“Viral Blizzard”

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I’d like to meet the writer who came up with this phrase, which is currently in endless repetition throughout media. It is a masterpiece of propaganda.

There is of course no such real thing in all of nature as a “viral blizzard.” To take the phrase seriously one must accede to its untruth. Then, having given an inch, one has already given a mile. All in the space of two tyrannical trochees (VIral BLIZZard).

The symbolism is exquisite, too. Anything viral is hot, turbulent, messy; a blizzard is cold, oppressive, stark. Orwell himself would marvel at the oxymoron.

The idea seems to be that Stumble Joe will save us from an unimaginable horror with his Covid Winter plan to be announced today. I’d say that positive prospects are unlikely, though. Omicron doesn’t seem to notice the vaccines and it doesn’t appear to be very dangerous. Next April will be the cruellest month.

Published by John Todd Roberts

Published

52 thoughts on ““Viral Blizzard””

  2. Again?

    You seem to never tire of trying to justify the deadly selfishness of the antivaxxer crowd. Approximately 1,200 people a day are dying, it is likely to get worse, and yet you continue to downplay the seriousness of the illness and the damage being done by such stupidity as the unvaccinated overwhelm our hospitals with their preventable illness.

    “Stumble Joe” as you refer to our President is showing that he can listen and learn. The other day the White House press person mocked the suggestion that everyone should be sent testing kits. Today it is being done. When did YOUR hero ever change course based on evidence?

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    1. RE: “You seem to never tire of trying to justify the deadly selfishness of the antivaxxer crowd.”

      I regard propaganda as deadly, which is why I call attention to it.

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      1. “I regard propaganda as deadly, which is why I call attention to it.”

        Interesting. You refer to the phrase “viral blizzard” as propaganda, yet you deny that those who push anti-vax nonsense (tracking chips, magnetism, infertility, etc.) are not practicing the same type of propaganda. They are just voicing “alternative theories”.

        You and Bruce take the proverbial DQ Blizzard.

        There is one word that comes to mind, as it often does when reading some of your screeds and links. Can you guess what it is?

        Nu?

        Here let me spell it for you: H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E. BIG LETTERS SO YOU DON’T MISS IT.

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        1. RE: “You refer to the phrase ‘viral blizzard’ as propaganda, yet you deny that those who push anti-vax nonsense (tracking chips, magnetism, infertility, etc.) are not practicing the same type of propaganda.”

          I challenge you to search every post I have ever made and provide evidence of such denial on my part.

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  3. COVID-19, is a virus. That we can all agree on. It is winter and blizzards are common occurrences this time of year in many parts of the country. The Omicron variant has become the predominant variant in the US in less than a month. Kind of how a blizzard comes up, quickly and sometimes with little warning.

    And the anti-vax crowd is even turning on their dear orange headed leader. He was booed the other night when he told them he had his booster. Bill O’Reilly had to console the poor guy, he was so distraught over his people turning on him for DOING THE RIGHT THING. Maybe he is a vaccine sell-out?

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    1. I don’t and won’t boo anyone for getting a vaccine or a booster. I do, however, feel sad about people who see propaganda as truth.

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      1. What is propagandist about this? A phrase to help describe how the Omicron variant is spreading? ”
        Blizzard is often used when something is overwhelming. Apparently you have lived through any blizzards.

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          1. I just took your advice and read your post again. Strange, it is still all bullshit.

            There is no “untruth” to accede to in this expression. There is no “propaganda” here which is – by definition – misleading or false. “Viral blizzard” is a metaphor that conveys the TRUTH of what we are already experiencing with this new storm of virus infections.

            What IS manifest in your antivaxxer ravings is your obvious deep need to rationalize your apparent unwillingness to help stop the pandemic through the simple, safe, painless, and beneficial step of getting vaccinated. There is no rational basis for such behavior. It is deeply pathological. IMHO.

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          2. Every time I reread your post, this or any other, I see something even more disturbing about what you are conveying.

            You don’t like metaphors? You consider ANY metaphor that falls outside of your personal feelings to be “propaganda”?

            Funny, but you appear to be quite the snowflake.

            Yeah, I did that on purpose.

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          5. “Got it. Metaphors are truth.”

            Uh, you “got” nothing. As usual.

            Metaphors can convey the truth. The metaphor “viral blizzard” conveys the truth that we are experiencing a damaging onslaught of viral infections that is likely to get worse. It is really that simple.

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          6. RE: “The metaphor ‘viral blizzard’ conveys the truth that we are experiencing a damaging onslaught of viral infections that is likely to get worse.”

            That is exactly the problem. Whether the onslaught is damaging or not and whether it is likely to get worse are matters of opinion. I don’t agree that speculation = truth.

