“When asked if he would make the decision to loosen social distancing recommendations even if it went against the advice of federal public health officials, Trump said: ‘If it was up to the doctors they might say shut down the entire world.'”

“‘We haven’t yet even seen signs that the growth is slowing, much less reversing. Now is the time to tighten restrictions on contacts that could transmit the virus, not loosen them,’ Lipsitch said. ‘If we let up now we can be virtually certain that health care will be overwhelmed in many if not all parts of the country. This is the view of every well-informed infectious epidemiologist I know of.'”

“Trump weighs restarting economy despite warnings from U.S. public health officials”

Yesterday the narrative was we all need to go home and stay there.

Today the narrative is we can’t ruin the economy, when can we restart it?

You can’t find a Democrat taking Trump’s position, unless you consider Lloyd Blankfein, who recently left his position as head of Goldman Sachs, a Democrat. Then again, these Wall Streeters have it good either way. Trump is on their side, Biden took all their money, they’re gonna win no matter what. But you? You’re screwed.

I just got an interesting e-mail from Matt Pyken:

“Did you hear him today?

Trump’s gonna ignore everything the doctors say and restart the country – why? Because the ONLY THING he cares about is getting re-elected, and he’s made the calculation that if the economy fully tanks he’s toast. And what do NY, CA and Washington State have in common? Almost all the cases and ZERO chance of ever voting for Trump – so he could give 2 shits if people here live or die. Now, does this backfire? Does the whole country get it and it’s a disaster? Maybe. Probably. But if they can deal with it a little better everywhere but CA, and NY and Seattle, then they’ll leave us to die – 70% Biden voters anyway.”

I’m don’t wear a tin foil hat, and I think the whole country is going to endure massive coronavirus infection, but unfortunately I think Matt is on to something.

We’ve got a divided country. The right doesn’t care if the left falls, and to a degree the left doesn’t care if the right falls, although nowhere near as much. We’re playing team sports when the last I checked we were all human beings and in it together. But that’s today’s selfish ethos: “It’s what’s good for me, I need to pay less taxes and get the government out of my hair and…when I have a loss, someone has got to pay, I can’t endure, I never sacrifice, I need to be made whole.”

This is how we got into this mess. America told everybody to shop, so they had no savings, especially after they saw what their neighbors possessed and were doing. And the penalties for missing a payment are so severe, but no one is standing up for them, other than Elizabeth Warren (and a few more, but Liz has been the most vocal). And the right has turned Warren into a pariah, and the left wing media bought it, promoting the idea that she was a schoolmarm, strident and unelectable. And when she failed, they changed their focus to Bernie Sanders. He’s a socialist in bed with Cuba and no one likes him and nothing will get done and no one will vote for him, so his candidacy must be killed, and when he’s done we’ll say nice things about him, like we do at anybody’s funeral.

Did you see Biden speak today?

Biden – twitter

He looks just as bad as Trump, reading the teleprompter badly. We laughed at Trump two weeks ago, do you think people are not laughing at Biden?

Furthermore, you had to scroll down the website/app to find this story, Biden may have finally spoken, but he’s far from controlling the narrative.

This is a game folks, and you’ve already lost.

First and foremost, the rules have been eviscerated, facts don’t matter, and we can argue all day what’s real and what’s not but the truth is those in power have moved beyond, are laughing at us as they pull the strings to screw us.

And of course the right is getting screwed too, but they don’t want anybody to get social welfare, they don’t want people of color and immigrants getting a leg up, so they can’t vote Democratic, no way.

And the Democrats are an elite tribe who have contempt for everybody else, paying lip service to the little people and then lining their own pockets. Once again, Wall Street got money after the crash of 2008, you lost your home. Socialism for the rich, and capitalism for the poor. And somehow Bernie is the enemy.

So what we need is a consistent counternarrative. But just like the auto workers in the south refuse to unionize for fear the company will take revenge, people are scared to stand up to the DNC. Let’s go with old Joe, progress must be slow, everybody likes him. Huh?

So, once again, the narrative is now different. It’s not about whether you’re gonna die, whether we have enough medical equipment, but just when can we reopen America to boost the economy. If you’re dead, too bad, money talks, even though you’re not getting this money because if the corporations don’t exist you don’t get paid and riches trickle down and therefore, STFU!

