Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

CNN reports that--

1,956 deaths

..hey remember when two days ago I asked "2,000 a day by the end of the month?"

Sigh.

CNN reports that 1,314 military members got COVID today -- that's a new record.

There are currently about 25,000 active Covid-19 cases in the ranks, and another 44,390 service members have recovered from the virus, according to the Pentagon. The number of military cases has grown over the last few weeks as case counts have increased in the general population.

A US defense official told CNN that the US military has a positivity rate of 6.8%. That compares to about 10% among civilians taking coronavirus tests. The military has claimed since the beginning of the pandemic that it can maintain a lower positivity rate because the military has a younger, healthier population. It also can also more easily mandate restrictions than civilian authorities.

[beanman12345]

Number of COVID-19 'long haulers,' survivors with lasting virus symptoms, is growing--Another reminder that even if you recover, you might never fully recover.

I'm curious about the long hauler cognitive decline of people who were already suffer from cognitive decline long before getting covid, like trump. Is it additive?

[Benggaul]

I'm curious about the long hauler cognitive decline of people who were already suffer from cognitive decline long before getting covid, like trump. Is it additive?

I'm no doctor. But this guy is:

The hidden long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19

There is one inevitable conclusion from these studies: COVID infection frequently leads to brain damage — particularly in those over 70. While sometimes the brain damage is obvious and leads to major cognitive impairment, more frequently the damage is mild, leading to difficulties with sustained attention.

In other words...how could we know?

[PhaelixWW]

And only one state--Vermont--appears to have an ICU occupancy of less than 50%. 13 are above 80% occupancy. North Dakota is around 90%. That's...fucking scary.

I feel like I should point out that ICU's standardly operate at about 70-80% occupancy. At least they did pre-COVID. That being said, I think most hospitals have tried to find a way to increase their ICU bed total, and they're also still seeing a decrease in non-COVID cases as people are understandably worried about going to/staying in a hospital during a pandemic.

I'm not sure what a "normal" ICU occupancy is these days, but it's probably somewhere in the 30-60% range, so factor that into your assessment of hospitalization rates.

[Crissi]

Pls send halp. My county is at 92% ICU bed occupancy, 17% covid occupancy, and our county judge is literally using polite language to say "Abbot is not letting us save lives cause he's a fuckface". We're on our way to being the new El Paso.

[Xyonai]

I'm no doctor. But this guy is:

The hidden long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19



In other words...how could we know?

Honestly not enough has been done to stress the Lingering Side effects of this disease for the dipshits in the back who think a 95% survival rate means its harmless.

[Corvus]

Those numbers are terrible. In reality they are probably much worse when you consider the ridiculously high positive rates in places like the Dakotas.

Sad to say that I think it will be too late by the time Biden takes over. The US is going to be crippled for years by that stage. If you wanted to go out of your way to ruin a country then you'd be acting as Trump and his enablers are.

China is watching on as is likely licking it lips. I would not by shocked if they made a move on Taiwan while the US is falling apart due to the virus.

[Breccia]

I would not by shocked if they made a move on Taiwan while the US is falling apart due to the virus.

Um...they haven't already? I'm fairly sure they have.

[Omega10]

Those numbers are terrible. In reality they are probably much worse when you consider the ridiculously high positive rates in places like the Dakotas.

Sad to say that I think it will be too late by the time Biden takes over. The US is going to be crippled for years by that stage. If you wanted to go out of your way to ruin a country then you'd be acting as Trump and his enablers are.

China is watching on as is likely licking it lips. I would not by shocked if they made a move on Taiwan while the US is falling apart due to the virus.

So is EU. They have been unshackled thanks to Brexit, and are quickly and reasonably efficiently positioning themselves to capture a lot of the power that the US relinquishes. The US and India were both falling behind even before the virus, and now that we are numbers 1 and 2 in number of virus cases, the path for EU and China to be the top two powers is quite clear and ready to be traversed.

I just hope that both grow at similar rates to counterbalance each other. The US got quite cocky when we were the sole superpower. Having two superpowers that aren't complete enemies might work better than either the cold war (US vs USSR) or the lone wolf (US alone).

[Underverse]

So is EU. They have been unshackled thanks to Brexit, and are quickly and reasonably efficiently positioning themselves to capture a lot of the power that the US relinquishes. The US and India were both falling behind even before the virus, and now that we are numbers 1 and 2 in number of virus cases, the path for EU and China to be the top two powers is quite clear and ready to be traversed.

I just hope that both grow at similar rates to counterbalance each other. The US got quite cocky when we were the sole superpower. Having two superpowers that aren't complete enemies might work better than either the cold war (US vs USSR) or the lone wolf (US alone).

I'm okay with the EU filling a US power vacuum. They have good moral bearing. China...not so much.

[Corvus]

Um...they haven't already? I'm fairly sure they have.

I meant an invasion of Taiwan.

The CCP have made a pretty big deal of how the unification of Taiwan with the mainland has to happen by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, by any means necessary. And given how they have stoked the ethno-nationalist rhetoric of late, they can't not carry through.

They had tried to persuade Taiwan that the one country two systems approach would work but after seeing what has gone down in HK and how the CCP reneged on it there, the Taiwanese aren't buying it. Which leaves forceful unification.

