 billion people of communist China are at the mercy of this mindset every day, an atheistic mentality hostile to religion and intent on destroying churches and any assembly that does not put the state first. People intent on playing god do not want to compete with the one living God as they try to control the lives of others.
That mindset brought on the miseries of human history. Our founders recognized it because they saw that failing in human nature, and therefore in themselves. There was a time when Americans were taught that the central purpose of the Constitution was to keep that impulse in check so we could have individual liberties. When we refuse to see the urge in ourselves, we are far less able to keep it in check.
We should call out this mindset wherever we see it, and that means questioning the motives of anyone who continuously pushes for policies that undermine individual liberties and build a mass state with a tiny elite controlling us all.
I’d like to thank 1st for reseeding this article. It made so many great points.