My daily angry-as-fuck rant:

[PCIntern]

Every thoughtful clinician and medically/biologically educated person KNEW that when the existence of this pathogen was reported, that it had potential to be extremely destructive, possibly catastrophic. How did we know? I'll tell you...

Because all of us understood that the immune system in humans has evolved to manage endemic bacteria and viruses, including most mutations, extremely efficiently. Those which we cannot fend off ourselves have been subject to treatment with medications: of course I'm largely referring to bacteria, since viral illness has only been able to be addressed in recent years, and even that has been with great difficulty in most cases. Other viruses we managed to essentially eradicate with mass immunizations, like the polio virus. But the common cold virus is persistent within the population and was considered "one of those things" with which we must deal, and that is reasonable and true.

But what if a mutation of that virus occurred: one that caused serious illness AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND I MEAN CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, is that this entity is highly transmissible for a great length of time prior to the onset of symptoms, thus allowing it to spread like wildfire. (Wildfire is a very important word - Dr. Michael Crichton named the facility in THE Andromeda Strain "Project Wildfire" because epidemiologists KNOW how this works, even back in the Sixties. Yes, ancient history...and it also appears that up to five weeks following the cessation of symptoms, the disease may still be transmitted. And for good measure, the mechanisms of transmission are not entirely known yet: first it was assumed to be aerosol, but it may also be oral-fecal which opens up whole new possibilities for passing it along as well as for mutation-possibilities. Jesus: it just doesn't fucking END!

But because of the evil inherent in the system, the magnitude of which is incomprehensible to the average citizen of any country, they sat on this for "political" (read: greed, power-mad, uncaring, unfeeling, anti-civilization-enduring) reasons. These people genuinely lack the gene for altruism and do not care, and I mean, do not care for anyone or anything INCLUDING THEIR OWN FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. Do not for one moment think that these people are feeling individuals in any way, shape, or form. They are the embodiment of the HAL-9000 computer.

I was thinking of the penultimate scene in The Hunt For Red October, when the Russian sub captain removes the self-protective mechanisms from the torpedo and launches it. The torpedo winds up acquiring the sub that launched it and the officer says to the Captain, "You arrogant ass. You killed us."

Yes, they have...they knew this was the risk and quite possibly have caused the unnecessary deaths of millions. You know, when people say the name Hitler, they often follow it by the clause "killed six million Jews" or "caused the deaths of seventy-five million in WWII." In the not too distant future, people will be saying, "Trump caused the deaths of X Million people". Mark my words...

[brewens]

1. Boy is you face gonna be red when it "just flows on through". Can you believe he says

that when no one thinks it just flowed on through anywhere.

[Scarsdale]

18. Yeah, right.

Just like bullshit "flows on through" that anal cavity he calls a mouth.

[ALBliberal]

22. Trump said that?

[Hekate]

37. Yes. He did.

[ALBliberal]

42. In a press briefing? Lord help us all.

[Hekate]

43. This was at one of his earlier pressers, probably after when he said it would be gone in April...

[lunasun]

51. Hey trump it's flowing through Italy right now pretty heavy

Italy coronavirus deaths rise by record 475 in a day
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51952712

[UpInArms]

2. Too many years of folks following Ayn Rand's theology

That altruism does not exist and money makes you “the best”

[calimary]

29. Any Rand. Now undoubtedly busy in Hell lobbying Satan to deprive

the inmates telling Satan “you deserve to keep what you made! To hell with all those jerks who want you to share...




... oh, wait.”

[tclambert]

56. What would John Galt do if he got Covid-19?

Ayn Rand's patron saint of self-reliance certainly wouldn't ask for help when he started to show symptoms. When he felt short of breath, he wouldn't go to the hospital or ask to be put on a ventilator. Maybe he'd try to build his own ventilator and separate out his own supply of pure oxygen. He might try to invent his own cure for the virus. If he did make a cure, he wouldn't share it with anyone. If he failed to find a cure, but someone else found one, he would refuse to ask for it.

And when he died, he would bury himself.