To date the Chinese haven't tried it, partially because they didn't have the equipment for it, and partially because they weren't sure exactly what the US would do, given how the US has left it ambiguous. They have build up their forces massively to the stage they could attempt it now. The only obstacle lay with what the US would do, and if the US is falling apart due to the coronavirus, it leaves the CCP with a window to try it, if they are going to do it all.

[Breccia]

I meant an invasion of Taiwan.

Ah.

Wel...yeah, now's the time.

[Forogil]

These are bots. There are hundreds of posts saying the same thing.

Which still doesn't answer the question.

Bots (or humans) can be programmed to amplify a message based on the wishes of the ones controlling them; and thus the question remain - and we have seen such things before. It's like people chanting "Stop the Steal" when law-suits are intending to steal the election.
Bots (or humans) can also repeat a message just to get people to engage in their other messages.

- - - Updated - - -

"moving to Mexico" And you aren't sure?

Well, people chanted "Jews shall not replace us" - while Jared Kushner was the overall fixer.

And in Europe I've heard some anti-immigration politicians talking about moving to countries with stringent immigration policies.

[Kaleredar]

I meant an invasion of Taiwan.

The CCP have made a pretty big deal of how the unification of Taiwan with the mainland has to happen by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, by any means necessary. And given how they have stoked the ethno-nationalist rhetoric of late, they can't not carry through.

They had tried to persuade Taiwan that the one country two systems approach would work but after seeing what has gone down in HK and how the CCP reneged on it there, the Taiwanese aren't buying it. Which leaves forceful unification.

To date the Chinese haven't tried it, partially because they didn't have the equipment for it, and partially because they weren't sure exactly what the US would do, given how the US has left it ambiguous. They have build up their forces massively to the stage they could attempt it now. The only obstacle lay with what the US would do, and if the US is falling apart due to the coronavirus, it leaves the CCP with a window to try it, if they are going to do it all.

Such a move would likely send alarm bells-a-ringing throughout the Asian-pacific nations. I highly doubt that South Korea and Japan would be fond of such a move, let alone the reaction of the world at large, US aside.

And I mean, if such a thing were to happen and the US had to sit it out because of COVID (something I actually kind of doubt would play that majorly into whatever hypothetical geopolitical issue this would cause, especially with a promise of a vaccine and actual competent leadership in the not-too-distant future)... if every other country also sat it out because big brother USA wasn't there to raise a fuss... that's not just on the US, at that point. Every other country would be equally complicit in just letting China do what they want.

If the EU wants to act like it's not currently scrapping with Russia for third place in the effective global power scale totem pole, they might have to be prepared to put up or shut up on geopolitical issues all on their own. Yes, that might include deciding to stand up to China.

Though this conversation appears to be drifting away from Trump.

[Breccia]

A tale in three tweets. Guess who wrote each?

The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud - including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, “glitches” in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Translation: The recent statement by Chris Krebs was highly accurate, in that there were no improprieties or fraud, confirmed by all credible 2020 Election officials sworn under oath to be truthful. Therefore, he has been terminated for refusing to lie for me, your #LiarInChief

In defending democracy, do or do not, there is no try. This is the way

[Skulltaker]

That being said, I think most hospitals have tried to find a way to increase their ICU bed total, and they're also still seeing a decrease in non-COVID cases as people are understandably worried about going to/staying in a hospital during a pandemic.

The thing about this capacity is that it's not enough to simply have the space and hardware.

Patients in intensive care need just that, intensive care. It's usually not enough to 'plug them in' and check on them once a day. You need personal to monitor them, and that personal needs training, and that isn't something you can get in a 'boot camp'. Hospital staff working the ICU have recieved years of training and education. Properly administering ventilators is actually very tricky.

[Thepersona]

A tale in three tweets. Guess who wrote each?



Translation: The recent statement by Chris Krebs was highly accurate, in that there were no improprieties or fraud, confirmed by all credible 2020 Election officials sworn under oath to be truthful. Therefore, he has been terminated for refusing to lie for me, your #LiarInChief

In defending democracy, do or do not, there is no try. This is the way

1st: Darth Dotardine

2nd: Jedi Master Luke Skywalker

3rd: Jedi knight... I forgot his name, but he served as an undercover agent in Darth Dotardine's regime.

Edit: the third one is Jedi knight Chris Krebs.

[Belize]

Pls send halp. My county is at 92% ICU bed occupancy, 17% covid occupancy, and our county judge is literally using polite language to say "Abbot is not letting us save lives cause he's a fuckface". We're on our way to being the new El Paso.

Texas as a whole is kinda fucked. Our county judge ordered the local sports arena to be converted to a makeshift med center, and has put hotels, HOTELS, on standby for when that gets full too

[AntiFascistVoter]

Where did Trumperism come from? It's been on the TV 24/7 for decades.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the time Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, on live television, attempted to roast marshmallows over an open fire with their bare hands and a plastic spoons.

[Felya]

Where did Trumperism come from? It's been on the TV 24/7 for decades.

The still image for that video is strange. Look at the bottom ticker... It has a Fox logo, acting as a divider... than just has “TEA PARTY” followed by a “B” and sports scores? Is that subliminal messaging?

Edit: Mistook the name for the Florida Republican...