Russia Swore It Whipped the Virus. Fox and CNN Bought It

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

As the world reels from the novel coronavirus pandemic, Russia is doing its best to turn global turmoil into propaganda fodder. To date, a country of 146 million people straddling Europe and Asia and that has a great deal of commerce with those two great epicenters of the disease reports only 438 confirmed coronavirus cases and no deaths. One previously disclosed fatality has been dismissed by authorities as attributable to other causes.

But according to official statistics from Russian state media, over 52,000 people remain under medical supervision “in connection with suspected coronavirus infection.”

Perhaps the real number of Russia’s coronavirus patients lies somewhere in between.

Garry Kasparov, a world-renowned former world chess champion and the chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, told The Daily Beast why the Kremlin’s dubious claims shouldn’t be taken at face value:

“Of course Russia is lying about their coronavirus stats and I can say that confidently because they lie about everything,” said Kasparov. “Dictatorships lie when they have to—and when they don’t; it’s about control. Control of information, shaping reality, and, most importantly, appearing all-powerful and all-knowing. If the regime can be surprised or overwhelmed by a virus, maybe it’s not so powerful after all, a dangerous line of thought for a repressed population to have. Until there is truly independent testing—and the stories we’re hearing out of Russia are not encouraging—we just don’t know what’s going on.”

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-swore-whipped-virus-fox-090330624.html

[Bev54]

1. Of course Putin is hiding the numbers but also

the CBC in Canada did an investigation into the numbers and interviewed doctors and others. The doctors say they are reluctant to diagnose people with covid 19 as the patient will be ordered into a quarantine building which apparently has absolutely deplorable conditions and they do not want to do that to them so they diagnose it as pneumonia. Also there is no financial backup for Russians so they will go to work and not get tested because it is all they have. I do believe that Russia may very well be hit very hard, and may actually collapse. The rich are hoarding ventilating machines so others do not get them. It is going to be dire there.

Russia has since closed its borders.

[WhiteTara]

3. I thought our situation was dire

but I'm grateful for the remnants of our democracy and our Party. We might just have a bit better of a chance than the Russians.

[eleny]

6. Oligarch money protected at any cost vs human life except his own

[BootinUp]

2. Wise. nt

[Hortensis]

4. Also, Russia's healthcare system is not good in most places.

I imagine their biggest asset of centralized control is also a major vulnerability. The country is poor and often very badly run, and of course geographically extremely large. Food and medication shortages, even localized famine, and extensive power outages are not uncommon. And ways to slip the controls of deficient national systems, such as black markets, are a normal part of life.

[moondust]

5. Heeeeere's Pooty!