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          7. RE: “And you still haven’t provided another way to convey what is going on with COVID today.”

            Here you go: Covid infections are increasing as the Omicron virus spreads.

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          11. “That is exactly the problem. Whether the onslaught is damaging or not and whether it is likely to get worse are matters of opinion”

            I used the word “pathological” before. Here is more evidence that it was not the wrong word.

            Your OPINION of what is merely an opinion is pure horseshit. In my opinion.

            Of course, the “viral blizzard” is damaging.
            Unless you don’t care to count 1,200 deaths and 8,000 new hospitalizations EVERY FUCKING DAY in this country alone as “damaging.” Maybe YOU don’t. After all, YOU haven’t died. Yet.

            Of course, the “viral blizzard” is getting worse. That is a FACT supported by EVIDENCE. The easy transmissibility of this virus has led to EXPONENTIAL increases in new cases wherever it has taken root. Especially among the unvaccinated.

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          12. Well, if someone wishes to live within a fantasy world of imprecise and misleading notions, that is his choice. Sounds like a sheep’s life to me, a true metaphor.

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  4. The term Viral Blizzard may turn out to be appropriate for reasons uncomfortable to both sides of the vaccine wars.

    FWIW, I got vaccinated as soon as I could, and got the booster(full dose) as soon as I could as well. But that may well prove to be of little advantage. Omicron completely evades the Regeneron cocktail that was so helpful to my wife in her breakthrough Delta infection, and while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, with boosters, may well prove helpful, they are far less effective than we would like for the elderly and compromised. The same is true for natural immunity.

    There will be no herd immunity.

    We are back to square one as far as immunity is concerned.

    I’m sure Moderna and Pfizer will come up with Omicron specific vaccines but by the time the FDA approves them we will either be dead or recovered.

    I think that from this point forward, it’s going to be about therapeutics like Paxlovid and the drugs that follow.

    It’s really still not too late for that airstrike on FDA headquarters. At least 40,000 Americans have died needlessly since Pfizer stopped the trial on Paxlovid, and those deaths are the fault of the FDA.

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    1. “It’s really still not too late for that airstrike on FDA headquarters. ”

      Is this the kind of rhetoric that you believe to be appropriate and civil?

      Given your unflinching support for Mr. Trump’s dishonest and deadly mismanagement of the Covid crisis – which cost far more lives than any perceived failure by the FDA – such rhetoric is both beyond laughable and beyond hypocritical. Not only is this kind of talk stupid, it is also illegal – as it should be.

      https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2385

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      1. The President should be advised of all of his options, even if done sarcastically.

        The delay in deploying Paxlovid has cost at least 40, 000 lives and every day they delay means another 1200 people who could have been saved will pass out of the 5 day effective window and die in the coming weeks.

        Your silence as the FDA slaughters Americans with its malfeasance is what should be criminal.

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        1. “The delay in deploying Paxlovid has cost at least 40, 000 lives”

          Your made-up facts do not carry any weight with me.

          Your calling me a “criminal” because I do not share and express your drooling hatred of our government does not alter the fact that the rhetoric you choose to employ to express your drooling hatred is, in fact, criminal.

          https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2385

          You could be, and in my opinion, ought to be prosecuted under this statute. Sarcasm is not a defense. Advocating violence against the government is childish, for sure. But with all the gun-toting shitheads who share your extremism, it is also dangerous.

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          1. Really?

            What specific error did Trump commit that has cost 40,000 lives. Keep in mind that the US did not reach 40,000 total, much less preventable, deaths until mid April 2020.

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          5. “What specific error . . . ?”

            Again? Really? Laughable!

            The answer is well documented and has been given many times.

            The biggest variable in a pandemic is how people behave. Trump chose to lie to the American people and minimize the danger. He demonized mask wearing, social distancing and personally organized super-spreader events.

            The repercussions of his decision to lie and mislead are still with us. Those 40,000 deaths you dream up that the FDA caused would be almost exclusively among the suckers who are still following his lead. Very few of them would be dead if they had simply taken personal responsibility, followed the science and got themselves vaccinated.

            You whine is typical of “conservatives” evading personal responsibility and trying to blame someone else for the consequences of their choices.

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        3. “The President should be advised of all of his options, “…

          I know what your reply will PROBABLY be, but…

          https://thetriad.thebulwark.com/p/trumps-handling-of-covid-was-worse?r=7hgxp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

          You rail regularly about the FDA and have defended the previous administration’s response to the outbreak. Well, DR. Tabor, in the above link are several tidbits of information that make Trump’s response even more criminal than what you perceive the FDA to be.

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          1. The key to this hatchet job is in the 2nd paragraph of section ! of your cite.