[MrsCheaplaugh]

60. So true.

[dchill]

63. That's SO Galt!

[MFGsunny]

3. Rant is good. It makes space for more good. You speak for many of us. Thanks for posting.

[Hortensis]

4. Yes, and X millions people elected Trump and more X millions

knew he was a scary symptom of our RW gone scary-toxic but effectively assisted in electing him.

Reportedly, Russia is trying to stir up domestic white supremacist violence and racial chaos, and NJ now officially considers our white supremacists a bigger terrorist threat than Al Qaeda and ISIS.

If things go the way they should, pandemic added to the rest of our problems should have a chastening effect on national misbehavior. It's normal for most people to let things get really bad before it forces more of them to stop fucking around and join those trying to do what should have been long before. Last time it was this dangerous we created the New Deal instead of falling the way so many other nations did.

Of course, some special problems of this perfect-storm era are "just" far more people to be hurt than ever before and far, far, far less of them living sustainably than before. Otoh, enormous production advances mean...abundance. We have abundance.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Success or failure in this pandemic, in the US

will depend on whether you, and your governor, believe in science. States with governor-science believers will outperform those without. More than several states have not taken adequate social distancing at this point, and are not worried because they're not counting or not testing a alot. But still, people who take it seriously have some control over their own behavior and risk.

Very sad this is what it comes down to. The curve is higher due to idiots who wrote the looming pandemic off as nothing to worry about. Worse yet will be, if there are any, God's will types.

[Tucker08087]

15. Two people-one a family member, one a friend,

life-long Democrats, Trump and GOP haters, are currently living in red states. The news they are getting from local stations and press conferences are convincing them that the Democrats are politicizing this, the virus squats for 3-5 DAYS before showing symptoms, it’s rarely deadly (both of these people are in multiple high-risk groups) and I’m out of my mind for staying home. (I’m a chemo patient. I stay home under normal circumstances, just FYI.) These are red states, towing the line, putting lives at risk. They are also 2 states with hot spots identified even before serious testing has begun. They have even brainwashed their enemy. I was told, “Stop! This is not time for politics. This is time to be an American.” FWIW, I never mentioned a name, a party, or anything except scientific facts about the virus. In their minds, that’s politicizing.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Pride goeth before the fall

That's what I'm saying. Lessons will be learned. Hang in there.

[ALBliberal]

23. Refusing Medicaid expansion was the lynchpin

In some of these red states culpability.

[joost5]

26. What's happening in MN

As of yesterday 77 confirmed cases. Though testing is still limited, our Dem Governor closed schools, bars, restaurants and any large public gatherings. He gives daily briefings. Working with other governors to form best practices and techniques. Trying to free up beds, ventilators, and acquire PPE from MN biotech. Juxtapose that with R-led denier governors. I feel badly for their citizens as this thing "just flows through" their communities. Thousands will die.

[Tucker08087]

45. Same here with a Dem Governor.

Very little testing, but he’s doing the same closings as yours and giving us up-to-date information. These people with the “patriotism” BS are on the frazzled end of my last nerve.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Would you please call my boss and rip him a new one?

Our HQ location has the ability to work remotely at probably 90+% effectiveness. But his head is so far up his ass he won't shut down and send everyone home. He wants to "keep everything as normal as possible for as long as possible" and "flatten the curve" with respect to "impact to our business." WTF????

He is so fed up with me advocating on behalf of employee safety and social responsibility (in my opinion a fundamentally moral question), I'm waiting to get fired any minute now.

I cannot make the man see reason and he's a goddamn data-driven type person. I cannot wrap my brain around what has happened to this previously rational person.

I told him I am prohibited (dad's cardiologist) from visiting my parents until my entire nuclear family has been in self-isolation for 15 days. And told him that clock doesn't start ticking until I start working from home. My husband's company already took that measure over a week ago. He didn't express one second of understanding or compassion. His parents are long dead. What the hell does he care about anyone else's. Fucking Republican.

Sorry. As you can tell, I'm a little hot about this.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. +1

[ZZenith]

61. That must be extremely frustrating.

You have my sincere condolences.

[Atticus]

7. I agree with your words and share your anger. Posts like yours are necessary to

counter those suddenly gushing about his "change in tone". He should AT LEAST die in prison.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. The movie to reference is, It Comes At Night.

[PCIntern]

11. Is that like

ICOYT?