The person with a real bead on this is Naomi Klein, she wrote a book called “The Shock Doctrine” back in 2007. She posits when there is a crisis, the bad actors, the government, institute changes to their advantage that ultimately hurt the people. Everybody’s so confused and uptight they’ll go along with anything that ensures their safety. Give you some money, stop your responsibilities so we can stay at home and ride this out? No, the media will keep telling you how you’re gonna go broke and the world is gonna fall apart and people die in car crashes so therefore, suck it up and do what’s right for the country, which they say is you, but it’s not, it’s them.

No, now is the time for the news media to stand up to Trump, to not only point out the fallacies and untruths he is proffering, but to promulgate a counternarrative that they drill into people’s heads!

But no, they won’t do that! Because they say they’re “fair,” in a world where Fox News is anything but. Take a stand, come on, the “New York Times” did against Bernie, then again, the right has neutered the NYT and WaPo and driven their constituents to not only Fox, but insane websites.

This is a fight for our lives.

And it’s also a fight for our souls.

Now is the time to stand up, now is the time to get organized.

But musicians are seen as mercenary, and everybody with a buck is in cahoots with someone else with a buck so they won’t take a stand. Yup, don’t want to give up those privates!

This is the world we live in, I’m just pointing out the truth.

“‘This is serious.’ Garcetti scolds L.A. for not staying home as coronavirus spreads”

My inbox is littered with Republicans telling me I’ve got the facts wrong and it’s not that bad and we just need to save the economy…meanwhile, while I’m at it, can I stop beating up on Trump, we’re all in this together and he’s doing a great job and is gonna slaughter the Democrats in November.

I awoke to the story of Trump’s inane midnight tweets:

“Trump flirts with a less-aggressive coronavirus response, echoing Fox News”

This must be read in concert with Ben Smith’s article:

“Rupert Murdoch Put His Son in Charge of Fox. It Was A Dangerous Mistake. The 48 year-old Lachlan Murdoch stood by as Fox News hosts played down the danger of the deadly coronavirus to their viewers”

This is the legacy of the Trump presidency, facts are not facts, science is not to be trusted and everything is the fault of the elites. If we could just put the uneducated in charge, going by their gut, what feels right, everything would be okay.

Let’s start with the term “Fake News.” Trump has flipped its meaning! Once again, the right defines the debate and the left plays defense, doesn’t stand up for itself. Finally, the left starting calling McConnell “Moscow Mitch,” but they couldn’t even stick with that as Trump has a nickname for each and every opposition player.

But it’s not only the right. When it comes to junk science, the left is leading. It’s the left pushing the insane anti-vaccination story. And the elite left is also anti-doctor. Tell them you’ve got a health problem and they’ll say you should never see a doctor, they’re clueless, you’ve got to take SUPPLEMENTS! There’s an over the counter cure for EVERYTHING! Come on, you know these people, the same ones telling you to now load up on Vitamin C, which has been proven to be ineffective, to take all this fakokta stuff to boost your immune system. No, if you’re in contact with someone who is infected, you’re gonna get it. You might not have symptoms, but you’re gonna get it.

And then there’s the canard that it’s just the flu. The truth is the coronavirus is more infectious, meaning that one person infects many more people, and then there are people who are asymptomatic who infect so many:

“Coronavirus Cases Without Symptoms Spur Call for Wider Tests”

But it gets worse, for every concerned citizen sending articles to their friends there is a concomitant number of people sending articles saying that it’s all hogwash, that the economy is being killed and the virus is overhyped. You may not be getting these e-mails, but I am. This is how the “New York Times” and the rest of big media missed the Trump phenomenon, they don’t intersect with these people on the other side. It’s not just that they pooh-pooh and then ignore them, they have no idea of the information they’re spreading and how they feel.

And then there are the people who say to trust God, I kid you not:

“Dear Bob,

Some of (us) believe in prayer. Relying on the media and politicians is not going to help. God never fails.

Be well.

Steve Digilio”

We are in a crisis of leadership.

If you watch the NBA, and of course now you cannot, you know that when the going gets tough, when the clock is winding down, the superstars, those just a bit better than the rank and file, and the rank and file are quite good in the NBA, say…GIVE ME THE BALL!

Trump doesn’t want the ball. He wants to pass it off, or make like the game is not that important. Whereas…

Andrew Cuomo has grabbed the ball and has run with it.

And now Eric Garcetti too. Garcetti is willing to do and say the unpopular…you can’t go to the beach, you can’t play ball on the public courts, you can’t go hiking in popular places… All weekend people were sending me pics of people on golf courses (now closed) at the beach and at retail stores. No one wants to stay home indefinitely, but that’s what you’ve got to do!

