CoronaVirus ==> Empty Shelves

[FenceFurniture]

How is it that Trump can get away with such blatantly incorrect comments and then do such about turns and nobody is pulling him up on these inconsistencies?

How can he have misled his nation so disastrously?

I don't know that he does get away with them Paul, and that will be determined and revealed in November. It is exactly why he has such an apPauling relationship with the press. You have only to watch the Q&A part of his daily press conference to witness that. If someone questions his actions he attacks them, continuing to mutter under his breath when the next person starts their question. When someone else takes up the same line of questioning he really goes for them, cuts them off and then selects a "friendly" questioner from the far right press such as One America. When the social distancing first started in the James Brady Briefing Room, I even saw him say that he would prefer it if 80-90% of the journalists that remained were removed, and "that would just leave 2 or 3 that I like". I did not get the impression that he was joking.

The number of times I've seen him belittle and harangue a reporter is ridiculous. "Why don't you ask a nice question instead of a nasty, snarky question?"
I suspect that many of the reporters enjoy asking him the questions that they should be asking, knowing that he will blowtorch them.

You can catch the daily briefing in the Guardian blog at about 7.30-8 am AEST, but even easier on C-SPAN where you have the choice of watching it live or "from the beginning" which means you can skip through the boring stuff and cut to the Q&A. Look for the panel "White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing"


As I've stated before, he is not just misleading the USA, but the rest of the world. Pharmacists here in Oz had to be directed not to dispense HydroxyChloroquine a few weeks ago when he first started touting it. Fauci is in a very difficult position, where he knows he has to correct Dr Duck more or less every day, but can't go too hard because he (Fauci) knows his work is too valuable for him to be sacked in a fit of pique.

Trump surrounds himself with largely incompetent enablers, yes people, and ego feeders and soothers, and there are very few adults left in the room. He is only in it for himself and his own glory.

[FenceFurniture]

No need to be so OCD with that!

No, I haven't been! Too much bloody work.
It was just a thought bubble that came to me yesterday, which I figured deserved an answer. (primarily because, as with the WHO Brew formula, it's really important that we get these things right, clear, and without any obfuscation - it can risk being pedantic, but better that than ambiguous or wrong)

[doug3030]

The number of times I've seen him belittle and harangue a reporter is ridiculous. "Why don't you ask a nice question instead of a nasty, snarky question?"
I suspect that many of the reporters enjoy asking him the questions that they should be asking, knowing that he will blowtorch them.

Almost sounds like the woodwork forum for the past couple of months.

[bueller]

Almost sounds like the woodwork forum for the past couple of months.

This thread alone and a lot of the comments within has made me want to come back here a lot less lately. I come here for woodworking discussion, this ain't it.

[Chesand]

Has anyone done a graph on the number of posts here each day and whether the curve is flattening out. That would be useful.

[doug3030]

Has anyone done a graph on the number of posts here each day and whether the curve is flattening out. That would be useful.

Yes, it appears that by "socially isolating" people who are "infected" with opinions that may differ slightly from their own, some have definitely succeeded in flattening the post count curve.

[rwbuild]

deleted after reviewing

[woodhutt]

. How is it that Trump can get away with such blatantly incorrect comments and then do such about turns and nobody is pulling him up on these inconsistencies?
Regards
Paul

I think if you take a look at CNN and a few other reputable news organisations in the US you'll see that he is being held to account for his, let's be generous and call them 'misleading', statements. It is only Trumpcentric organisations such as Fox News which are acting as apologists for his pronouncements and continuing to disseminate the lies. It's also a truism that Americans tend to rally around the flag during times of crisis and this can show up as support for the governing regime. It doesn't always translate into success at the polls come election time. I believe and hope that, come this year's Presidential election, the American voters (the majority of who are intelligent, sensible people) will ensure that Trump's pigeons come home to roost.
Pete

[FenceFurniture]

It's also a truism that Americans tend to rally around the flag during times of crisis and this can show up as support for the governing regime. It doesn't always translate into success at the polls come election time.

Trump Keeps Talking. Some Republicans Don’t Like What They’re Hearing. - The New York Times
“He can’t escape his instincts, his desire to put people down, like Mitt Romney, or to talk about his ratings,” said former Representative Carlos Curbelo, a Florida Republican. “That’s why he’s not getting the George W. Bush post-9/11 treatment. A leader in this sort of crisis should have a 75-to-80-percent approval rating.”

[NeilS]

Yes, it appears that by "socially isolating" people who are "infected" with opinions that may differ slightly from their own, some have definitely succeeded in flattening the post count curve.

All opinions are welcome, just be prepared for responses that don't share your opinions.

As long as we play the ball and not the person, and abide by the forum rules, then it is fair play, IMO.

But, also keep in mind that many of our opinions come out of our values and any attack on those feels like an attack on us personally. We all need to be respectful of other forum members' values (which are rarely stated, but implied, correctly or not) even if we don't share those values. If we concentrate on ideas we avoid trampling on other's values. If done politely, dumping on an idea is not an attack on that person's values.

The places to challenge values is elsewhere, like in political movements, think tanks, religious outfits, ethics committees and in my, and possibly in your, family...

[NeilS]

deleted after reviewing

Sounds like a smart move.

But, I bet it felt good writing it even if you didn't post it!

[woodhutt]

I believe that George Dubbya failed to be re-elected as a result of his poor handling of the New Orleans floods following Hurricane Katrina. Until then, he had enjoyed reasonable approval ratings. Hopefully something similar will happen later this year to DT.
Pete

[FenceFurniture]

Katrina was in 2005, which the first year of his second, and last allowed, term.

[GraemeCook]

I believe that George Dubbya failed to be re-elected as a result of his poor handling of the New Orleans floods following Hurricane Katrina. ....

Not quite true. Bush served the maximum allowable two terms of four years.

[NeilS]

This thread alone and a lot of the comments within has made me want to come back here a lot less lately. I come here for woodworking discussion, this ain't it.

Yes, well, this thread is in the NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH WOODWORK forum, Bueller.

No, need to visit it if it's only woodworking you're after.

And, what a good time to be woodworking.