Mega-Thread: Coronavirus Pandemic

[Acidbaron]

Because the job of rating agencies is to give accurate ratings to lenders, not to give feel-good numbers. (Not saying that they always succeed.)
If lenders see that rating agencies start giving out feel-good numbers to countries there is a significant risk that they will stop buying them altogether - since they wouldn't know how bad they really are.

And the ones lending (by buying government bonds) may be your pension funds.

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France got a minor change as well from DBRS during the last month (outlook changed from stable to negative).

US is different from Euro-Zone countries since they can just print more dollars without defaulting, and in time of crisis people normally buy dollars.

I wouldn't say it is so much about feelings and while the US has deeper pockets than Italy, there is a system of support behind Italy while there's no collective debt in the EU. Don't misunderstand me i know why Italy has gotten a lower rating, i just find the timing peculiar that's all.
As for dollars being bought more it is know that on the forex that US currency pairs are the standard but i wouldn't say that people tend to stock up on dollars, trade in dollar pairs certainly but it is not like gold so far i am aware.

My stance about rating agencies is not something that i can easily be swayed on however as i don't view them as pristine institutes out there to give us a correct image of the situation. Regardless if the rating drop here was justified or not.

[Cynep]

It should be repeated as many times as it takes: This is not a flu.

I was talking about this earlier.

You people need to introduce a word for Acute Respiratory Viral Infections real fast. I mean, when you say "cardiovascular" everyone understands it, right? But you cannot say "Covid is a much more severe ARVI than flu" because you lack the widely understood acronym for ARVI. Our authorities here said that sentence without a problem and everyone understood them.

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He just compared Accidents to a contagious Virus with no Vaccine, it's not the same, Bill Maher did nothing to challenge him in any of the questions.

People still need testing and Contact Tracing before opening society back up slowly. He has no proof that Herd Immunity will work.

I think I know why you attack him. They say he appeared on Fox News, which makes him an infidel, a heathen, right? No matter what is being said, if it's said on Fox News it must be thrown into garbage? This intolerance is y'all's problem.

[Cynep]

Then you have a failed country where the rule of law gives way to anarchy.

You mean you have a Wild West where dangerous people are polite to each other because they don't want to be shot dead ;p

But yes I agree with you, this behavior should be unacceptable.

[Gorsameth]

How do they work? Like, who pays them to produce ratings? They are not universally funded agencies that don't have to worry about receiving payments, right? I seriously question their value in the world and how a pension fund might be tricked into buying better-rated stocks that are garbage and received that rating just because someone paid the rating agency.

They have value so long as the system works as its supposed to.
But the system stopped working as its supposed to a long time ago and the last crash again highlighted it.

You should watch "The Big Short" if you've never seen it before.

[PhaelixWW]

I was talking about this earlier.

You people need to introduce a word for Acute Respiratory Viral Infections real fast. I mean, when you say "cardiovascular" everyone understands it, right? But you cannot say "Covid is a much more severe ARVI than flu" because you lack the widely understood acronym for ARVI. Our authorities here said that sentence without a problem and everyone understood them.

"The coronavirus is not a flu" is easy enough to comprehend. That's not the problem.

People hear what they want to hear.

Willful ignorance, not just ignorance, is the problem.

[Gorsameth]

Then you have a failed country where the rule of law gives way to anarchy.

Welcome to America.

I'd draw your attention to when the Bundys occupied a wildlife refuge with a heavily armed militia back in '14 as a real example of armed civilians trying to fight the government through threat of arms.

[Cynep]

"The coronavirus is not a flu" is easy enough to comprehend. That's not the problem.

People hear what they want to hear.

Okay it's not a flu, then what is it? A diarrhea? No, cooties maybe? You don't need to sit home if you have cooties? How are you going to convince me? You want to convince me, I hope, since you can't really make me? See what I'm trying to tell you?

People will call it "a flu" because they lack a better word.

[Santti]

Okay it's not a flu, then what is it? A diarrhea? No, cooties maybe? You don't need to sit home if you have cooties? How are you going to convince me? You want to convince me, I hope, since you can't really make me? See what I'm trying to tell you?

People will call it "a flu" because they lack a better word.

Virus? Covid-19? Corona?

[Poe]

Okay it's not a flu, then what is it? A diarrhea? No, cooties maybe? You don't need to sit home if you have cooties? How are you going to convince me? You want to convince me, I hope, since you can't really make me? See what I'm trying to tell you?

