It is this sort of BS that is undermining our position in the world. Shameful nonsense.
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I’m guessing Pompeo was under very strict orders from whoever he works for to not budge on the naming issue.
I can understand this Administration not wanting a coherent consistent message to come out of the G-7, it would make them look bad
Besides, assigning blame it their specialty…..
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Wow, look at that timely picture of the confrontation between Trump and other world leaders on this issue, with John Bolton there by his side.
Certainly a fair and objective article from the start.
China concealed this outbreak for weeks and made this pandemic much worse, it should be called “Murdering Chinese Dictator Virus..”
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Yeah it’s all good and fine. Except when its not.
“But it has largely been rejected by scientists who believe it is not a useful description.”
The word SCIENTIST could explain a lot wrt to this administration with its history on science. Only now when his political butt is in a sling is Trump even pretending to listen to the scientists.
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Which scientists? What gives scientists a better basis for naming a pandemic than political leaders?
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Knowledge with no political bias.
“Some previous viruses have been referred to by the first place in which they were reported, but this has often resulted in public misconceptions. Moreover, some worry that a term that focuses on the virus’ origin in China could contribute to the rise of racist attacks on people of Asian descent.”
The “Spanish Flu” is one such incidence.
And we have seen reports of racist attacks on Asian-Americans because of the rhetoric.
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You quote: “But it has largely been rejected by scientists who believe it is not a useful description.”
It makes sense that scientists don’t find it useful for their purposes. It makes just as much sense that politicians do find it useful for their purposes.
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Your defense off politicians being the smartest people in the room is noted. And discarded as drivel.
Funny how you attack Democrats for allegedly politicize a crisis, but give a pass to the politicians you support and believe in.
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RE: “being the smartest people in the room”
I don’t which is more obtuse: Your failure to grasp a simple obsertation, or your notion that politicians must be held to scientific standards.
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Who’s purpose is more useful to the people, the politician or the scientist? Or better yet, a politician who listens to the scientist?
Politicians would be better servants to their constituents if the LISTENED to the scientists more often.
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RE: “Who’s purpose is more useful to the people, the politician or the scientist?”
Obviously, that depends on the politician or the scientist. Then, in contrast, there’s the assumption that scientists are better truth tellers, but demonstrably, they are no different from anybody else.
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Scientists back there words with facts. Politicians, not so much.
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@Roberts
Re: “It makes sense that scientists don’t find it useful for their purposes. It makes just as much sense that politicians do find it useful for their purposes.”
Without intending to you have identified the heart of Trump’s colossal pandemic failure. He saw it from the beginning as a “political” problem and acted that way. He should have seen it as a “science” problem and followed scientific advice from the start. Beginning in January and not now. That is what was done in South Korea and Japan. They will come through this far better than we will.
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RE: “He should have seen it as a ‘science’ problem and followed scientific advice from the start.”
Since CDC began taking action on January 6, within a week of the WHO announcement, I see no reason to assume the president didn’t follow scientific advice from the start.
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@Roberts
You do not have to “assume” anything. Just pay attention.
From the beginning science has been telling the President that the threat was deadly serious. From the beginning Trump has been making politically motivated statements that it is NOT deadly serious. Even now, he is talking about ending social distancing policies in a couple of weeks while science is telling him that it will be months.
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RE: “From the beginning Trump has been making politically motivated statements that it is NOT deadly serious.”
So you say, but that doesn’t match my lived experience of the crisis.
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@Roberts
So I say because it is entirely true. If you say that you have not experienced this behavior, the kindest thing one can say is that you are not paying attention.
Until he figured out that playing a “wartime President” on TV might be a good role for him, he offered nothing but rosy pictures, or called it a “hoax” or the product of media out to get him. In short, he minimized a colossal threat that science told him was looming for perceived political gain.
This video was made before the infection doubled and doubled again.
Yesterday your Dear Leader proved again what a jackass he is when – while supposedly briefing and reassuring the nation – he referred to “Sleepy Joe Biden” as a reason for his failures. Childish horseshit at a political rally – more totally damning in this context.
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Yes, the Chinese dictatorship is comprised of lying assholes who helped endanger the people of earth. So let’s cut off our nose to spite our face?
And, old picture??
I think you may be missing the point here.
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He picture was chosen to speak a thousand words, Trump vs the rest of the world’s leaders.
That is no different from a lengthy out-of-context quote.
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That’s a pretty big subjective stretch.
Is EVERYTHING a subliminal conspiracy?
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@Tabor
According to the reporting it WAS Trump vs everyone else on this “issue.” This picture was a fair representation of the situation.
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@Tabor
The point is that this should not be an issue. It is one because Trump wants to keep playing cards from his racist deck. You know, like the Birther card.
So RawStory used a file photo. Big deal. The article I linked to was derived from reporting by WAPO and Der Spiegel, both respected new organizations. WAPO used a picture of Pompeo at a podium. Better?
I will not defend China’s sharing of information but you folks in the Alternative Facts Universe exaggerate how bad it was for some reason. The pandemic began with an unusual cluster of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan during December. The cause was not known immediately. The WHO was informed of these 41 cases by the end of the month.
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“ China concealed this outbreak for weeks and made this pandemic much worse, it should be called “Murdering Chinese Dictator Virus..”
Why did Xi try to hide the virus? Do you think he was hoping to infect all the Chinese customers in the world?
Or was he trying to blunt, mistakenly of course, the dangers of a novel Coronavirus to protect his political position and hoping to minimize economic damage?
Trump did exactly the same, did he not, until March 13. Some travel restrictions were not addressing the dangers in our own country from the cases already here. And of course powerful voices in the right wing media, GOP Congress, mega churches said to party on up until that date. Why?
So I think your xenophobic attack on China is just that. If nothing else, we need to learn that a virus is not financial shenanigans nor is it war against another country. It is a world problem in a global economy, period.
Conspiracies here and abroad cloaked in extreme nationalism is counterproductive to say the very least.
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Is this the kind of nonsense that keeps you up at night and raises your blood pressure? Grow the f $%k up Paul. Who cares???
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Look up the definition of dingleberry and see if you see your image.
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