There’s that new video of Italians speaking from the future

Urgent Messages from Italians in Coronavirus Quarantine

It appears video works better than words, so if we could just get everybody’s attention, but we can’t, because we cannot even agree on the facts!

Everybody’s at home watching the flat screen. If we could just get all channels to broadcast a half hour of facts that would help dramatically. Tom Hanks would have been the perfect person, but of course he’s infected! Some other trusted celebrity. And instead of hyping movies on its homepage, Netflix should automatically screen a PSA on coronavirus facts.

And this is a time to unclutter the homepage, Google should have facts right on the search page.

Ditto with Amazon.

We could leverage the power of our institutions, YouTube, even TikTok, where is the challenge for the best coronavirus video?

But we’ve got no leadership.

If you ask New Yorkers, and many others paying attention, Cuomo should be the candidate, not Biden. And maybe if there is a contested nomination process, this could happen. Cuomo has led, he’s the most visible leader, he stands up to Trump and then makes nice, plays him like a fiddle.

And Newsom is doing so much for his Presidential candidacy in the future.

But if we start spreading the truth, we’re gonna get blowback that it’s all propaganda, based on false facts, with an agenda, which is anti-Trump.

That’s where we are today.

With hindsight everybody will say they did not know, they weren’t aware it could be so bad. And then the bad actors will fade in the rearview mirror in an era where what’s news this morning is not tonight.

As for the lack of a bill in Congress, the Democrats are trying to stand up for the people as opposed to the corporations, but…aren’t corporations people too?

Now is not the time for false equivalencies, speak the truth.

And leadership abhors a vacuum. This is what Trump doesn’t understand, just because he is President, that does not mean he’s the leader.

Time to usurp his power and run with the truth.

Tom Rush sent me the absolute best explanation I’ve gotten re the coronavirus:

Dr. Emily Porter explains exactly why staying home is saving lives

It’s Representative Katie Porter’s sister, who is a doctor.

It’s only five and a half minutes long, and it’s very clear cut, not boring. She explains the math of the coronavirus very simply.

You’re gonna watch this and send it to everybody you know.

_________________________

And while I have your attention, I got this article from Henry Root, the link is self-explanatory:

Israeli doctor in Italy: We no longer help those over 60

_________________________

And while I have your attention…

I left out the link to that Italy article I quoted in the prior missive, it’s:

“Italy, Pandemic’s New Epicenter, Has Lessons for the World – The country’s experience shows that steps to isolate the coronavirus and limit people’s movement need to be put in place early, with absolutely clarity, then strictly enforced”

What part of stay home and interact with nobody else, NOBODY, do people not understand?

I was trying to take a day off, but my inbox and the things I’m reading in the paper are driving me crazy.

Let’s start with this article I actually read last night, when I saw it retweeted by Ethan Smith of the “Wall Street Journal.” (Now is the time when Twitter is really shining, it’s the best way to keep up with coronavirus news. Follow certain people and they’ll link you to stories… I’ll admit, I’m following mostly left-leaning people, but start with Maggie Haberman: @maggieNYT Maggie is linking to relevant “Times” stories and other stories you should be paying attention to. And Frank Rich, one of the savviest observers out there: @frankrichny And if you want to keep up with how the youth are coping, follow Taylor Lorenz: @TaylorLorenz Of course you should follow more people, but that would be a completely different article. If you’ve never used Twitter, or thought it was too difficult to use, start now. Download the Twitter app and follow these people. And if you’re on the desktop, I still recommend Tweetdeck, Twitter does not have a desktop app, illustrating where the action is at.)

Whew! I got a bit off point there.

So, Ethan Smith linked to this article from ProPublica:

“A Medical Worker Describes Terrifying Lung Failure From COVID-19 – Even in His Young Patients – ‘It first struck me how different it was when I saw my first coronavirus patient go bad. I was like, Holy shit, this is not the flu. Watching this relatively young guy, gasping for air, pink frothy secretions coming out of his tube.'”

Read this, it’s required. This is what happens when you’re on a ventilator. And they’re already running out of ventilators. And if you think you’re immune:

“12-year-old girl with coronavirus is on a ventilator and fighting for her life”

She had no pre-existing conditions and she hadn’t traveled.

Which brings me to the most important story of the day.

“How the Virus Got Out – The most extensive travel restrictions to stop an outbreak in human history haven’t been enough. We analyzed the movements of hundreds of millions of people to show why.”