[kag]

10. That's so funny, PCIntern...

The Hunt for Red October is one of my favorite movies, and I, too, thought of that scene when it became apparent just how badly our government is handling this.

[C_U_L8R]

12. Trump knew.

But decided to lie about it. Why?

[OhZone]

52. That should be the question repeated over and over!

Trump knew. But decided to lie about it. Why?

[Hugin]

13. I've been thinking back on something I learned about "the common cold" in some biology class...

Last edited Thu Mar 19, 2020, 10:10 AM - Edit history (1)

The gist of the discussion was that at some point in human evolution the family of viruses causing the "cold" were as or more lethal than the modern influenza virus. Over the millennia the human immune system had adapted to this onslaught to the point of establishing an uneasy truce with the diseases. Where they still existed, but, had been rendered to be a relative nuisance compared to other classes of microorganisms.

I remember as I was reading it you could almost hear the chortling of the author about even having to discuss this topic given the magnificence of the human immune system. People in those days were all about human exceptionalism, but, it must be kept in mind they were fresh off of conquering such things as cholera, small pox, polio, and leprosy.

The author did take the time to issue a warning that these viruses due to their ease of transmission and high mutation rate could come roaring back as the threat they had once been to humanity. Also, he noted the difficulty of creating a vaccine.

As you can see, in the above I used the word "evolve" several times. Which seems to be out of the scope of large swaths of the American public's thinking. Also, that human exceptionalism has gone on steroids in the form of Dunning-Kruger. Particularly, in the Republican leadership and White House to the point that not only are humans exceptional, but, certain humans (Them) are vastly more exceptional.

Based on this, I am not at all surprised at what has transpired. I am convinced it was unavoidable.

[PCIntern]

14. These stupid bastards

don't believe in evolution so what do YOU know?

🙄

[Hugin]

21. The Age of Reason for sure had it's drawbacks...

But, in retrospect. It also had a benevolence. Which is totally lacking in the I've-got-mine-so-go-die-so-I-can-have-yours-too Age of Troll.

I feel ya, bro.

[paleotn]

31. They don't. But evolution believes in them.

And evolution doesn't give two shits what they believe.

[Hugin]

33. +1

Precisely.

[paleotn]

30. They didn't live long enough for ...the pathogens strike back.

Our immune system evolves, but so do pathogens. Genetic mutations are the ultimate roulette wheel. New mutations sometimes make a pathogen extremely lethal to their hosts. These usually die out relatively quickly, since killing the host in rapid fashion isn't a successful survival strategy. After all, who continues on are those that replicate most successfully. Humans included. Then there' are the pathogens that have never seen humans until recently...and just happen to possess the ability to infect us.

We're not exceptional in any manner, as the jury is still out on whether Homo sapien intelligence is a successful, long term evolutionary wrinkle. Or whether Linnaeus made an inside joke by giving us the Latin name for wise man. Check back in a million or more years to see if it turned out to be just one of trillions upon trillions of unsuccessful mutations.

[Laelth]

17. Righteous rant. n/t

-Laelth

[notKeith]

19. Trump Flu

In the not too distant future, this will also be known as the Trump Flu, irrespective the fact that it's an international phenomenon. Trump single-handedly made it far worse in the US.

[Pepsidog]

24. It should be called that by every Dem leader. Make it stick to the monster.

[Nevilledog]

55. I think we need to take the word flu out...... TRUMP VIRUS

[rainin]

20. We always think things will stick to tRump

but, we are always disappointed. 3000 deaths in Puerto Rico happened because of his poor management of the crisis and yet, no one remembers it. Maybe this is different because everyone will be effected.

There will be deaths from the disease, but there may be MANY MORE deaths from poverty after the disease has been gotten under control. Will we count those, too? We should.

Great post, though. Terrifying.

[malaise]

25. K & R Great post

people will be saying, "Trump caused the deaths of X Million people". Mark my words...

[paleotn]

28. +1000 This.

[paleotn]

27. Add to the reasons they sat on this....

- The tendency to discount what's happening before our very eyes. Humans sometimes simply can't process rationally what they're seeing. I'll admit, the last weeks have been surreal and difficult to grasp. Another movie quote...."a quadruple failure...that can't happen...must be instrumentation."

