Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
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Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
President Donald Trump may rate his fumbled response to the coronavirus pandemic as a 10 out of 10 .
But historian John M. Barry, author of the 2005 bestseller “ The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History ” about the 1918 pandemic, thinks it’s at best a 3.5.
And in an interview with The Washington Post published Tuesday , Barry suggested even that score was “overly generous.”
Barry noted Trump downplayed the threat of the virus that has gone on to kill almost 100,000 people nationwide. Although the president eventually began to take the outbreak more seriously, he continued to give out “inaccurate information on a daily basis.”
The United States’ response to this pandemic will be remembered in 100 years’ time as “incomprehensibly incoherent,” Barry said, arguing that the most important lesson was to “tell the truth.”
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‘incomprehensibly incoherent’
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Trump spent 6 weeks lying about the corona virus, he did almost nothing but lie about it, call it a hoax and golf. But he gets fact checked on Twitter and he writes an EO within 48 hours.
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Which means what?
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snort
Please don't feed the trolls.
No worries, Tessy. It was an 80% surprise/20% amusement snort. Troll snack? Not even a miniscule crumbs-worth.
'A CHAOTIC DISASTER'
The above describes this 'president' in a nutshell.
I'm not posting so much here anymore. Kind of losing interest in Newstalkers and certain posters. Perrie reached out to me though to see if I'm okay and that spurred to post because of something I just saw on Yahoo when I was checking my e-mail.
I'll still check in here from time to time but Newstalkers seems to be losing its hold on me.
Crazy times make me realize how short life is and how much time and energy is wasted battling certain posters on social media.
I've been doing the same lately, now dipping my toes back in, but sometimes the weight of the stupidity and lies is too much to face.
I'm now going into the hospital two days a week now, part time, and also still working from home. I'm taking a break right now from sorting through a shitload of evaluations for one of my bosses.
My students might/likely will be coming back in July so in early June, I'll start cranking back up. Looks like a light at the end of the tunnel.
Places like Newstalkers have a much lower place in my priorities now, a new perspective in life is great.
I'm real thankful to Perrie though for Newstalkers. She provides a great service. It might seem a little uneven at times, but she does her best and I have to hand it to her. It can't be easy working with certain posters. I know I give her hell all the time and she takes it in stride. Reaches out to me when I'm not here for a while. Worries about me. That's great. I've never gotten that kind of personal attention on any site, EVER.
First of all, thank you Tess for that really nice post. I can't say it isn't nice to be appreciated.
I think that both it is equally important to express yourself on social media. If it wasn't there wouldn't be so much money spent on it. Having your voice, defending your POV, battling fake news is all important. So is getting out and being organized. But you can't say that one is more important than the other. In these days of social media, this is how we get to the masses. This site gets about 2k visitors a day reading our posts, and no matter which side of the fence you are on, the ones making their case better are the ones who win at the end of the day.
Anywho, I will step off of my soapbox now, LOL!
Tessylo, Good luck to you and take care
Organizing for get out the vote efforts is a far better use of time.
You're right
Read my post above.
Ditto. It can get frustrating when all one can do is refute the claims of some who point to a red fire engine and proclaim "That fire truck is green!" and when you tell them "No, it's red" they accuse you of being some coastal elite who doesn't understand that in their neck of the woods, that color is green and it's their right or religious freedom to see colors differently than the rest of humanity. Eventually it get's tiresome and I have to take a break from all the insanity that keeps bubbling forth from some.
Although I'm sorry that you're cutting back, I can't blame you for it. I, too, have become discouraged with NT, and have cut down the time I spend here. There is just too much unfairness, and especially vicious political warfare, in some of the comments, and I'm getting tired of dealing with it when I know better. Nobody wants their efforts to be unappreciated. It used to be a much more friendly site. However, I have certain responsibilities here that require my checking in now and then, and I see and check out every new user in order to delete spammers, but at the same time I can see how the vast majority who originally join then do not involve themselves, and I can fully understand why.
Also have been spending less and less time here due to the same reasons I quit the vine.
Professional far right wing political fascism has infected this site as well.
Cjold,
I have been very careful not to allow professional posters of any kind. Maybe the vine didn't care since it was a corporation, but I do.
I think the 'vine' was pretty toxic and it closed under its own toxic weight I think.
You should have seen the old msnbc boards.
No doubt. Trump supporters delude themselves as to how history will treat this narcissistic idiot.
That's how I view him now.
It sure doesn't help that he and junior sold critical PPE to China when we needed it here.
Did you see in the White Trash House recently when some nurses/medical personnel/etc. were being thanked, and one nurse said something about the lack of PPE, and the 'president' folded his arms like he does when something is said he doesn't like. He then berated and scolded her. Asshole.
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I call it the White Trash House now because of the current resident(s). Poor white trash with money.
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Again Still better than the trash that moved out.
Just consider this site and others like it as fun and entertainment, and a place where people can harmlessly vent and complain about whatever they want., usually about politics and religion.
Minds are rarely changed because our views have been formed over lifetimes...in my case, one that has lasted 82 years. Consider each day a blessing and strive to be positive instead of negative in your thoughts and actions.
