We need to listen to the truthtellers on the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the ones who deliver facts, seek more data and don’t pat themselves on the back. They will also say we don’t know yet, more often than the back-patters.
An ER nurse earlier in the werk said what has surprised her is the number of people between ages 25 and 54 that are coming in with the virus. Last night, PBS (or it may have been ABC) reported that younger folks who have diabetes (or pre-diabetes) or asthma are at higher risk. So, everyone is at risk to some extent.
We are behind where we need to be due to both the naysaying (calling it a hoax) from the White House and sheepish other politicians, the elimination of the Global Pandemic group in 2018 and the elimination of some US CDC epidemiologists in China in 2019. We are doing things now that should have been planned back in January. The legislators were forewarned by National Security folks, so the pandemic risk was known.
Even still, too many have parroted the president’s early naysaying (which lasted to the end of February) and more have gotten sick or died, even a few parroters. This echo effect is what is dangerous given the misinformation which continues to today.
David Brooks, the conservative pundit, called the “inconstancy” of the president on these issues as a major risk. He cited the president’s downplaying of needed ventilators one hour and issuing an emergency declaration for more ventilators the next. He tends to react to remedy any bad press rather than plan ahead.
I heard yesterday, NPR and other news outlets are not broadcasting the White House press conferences wall-to-wall” due to the misinformation from the president. They do report on what the truthtellers are saying, as good information is discussed. But are they are not covering the president’s talking points live.
So, folks young and older need to listen to the doctors and truthtellers. Their lives may depend on it.
Sidebar: If one of your friends, colleagues, relatives, bosses or other co-workers routinely bragged on what a great job they were doing, what would you reaction be? If the boss’ direct reports bragged on the boss on a routine basis, again what would your reaction be? The same question should be asked when it happens at the uppermost leadership levels in our country.
musingsofanoldfart 
Again, the truly sad thing is that so many people not only listen but believe everything this man says. It’s an indictment of our education system.
Hugh, true. That and not reading or watching real news. What he is doing now, he did before as a business person. Lie, bully, sue. Repeat. Keith
There need to be facts delivered in an understandable language. No empty words which may sound good, sell good, or seem to simply silence others. What Mr. T said can never be taken for real anyway. As Hugh said, too many still listen and follow without thinking…
Erika, so true. It would stun T followers to know that 64% of Europeans do not trust the US president. Keith
Only 64%? I have never met or heard of someone who does? Oh, maybe Johnson does… Sorry, did😜
Erika, it does seem low, but you walk in more enlightened circles. The same survey said Europeans trusted Putin and Xi more. We should not forget Putin is a KGB trained disinformation specialist. Keith
Note to Readers: The Guardian posted the attached article today contrasting the decisions not made in the US versus those made in South Korea the same day each found out the first virus hit the shores. It is called “The missing six weeks: how Trump failed the biggest test in his life.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/28/trump-coronavirus-politics-us-health-disaster
If trump was a normal employee, he would have been terminated long ago. If he were an executive in a company, no one would want to work for him. He is a failed human as well as a failed president.
Janis, true. Other than his father, Trump has never reported to anyone. A board of directors, would have taken issue with his bankrupticies and bad investments, as well as his poor msnagement. Keith
As re South Korea … Trump bragged that the U.S. had tested far more than S. Korea, but … look at the difference in population! 330 million to 51 million! South Korea has tested 1 in every 107, while the U.S. has tested only 1 in every 1,096. Just one more of Trump’s lies, misrepresentations, and disinformations. Why are we putting up with this??? In two day’s time, the death toll in the U.S. doubled from 1,000 to 2,000. A portion of those deaths are on the shoulders of Trump who lied and misrepresented the threat for a month or more, making it all about him, calling it a democratic hoax. I hope the republicans in the U.S. Senate are damned proud of themselves for resisting the opportunity to do their duty and convict this bastard when they had the chance. Is that egg I see on Mitch McConnell’s face?
Jill, quite simply, when someone’s primary motivation is to CYA, good decisions become secondary. He is so consumed by the stock market and bad press, his stance bounces up and down like a market. David Brooks’ term “inconstancy” to define Trump is dead on accurate. It is also dangerous. Keith
I just don’t understand how he can keep saying that everything he’s ever done has been ‘perfect’, when it’s so obvious that none of it has been. Mr. Brooks is quite right … it is very dangerous, and I fear what another four years of it will do to this nation … to the world, for that matter. And yet, people seem to have completely forgotten about the election … it doesn’t seem to matter much in light of the pandemic, and the fact that they are getting a check for $1,200. Sigh.
Jill, quite simply, his ego is too shallow to admit that he was wrong. That is also one of two lessons his biographers said he learned from McCarthy whisperer Roy Cohn – don’t apologize for anything and sue everybody. Keith
I see that Trump’s approval ratings are high. So were LBJ’s at one stage. Then the body bags started to mount. Folk, naturally and understandably notice body bags, it is the one reminder no one can ignore.
Roger, I think LBJ was not up to task of running again. Could he have beaten Nixon – maybe, even with the body bags? Keith
We’ll never know. It would have been a messy campaign. Had Trump been there he would have been flattened between these two operators.
Roger, I don’t know. Trump can make his followrs he never said things that have been recorded. My wife spoke with one yesterday who told her he did not believe the COVID-19 hype was real. Keith