This is mostly graphic, very little reading is involved, please take the time to scroll down and read this, because many people are math-challenged and don’t understand what exponential means and sometimes you need pictures to get you to comprehend concepts.

TIMING IS OF THE ESSENCE!

You don’t have to read this whole story

Italy, Pandemic’s New Epicenter, Has Lessons for the World

about how Italy bungled their handling of Covid-19, I’ll just quote the lines that stood out to me:

“Italy is still paying the price of those early mixed messages by scientists and politicians. The people who have died in staggering numbers recently – more than 2,300 in the last four days – were mostly infected during the confusion of a week or two ago.”

Well, then there’s the final sentence of the above-linked article:

“Americans and others, he said, ‘need to be ready.'”

Earlier today I read that people believe they can fight this with “confidence.” As in “I’m healthy, I didn’t travel to China, I don’t live in New York, this doesn’t apply to me and I won’t get it and if I do it won’t be that bad.” WRONG!

If you add the last two stories together, you can see that what appears calm today is insanity tomorrow. Because incubation can take up to 14 days, you hang with people who are carriers, who might appear totally healthy, you yourself might think you’re totally healthy and then BAM!

And then there is this headline:

“Cuomo warns 80% will get virus over ‘9 months…'”

Here’s the bottom line. The odds of you getting the coronavirus are better than even. If you’re a thinking person you know that you want to get it LATER RATHER THAN SOONER! Those who are staying home and interacting with no one are at a distinct advantage, they’ll miss the initial hospital rush and overcrowding and by time they get it there will be enough infrastructure to serve them. There’s gonna be triage, people are gonna be left to die. If you read the initial story linked above, you’ll see that most people on ventilators are in their 40s and 50s at this guy’s hospital, meaning if you’re older…you might not get a ventilator, you might be left to die.

My older sister Jill sent me a must-read article this morning:

“Where Is Joe?”

I was driving last night listening to Fox, and the anchor was harping on the absence of Joe Biden, who when finally confronted said:

“I find myself, literally on the phone with my key advisors, medical advisors and economic advisors literally four or five hours a day, going through detailed memoranda on what we should be doing.”

Huh? Bernie Sanders is proffering solutions, raising money, and Joe Biden is silent?

I GET IT I GET IT I GET IT, BERNIE’S DONE!

But in last week’s debate, Bernie emphasized leadership, and Biden is showing none.

From this same article:

“One other explanation is that Joe Biden is not speaking out because he has nothing to say. Historian Gabriel Winant rightly points out that one reason Biden’s performance is so bad is that ‘the response the situation actually demands would negate the whole logic of (establishment Democrats’) power and lead inexorably to its end.’ That’s because Biden’s whole campaign has been spent attacking the left for demanding massive new public investment, paid leave and guaranteed income, and bold, immediate action to fight crises, plus free healthcare for all – and now we need all of the things centrist Democrats have long said we can’t have or will have to wait many years for. In a Great Depression, you need a New Deal, and we’re facing a Great Depression with a Democratic party that has rejected the foundations of New Deal social democracy. How can proud incrementalists and defenders of the status quo ever hope to fix this?”

And in this “Current Affairs” article they link to another story that brings the truth home:

“The Post-Trump Phase of the Post-Truth Era Could Be Starting Soon – Joe Biden’s relentless lying in last night’s debate, and the media’s astonishingly servile reaction, have made it clear that the ‘post-truth’ era will not be over when the Trump administration ends.”

You may be heartened by the closing of the Florida beaches, the efforts people have made to stay home in Washington, California, Illinois and New York. But my my inbox is littered with writers from these states sending pictures and telling stories of people out and about in close proximity, if not actually touching each other! Let me see, if I told you you could go outside and play for a week or two, but then you would have to stay home for months and the odds were you and everybody you knew would get a horrible, life-threatening illness, would you? OF COURSE NOT!

This is kind of like 9/11, when Bush queried, who could conceive of people flying airplanes into buildings? Well, the same “deep state” that Trump keeps excoriating, they knew. And we’ve seen this movie in China and Italy and elsewhere but somehow we think we’re immune because we’re the good ole’ U.S.A., the land of freedom, home of the American Dream? HOGWASH!

I leave you with this e-mail from Benji Rogers:

“I now have 19 friends and family with Corona symptoms, up from 2. Only one has been tested and had it confirmed.

Mostly based out of the UK and EU.

This is quite a picture: avatorl.org/covid-19/

Be well mate.
Benj”