That's why I never take anything you or your buddies here say [seriously,deleted]
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When will you start?
I was wondering the same thing since everytime he makes a comment to me it's neither a blessing or positive
I just had to respond to one of his as well.
An unwillingness to change ones mind due to preconceived notions or biases is indicative of a closed mind.
That is not a problem at all for tRump supporters.
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Unfortunately his assessment is a vague as most of the ones I have seen. This kind of criticism should be constructive, but it comes off just as partisan as the others I have seen. Unlike this historian, I can explain my position.
Is this a fair criticism? For one thing, he didn't completely trivialize it. I would say his position all along has been a mix of trying to take it seriously, while simultaneously trying to promote calm throughout the country. Both are worthy goals, but it's a hard line to walk effectively. And since it has been a century since something like this swept the country, I think most Americans understandably just assumed it wouldn't ever happen like this here.
Furthermore, Trump clearly had a lot of company in downplaying the virus. The WHO delayed weeks in confirming that the virus could be spread easily from person-to-person and waited far too long, in the estimation of many, to declare a pandemic. Scientists and politicians in federal and local governments were encouraging people to live their lives as normal even into late February and early March.
It is not fair to judge Trump as if he were ignoring advice from scientists. Drs. Fauci and Birx have repeatedly said that Trump has listened to, and followed, their recommendations from early in this process. Expecting the president, all on his own, to foresee the extent of the pandemic is unreasonable. No president would have the tools to accomplish that.
Yeah he probably does. At minimum, I think he is sloppy in the things he says. He rambles. He is imprecise. And he does not appreciate that people take even his throwaway musings as serious proclamations. He may not think that's fair, but he should adjust to the reality that people listening to him respond in dumb ways.
Trump is not alone in dispensing inaccurate information, though. Scientists have had to make corrections several times on how this virus behaves and what our response should be. They get a pass because that's the scientific process, but policy decisions are made based on their advice, so maybe they shouldn't get a pass. Furthermore, when it comes to the details of that response, there is plenty of disagreement even among experts.
Complicating things is the press, with its need to sensationalize the most trivial things. They routinely take statements Trump has made and blow them way out of proportion, warping their meaning. For example, the notion that Trump believes people should inject bleach. That kind of journalism does a lot of harm.
Not even CDC? Who then? All these exclusions don't leave a lot of options. Anyone the president picked to be a spokesperson would be seen by someone as a partisan voice.
I don't think it's reasonable to imagine that in a crisis like this, we would never hear from the president. I think we would hear from any president on a regular basis. I believe the press would have a field day with any president who didn't speak regularly on the topic.
This notion that politicians shouldn't be spokespersons on the pandemic is an interesting idea, but clearly far from universally agreed upon. Evidence? Governors and mayors all over the country give daily briefings. Several - Democrats especially - are praised in the media for doing exactly that. But Trump is screwing it up because he's not a neutral scientist? Sorry, but such double standards make for weak criticism.
And anyway, we do hear from these scientists all the time. Drs. Fauci and Birx are known all over the country now - and praise by many on the Left - because they have been speaking well on the virus. They do the press conferences and they do interviews on all the news networks.
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You haven't explained anything.
tRump ignored repeated warnings until it was essentially too late.
He should never have dismantled the pandemic response team that President Obama put in place.
All the rest is spin and tRumpsplanations and one of the reasons I'm so tired of certain posters.
Doesn't matter what the incompetent bumbling moron 'president' does or doesn't do, someone always tRumpsplains it away.
Time for another break.
I'm heading downtown to my office in the hospital.
"Barry noted Trump downplayed the threat of the virus that has gone on to kill almost 100,000 people nationwide."
No !
The "God" of all that is Science.... Downplayed it. Trump was following what this "God" had been saying ! If Trump "Takes Charge", the mdia goes back to "Their God" to tell us Trump is Wrong.
Gotta love when "Trump Haters" ….. make SHIT up !
Weird !
Loved what Dana Perino said on "The Five" yesterday about the CDC. "The CDC" should not be putting out briefings, and then changing what they tell us, over and over. Either wait, or don't say anything at all". I'd Trust Dana. She's always got the "Well, I wouldn't be so quick to Judge" mentality when talking about what is right and wrong with Presidents and/or Congress.
I'd say we have a CDC Problem, Not a Trump Problem. It's the CDC that can't make up their minds.
What fucking nonsense are you babbling on about now?
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As circumstances change, restrictions, etc., need to change also.
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Plus we're not the ones making shit up It.
That's your 'president' and the gop. They're the ones spreading this virus also. Should be jailed for criminal negligence.
You and they value money over people.
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"That's your 'president'"
ummmmmm ..….. And whose "YOUR" President ?
Must be Hillary, she did win the popular vote after all...
Someone doesn't know how scientific modeling works. Or how as more is learned about a NOVEL virus, more input into the model. What was known in Jan is less than Feb. Or March Or April. Or May. Information changes, model changes, outcomes change.
Getting it right the "First Time", would "Save Lives".
Playing with Numbers and letting the "Citizens" know "You're still Playing".....doesn't.