            Trump is criticized for underestimating the virus but remember that at the same time, Saint Fauci was saying there was no need to change behavior.

            https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/04/12/dr_anthony_fauci_at_this_time_there_is_no_need_to_change_your_habits_over_coronavirus.html

            Trump’s correct explanation of why comparing states and countries was difficult because of uneven testing was taken out of context to portray him as saying that if we didn’t test there would be no cases.

            As your own cite starts out saying, this was score settling not reporting.

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          2. “Trump is criticized for underestimating the virus but remember that at the same time, Saint Fauci was saying there was no need to change behavior.”

            Bullshit. As it is every time you repeat this lie.

            Dr. Fauci clearly qualified that guidance with the caveat that it would have to change the moment there was evidence of community spread. And he had to address the issue in a context where his boss, the President of the United States, had just called the pandemic a “Democratic hoax.”

            Trump did not “underestimate” the virus. He deliberately LIED about its severity and its potential. THAT was his policy – LIES – and he later said as much.

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          4. “The key to this hatchet job is in the 2nd paragraph of section ! of your cite.”

            That was part of my expectation from you.

            However, while it may be a hatchet job, it seems to be an accurate one, You continue to defend that which many call indefensible. DOWNPLAYIING the effects of the virus to avoid a panic was their reason given before and you were just OK with that. Too bad telling the American people the truth lost its luster under 45 and the current administration is doing its damnedest to overcome that.

            But you focused on the hatchet job and not the MEAT of WHY it was a hatchet job.

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          5. People fleeing the cities and carrying plague to the countryside goes back to the Roman Empire. So yes, discouraging panic was a valid choice early on.

            Remember that COVID was brought to Tidewater by a New York woman who fled New York thinking she was OK and who did not quarantine when she got here.

            Buying time for quarantine procedures to be established was not a bad idea. It would have gotten here anyway, but giving the healthcare establishment time to prepare was not a bad idea.

            Of course, when you’re sniping from the sidelines it’s always easy to second guess, but when you’re responsible for millions of lives, it is more difficult.

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          6. Right, ALL of the travelers that returned to the States from overseas had zero to do with the spread throughout the country. Your blaming of coastal elites for every single problem ( your perception, not necessarily true) continues to be your blind spot.

            And sideline sniping is what we do here. Now it is bad because YOUR hero is the one being sniped.

            Mr. Trump downplayed the virus issue to avoid a panic. He wanted to stop testing people because if you test, you get more cases. He did not want to allow CITIZENS to come into the country because that would make for a higher cas count.

            You defend him continually and have never even considered a criticism of him. Are you afraid the Fox News hosts will call for a “kill shot” against you if you tell the freaking treuth?

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          7. Who said anything about citizens returning from other countries?

            The point was that for almost 2000 years there are records of people fleeing plague in cities and bringing it the supposedly safe areas with them. That is a reason to avoid panic, to slow the spread.

            Again, in context, Trump was explaining why some areas and countries that did not test much appeared to have low case numbers.

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          8. “Who said anything about citizens returning from other countries?”

            You put ALL of the blame on the spread of the virus on those fleeing cities. How many of those were people that needed to return home THROUGH those cities?

            We also have the right to travel freely in this country. But in your mind, the right thing would have been for an order that NOONE can leave a city. Nice call, Dr. Constitution.

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          10. “Remember, even with the benefits of hindsight and the vaccines Trump left to him, more Americans have died on Biden’s watch than Trump’s.”

            There are lies. There are damned lies. And there are statistics.

            Very analogous to all those job losses by Obama as the previous administration’s economy continued its free fall after January 20, 2009. 4,000 people per day were dying when Biden took office. It took time to stem that tide. Besides, a large and growing proportion of the deaths on Biden’s watch are directly related to Trump’s failed leadership on vaccination, masking, and social distancing.

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          11. “People fleeing the cities and carrying plague . . .”

            Absolutely ridiculous. Trump’s decision to LIE had nothing to do with preventing the spread of the virus. It was about protecting the DOW-JONES and his re-election prospects.

            This is a typical Trump Bizzaro universe argument. The virus was FAR more likely to spread if people went about their lives and travels without any knowledge of how dangerous it was. And THAT is exactly what happened as a result of Trump’s dishonesty.

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          3. “BTW, simply firing everyone employed by the FDA and disbanding the agency would do.”

            But that is not what you called for, was it?

            Your fantasy was not house-cleaning at FDA. It was an aerial bombardment that was deserved based on your simplistic back-of-the-envelope calculations saying they are mass murderers.

            I note again that almost everyone who has died in the time frame of your 40,000 hypothetical murders CHOSE not to get vaccinated.

            Some advice – grow up.

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