People will call it "a flu" because they lack a better word.

A disease ?

A pathogen ?

A virus ?

Covid-19 / Coronavirus ?


There are so many less ignorant words to call it.

[Cynep]

Once again guys. I'm a hillbilly. I don't know what Covid is. Virus doesn't cut it, HIV is a virus, not scary. Corona is a beer, so what. What is this new Covid thing, I'm asking you? Okay this guy tells me it works like flu, when someone sneezes on you, you can get it. That I can understand. You say it's not flu? But it works like flu? How is it not a flu?

[Poe]

Once again guys. I'm a hillbilly. I don't know what Covid is. Virus doesn't cut. HIV is a virus

Then I suggest you educate yourself.

The Flu is a virus.

[Santti]

Once again guys. I'm a hillbilly. I don't know what Covid is. Virus doesn't cut it, HIV is a virus, not scary. Corona is a beer, so what. What is this new Covid thing, I'm asking you? Okay this guy tells me it works like flu, when someone sneezes on you, you can get it. That I can understand. You say it's not flu? But it works like flu? How is it not a flu?

If you read news even badly, you know what it is.

[Cynep]

Then I suggest you educate yourself.

... and polarization goes on, no one is going to listen to y'all.

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If you read news even badly, you know what it is.

Yes, I do know it, it's a new disease that works like flu, but a much worse flu. But because English speakers lack a word for "not only flu but other stuff that works like flu", you can only say "not a flu", and when asked, okay not a flu then what? ... if you can't talk to me I have no chance to hear you.

... and if you dismiss me as a stupid <censored> <censored> which I am, I'm going to spread the virus because I think you're being stupid, not me.
[Infraction]

[Machismo]

... and polarization goes on, no one is going to listen to y'all.

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Yes, I do know it, it's a new disease that works like flu, but a much worse flu. But because English speakers lack a word for "not only flu but other stuff that works like flu", you can only say "not a flu", and when asked, okay not a flu then what? ... if you can't talk to me I have no chance to hear you.

Why are you being deliberately obtuse?

If you cannot grasp such simple concepts, then this conversation is not worth having.

That's how you respond.

[breadisfunny]

... and polarization goes on, no one is going to listen to y'all.

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Yes, I do know it, it's a new disease that works like flu, but a much worse flu. But because English speakers lack a word for "not only flu but other stuff that works like flu", you can only say "not a flu", and when asked, okay not a flu then what? ... if you can't talk to me I have no chance to hear you.

so educating yourself is polarizing now? we do have a name for it it's called the coronavirus.

[Poe]

... and polarization goes on, no one is going to listen to y'all.

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Yes, I do know it, it's a new disease that works like flu, but a much worse flu. But because English speakers lack a word for "not only flu but other stuff that works like flu", you can only say "not a flu", and when asked, okay not a flu then what? ... if you can't talk to me I have no chance to hear you.

I think the term "disease" is understood by most English speakers.

[breadisfunny]

I think the term "disease" is understood by most English speakers.

isn't a disease technically more slower?

[Cynep]

Why are you being deliberately obtuse?

If you cannot grasp such simple concepts, then this conversation is not worth having.

That's how you respond.

In this thought exercise, I'm the one wielding a rifle in the land of the free, and you're not taking away my rights. Since you can't convince me this disease is dangerous, I'll keep spreading it without knowing it.

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I think the term "disease" is understood by most English speakers.

Cooties is a disease too. Why do I need to wear a mask, again?

[Santti]

... and polarization goes on, no one is going to listen to y'all.

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Yes, I do know it, it's a new disease that works like flu, but a much worse flu. But because English speakers lack a word for "not only flu but other stuff that works like flu", you can only say "not a flu", and when asked, okay not a flu then what? ... if you can't talk to me I have no chance to hear you.

... and if you dismiss me as a stupid <censored> <censored> which I am, I'm going to spread the virus because I think you're being stupid, not me.

Call it a disease. There are many diseases in the world. Some of them share (some) symptoms with each other, some of them don't. Covid-19 shares some of it's symptoms with the flu, like many other diseases do.

This is not difficult or complicated.

And what the hell was that last bit, anyway?

[Cynep]

I think I need to stop, you guys don't understand what I'm trying to convey - your side needs the ignoramuses to understand you, not the other way around.