- The most common reason for sitting on their hands: Waiting on the slim hope things blow over and it's not as bad as the experts are saying. Humans procrastinate endlessly when it comes to things the least bit painful. Coupled with...acting in a manner that makes a damn bit of difference will be extraordinarily expensive so we better be damn sure the experts are right or we're going to look like fucking idiots. So, they wait until the last minute or until it's too late in a game of chicken with a deadly virus.

We don't elect high officials to act like this. Like average people. They are privy to tons of information we're not and are counseled by experts out the ying yang. We expect them to be better prepared, and better able to handle crises like this. In my mind that's part of the job description. And that's what happens when we elect folks "we'd like to have a beer with"....thousands dead in The Gulf War. Or those who stroke our hatreds in this case.

I don't give a shit whether "I like" the person I vote for. That never enters the equation. What matters is...like Sec. Clinton's old campaign ad...do you trust them when the phone rings at 3am. When this is all said and done, the American people are going to have to do some serious soul searching on how and why we vote for our elected officials, because the current crop in this admin and this Congress, minus exceptions, are not up to the task. And when they're not up to the task, people die. It's that simple.

[crickets]

39. Well said. nt

[KY_EnviroGuy]

32. K&R for truth. We're all a little better prepared today because of you.

Thanks for your professional compassion and great rant.........

[JudyM]

34. It *is* oral-fecal. It has been found in patient excrement well after they supposedly recovered.

This is proposed as the explanation for why folks get sick again... they were never over it.

This really is a ninja virus - hides out undiscovered in the nose till it’s good and ready to invade the lungs, and afterward hides in the dark ready to be passed to others and even have another curtain call.

[spanone]

35. K&R

[H2O Man]

36. Recommended. (# 110)

Thank you for this. When my sons "check in" on me this evening, I am definitely going to have them both read this.

[Hekate]

38. KnR

[AtheistCrusader]

40. The idea was drilled into us as far back as the original War Of The Worlds.

[panfluteman]

41. Treating Viruses is NOT Something That Was Impossible Until Recently

There are many effective antiviral herbs used in traditional healing systems from around the world. Some of the best of them are:
1) Echinacea angustifolia root
2) Olive Leaf and its extract (Olea europea)
3) She Gan in Chinese herbal medicine (Rhizoma belacandae)
4) Andrographis herb (Andrographis paniculata) - Chuan Xin Lian in Chinese medicine and Kalmegh in Ayurvedic medicine)
5) Indigo leaves (Folium Isatidis)

[yuiyoshida]

54. Cannebis?

probably not good for a Respiratory disease...unless you do etables.

[love_katz]

44. Kicking for visibility

I hope this post gets a ginormous number of reads. Thank you for the rant.

[lunatica]

46. History will record the time before COVID 19 and the time after as a marker

As a fork in the road when life changed on a fundamental level.

[DENVERPOPS]

47. PC,

In firefighting, they don't call this a wildfire, it is called a CONFLAGRATION............

[Initech]

48. Elections have consequences.

I ranted on this last week and was really pissed off. The Fox News heads and MAGAs brought this on with their "undoing" of the previous administration:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213089806

[bdamomma]

49. He is our Assad.

Bastard.

[DSandra]

50. I've known for a long time that the Republicans would drive us off a cliff

What do you expect when a crazy person is driving the bus on a cliffside road?

[MFM008]

53. From day one

Maggot has dry humped this country to be as low as he is.
As corrupted
Mismanaged
Hysterical.
Sick.

[pansypoo53219]

57. i hope this kills zombie reagan + we need a business leader for president.

[PCIntern]

58. You must be joking:

Six years from now THIS NEVER HAPPENED!!.

[Joinfortmill]

59. Thank you

I hear you.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

62. The risk when getting my next prescription refill will be 64x the previous ...

And the month after that, assuming we haven't peaked before then, the risk of my catching the virus by going out into the civilized world will be 4096 times what it was at the first of this month.

(This assumes doubling every 5 days).

Yep, "You arrogant ass. You killed us" is an appropriate quote to aim at the Grotesque Orange Pustule and minions.